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BUSINESSES in Miltown Malbay claim that they are suffering a ma- jor downturn in trade as a result of a new traffic management system introduced by Clare County Council earlier this year.

SW item iteaw Mm uscateElOCOyrPay ZOU eM erKw eros the introduction of half-hour park- ing bays as well as the employment a part-time traffic warden, will be reviewed by Clare County Council later this year.

Councillors claimed at yesterday’s Ennistymon Area meeting of Clare County Council to have been con- tacted by a number of local business- es who Say they are suffering as a di- rect result of the half hour parking.

“It is having an impact locally. One businessman was saying that his business was down by about 30 per cent because people do not have the time to get into his premises and have a meal without the fear of God being in them,” said Martin Conway Cn 63}

“We need to look at increasing this, possibly to two hour parking,’

Clare County Council has asked the people of Miltown Malbay to hold a public meeting to create a unified lo- cal approach to traffic management in the town. The council will also examine the possibility of increas- ing the hours worked by the traffic warden.

“Tt is inevitable there would be dif- ficulties in implementing a traffic management plan in Miltown be- cause this is a new thing,” said Cllr

Richard Nagle (FF).

This traffic plan is working to pro- vide parking for people, but we need to insure that the warden continues to work on the town or all the good work will be lost. If that happens we will revert back to the chaos that was there before.”

Council officials indicated that pub- lic consultation was undertaken be- fore a parking strategy for the town was developed and that the public would be allowed input into the re- view, later this year.

MAKING a will won’t kill you, but not making it will cause a lot of un- ecessary trouble and possible finan- cial loss for your successors.

And yet, it is estimated that half of all adults have not made a will and only 20 per cent of business owners have decided who will inherit their businesses when they die.

This leads to more family disputes over inheritance and succession with the sale and division of estates re- sulting in a significant share of the proceeds being consumed by legal

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You don’t have to make a will but it makes good sense to leave your affiars in good order for those who Survive you. It is a sad, but inevi- table fact of life that many people die under the age of 30 – yet a very small number of them may even have thought about making a will.

If you make a will, you decide who gets what after your death. You can also decide who doesn’t benefit as you can minimise the impact of capi- tal acquisitions tax on your benefici- Ne loy

If you don’t make a will, your next

of kin will inherit your estate. If you are not married, have outlived your parents and have no children, the Government could be the ultimate BUID ELSI

In many cases, the people who benefit from your life’s work may be people you may not have wished to benefit from your death. If you don’t make a will, it’s possible the wrong people may be your legal successors.

You get to choose, but only if you take the right action at the right time. The right action is to seek advice from a solicitor and the right time is now.

A KILRUSH family who’s son spent three months in a children’s hospital being treated for burns are running a second fundraiser for the hospital that saved him.

On October 12, Patrick Roche and Morgan Roughan will play in a fun- draiser for Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin organised by the Carmody family.

On November 2, 2006 five-year-old Kyle Carmody was playing in the liv- ing room of his Kilrush home, while mum Tanya saw to the other three boys upstairs.

She had lit the open fire as always at 7.30am and it had now reduced to

a glowing ash. The fireguard was in its usual place in front of the fire, and Kyle decided to take his PlayStation down stairs to play.

Minutes later Tanya heard a cry as Kyle came running up the stairs the top of his pyjamas on fire.

Two-years on and the seven-year- old is making great progress thanks to his medical treatment in the burns unit at Crumlin Hospital.

He will continue to wear a special- ised vest for a few more years to help the healing process and visit Tralee CC toec ee Cee) ie- Ve) mm RccaelEDMmOy-KI TE

The Gaelscoul pupil doesn’t let the accident restrict his life however.

Described by his father Flan as “an active boy” Kyle goes to stage school

and plays football with the local club. He is a huge fan of High School Mu- sical.

Praising the medical staff in En- nis and Crumlin, Flan said he would never forget the day of the accident.

‘We could have lost him,” he says.

He is also hoping to meet again with the ambulance crew that took Kyle from Dr Carr’s surgery to Ennis General Hospital and on to Crumlin.

‘We were in such shock I don’t even think I saw them, but I would love to meet them again,” he said.

Meanwhile he and a number of friends are busy selling tickets for the fundraising night in Danganally Tavern in Cooraclare. Tickets are just €5 and the evening begins at 9pm.

Two years ago the Carmody family and their friends raised €4,500 for the children’s hospital.

All proceeds from this fundraiser will also go to St Ann’s Ward (the burns unit) at Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin.

“When you walk through Crumlin hospital it knocks life into perspec- tive nice and quick,’ said Mr Car- mody.

STREET signs should be put in place in west Clare – but only if they are spelt correctly.

That was the message delivered at a meeting of Kilrush area councillors yesterday evening.

The issue was raised by Councillor Pat Keane (FF), who called for Clare County Council to ensure all streets and lane-ways in town and villages are properly named and identified.

“If a shop opens, the next thing 1s the street 1s named after the shop,’ he said.

He said it was important to ensure

the names were inscribed in both English and Irish.

He was told by Executive Engineer Eamon O’Dea that the council, in conjunction with tidy town and vil- lage groups, would arrange the erec- tion of street and laneway names, subject to funding being made avail- able.

Councillor Tom Prendeville then made one request – that the names be spelt correctly.

“Would ye do a bit of research into it and make sure they are spelt properly? There is nothing as bad as putting up something in wrought iron and it is spelt wrong,” he said.

It is important for you to make a will because if you don’t, the law on intestacy decides what happens to your property. A will can ensure that proper arrangements are made for your depend- ants and that your property is distributed in the way you wish after you die, subject to certain rights of spouses and children.

A person who dies having made a valid will is said to have died ‘testate’. If you die testate, then all your possessions will be distributed in the way you set out in your will. It 1s the job of the executor or executors you named in your will to make sure this happens. There are legal limits as to how much of your property goes to which person, as set out in law in the Succes- sion Act, 1965. An executor can be a benefici- ary under the will. In other words, the executor can also inherit under the will.

After you die, somebody has to deal with your estate, by gathering together all your money and possessions, paying any debts you owe and then distributing what is left to the people who are entitled to it. If you leave a will before you die, one or more of the executors you named in your will usually has to get legal permission from the Probate Office or the District Probate Registry for the area in which you lived at the time of death to do this. Permission comes in the form of a document called a Grant of Rep- resentation.

If you did not name any executors in your will or if the executors are unable or unwilling to apply for a Grant of Representation, documents called Letters of Administration (With Will) are issued. When your estate 1s distributed, the legal rights of your spouse and children, if any, will be fulfilled first after any debts are paid before any other gifts are considered.

A person who dies without a will is said to have died ‘intestate’. If you die intestate, this means your estate, or everything that you own,

is distributed in accordance with the law by an administrator. To do this, the administrator needs permission in the form of a Grant of Rep- resentation. When a person dies without a will or when their will is invalid, this Grant is issued as Letters of Administration by the Probate Of- fice or the District Probate Registry for the area in which the person lived at the time of death. The legal rules governing the distribution of your property apply: e When you have not made a will e When the will has been denied probate be- cause it has not been made properly or a chal- lenge to it has been successful ¢ When the will does not completely deal with all your possessions. In these cases, after debts and expenses have been deducted, the estate is distributed in the following way. UMAOlt-Veomel mish {ore Moye e A spouse but no children (or grandchildren): your spouse gets the entire estate. e A spouse and children: your spouse gets two-thirds of your estate and the remaining one-third is divided equally among your chil- dren. If one of your children has died, that share goes to his/her children. e Children, but no spouse: your estate is di- vided equally among your children (or their children). e Parents, but no spouse or children: your estate 1s divided equally between your parents or given entirely to one parent if only one sur- a Aone e Brothers and sisters only: your estate is shared equally among them, with the children of a deceased brother or sister taking his/her Satur e Nieces and nephews only: your estate is di- vided equally among those surviving. e Other relatives only: your estate is divided equally between the nearest equal relationship. e No relatives: your estate goes to the state.

THE Department of the Environ- ment has said it is not possible to “ac- curately project” when work on the long awaited Ennis Clarecastle main drainage scheme will be completed.

In a statement issued in response to a number of queries related to the status of the scheme, a spokesperson said the department had approved a preliminary report for the scheme and that construction was expected to commence in 2009.

The spokesperson said, “The En- nis/Clarecastle Sewerage Scheme, which includes the provision of a new wastewater treatment plant, is included in the department’s Water Services Investment Programme 2007 – 2009 as a scheme to start con- struction in 2009.”

“The department has approved

Clare County Council’s preliminary report for the scheme and, subject to some amendments, the council’s brief for the appointment of consult- ants to prepare contract documents for the scheme. It 1s understood that the council is currently preparing a Procurement Assessment Report with a view to finalising the brief and allowing the appointment of consult- ants as soon as possible.”

‘A decision on the council’s budget proposals for the scheme, which were received last April, will shortly be conveyed to the council,” contin- ued the spokesperson.

Concern over the timeline of scheme was raised at a recent meet- ing of councillors representing the Ennis Electoral Area.

At that meeting Town Engineer Tom Tiernan said he did not expect the scheme, which was first proposed

in 1995, to be finished until 2013.

Mr Tiernan also admitted that the limited capacity of Ennis sewage system had forced the council to is- sue refusals to a number of signifi- oF Talis lead ley evento ice

He said the council was consider- ing the development of a temporary treatment facility, estimated to cost €1.5 million. There were calls from a number of councillors for any such facility to be funded by the Depart- ment of the Environment.

However a spokesperson for the department stated, “The department has received no proposals from the council in relation to temporary treatment facilities. Given that there are a number of stages still to be gone through, it is not possible for the department to accurately project at this stage when the scheme will be completed.”

O’BRIEN’S TOWER, the _ iconic landmark that stands on a headland at the Cliffs of Moher will undergo a major restoration in the coming weeks.

Millions of people have visited the tower since local landlord Cornelius O’Brien constructed it in 1835. The viewing platform is near the highest point of the 214 metre high cliffs and provides views of Clare, the Kerry Mountains, Galway Bay and the Aran Islands.

The tower has been closed to the public since the construction phase of the €31.5M Cliffs of Moher visi- tor centre and is due to reopen for the 2009 visitor season.

Clare County Council signed con- tracts with Taaffe Construction for the six-figure restoration project last Friday and the work will include re- pointing, dry-lining, and structural repairs as well as replacement of the interior staircases and fittings.

Mayor of Clare, Councillor Madeleine Taylor Quinn said that when the job is completed there will be safe and secure access to the tower which was not only a county landmark but also a place to which many people have fond and warm at- tachment.

“IT am confident that the restored landmark will encourage more peo- ple to visit the Cliffs of Moher and that the experience of viewing the Cliffs and the Atlantic Ocean from the tower will greatly enhance their visit’, she said.

According to county council di- rector of services for planning and economic development, Bernadette Kinsella, the tower is a vital part of the county’s heritage and its restora- tion will ensure the conservation of a protected structure which forms part of the draw for visitors from all over the world to the Cliffs of Moher’.

Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience director Katherine Webster said the restoration work was great news for the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experi- ence and Irish tourism in general.

The Cliffs of Moher are Ireland’s most visited attraction and almost a million people have been to the Cliffs Visitor Experience since it opened in February 2007.

A THIRD level Regional Learning Centre is to be established at the Clare Museum in Ennis.

A consortium of four existing third level institutions – University of Lim- erick, Mary Immaculate College, Tralee Institute of Technology and Limerick Institute of Technology – will operate the centre.

It is expected courses will be deliv- ered in 2009. Tom Coughlan, Ennis Town Manager, made the announce- ment at yesterday’s meeting of Clare Soi Geniale

He said the consortium had commit- ted to the programme for three years and that its viability depended on lo- cal support. Information on courses will be available at the County Mu- seum in the coming weeks, said Mr Sree TEN

Fianna Fail councilor and Chair- man of the governing body of TIT, Flan Garvey, who was involved in negotiations with the consortium, Ned exer ne MN ATOM OLea/odO)oyeetNL

However some councilors said the use of Ennis, as a base by outside third level institutions would have

implications for the establishment of an independent learning centre in OE Ker

Fianna Fail councilor Tom Prendev- ile said, “There is a lot of talk about the re-introduction of third level fees, which in my view would be a retrograde step. Nonetheless there is evidence to suggest that the numbers going to third level are dropping. I would be fearful that our ultimate goal of establishing an IT in Ennis in the short and medium could not be attained. Hopefully it could be done in the long term. Ennis is perfectly geographically situated”.

Fianna Fail councilor PJ Kelly said the “more we go down this road, the more other institutions are making sure that an independent college can- not be established in Ennis”.

Green Party councilor Brian Meaney said it would not be possible for and independent third level cen- tre in Ennis until Ireland had more internationally recognized 3rd level institutions. “We should play to what is feasible and what is achievable’, he said.

IT may be a bad time for the econo- my but increases in oil and electricity prices have made it a golden age for the matchmaker, with scores flocking to Lisdoonvarna looking for someone to keep them warm this winter.

That is the opinion of legendary matchmaker Willie Daly, who is also on the look out for a farmer on the dole to take an American millionaire off his hands.

‘This year has been good so far, it’s only been getting warmed up really but all things are starting to get into

it’s stride,” he said.

“The matchmaking is going well. I think with the promise of a cold win- ter coming up everyone wants to be with someone. With electricity and oil prices getting higher it’s easier to have a nice partner to keep them warm for the winter. With the high costs of living, it’s better to have two people than one to help with the run- ning of a house.

“We still have a lot of foreign people taking part but not as many Americans as in other years. There is agood amount of German and Eng- lish people the whole time but some

of the English would be more there for the dancing and the craic as for the matchmaking itself.”

This weekend, Lisdoonvarna will play host to a rich oil baroness from America who is looking for an Irish farmer to take home to Texas with her.

“There is young woman coming from Texas who is an oil baroness. She is going to spend about five or six days in Lisdoonvarna starting this weekend. She has fallen in love with Ireland – she visited here when she was 11 and it has always stayed in her mind,’ continued Willie.

“She has become a little disillu- sioned by American men and wants to try her hand with an Irish man. She has been in contact with me di- Kore AYAE-NOLOMAUG DN MOL oMCCO) UNDONE O(osKommN BION] an older woman. Hopefully now we want to keep her in Clare and not let her off somewhere else. She is look- ing for a man who will give her a lot of time so I was thinking maybe of a nice small farmer from off in west Clare, maybe someone who is on the dole and would have time for her.”

For more on this years Match Mak- ing Festival check out www.match- makerireland.com

THE small Kilkenny parish of Danesfort will this month host the National Ploughing for the sixth time in it’s history. The countdown officially began last week for this year championships, which will take place from September 23 to 25.

This years championship will in- clude more than 900 trade stands, require more than 15 kilometres of trackway to be laid and feature a host of marquees and other infra- Name eneh cen

This years machinery exhibition promises to be bigger than ever with up to 15 tractors brands on show. The new Claas AXOS tractor range will be launched while Tanco will be launching three new products and

Hi-Spec will be showing the new XCEL 1250 spreader.

This year’s championships will play host to no less than 19 All Ire- land Ploughing finals over the course of the three days.

The Under-28 and Under-21 Cham- pions will be selected Tuesday while the Queen of the Plough and the Sen- ior Horse Champion will be selected Wednesday.

The Supreme Senior Conventional Champion selected over Wednes- day and Thursday, the Kverneland Reversible Champion selected from Thursday’s Reversible Test and these are just some of the finals taking je e-leror

The winner of the Supreme Conven- tional and the Kverneland Reversible will qualify to represent Ireland at

the World Ploughing Championships in Slovenia in 2009.

Wexford Ploughman Willie John Kehoe won a silver medal in the erassland competition at the World Contest in Austria recently and team mate John Whelan scooped fourth overall.

“We are delighted to be back in Kil- kenny on these magnificent farms of the Woodcock and Barry families,” said Managing Director of the NPA, Anna May McHugh at the official launch last week.

“Its been a terrible summer for farmers with at least 25 per cent of the harvest still to be cut but as you can see the site is in excellent condi- tion despite recent weather and we are looking forward to what’s shap- ing up to be one of our best events

to date.”

Meanwhile, Concern will be cel- ebrating its 40th birthday at this year’s Ploughing Championships. Chief Executive, Tom Arnold, said the agency is using the ploughing ex- hibit to thank the thousands of farm families for their generous support over the past four decades.

The Road Safety Authority (RSA) is also returning to the National Ploughing Championships this year as part of its campaign to promote road safety.

This year, the RSA will be offering 40,000 free high visibility vests for children and adults, in association atbe