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A STROLL through the beautiful surrounds of Lough Derg to enjoy the mellow turning of the leaves and the autumn sunshine 1s on the cards, and it’s all for a good cause.

Scariff Community Council in conjunction with Derg Credit Union and Clare Athletics Association are hosting the first 10 km run and walk on September 14.

“We want this to be a community event and we welcome all runners and walkers, young and old to come out on the day,” said Martin Harti- gan , one of the organising team.

“We don’t expect people to break any records. You can jog, run walk – whatever you like but come out on

the day and enjoy some magnificent views of Lough Derg along the route. All proceeds from the event will go to our local and very worthy cause, the Raheen Hospice.”

The route will start at the Scariff GAA grounds, up towards Cappa- bane, Sheeaun, Moynoe, Mount- shannon Road & back into Scariff with the finishing line located near the GAA grounds.

Registration forms for the event can be found in O’ Meara’s pharmacy or Rodgers Centra shop in Scariff, on- line at www.scariff.com, and can be email to scariff10k@hotmail.com or sent by post to Scariff Community Council, Market House, Scariff. Registration is €10 per person and the closing date for entries is Sep-

tember. Late registration will be ac- cepted on the 14th September up to 1.30pm at a cost of €15 per person.

The event starts at 2pm sharp so all entrants should be assembled by 1.45pm at the GAA grounds.

“We’ll have prizes for the first man and woman home and there will be water stations enroute. We hope this will be just the first of many Scariff 10k’s,’ said Martin.

The Raheen Hoispice provides an invaluable service to the community. The Palliative Care Unit at Raheen has two support beds open to all peo- ple with advanced cancer.

Patients with non malignancies in the terminal stage of their illness re- quiring palliative care may also be admitted to the unit.

Milford Home care team visit on a daily basis and the staff all have had training in palliative care. The beds are always full, and are also used to provide respite to non terminal can- cer patients.

“The staffing is provided by the HSE and we always welcome any extra funding”, a spokeswoman for Raheen said.

The organisers have asked that par- ticipants make every effort to regis- ter in advance so they will have an idea of numbers.

Details and forms can be had from other members of the organising committee also. They are Eugene Moroney, Eileen Crotty, Paula Har- tigan, Sheila Mulvihill and Marie SO e7

JUST over a year after he parted ways with Clare, Paidi O Sé has emerged as a potential candidate for the Dub- lin management position.

Following Tyrone’s easy defeat of Dublin on Saturday, the management position was vacated by Paul Caffrey and speaking on Monday afternoon, O Sé said he would give the job seri- ous consideration.

“Any player who went back to man- agement, or managed his county team, of course he would give the Dublin job very serious considera- tion, it’s a very attractive job,” he Sr NCGe

“Of course, all managers would look at that and would take it into account. Of course they would. | wouldn’t be on my own in saying that, there are plenty of other people who would as well. Winning an All Ireland seems to be the question eve- rybody’s asking. Whoever the man- ager 1s, you don’t get a quick fix.”

Any potential move to the Dublin position would represent a giant leap from his position in Clare, but O Sé said that a long-term view had to be considered.

“Any manager going into the Dub- lin job would be looking at a mini- mum of two years and a maximum of three years.”

liday homes.

Earlier this year, in the face of op- position from local nuns and resi- dents, Clare County Council granted planning permission to Brendan O’Doherty, Patrick Montgomery, Paul Montgomery, and John MclIner-

ney for 96 homes in the village.

However, in common with other planning permissions the council has issued for multiple housing devel- opments along Clare’s coastline in recent years, the planning authority stated that all the homes should be used as permanent dwellings.

The four appealed the decision ar- suing to An Bord Pleanala that new homes being limited to permanent occupation only “will undermine the principal economic activity” of the resort.

The four argued that the council

acted outside its powers in demand- ing that the homes be used for per- manent occupancy only, contending that at no stage did they enter an agreement with the council concern- ing the occupancy of the dwellings. The developers point out that the identified permanent housing need within Lahinch is 20 new dwellings. They state, “The scheme as per- mitted by the council provides 96 homes. Allocation of 20 per cent of the units for social and affordable housing equates to 24 units, which is four units in excess of the identified

need for permanent dwellings up to pA ae

The developers claim that the lim1- tation of the use of the dwellings for permanent use only is “unsustain- able”’.

The appeal states, “The identified local need for principal places of residence has therefore been accom- modated in full by this development without any need for the imposition of a condition restricting the occupa- tion of the overall housing develop- Tees ne

However, in spite of the strong ar-

guments made, the developers have withdrawn their appeal to An Bord Pleanala and this may be influenced by a recent decision where another developer appealed the permanent occupancy clause and came very close to having the entire develop- ment thrown out.

In relation to the Patricia Stack- epoole appeal, the inspector recom- mended that planning permission be refused for the entire development and it was only granted after the An Bord Pleanala over-ruled the inspec- tor’s recommendation.

SHANNON Airport got a major boost yesterday, having been cho- sen as the re-fuelling stop for Brit- ish Airways planned business-class only flights from London City to New York.

During the stop at Shannon, cus- tomers will benefit from a special arrangement that will allow them to complete USA arrivals checks, meaning they will by-pass the nor- mal arrivals checks when they land in New York and speed straight

through the airport.

British Airways confirmed that this was a major consideration in choosing Shannon.

It is expected the twice-daily flights will launch in autumn 2009.

The service – the only to offer long haul flights to and from London City – will offer a one-cabin business class product with 32 seats which will flatten out to become beds.

On the ground, customers will be able to arrive at the airport as Iit- tle as 15 minutes before departure. This combined with the ability to

by-pass the usual arrivals checks in New York will make it a very con- venient, particularly for business We MUL ECe

Robert Boyle, British Airways commercial director, said, “Many city workers will be able to get from desk to aircraft in as little as 30 min- utes. This combined with Shannon Airport’s ability to complete USA arrival checks during the planned refuelling stop will ensure custom- ers can make the most of their time and travel desk to desk in the quick- est time possible.”

Airport director, Martin Moroney, welcomed the announcement. “To have a stellar aviation brand like British Airways select Shannon as the stop-over airport for this exclu- sive service 1s a real vote of confi- dence in the future of Shannon Air- port. Shannon has a long history as a transatlantic gateway, having been Ireland’s designated transatlantic airport as far back as the 1930s and we hope this new arrangement with British Airways is the start of a long and successful relationship,” seme BCCe

ALISHA O’Keeffe (9) from Parteen, knew she had a real scoop on her hands as the budding young journal- ist took off at the weekend for her first and biggest assignment – cover- ing the Olympics in Beijing.

Alisha, a keen sports fan, will par- ticipate in a once in a lifetime OI- ympic experience which will see her attending the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing where she will report back on her experiences as a very special journalist.

Alisha’s entry was picked from

hundreds of children aged between 6 and 14 years of age who entered the competition run by McDonald’s and The Sunday World, with entrants be- ing asked to write an article on the Olympic Games.

Alisha said that she has always been a fan of the Olympics and couldn’t wait to enter the competition.

“I’m really excited by the Beiing Olympics and I just can’t wait to get there. I’d really love to meet some of the Irish athletes and I hope they do really well. I’ll certainly be cheering them all on’, the cub reporter said before leaving. ”

The prize is for one child and an adult and it includes a five night stay in Beijing as well as sightseeing trips to Beying zoo, the Great Wall and kite flying at the Temple of Heaven. While at the Games, Alisha will also meet Olympic athletes, attend an Olympic event as well as the post – medal ceremony event and will have the opportunity to experience Chi- nese culture.

According to Claire Lynch, Mc- Donald’s Ireland, “The McDonald’s Champion Kids programme provides a once in a lifetime opportunity for Alisha to be a part of the 2008 OI-

ympic Games. Children from across Ireland participated in the competi- tion and selecting the winner proved to be a very tough job. However, Al- isha’s entry stood out due to her ex- cellent writing skills and her obvious enthusiasm and passion for sports and I’m looking forward to reading her report back”’.

THE rate of suicide in Clare is 12 and a half per cent higher than the national average.

A report by the Institute of Public Health in Ireland found that 13.906 people per 100,000 in the Banner county die by suicide.

The average rate of suicide in the Republic of Ireland is 12.358 accord- ing to the findings.

The all-island report also found that the rate of suicide in the Repub- lic is almost 50 per cent higher than bOmeeom Ceaser

Ireland has also the fifth highest rate of suicide in Europe.

As Clare has the ninth highest sui- cide rate in the Republic, Clare TD Joe Carey (FG) has called for appro- priate levels of funding to be made available to address suicide levels in the county.

“While suicide claims more vic- tims than road deaths each year, the Government provides ten times more funding for road awareness cam- paigns than suicide. The budget al- located is a meagre €3.05m, which is totally inadequate, whereas €40 million is spent annually on road

awareness. The Irish Association of Suicidology believe this figure needs to be increased immediately to €10m. I strongly agree with that assertion,’ he said.

“When we look at the figures, the total number of people who died by suicide in 2006 was 409 – the most recent annual figure – whereas 336 people died on the country’s roads last year. Ireland now has the fifth highest rate of youth suicide in Eu- rope.

“We need to listen to our communi- ty leaders in County Clare, and those at the coal face with voluntary and professional social bodies. We also need to make the finances available in order to develop the work being done on the ground by these people already. Suicide affects every de- mographic type in society, and it is crucial that the reasons why this 1s happening are identified and under- stood, so that society may respond appropriately.

“Undoubtedly, the pressures on young people in Ireland of the 21st century need to be identified and tackled. We can and must do more to ensure the figures released this week do not continue to rise.”

Saturday, August 16th:

THE 2008 Merriman Summer School returns to Ennis next week, the town where it all started 40 years ago.

In that time the school has devel- oped into a major annual forum for debate and discussion. This year’s event continues that tradition by ex- amining the twin themes of continu- ity and change, through the lens of Irish history, from Brian Boru to nu @ubliious

Special focus will be devoted to the life and legacy of former President and EU Commissioner, Dr Patrick J Hillery.

One of Ireland’s most distinguished and effective public servants, Dr Hillery also served for 30 years as patron of Cumann Merriman.

‘Hillery’s Ireland’ takes place in

Glor on Saturday, August 23 and will look at the legacy and achievements of the Spanish Point native.

Dr. John Walsh of TCD, his official biographer, will outline the main contours of the former President’s Tate

John Feeney of RTE will present and comment on his television pro- gramme Dr. Patrick Hillery, Presi- dent, 1976-1990. Fiachra O Ceal- laigh, Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin, will also share his personal recollec- tions of Dr. Hillery.

Co-hosted by two venues, Glor and the Clare Museum, the Merriman Summer School runs in Ennis from August 17-23

This year’s director is Ennis native Brian O’Dalaigh and again the school has attracted some of the country’s most influential cultural and social commentators.

Topics to be explored include 1m- migration and diversity, the future of the regional economy, the role of traditional music in an increasingly commodified society and modern sexuality. The main focus of the day- time lectures will be on the history of the Thomond region and on County Clare’s various contributions to Irish society. As always, the Merriman Summer School is bilingual, with most of the proceedings in English.

Doctor Brian Maurer, medical di- rector of the Irish Heart Foundation, Ireland’s foremost heart surgeon and another native of Ennis, will offi- cially open the School on August 17. Professor David Fitzpatrick of the School of Histories and Humanities, Trinity College Dublin will give the opening lecture, Politics and Irish Life Revisited at 8.30.

Other Speakers include Marc Cole-

man, economist and media com- mentator, Carmel Wynne and Fintan Valley. Translation of the Midnight Court will be on display in the new Clare County Council offices during the school.

Celebration of the Irish language and traditional music and dance forms an integral part of this year’s Merriman School. Glor plays host to a wide range of performances throughout the week.

Running Beast, the Wednesday evening show, explores the experi- ences of Hugh O’Neill in Rome.

As usual, dancing will feature prominently at the school, with set dancing classes every day and Club Merriman every night. Further de- tails about the 2008 Cumman Mer- riman Summer School are available at WWw.merriman.ie and by email: eolas@merriman.ie

that this was the fifth time the sewers in his six-year-old house have been blocked due to rainfall since he moved in there years ago.

On Wednesday last water in the sewers close to his home reached the top, so he was unable to flush his to1- oi

“With all the rain I thought this might happen so I flushed one of the toilets and the water came up to meet me, it had no where to go.”

Two days later just one of the three toilets in the house could be used and then not very often, according to Pe- om

During the torrential rain he had five adult guests from France and two children staying at his home.

“It was very hard to have to tell them that they could not flush the toilets or that they should go to the pub,” he said.

The washing machine and dish- washer were also out of bounds.

Peter said the direct translation of the name of the estate is brown mash and he believed he would be living in

just that if the flooding continued.

Shannon County Councillor Ger- ry Flynn (Ind) believes not just the heavy rainfall caused the flooding in Shannon but an infrastructure defi- ole

“Thousands of homes were built and the people that bought them now can’t flush their toilets. “The writ- ing has been on the wall for years. We knew if we had major floods we were in trouble. The drainage system just cannot cope,’ he added. “If it is a thing that we cannot sustain a few hours of torrential rain without all this damage it is terrible,” he said.

He said that a council policy of in- sisting that houses are built below road level was further exasperating the problem.

Meanwhile a Clare County Coun- cil spokesperson said that Shannon coped well compared to other areas in the country hit by similar rainfall in the past week.

As workers travelled home some roads had to be closed and diversions put in place including at Minister’s Cross. “Land adjoining roads was discharging water so quickly that the drains could not cope,” he said.

From 4.45pm on Wednesday two See Seige Seitalmecanee ees e nis and Shannon fire service worked until midnight relieving flooding, putting up signs and distributing sand bags. The council contractors responsible for the pump houses – Response Engineering – worked all yen rea

THE Health Service Executive has given a clean bill of health to a Crat- loe-based nursing home – but only after an earlier inspection produced a critical report on aspects of its op- eration earlier this year.

After an unannounced inspection in March, the HSE found that best practice was not being implemented in a number of areas in the operation of the 40 bed Sancta Maria nursing home at Cratloe.

The report found that the deficien- cies appeared to be due to insuffi- cient staff numbers, but also reflect- ed inadequate supervision of work

practices.

However the HSE report concluded that the inspection team considered that the nursing home had a good standard of management.

The report found that on the day of inspection, several beds were made up with stained, crumpled and untidy linen and recommended that those beds to be remade using fresh linen.

“Accommodation in some _ bed- rooms was quite congested, making cleaning, nursing duties and circula- tion in those rooms somewhat diffi- cult. A redistribution of beds within the home is recommended.”

The report suggested that “a suffi- cient number of competent staff are

on duty at all times having regard to the number of persons maintained and the extent of their dependency”’.

This followed the inspectors dis- covering that care attendants do the laundry in the nursing home.

‘This is inappropriate, as it reduces their availability to residents: their role should be solely in providing di- rect patient care. Many areas within the nursing home, particularly in the older part of the building and the kitchen, were poorly and inadequate- ly cleaned.”

The HSE recorded that the previ- ous inspection in August of last year found the nursing home to be “sub- stantially compliant with current

nursing home inspectorate regula- tions at the time of inspection”.

A spokesman for the nursing home said that the building was undergo- Thovcmmaet-y(O) Mm Kos AUDMOyEJevON(oUO MEI ME ROCoMmBD Dele of the HSE inspection earlier this year and has since had two inspec- tions where the HSE found it to be fully in compliance.

He said that all the requirements from the first HSE report this year had been complied with.

‘Before the March inspection, we never had a breach. This is a family run home and we maintain the high- est of standards. We get a lot of re- peat business and if families weren’t happy, they wouldn’t return.”