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CLARE farmers could soon be counting the benefits of a number of new bio-energy crops which could soon be filling the fields of the coun- ty. SWEGEN is a new farm initia- tive covering Clare as well as parts of Limerick and Kerry and aims to show farmers the opportunities available in the production of alter- native energy sources.

The group has reported receiving a large number of visitors to their stand at the Nation Ploughing Champion- ships, with farmers seeming keep to find out how to get their own bio-en- ergy crops Started.

“The high standards of work done by SWEGEN over the last year has

been reflected in the large volume of interested parties at this years Na- tional Ploughing Championships,’ said the Director with SWEGEN, Liam Browne.

‘There was also a fantastic level of interest from national media, prov- ing just how relevant bio fuels and their production are to the public and industry.”

SWEGEN is currently working in tandem with both the GEGA and GESCO organisations.

GEGA was established in 2006 to facilitate the production and process- ing of bio energy crops and fuels.

The GESCO Network’s primary focus is to establish viable long term green energy supply services and is essentially a country wide network of

Green Energy Service Companies.

Their main aim is to develop real business opportunities for rural com- munities in the developing green en- ergy market and to ensure that rural communities continue to benefit long term from energy production. GEGA has doubled its crop production in the last year and expect to do the same this year by keeping in line with their organisational strategy.

The GESCO Network has an ongo- ing, rapidly expanding Miscanthus development programme and _ this year saw the first of large-scale field trials of industrial hemp to establish its suitability and application as a Bi- omass Corp. The crops both flourish in the Irish climate and the support of GEGA means that crop growers

can maximise the quality of their produce.

SWEGEN meetings will run in the Clare region between the end of October and January of next year. For more check www.swegen.ie, e- mail info@swegen.ie or contact the GEGA office directly on 1890 232 POE

A NEW group, aimed at improving the lives of elderly or mature resi- dents in Sixmilebridge, has been set WOR The Golden Years club has just been formed and held its first meet- ing last week, at which up to a dozen senior citizens attended. It will meet fortnightly at the old courthouse in the village, where a variety of enter- tainment will be provided for those who attend.

While the primary target group of the initiative 1s senior citizens, the club is also open to anyone who would like to spend an afternoon with others. It 1s open to people from Sixmilebridge and surround- ing areas, such as Bunratty, Cratloe,

Newmarket-on-Fergus, Quin and Kilkishen.

The idea has been on the cards for several years, particularly as senior citizens from the area have had to travel to the daycare centre in Clare- or TS Aer

A €10 million development recent- ly commenced in the village, which, when completed, will incorporate a centre where groups such as senior citizens can meet. Until this is fin- ished, the group will meet at the old courthouse.

Organiser the of new club, Vicky Ward, said the new initiative will serve many purposes and the feed- back has been positive.

‘A lot of the more mature residents want to get out of the house. We were going to hold it once a month, but

they wanted it every two weeks. Peo- ple were really enthusiastic and that speaks for itself,’ said Ms Ward.

Variety will form a central part, with various guests entertaining the group every fortnight. Local mag1- cian The Great Padini will present a show next week, while Sixmileb- ridge native David Egan, of the Red Branch, will speak about the value of exercise at the next meeting on Oc- tober 28.

Local florist Lisa Kelliher will present a flower demonstration on November 11, while the special guests will be given a break on No- vember 25 and the group’s members will play bingo and card games.

“We are trying to do something different every time,’ said Ms Ward.

“It is needed. There are a lot of ma-

ture residents in Sixmilebridge and surrounding areas. There is no age bracket. It 1s not an over-60s club. There may be some people who have an illness and may only be in their 50s and they are welcome to come along. It is specifically geared to- wards those who are not able to get out and socialise; not necessarily for elderly people,’ she added.

“This is something we have been talking about setting up for as long as I can remember,’ added Ms Ward.

The initiative, organised by the Bridge Complex, is free of charge and further information is available from the old courthouse in Sixmileb- ridge. The committee 1s also seeking volunteers to help run the club and lend a hand with its activities on a weekly basis.

EAST Clare county councillor John Crowe has defended the water supply in Sixmilebridge.

The Fine Gael councillor claims the water in the town and surround- ing areas is perfect, with the excep- tion of an isolated case.

He was reacting to an EPA report, which recorded the second highest lead content in Irish water from a house in the Sixmiulebridge.

The EPA recorded 157 micrograms per litre in the water in a house in Church View on September 30.

“*T think that the 1950s old lead con- nections coming from the mains that are the cause of this,” he said.

The councillor said that from the 1960s on, PVC piping replaced the majority of these pipes. Water from the reservoir at Castle Lake, which supplies Sixmilebridge and Shan- non, was perfect and safe.

Last night Clare County Council said that they along with other local authorities, had increased monitoring of water supplies for levels of lead in recent weeks.

David Timlin, County Council Director of Service said, the risk relates specifically to premises built before the early 1960s and have not been renovated since and continue to have lead services. If your home was built since the early 1960s, it is likely that there are no lead pipes in your property. People who stay or live in homes built before the early 1960s

and are concerned that their supply is from lead services are advised to flush their pipes as a precaution by running the cold water from the kitchen tap until the sink 1s filled, be-

fore consuming the water,” he said.

“This advice applies particularly first thing in the morning or if the water has been unused in the pipes for longer than six hours.”

“If adverse results are verified by the current programme of monitor- ing, further assessment will be car- ried out. Consumers particularly at risk include children under six, and

pregnant women.”

TUBBER based artist, Eileen Healy, is calling on farmers from each cor- ner of the county to get involved with a innovative new art project involv- ing farm photographs.

Visual Stuttering is a new project commissioned by the Clare Arts Of- fice that will explore aspects of farm- ing in Clare through the use of aerial photography.

Eileen would like to hear from any farmers who have aerial photograph of their farm, either from recent years or years in the past.

This new project has emerged from a research project co-funded by

Clare Arts Office and Burren Con- nect which identified the need for a community-based art project which engaged directly with farmers.

Eileen has focuses primarily on ru- ral issues and she was commissioned to create this project following on from her recent solo exhibition at the X-PO community space in Kilnaboy. There she showed three aerial pho- tographs of the her home farm on the Tyrone/Donegal border entitled “Visual Stuttering — 1970, 1985 and 1996”.

‘These images, spanning three dec- ades, clearly document the changes in farming architecture and methods, while also highlighting the relation-

ship between man, animal and land- scape,’ she said.

“This sub-genre of rural documen- tary photography resulted in most farm houses having a photograph of their farm above their fireplace — an image which clearly aestheticizes the time-based nature of farming in a very striking way.”

During the X-PO exhibition the photographs generated a lot of inter- est and discussion from locals, with people immediately identifying with the images. As a result of this inter- est she decided to engage directly with local farm-owners and identify similar photographs with a view to presenting a public exhibition and

publication in March of next year.

“The Clare Arts Office is com- mitted to process-based works such as Visual Stuttering, as a means of establishing contact with farming communities in Clare, involving them as co-creators of and audience for process based public art,” said Fiona Woods, the Regional Arts Co- ordinator for north Clare.

“This project will document aspects of the changing face of farming both from above and below, but more than this, it furthers critical art practice in response to a rural context.”

Anyone interested can _ contact Eileen on aerialfarmphotographs@g mail.com or by phone 0877922618.

CONCERNS about anti-social be- haviour and the issue of community policing were among the main points of discussion at a meeting between gardai and elected representatives in Shannon.

The meeting was sought by town councillors, to discuss a number of issues of concern. Councillors anda number of council officials met with

Inspector Tom Kennedy and the ser- geant in charge at Shannon, Noel McMahon.

The meeting heard that four areas in the town have been assigned com- munity gardai. Under this initiative, it is hoped that community contact with gardai would be improved, leading to intelligence regarding criminal activity and anti-social be- haviour.

Councillors were told that there are

restrictions regarding the prosecu- tion of residents of private houses, where there are noise issues.

If residents cause a nuisance, gardai can call to a particular dwelling, but it is only after persistent warnings by gardai that summonses can be is- sued.

The meeting also heard that there are serious issues in relation to a number of families who have re- cently moved to Shannon and have

caused concern among locals.

This situation is being monitored by gardai, who have been made aware of a number of incidents that have taken place in the town in re- cent weeks.

At the meeting, various council- lors complained that all calls made to Shannon Garda Station were not being logged. The garda representa- tives pledged to ensure that all calls were logged.

INDEPENDENT councillor, Tom- my Brennan was to the forefront of moves to save local companies hav- ing millions of euro wiped from the value of their landbanks.

In a draft of the new Ennis Devel- opment Plan presented to councillors earlier this year, council planners had dezoned valuable land banks owned by Tom Hogan Motors Ltd, Michael Lynch Ltd and T Sheils Ltd.

The businesses scrambled to lobby

councillors to have the proposed de- Zonings reversed.

Only last year, Tom Hogan Motors paid over €10 million for an eight acre site which includes the One Mile Inn on the Lahinch Road.

The dezoning would have wiped millions off the value of the site as part of it would have been zoned ‘flood risk’.

The council also sought to dezone a site zoned ‘commercial’ owned by T Sheils on the Gort Road to part ‘oth- er settlement land’ with flood plain

designation, while the M Lynch Ltd owned site at St Flannan’s rounda- bout — where the company was re- fused planning for a ©50 million re- tail development – was to be dezoned from a strategic site to ‘other settle- ment land’ and ‘residential’. However, at a behind closed doors meeting in June of this year, all the planners’ moves were reversed with Cllr Brennan leading the way in hav- ing the valuable plots rezoned. Documents secured by The Clare People through the Freedom of In-

formation Act show that Cllr Bren- nan had the unanimous support of his colleagues from the Ennis elec- toral area in backing the rezonings of SoM M ON ReomS Kee

In relation to the M Lynch Ltd site, the minutes state that Cllr Brennan said the company had acquired ad- ditional properties and had an agree- ment with an anchor tenant for the development of a shopping centre. Any interference of the amenities of the surrounding residential prop- erties could be ameliorated by the

planning process.”

In relation to the T Sheils site on the Gort Road, Cllr Brennan proposed that the whole site be returned to ‘commercial’ purposes”.

In relation to the Tom Hogan site on the Lahinch Road,Cllr Pat Daly pro- posed that the site be returned to its ‘district centre’ rezoning.

All of the dezonings were reversed in time for the final development plan to go on display and a report on the submissions is expected to be pre- sented shortly to councillors.

A WEST Clare man lost his life in an accident, just seconds after he and his partner kissed, while she was driving a car, an inquest has heard.

Ennis Coroner’s Court heard that 54-year-old James Whelan, of Mount Rivers, Doonbeg, died after the car in which he was a front seat passen- ger hit a bridge at Carrowbrough, Ballala, Doonbeg, in the early hours of Sunday, July 10, 2006.

At Ennis Circuit Court last March, his partner Pamela Moore (43), of St Gerard’s, Ballard, Doonbeg, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving causing the death of Mr Whelan and also to

drink driving.

She was disqualified from driving for 12 years and handed a three-year jail term, suspended for three years.

Ennis Coroner’s Court heard last week that Ms Moore was not avail- able to attend the inquest, due to medical reasons.

Her deposition was read out to the inquest. In it, she said she and James had been socialising at the Ocean Cove hotel in Kilkee on Sunday, July 9, 2006. They then left in a car driven by her.

Whilst driving, he held her hand. “He leaned to kiss me. I leaned over to kiss him. There was a loud bang and glass flying. I didn’t know what

was happening,” she stated.

She said she knew James was in difficulty and she tried to resuscitate him. She screamed for help and was later cut out of the car and put into an Nee leleer-telerer

She did not remember the journey to hospital, but did remember being in hospital.

Garda Charlie Killeen recalled at- tending the scene of the accident at around 5am on July 10 of that year. The said the vehicle involved in the crash was in the middle of the road, facing towards Kilkee.

He said that there were two people in the car and Mr Whelan was un- responsive. Garda Denis O’ Herlihy

also attended the scene of the crash.

He said that Mr Whelan has sus- tained a gash to the forehead and was not conscious.

He was pronounced dead at the scene by a doctor.

Pathologist Dr Stephanie Curran performed an autopsy on Mr Whe- lan’s body at Limerick Regional Hospital on July 11.

She concluded that the cause of death was shock and hemorrhage, due to multiple chest and abdominal injuries, consistent with having been involved in an accident.

Coroner Isobel O’Dea recommend- ed that a verdict of accidental death be brought in and the jury agreed.

FARMERS from west Clare will gather to have a second breakfast on Tuesday – for many of them more than 12 hours after the first of the day.

The idea behind The Big Breakfast is to show small land holders and farmers what can be produced from the local land. ;

The brainchild of Eiri Corca Bascinn the event will begin at 7pm in the Brothers of Charity offices in OTS

The purpose of The Big Break-

fast is to give local or prospective producers a chance to find out first hand how other producers have got into new areas of production. It also gives them an insight into the highs and lows of this kind of production, the things they like best about it, the challenges and how they have tack- feRdetoeee ;

According to Eiri there is a short- age of locally produced rashers, eggs, and mushrooms in Clare.

Mary Gillard, Enterprise Devel- opment Officer with Eiri said that most locally produced organic eggs are from Galway, while they source

mushrooms from Tipperary.

There are two producers of rashers and sausages in north Clare, but it is hoped after the information night there will be more.

It 1s hoped that eventually most of the food supplied to the farmers’ market in Kilrush and other markets around Clare will be produced lo- cally.

Producing food on small holdings is also an added income to small [EVEN ne

Ms Gillard said the event on Tues- day is aimed at local farmers who are interested in food production,

and small holders who are genuinely interested in moving into this line of 0 he

On the night those interested will meet the producers, have a tasting of their produce and also get infor- mation from Gerry Kennedy from Leader who will explain the new funding and how it might be able to help in the development of these home produce.

It is hoped that if these businesses are a success there will be a number of new people in west Clare quiet lit- erally bringing home the bacon.

Booking for this event is essential.

DOONBEG is well known for its plays and drama festivals but no one could have predicted the drama that would unfold in the long village community centre last week.

The community centre which was developed and extended on the suc- cess of a long drama tradition hosted its greatest epic yet, as neighbour took on neighbour, the might of the dollar was accused of unwanted in- fluence and those “lads” from Dub- lin who came down with their fancy ways were told they wouldn’t change the lives of the great west of Ireland people.

The scene was set for “Doon- beg R.O.W (right of way)’- if only O’Casey had been around to write it.

It would have been the third play in the trilogy made up firstly of the story of the might of the microscopic snail, then the wall that would not fall and finally the right of way that led to the ultimate row.

The stage had been set by legal teams and council executives.

Legal papers and public notices had been written and re written, some changes in the scripts were even de- tected by the more observant as the drama unfolded.

The Irish flag and Clare flag at full mast on stage, maps attached to the

wall and green throws draped over tables echoed Irish civil war funer- i

At the top table sat legal assist- ant Marina Keane, County solicitor John Shaw and the Inspector Marcus O’Connor – the new but influential character introduced to most charac- ters at the beginning of the play.

Stage left was the Doonbeg legal team and management and stage right council officials.

Drama typical of old Irish plays was presented as the small land hold- ers of the west of Ireland taking on the mighty power of the dollar and the “Dublin Jackeen”’.

The audience of 22 paid attention

to the proceedings, which at times could have done with some serious editing.

As Cllr Tom Prendeville sat at a ta- ble draped in the dark green he spoke of constitutional rights and fighting and dying for freedom.

Mayor Madeleine ‘Taylor-Quinn represented a new Ireland – a woman with a legal background that was clear and concise giving evidence to a senior council slow to challenge her.

The father of all councillors, Cllr PJ Kelly added some light entertain- ment while making his serious and researched remarks.

Then Kelly went looking for his old

nemesis Leonard Long of the golf club development company Kiawah Development.

He brought proceedings to a climax just short of pantomime, but no one shouted, ““He’s behind you” when the colourful councillor asked where he was as he looked around the room.

Water administered for the sport of play was administered by theatrical stalwart Murt McInerney, who also took to the stage for a cameo as well as helping out behind the scenes.

The drama ended with more ques- tions than answers and yet another piece likely to play out in either the county council chambers or even the ehtum@oian

According to information obtained from the Free Legal Aid Centres (FLAC) in Ennis and Shannon, the numbers of Clare people with em- ployment related queries has sky- rocketed in the last six months, since the recession took hold. In that time period, the level of employment re- lated queries has almost doubled, from 10 per cent of total queries at

the beginning of the year to just un- der 20 per cent now.

According to the Director General of FLAC Noeline Blackwell, these increases indicate that employees are being asked to adopt new work prac- tices and many are examining their rights in the event of forced redun- dancies.

‘In Clare we can see that employ- ment law queries are up quite a bit. We are seeing this in our centres in Ennis, Shannon and indeed all over the country, but also from our phone Service,’ she said.

“The kind of questions that we are hearing are about people being asked to adjust their working hours and

people who are being asked to ad- just their salaries. You get the feeling that people are being asked to be a lot more flexible by employees and a lot of the time to work for less money.

‘People are also being asked to go into new positions, most probably because companies are trying to combine two sections of a company into one. This is anecdotal informa- tion but the numbers increasing at the centres 1s not, we have dates to back up that.”

Since the Free Legal Aid Centres were set up, family law has always been the most popular subject. How- ever, the figures so far this year in- dicate that this trend will be bucked

in 2008, with employment law taking the top spot.

“What most people don’t realise is that while there are some general rights for employees, these right must be applied to their own contracts,” continued Ms Blackwell.

“They are entitled to know the terms of their employment, they are entitled not to be unfairly dismissed and they are entitled to be paid for their work. But beyond that you must look at your own contract of employ- jee lin

The Free Legal Aid Centres in En- nis and Shannon can be contacted 065 6841221 and 061 364704 respec- TON