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ALTHOUGH major honours eluded Shannon in the national Tidy Towns awards, the committee is celebrat- ing its sizable increase in marks this year.

Shannon increased its tally by 12 points, to 266. Although that was significantly less than the 300 marks achieved by the county winner En- nis, the Tidy Towns committee in Shannon was thrilled by the increase and is optimistic that the points will continue to increase over the coming years.

Of particular pride was the increase in marks for the overall development approach, where Shannon scored 46

marks out of a possible 50. Although points were lower in the areas of wildlife and natural amenities, litter control and roads, streets and back areas, the town received eight points out of 10 in the ‘general impression’ category.

The adjudicators were impressed by the schools in the town, particu- larly St Aidan’s – which displayed a ereen flag – but said that St John’s school in Drumgeely was in need of some attention as weeds were grow- ing in the gutters. St Caimin’s Com- munity School was commended for its shrubbery.

Several buildings were also praised, including Murphy’s Cottage restau- rant, the shops in Ballycasey Cres-

cent and the river walk.

“The Pope John Paul II Jubilee Garden outside the church of SS John and Paul is a fantastic feature, with a suitable sculpture of Pope John Paul II and the area was adorned with an excellent floral display. The sculp- ture of the fish cut in stone at Bal- lycaseymore is an attractive feature,” stated the adjudicator’s report.

The adjudicator suggested that a notice board be erected at the en- trance to the river walk, outlining details of the huge amount of wildlife and the visiting birds that migrate to the area. The report also noted that while litter was well controlled over- all, isolated bits of litter were noticed in the river walk.

Overall, the adjudicator was pleased with the efforts being made to keep Shannon clean.

“It was a pleasure to spend a few hours driving and walking around Shannon. I feel that other towns could learn a lot from what has been achieved at Shannon,’ stated the re- port.

Secretary of the Tidy Towns com- mittee in Shannon, Tess Barry, was encouraged by the remarks, but said a lot of work remains to be done.

“We have to do the roundabouts and our approach roads are not up to scratch yet. However, the county council has done a lot, particularly in relation to lights and footpaths,’ she said.

INSPIRE – Munster’s biggest fashion event returns to the Crescent shop- ping centre in Limerick for the third successive year from this Thursday to Saturday, September 20.

The programme will include four free fashion shows as well as a “Demo Nite’ with demonstrations and ad- vice from hair, beauty and skincare professionals.

The fashion shows are a must-see for the latest up to the minute looks and prizes on offer include a Crescent

Shopping Centre makeover to the value of €1000 and a €150 voucher from Peter Mark at the Demo Nite, on Thursday at 6.45pm.

The fashion shows will be held on Friday at 2.45pm and 6.45pm and on Saturday at 11.30am and 3.30pm. Fashion expert Celia Holman Lee will help you choose the look you want from the many superb fashion stores at Crescent and you’ll also be in with a chance to win vouchers from Shaws and McCabes.

On Saturday, a judge from RSVP magazine will choose the Best

Dressed shopper at the Crescent GO TNKMA INOUE USM ADONI BESO RIAN IToaE:| €500 shopping voucher.

Pick up a form at the centre and pop your completed entry into the infor- mation booth in the centre concourse at the Crescent Shopping Centre be- fore Saturday.

BREAKING down language barri- ers has become just another part of the curriculum for two schools in Syivavtcm-velemeyercneveCeyee

Sixteen different languages are spoken by the 78 international stu- dents who make up roughly 20 per cent of the total student population in Ennis Community College.

The picture in St Patrick’s Compre- hensive College, Shannon, is equally

diverse where students from 24 dif- ferent countries attend classes.

The big influx of new students who don’t speak English as a first language, is altering the traditional teaching environment and imposing extra demands on school resources.

“There have been challenges al- right, but at this stage we have fair idea of what methods work best,’ said Matt Power, Principal of Ennis Community College.

“Typically, foreign students that

enter the school at first year, tend to have little problems in adapting. But we have found that problems do arise when you have kids who are 16 and over where English isn’t their first language.”

Teacher’s Union Representatives have also warned that a lack of Eng- lish for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) teachers is hindering inte- gration in many schools.

“We are not getting enough sup- port,’ said Bernie Ruane, Vice-Presi-

dent of the Teachers Union of Ireland (TUI) and a teacher in St Patrick’s Comprehensive, “The Government are talking about these three per cent frontline cutbacks and if that’s the case, one of the areas targeted in schools in special education needs”. She added, “Children and parents are being put into a system where they don’t know the language and that, at times, can lead to friction.”

A NEW model for the delivery of health care in the county could see Clare people getting the majority of their health care services in the local town or even in their own home.

Representative from the North Clare Primary Care Team addressed last night’s meeting of Clare County Council, and asked for the council- lors to help them develop primary care units throughout the county.

“It’s about providing health care in the community rather than acute hospital services. Where you have a strong care system as part of your health service it has been shown that people live longer and are healthier. We also fell that this 1s a much more cost effective way of delivering a health care service,” said Dr Fergus Glynn of the North Clare Primary Care Team.

The North Clare Primary Care Team covers the Ballyvaughan, Corofin and Lisdoonvarna areas and provides a forum for practitioners in these areas to work together when dealing with patient illnesses.

To date a the service team have found that the waiting times have

come down significantly for anumber of services including physiotherapy.

The group was asked to address the council meeting by north Clare Councillor Martin Conway (FG).

‘The work that they are doing for the most part has been going under the radar. The best strategy is to help people in their home, in their com- munity, to get well,’ he said.

“It’s cost efficient, it’s innovative and it’s what communities are all about. We need to forge links be- tween the health care which is being delivered around the county and the local authority. If this gets proper Support, if it is financed it could revolutionise the provision of health care in north Clare.”

Cllr Joe Arkins (FG) also proposed that Clare County Council should write to the Health Service Execu- tive requesting that primary care be properly funded in Clare.

“There has been a lot of talk about primary care and in a lot of areas there has been little action so I am glad that north Clare is taking the lead. I’m not sure if people realise it but 60 per cent of funding goes to non-hospital services. It’s about joined up thinking,” he said.

ELECTED representatives have as little power as “the begging bull” – according to a Shannon councillor.

Councillor Gerry Flynn (Independ- ent) made the claim during a debate on a contentious footpath that has been erected through a green area in Finian Park, Shannon.

A letter, signed by three residents in Finian Park, called for a meet- ing with Shannon area councillors, where they could air their concerns.

Councillor Flynn said that there

had been a mistake “in so far as con- sultation didn’t take place. We had a duplication of a path which there was no need for.”

He said that local residents should have been consulted.

“It shows residents the actual pow- ers we have as elected representa- tives, which are so limited. . . We have the power of the begging bull, nothing else,” he said.

However Fine Gael Councillor Tony Mulcahy asked had we reached a stage where residents had to be consulted before every piece of work

would be carried out.

However, Councillor Flynn said when he pointed out the concerns to the engineer, the concrete had not been put in place, but it was later added, without the residents being consulted. “It just shows that solo runs can be dangerous,” he said.

However Shannon Town Manager Ger Dollard replied, “The decision that was made certainly wasn’t a solo run. The decision was made in good eis 0 ee

Clare County Council Senior Exec- utive Engineer Donal Hogan said that

this area was included in a schedule of footpaths to be put in place, un- der the town commissioners’ grants scheme, in 2006.

As a result of a survey carried out at the time, he said that a map was produced and this included the pro- vision of a footpath across a green area.

He said the council would be fool- ish to employ people to do work if they were going to be “hamstrung.”

“We can’t consult everybody about everything. There has to be some trust,’ he said.

A NEW campaign aimed at reducing heart attack and stroke in Clare has just been launched.

According to Health Promotion Officer Geri Quinn, local research shows that two out of three Clare adults over 35 are overweight, have high cholesterol and high blood pres- sure, all of which increase their risk of developing heart disease.

Cardiovascular disease is one of the leading causes of chronic illness, dis- ability and early death in Ireland. 22 per cent of premature deaths (under age 65) are from cardiovascular dis- Cos

A person with high blood pressure or cholesterol feels well, looks well and rarely has any symptoms. How- ever, high blood pressure and cho- lesterol makes the heart and arteries work harder, causing damage over the years. This can lead to a heart at- tack or stroke.

Mr Quinn said, “Knowing your blood pressure and cholesterol is re- ally important. Blood pressure and

cholesterol can be controlled but first you need to know your numbers”. If you are over 30, the Irish Heart foun- dation recommends that you should have your blood pressure checked every two or three years.

During Heart Health Week, the Ennis Leisure Complex is offering a personalised fitness programme at the special price of only ©40. This includes blood pressure, lung capac- ity and flexibility checks and body composition assessment and a fit- ness programme is drawn up to suit the client’s individual needs. It also includes three free uses of the pool ZNO mcatenee

“Physical activity and stress reduc- tion help to lower blood pressure so we are delighted to work with the Ennis Leisure Complex to promote good heart health,” said Mr Quin

Heart Health Week is part of a three-week campaign to make Clare a healthier place. Clare sporting and health organisations including Clare Sports Partnership, the Clare branch of Mental Health Ireland, the En- nis Leisure Complex and the Clare Health Promotion Unit of the HSE will join forces to show three steps to

a healthy mind and a healthy body.

The campaign runs from September 22 to October 12. BNO OA Lered has a sep- Nel Kommn eI related message and there er Mee NUTS variety of activities, workshops and talks on of- fer, everything from rock climb- ing to sailing and brain training to laughter yoga.

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