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TOPICS ranging from the rainfor- est to the preservation of historical documents are among those up for discussion at events to mark Heritage Week in Ennis, next week.

Heritage Week is part of European Heritage Days, a joint initiative of the Council of Europe and the European Union, co-ordinated locally by Clare Soi Geniiale

A series of talks looking at the her- itage issues as they relate to will take place in venues across Ennis from August 24-31.

Bridgid Barry, Clare Biodiversity Officer presents “From the Rainfor- est to County Clare’ a talk on global issues of biodiversity in a Clare con-

text, in Glor on August 28.

The following day, Friday, August 29, Catriona Lynch, Clare Database manager will compare marine spe- cies survey work carried out in the coastal rocky habitats of county Clare, and the eastern Aegean is- lands of Greece, in a talk entitled MBE Ubetcameni elm c-liommeKOet Mm Gstaeee to County Clare’.

Audiences can also learn about the work involved in preserving the so- cial history of Clare at “The Care and Conservation of Books’ – a special talk by Rene Franklin, Clare County Archivist, that will take place at the DeValera library, on August 26

Ms Franklin will talk about the challenges of safeguarding rare doc- uments and will outline the methods

used for preserving old books to pho- tographs.

She hopes that by hosting the talk more people will be encouraged to use the archive service and to pre- serve their own personal pieces of KO as

‘People often may not realise the damage that can be caused by certain factors in the home. I’m just trying to highlight in a practical way really, what people can do,” she explains.

“Tl give examples of conservation treatments and of special conserva- tion projects that would have gone through. I’m also going to have some exhibitions of stuff in the archives that people might like to see. They can then have a look through them.”

“We’ll also have a few rare books

and manuscripts. Then if people have any questions I’d be delighted to an- swer them”.

Samples from Clare County Coun- cil’s collection will be on display as well as a rare example of Francisco O’Molloy’s Grammatica Latino- Hibernica (Rome, 1677) which was studied by the monks in the Friary in /SIVeVKMUIMO Nom MAROON AAA

The book is being made available by Michael McCarthy, historian/ tel- evision producer-director and author Oi

A DECISION by An Bord Pleandala not to confer voluntary status on the University of Limerick (UL) has cost the university over £150,000.

This follows the board over-ruling its inspector’s recommendation to exempt UL from paying a €154,000 development contribution to Clare county council for an extention to the university campus.

Earlier this year, UL secured plan- ning permission for its Irish World Academy of Music and Dance build-

ing at Garraun, Clonlara.

As part of the decision, the council ordered UL to pay €304,000 in de- velopment contributions.

The university appealed the deci- sion and argued that the development scheme was not been properly ap- plied; that UL was registered under a charity trust; that the development was not for profit or gain and would be a major contributor to the social and educational life of the campus and area.

The university claimed that its vol- untary body status was accepted by

the Revenue Commissioners and the centre would be used by the people of Clare and Limerick as well as by students.

The university also argued that it was dependent on voluntary dona- tions and the demand for €154,000 would impede the viability of the project and contradict the spirit and letter of the scheme by imposing commercial levies on a non-com- mercial voluntary work.

The council argued that it was not a voluntary development as it would provide courses for which fees would

be paid and was a commercial enter- prise by a private body.

The Council also argued that con- certs and exhibitions would be held at the venue and these would gen- erate revenue through ticket sales. In addition, the development would connect to existing public water and sewerage schemes.

In his report, the Board inspector found that the term “voluntary ogan- isation” was not defined in the Plan- ning and Development Act, 2000, but that UL came within this remit and a full exemption should apply.

The inspector also ruled that UL should be exempt from contributing a further €150,000 in special contri- bution towards the upgrading of the local road network.

The board stated that it did not ac- cept UL came within the scope of the exemptions for voluntary organi- sations and the terms of the scheme had been properly applied.

The board ordered the removal of the demand for the special contribu- tion as UL had already contributed €500,000 to serve a related develop- ment at the UL campus in Clare.

that the town in still in demand.

“It absolutely bodes well that a few developers are prepared to invest in the town. There is not much of a drop in house prices either in the town according to local auctioneers,” he ENG

“There are about 50 houses from small developers in the system look- ing for permission, some of them with three to six houses,” he added.

There are just less than 100 more

houses that have been refused per- mission due to a “resident only” EN Son

Councillors zoned the land at the back of the Church residential with a “resident only” clause so as to en- courage an increase in the year round population of the town, and discour- age holiday homes in that particular area.

The refusal for this development was appealed to An Bord Pleanala.

Meanwhile the three newest plan- ning applications to Clare County Council could see as many as 62 houses built in the coming months.

The newest of the applications is from the planning authority itself. Clare County Council is proposing to build 23 affordable houses with

ancillary road and public lighting at Dough on the Miltown Road.

In its submission to the application the NRA said it would not be making a further submission relying instead on Clare County Council to abide by policy on road frontage.

Helan Kennedy has applied to de- molish existing houses and to con- struct IO houses consisting of six semi-detached and four detached also on the Miltown Road.

This application is awaiting further information following a number of objections from neighbouring land- owners regarding the necessity to knock existing old cottages and ac- cess issues. Submissions also stated that the houses on the road are single storey houses and the development is

for two storey dwellings.

An Taisce suggested that redesign- ing the access road and reducing the number of houses would avoid the necessity to knock the existing cot- tage.

An application by Michael and Gerry Bond to build 29 houses at Dough is also under consideration with a decision due on September 3.

A number of objections also face this development including the close proximity of the effluent holding tank close to a nearby bed and breakfast.

Objections also relate to a sugges- tion that the land for development is lower than the road, the brick road is in bad condition and the density of the houses proposed could devalue other houses in the area.

AN EIGHT month campaign to pro- vide better services for the homeless in Ennis received a major boost last week with the announcement that a CNKeyombOMectscomnysU0mKO)e\o0 TOMO sComcOdyvar| in September.

The Sara Finn centre will operate from premises on Chapel Lane and will be run by the HELP organisa- tion, a local group who provide as- sistance and support to the homeless community in Ennis and others faced with difficult social problems.

The centre is named after the late Sara Finn who died in June. It will be

Open seven days a week from 10am to 12 midday and from 8pm-10pm.

“The centre will cater for anyone with social problems and who feel they need to come in and talk about it,’ said HELP committee member, Josephine O’Brien.

“They can stay as long as they like and we will try and provide them with as much support as possible. It’s a place where people can just come and relax and be themselves, play PlayStation or whatever. We will also be looking to organize other ac- OAs La loee

Itis hoped that the centre will be and running by September 15. O’Brien,

one of the founders of HELP, said the opening of the centre would be a “very special moment” for everyone involved with the organisation.

“We have been working hard for this and its great to finally get it up and running. Its special for me and its very special for everyone who has worked hard for it”.

HELP are also appealing for vo- lounteers to come and work at the centre.

“We are really looking for people to help out and volunteer. The place we have in Chapel Lane needs a bit of painting. There is a bit of work to be done so we’re going to start into

that as soon as possible”.

The announcement comes after a dinner dance organized by HELP and held last week in the Ennis, raised €3000 for the Sara Finn Drop Oo tlbKee

O’Brien thanked all those who at- tended and donated money on the night.

“We had a great night” she said, “We raised a good bit of money and that will come in use for getting the centre up and running. It was bril- liant that we got so many people down there. Sara’s mother Karol was there. It was a great night and a really great turn-out”.

SUSU See r-Wcclmmcchlbul hmm OKOecmmselomm belie Lufthansa group of companies show they have recovered from an indus- trial dispute at Shannon Aerospace to record a 57 per cent increase in pre-tax profits last year.

Profits for the Irish operation rose from $11 million in 2006 to $24 million last year while turnover in- creased by 38 per cent from $242 million to $335 million.

According to a statement accom-

panying the accounts, the airline in- dustry experienced a buoyant year in 2007, which saw the profits in most of the group’s segments increase.

“Industrial relation problems, which marred the results of Shannon Aerospace Ltd in 2006 were resolved in the second quarter of 2007 and the company operated profitably for the remainder of the year.

‘The group continued to experience strong competitive cost conditions in 2007, but there were significant con- tracts won in both the aircraft and

engine related business segments in 2007.

“The aircraft industry tends to be cyclical in nature and the board con- siders this to be the principal risk to the group’s operations and its cus- tomer base. The directors consider that quality of service to customers, turnaround times, cost control and production volume as key perform- AW Nom OSE RUD Rohe

No dividend was proposed or paid by the directors during 2007.

The statement added, “The empha-

sis of the group is to keep the compa- ny focused of the changing require- ments of an increasingly competitive market and of its customers.”

Previous accounts show that the in- dustrial dispute at Shannon cost the group $9 million.

Cost of sales increased from $201 million in 2006 to $272 million in 2007 and operating profit increased from $10 million to $28 million.

The company is in a healthy state with accumulated profits going up from $85 million to $116 million.

Fixed assets account for $383 mil- lion, while shareholders’ equity 1s valued at $249 million.

Underlining the importance of the company’s operations to the local economy, the accounts show that it employs 1,245 people — down slight- ly on the 1,258 it employed in 2006.

921 are employed in production, 308 in administration and 16 in Phe

The group’s payroll costs for 2007 were $88 million — up $10 million on the costs in 2006.

THE Government it would seem got value for money when decentralis- ing its offices to Kilrush, compared to moving civil servants to other towns.

Sixty staff took up jobs in the town’s Revenue office in Kilrush during Summer 2007.

These workers filled 50 full-time positions through job sharing and other family friendly employment NSU RUN Kone

The government secured a long- term lease for offices in the west Clare capital for €85,000 a year, while the estimated fit out, excluding VAT and fees, was €411,000.

These figures compare favourably to similar sized towns that also ben- efited from the decentralisation of government offices.

The fit out of an office in Listow- el, Co Kerry, cost €1.3m. The an- nual rent for the long-term lease is €183,000.

In Loughrea, Co Galway, the gov-

ernment is paying €139,235, a year in rent for offices which cost another €572,000 to fit out, excluding VAT and Fees.

In Navan, Co Meath, the taxpay- er is funding an office at a rent of €382,492 a year while the fit out cost more than €1.4 million.

In Athy, Co Kidare, the Govern- ment took out a temporary lease on offices costing €©231,554 a year in rent, while fitting out the offices cost €493,000.

It was only in the neighbouring

county of Limerick that the Govern- ment seemed to be paying less rent. The rent for offices in Newcastle West is €68,771 per year.

According to Fine Gael TD Pat Breen the Kilrush office seemed to be value for money.

‘When you consider what has to be paid out for green field sites and the cost of rents in other towns, it Seems a good option.”

“It is a work friendly, open space office,” he said of the offices on the Cappa Road.

THE anniversary of the air disaster in which the 99 passengers died on KLM flight 607-E off the coast of Galway was remembered last week.

It has been 50 years since the Dutch airliner crashed into the sea killing everyone on board.

On August 14, 1958 the airliner ‘Hugo de Groot’ came down approx- imately 200 km west of Slyne Head.

The air disaster was on the second leg of its trip from Amsterdam to America when disaster struck.

At the time it was the worst plane crash ever to happen in Galway and the fourth worst accident ever in the Atlantic Ocean.

There were no survivors of the transatlantic flight which included six members of the Egyptian fenc- ing team. The plane crashed without even a radio distress call. The flight was last heard 35 minutes after tak- ing off from Shannon. Then silence.

Ten hours later a British pilot saw spots on his radar. A British Royal Air force plane flew over and noticed wreckage. A French trawler and 12 other ships from five nations attempt- ed a rescue which lasted through the night. “It was an errie scene lit by our flares” said Flight It. Keith McDon- ald, who first spotted the wreckage.

Only 34 bodies were recovered and the scenes by the dockside and dur-

ing the biggest funeral procession the city had ever seen were recalled at a memorial service in Bohermore OAM (os) e

Addressing the gathering, Bernard Surrem of KLM quoted from the of- ficial report of the Irish manager of the airline at the time of the disaster.

On August 20, the report records him saying “I must make mention of the wonderful co-operation and as- sistance so freely given by the people of Galway in this whole tragic affair. Their generous effort has made the work of the accident crew so very much easier’, he said.

There was no evidence of any ditching procedure before the deaths of the 45 men, 38 women, 8 children, including a 14-month old baby girl and 8 crew members. Only one of the bodies, that of a young boy, was wearing a lifebellt.

By the time the Galway registered MV Naomh Eanna was notified and reached the wreckage, there were no survivors. John Reck, was a deck steward onboard the Naomh Eanna and remembers a small boat sailing beside them which “attempted to pass nine bodies over to the ship, but currents proved too strong and the bodies had to be abandoned.” Search and rescue efforts were extended to search a cluster of uninhabited is- lands about 50 miles from the crash scene.

Because it was not known how deeply the plane sank, no salvage effort was made. Autopsies were performed on the recovered vic- tims. Only a handful were formally identified and these were buried in a communal grave and some were sub- sequently re-interred in their native countries. Others still lie in Boher- more cemetery, including baby Ber- nadette de Kock Van Leeuwen.

Lack on any physical evidence has meant that no definite cause the crash has ever been found. Theories include the possibility of an explo- sion, electrical failure or pilot error. The most likely explanation given was “over-speeding” of one of the propellers, which may have been caused by oil pollution after a gear became defective.

Aviation experts speculated a propeller might have sheared off, plowed into the cabin and ignited the fuel tanks which had been filled to capacity at Shannon a short time before the crash. This would tie in with speculation that passengers died before plunging into the Atlan- tic. Indications suggest the accident was sudden. KLM station manager Lawrence Melling said “four engines and four radios do not cut out imme- diately.”

KLM subsequently made modifica- tions to reduce further possible dis- asters.

THE land at the centre of a bitter east Clare family dispute remains unsold more than a year after a court case over ownership of the property which is valued at €1.4 million.

However, Limerick auctioneer, John de Courcy who is handling the sale of the 66 acres near Tulla, said he had turned down a number of of- fers and is talking to a number of interested parties. Last year the land was put up for sale at public auction and Mr de Courcy said the failure to sell was due to “the current climate”.

The lands at Larraroe and Rannagh are being sold in five lots and include two ruins and an old house.

The sale was allowed proceed after Judge Harvey Kenny ordered Marie

O’ Halloran to vacate the land after a case taken by her sister-in law, Jose- phine Barry (72).

Mrs O’Halloran told Ennis Circuit Court that her late husband, Stanley O’ Halloran reached a deal in the late 1970s with the owner of the farm, his late brother, Michael, to buy the land for £65,000. She said Stanley paid different sums of cash over the years to Michael, who was a bachelor farmer.

However, it was admitted that there was no record of the agreement and Mrs O’Halloran had no record of cheques paid to Michael due to the time that had elapsed.

Josephine Barry dismissed the monies paid by Stanley O’ Halloran to Michael as ‘pocket money’ and said she had no knowledge of the alleged

deal to sell the farm to Stanley.

Mrs Barry’s sister, Ida Rohan told the court: “If there was a deal, it wouldn’t hold water.”

Counsel for Mrs Barry said Michael O’Halloran died aged 64 in May 2004 without a will and his farm was divided between his two sisters, Mrs Barry and Ida Rohan and Stanley O’ Halloran. Stanley died four months later aged 68 and his share passed to his wife, Marie O’Halloran.

Judge Kenny granted possession of the lands to Mrs Barry, an injunc- tion against Mrs O’Halloran from re-entering the lands, damages of €30,000 with a permanent stay if there was compliance with the order and costs to Mrs Barry.

After the Judge’s decision in Au- gust, a sign was erected on a pole at

the land stating “The O’Hallorans have been evicted from these lands despite several attempts to settle. The O’Halloran family now intends to purchase the lands at auction.”

Solicitors for Marie O’Halloran subsequently wrote to Mrs Barry’s solicitors stating that the signs had been removed and that she would not carry out any acts to frustrate the sale of the land.

Another incident occurred on Sep- tember 24 involving Mrs O’Halloran’s son, Daniel; Mrs Barry’s husband, Michael and her sister, Ida Rohan.

The matter was raised at Ennis Cir- cuit Court last October when Daniel and Conor O’ Halloran undertook not to obstruct the sale of the land and a court order was granted to this ef- ee

WHILE August 15 has certain sig- nificant for Irish Catholics as it is the holy day the Assumption, for the people of west Clare it has long been associated with nine days devotion to the mother of Jesus.

This devotion centres around a holy well situated in Tubridy’s field between Cree and Cooraclare village in the townland of Dromelihy.

From 6am on this day people from Loop Head to Lisseycasey and Kildysart to Miltown Malbay can be seen walking barefoot and with shoes, in groups and alone, sitting and standing all praying intensely.

When the well first became a cen- tre of prayer remains a mystery, as are some of the stories associated

velo Le

One of the best-known pieces of folklore or fact – depending on your belief – is the overnight recovery of a man on crutches.

‘There was a tradition where peo- ple used to go to the well the night before the 15th and stay the night. They would sleep there,” said Mar- tin Queally – a man who remembers the well always playing a part in the lives of the locals.

On one of those fateful nights, the story goes that an unknown man lay down to sleep with his crutches by his side.

That morning he woke up and walked away from the well leaving lord OUD ANG MU SlomOnut Kel lene

For years later the wooden crutches were left at the well as a reminder.

Martin is regarded by many as somewhat of an authority on the lo- cal monument.

“It has always been there. I am 70 plus and when I was young the old people all remembered it as being Wolken

‘There is no recorded date for when people first started going there,” he ALOR

“Some improvements were made in the 1840s by a man named John Quinn from Caherfeenick. There is a stone in the wall behind Our Lady asking for prayers for him. It is not recorded exactly what was done,’ said Martin.

During the Marian Year, 1954, more improvement works were car- ried out and in the past 20 years the well committee have continued to

build on that work.

The hard working committee have added a shelter for Mass, toilet fa- cilities and a prayer room where the sacrament is exposed during the nine day of services.

For the first time Mass was held at 3pm on the opening day last Friday.

Mass will take place at the well to- night, Thursday and Friday at 8pm, with the closing Mass at 10 am on Saturday.

A special Mass will be held on to- morrow (Wednesday) at 3pm.

Many people will also do the “rounds”, which will see them pray five decades of the rosary while walking the outer ring of the well, five again for the inner ring and five around the wall of the well finishing Uh OMNI Ty (6 Con

A GREAT Gael passed to his eternal reward in Ennis over the weekend. His name was Paddy O’Hara, whose remains were removed from St Joseph’s Church in Ennis for burial in Belfast. O’Hara played both hurl- ing and football for Antrim in the 1940s and ‘50s, while he moved to live in Ennis a number of years ago.

Among those who attended the removal of his remains were Down football legend Sean O’ Neill and Jim Corr, the former Antrim goalkeeper. O’Hara was a member of the An- trim team that won the 1946 Ulster Football championship, while off the field he gave distinguished service across the province, managing Six of the nine Ulster counties, as well as steering Queen’s University to

their first ever Sigerson Cup success in 1958. He was still team trainer- manager when Queen’s regained the Cup in 1964. He withdrew from his post with Queen’s in 1970 because of business commitments and became well known as a commentator on Gaelic Games on both the BBC and RTE.

O’Hara also won a GAA McNamee Hall of Fame Award in 1990 and was a member of the GAA AII Stars se- lector panel for a number of years. A minute’s silence was observed for O’Hara before Saturday’s All-Ire- land football quarter-final between Tyrone and Dublin in Croke Park.