Category: Uncategorized

IT WAS truly Christmas on Wednes- day in Killaloe when the special market day brought together Christ- mas goodies, good cheer and a very special cause.

As it 1s a market run largely by producers of beautiful food, the stall holders’ thoughts turned to growers in other parts of the world where food is much scarcer.

To support families in the develop- ing world to become self-sufficient by keeping farm animals, the market held the special day with the aim of buying ten cows for the Oxfam Un- wrapped campaign.

Trader, Anthony Vincent, said the aim was to buy ten cows with cash raised on the day.

“We wanted to have a day when people could really get into the Christmas spirit, pick up some gour- met foods and enjoy the atmosphere as well as support a good cause,” he said.

The extra market day is organised delivery year but this was the first time it has been done for charity.

The local children’s choir sang car- ols, and there were face painters on hand and a live cow to remind people of what it was all about. There was a raffle for a super hamper of market produce, donated by all of the trad- ers with a specially designed piece of silver, a one-off from Anthony and his partner, Marianne. Traders also donated a portion of their takings from the day.

The special market day featured stalls selling gifts, speciality meats specially picked for the festive sea- son, plants, yummy artisan choco- late and much more.

The market in Killaloe will be back to its usual slot next week on Sunday morning, between the waters. The event has become one of the most popular fixtures in the market cal- endar week, with fresh fish, organic veg and delicious artisan chocolate on sale to name but a few items.

MEMBERS of Kilrush Town Coun- cil plan to go back to school in 2010.

The Kilrush councillors agreed that it was essential to get secondary school students more involved in lo- cal politics and to encourage them to get involved in the democratic proc- Se

Cllr Liam O’Looney (FF) even sug- gested that a meeting of the council could be held during school hours and the students invited to attend.

‘They could see then what they are about,’ he said.

The Fianna Fail councillor was re- sponding to a call by Cllr Ian Lynch (FG) who said involving young peo- ple in the council would be a great opportunity for the council to inter- act more with the community.

“Why not introduce more to the schools of what we do?” he asked.

He said it was time for the coun- cillors to ask the young people about their needs and what the council can do for them.

“We could ask them for suggestions So it is not just a meeting for old fo- gies,” said the councillor.

Cllr Mairead O’Brien (Ind) sug- gested that the students in the school be given access to council members numbers so that they could suggest motions for the meetings.

“T think it is an excellent idea,” said ste ov elem Oouas

He said that the agenda is currently circulated to the secondary school in the town.

Town Manager Nora Kaye said she was totally in support of interaction with the school.

She suggested drawing up a list of issues the council and the school could work on together.

“Maybe we could draw up a host of issues we could do for 2010 with the school,” she said.

The town council therefore plan to look to the students of the town to learn more about the needs of the area for 2010.

MORE than 500 people are expected to turn out for the annual sponsored walk organised by the Clare Branch of the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, which takes place next Sunday, Janu- Tear

Now in its eighth year, the walk has become a charity institution in the north Clare area each January.

Sponsorship cards are still available locally or from the Alzheimer Socie- ty office in Ennis, but people are also encouraged to come along on the day and donate what they can.

“We have had great support from people in Clare, Galway and Lim- erick and all over getting behind the

walk for the last eight years and it’s been a pleasure to do it.

“It’s a very nice walk. It goes from main road to the green road and then it goes to the grassy green road up in Fanore. There is a lovely view out over the sea and over all the Burren,” said walk organiser, Gerry Howard.

“We let people off individually or in small groups – we don’t have one big group moving off at the one time. We say 12 or half past for the walk but some people come a little bit ear- ly and some people come a little bit later. We had more than 500 people last year which was brilliant.

“It’s a nice relaxed walk. We have a great celebration on the day with tra-

ditional music, dancing and singing in O’Donoghue’s Pub after the walk. We have a great evening.”

As in previous years, all proceeds will go to improve and extend both daycare, homecare, and _ respite services for the Clare Branch of the Alzheimer Society.

‘There are very few families who haven’t have some sort of brush with it, either Dementia or Alzheimer’s.

“When you are organising some- thing like this, you are very much pushing an open door with people. Anyone who has had experience of it is always great when it comes to OIRO AU AMD MM CONDOR Gums

“Every bob we make goes into the services in County Clare. There isn’t

anything at all spent on administra- tion or anything like that.”

The 1OK Walk will start from O’Donoghue’s Pub in Fanore at 12.30pm on January 3.

For sponsorship cards or more in- formation, contact the Alzheimer Society Office at Unit 17, Clonroad Business Park in Ennis on 065 686 8621 or call Gerry Howard on 087 2346750.

FOUR people including a one and a half year old boy escaped unharmed when fire ripped through an award- winning pub and adjoining residence in Ennis on St Stephen’s Day.

It took ten fire brigade units al- most 14 hours to bring the blaze at the Aylmer’s Rest pub and restaurant under control.

Fire services were first alerted to the fire, which is believed to have started accidentally, at 8.30am. Four units attended the scene and it was thought that the fire had been brought under control by Ipm.

However flames were again seen shooting from the building soon af- ter and six units returned to the scene at the Turnpike area of Ennis.

The pub, which is located just yards from a sculpture specially commis- sioned in honour of Muhammad Al1’s visit to the town in September, was extensively damaged by the blaze.

A commemorative plaque erected to mark the visit of the former world boxing champion was one of the few items not damaged in the blaze.

The adjoining residence and guest- house also suffered damage in the incident. Four people – owners Frank and Carmel Daniels, their daugh- ter and their one-year old grandson, were in the residence at the time and were all safely evacuated.

Speaking yesterday, the owner’s son Francis Daniels said the pub had been completely destroyed.

“The fire brigades were up around 9.30am and they left around lpm but they had to come back again about a half an hour later. [’d say it was al- most 11.30 that night before they got it under control. Its totally destroyed, I was up there again today for a look and it’s wrecked”.

He added, “We’re going to re-build. We’ll have a big cleanup and hope- fully in three to four weeks they can Start re-building it”.

Formerly called the Gallows, the Aylmer’s Rest has been run by the

Daniels family since 1997.

It underwent an extensive refur- bishment four years ago and has previously been named as ‘Dining Pub of the Year’ by the Dining Pub Ireland guide.

The owners erected a plaque and number of pictures to commemorate the visit of Muhammad Ali to Ennis in September.

The Clare Champion newspaper last year incurred after tax losses of €3,000 per week as the recession hit the regional newspaper industry.

Abridged accounts for 2008 show after tax losses of €187,000 to the end of December last.

However, the company has strong cash reserves of €2.46muiullion as a result of accumulated profits over a number of years.

One of the few remaining inde- pendently owned newspapers in Ire- land, The Clare Champion is now in operation over 100 years and for the past four years has faced direct competition from The Clare People newspaper.

The Clare Champion accounts show the company remains in a healthy fi- nancial state though its financial as- sets took a hit last year going down from €988,188 to €864,995. As a result, the value of the company’s fixed assets dropped from <€4.4mil- lion to €4.2million. Cash at bank and in hand dropped from €1.073million to €1.072mil- lion. With shareholder funds drop- ping to €5.47million as a result of last year’s losses, the company had total funds of over €6.5 million The shareholders funds include a revaluation reserve which relates to the revaluation of the company as- sets. There was a gain of €1 million in the account in 2006, though last year there was no increase. The accounts are signed by the company’s General Manager, John Galvin and his wife, Shelley, who 1s also a director of the company. The paper is wholly owned by the Galvin family and its other directors include John Galvin’s mother, Gemma. A sister company, Clare Cham- pion Printers Ltd., also recorded a loss last year of €50,058. The filings show that the company’s accumu- lated profits now stand at €929,376. This company had cash of €267,791 at the end of 2008 - slightly up on the 2007 figure of €260,133. The Galvins also have a substantial shareholding in local radio station, Clare FM and were last year set to be the major winners from the station’s proposed €7.2 million sale to Radio Kerry. The family’s 51,000 shares would have delivered an estimated pay-off of €1 million but the sale fell through. General Manager John Galvin de- clined to comment on the accounts filed with the companies office.

can reveal that a key member of Cratloe’s his- toric senior championship winning management team could be line for the team trainer’s role.

Fiach O’Loughlin, who is credited with turning Cratloe’s season around after linking up with the squad mid- term, is hotly tipped for the team

trainer’s post — the job seen as cru- cial to the re-building process to be undertaken by Ger O’Loughlin, starting with the National League DOB h Baal las

Fiach O’Loughlin’s prowess as a trainer led Cratloe to their famous county final winning day on Novem- ber 1, ironically the same day that Clare senior players met and voted no confidence in 2009 senior man- ager Mike McNamara.

He came to the training role in Cratloe via professional rugby, hav- ing been a key member and captain of Shannon’s All-Ireland League winning team in 2009. Now, his me- teoric rise in hurling could be capped with landing the plumb county senior or bae cM Oe-BUOUDOTSam [Oly

However, Ger O’Loughlin, who was ratified as new senior man- ager for “at least two years” at last

Thursday’s annual Convention in the Auburn Lodge Hotel is remaining tight-lipped on the make-up of his backroom team.

“T’m only in the job since Thursday evening so the situation is that over the next 5 or 6 days, I will hopefully have that put to bed,” he told

now has losses of over €4.5million but, according to Mr Collison, this rep- resents the full start-up costs of the newspaper since December 2005.

He said that this figure was “sig- nificantly below what we anticipated in our original business plan.”

‘The paper made a profit for the first time in September and is on course to break-even for the final quarter of the year. This was achieved through

extensive cost reductions, which cut weekly operational costs by over 50 per cent.”

“This would not have been pos- sible without the active cooperation and goodwill of staff whose sacri- fices over the past year have ensured the paper’s long-term survival’, he added.

The paper was established to chal- lenge the 100-year long dominance of The Clare Champion and _ latest ABC figures show The Champion’s circulation at 19,046 compared to The People’s 12,154.

Mr Collison said: “As a start-up operation, The Clare People had no accumulated reserves and felt the effects of the recession at an earlier stage than most of the legacy titles.”

‘This in some way proved a bless- ing in disguise as it enabled us to tackle our cost base earlier than might have been the norm. I would

expect that we will be one of the very few regional newspapers reporting break even or a profit for the final [VET to) axe) O hae

In the returns, the directors state that the key to this will be the achievement of forecasted revenues and the ability to contain costs at projected levels.”

“We initially hoped to reach breakeven during 2009 but the ex- pectation now 1s of further losses, but at approximately 45% of the 2008 levels, which in the current economic environment, 1s a positive result.”

The directors state that they and the shareholders have advanced interest free loans of €3.3million to the end of 2008 and have advanced further loans of €326,000 to the company up to September 20, 2009.

TWO people have been charged after counterfeit €50 notes were found in circulation in Shannon.

Liam Glennon (22), of Rowlagh Crescent, Dublin 2, is accused of possession of drugs for the purpose

of sale or supply; obstructing a garda at Shannon Town Centre and having four counterfeit €50 notes, on March 11 last.

Josh Hand (19), of Longstone Park, Portrane, County Dublin, is accused of tendering a counterfeit €50 note at a premises in Shannon, on March

9 last. He 1s also charged with having a counterfeit €50 note on March 11.

Garda Bryan McCarthy told Shan- non District Court on Thursday that he met the two accused by appoint- ment that morning and charged Weloveee

The garda said it would be alleged

that counterfeit ©€50 notes were cashed in shops in Shannon. A de- scription of a car was obtained by gardai and they launched an investi- gation.

He said that the accused were stopped and spoken to by gardai. A quantity of cocaine was found in the

car. He said that Mr Glennon took responsibility for the cocaine, which was valued at €250. One individual had four counterfeit €50 notes, while another had one note, he said.

Judge Joseph Mangan accepted ju- risdiction of the case and adjourned it until early in the new year.

A KILRUSH solicitor has expressed concern that a bench warrant was left “hanging around” a garda station for more than four months before being CLARO B

However, gardai say that the war- rant was executed as soon as it be- come known that it was still in exist- ence.

The comments were made in the case of Patrick Hall (23), of Craw- ford Street, Kilrush, who is accused of urinating in public at O’Curry Street, Kilkee, on June | last.

Garda Keith Hughes told Kilrush District Court on Wednesday that he executed a bench warrant by ar- resting the defendant the previous evening in Kilrush.

Defending solicitor Eugene O’ Kelly asked the garda had he been ap- proached by the accused on a number of occasions in relation to the bench warrant. Gda Hughes said the ac- cused has asked him if there were any pending cases against him.

Mr O’Kelly said his client was granted temporary release from Lim- erick prison on November 3 last and subsequently approached the garda and asked him if there were any out- standing matters.

The garda said he encountered the accused in mid-November when “there was no discussion about a warrant. There was a discussion about pending cases.”

Mr O’Kelly put it to the garda that the accused was in court on Novem- ber 8 last. The garda said he was not Sure at that time if the warrant had been executed.

Mr O’Kelly asked the garda, “Is there something about the impending approach of Christmas to do with the warrant being executed now?” The garda said there wasn’t and Superin- tendent Michael Comyns, prosecut- ing, said gardai were not objecting to bail being granted to the accused.

Mr O’Kelly said his client “wanted to clear the decks. I am satisfied Mr Hall has turned a corner. He wants to get on with his life. It’s very unfair that a warrant that has been hanging around the garda station since July is now being executed on the eve of Christmas.”

Supt Comyns said the bench war- rant was issued in July at the time warrants were issued in the circuit court. When Mr Hall presented him- self, the circuit court warrants were executed and Garda Hughes was not aware if the district court bench war- rant had been executed.

He said that Gda Hughes then made enquiries and last week’s district court was the first sitting since No- vember 8 and he executed the bench warrant in advance of the court.

Judge Joseph Mangan adjourned the case until next month and the ac- cused was granted bail.

A POLISH national has been charged with importation of drugs, having been arrested at Shannon Airport last week.

Patryk Kamil Al Zand (31), of no fixed abode, is accused of importing a drug, possession of cannabis resin and possession for the purpose of sale or supply, at Shannon Airport, on Monday, December 14, 2009.

He was arrested after he got off a flight between Prestwick and Shan- non, having earlier travelled from Poland, on Monday of last week.

Cannabis resin, valued at €4,200, was retrieved as part of a garda in- vestigation, after the accused was

stopped by Customs Officers at S)etveveleswaWen eam

The accused was taken to hospital on Tuesday and was charged early last Wednesday.

Kilrush District Court was told on Wednesday that he did not reply when the charges were put to him.

Inspector Tom Kennedy told the court that the accused came into Shannon Airport with just €10 and an identification card in his posses- sion.

He said the State was satisfied that the accused does not have means and free legal aid was granted.

The accused was remanded in cus- tody to appear again in court later WTA (le)