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THE amount of summer chartered flights flying into Dublin Airport has passed out those flying into Shannon Airport for the first time ever.

That was the startling revelation at last nights meeting of Clare County Council where calls were made for the local authority to redouble it’s efforts to market the county to tour- ists abroad, especially to the United NF tee

Commenting on a motion put for-

ward by Cllr Pascal Fitzgerald (Lab), Cllr Patricia McCarthy (Ind) blamed the loss of the Aer Lingus’ Heathrow slots in Shannon as one of the chief reasons for the decline in tourism nga t Kone

“The Clare Tourist forum is work- ing very hard but we have to recog- nice that there were fierce impedi- ments put in the way of the Clare tourist forum, not least of which is the loss of a connection,’ said Cllr McCarthy.

“The current system with flights

coming into Ireland is favouring Dublin and the greater Dublin area and not Shannon. The number of chartered flights going into Dub- lin has passed out those going into Shannon for the first time ever. This is very bad news for the tourism pro- duce in Shannon.”

The council also heard that a number of hotels in the county were working three-day weeks as a result of the widspread downturn in tourist numbers.

“I’d like to see more initiative used

in promoting the county. There are no incentives or advertisements to bring people in. We are looking at putting out a brochure but we re- ally should have done that last year. There are no enticement for people to come into the county this year,’ said Cllr Fitzgerald.

“Some hotels are now down to a three day week to get people in. The Americans are not coming. Especial- ly in to the Shannon slots.”

According to Fianna Fail councilor Pat McMahon, the tourism industry

is suffering not just in Clare but also throughout Europe.

“The situation is getting worse by the month. You hear of hotels going into receivership and down to a four and three day week – the whole in- dustry is in serious trouble,” he said.

“It’s not just in Ireland. People are scared to go abroad and move be- cause of the state of the global econ- omy. It should be up to us to take the initiative and put forward a new programme for bringing tourism into OE Tome

A 25 YEAR old man who fell from a cliff in Quilty after a night out man- aged to raise the alarm by using his mobile phone to call his mother.

The incident occurred at around 7.45am on Sunday. The young man, named locally as Pat Murrihy from Quilty, had been socialising in the area on Saturday night and was walk- ing home early on Sunday morning when he apparently stumbled and fell almost 10 metres from a sheer cliff onto rocks below. He was alone at the time of the incident.

As he lay injured and unable to

move, he raised the alarm by call- ing his mother on his mobile phone. She immediately contacted the emergency services before rushing to the scene along with neighbours and members of the local Red Cross vuebLe

The incident occurred between Quilty village and the local pier.

A rescue operation was launched within minutes involving the Doolin unit of the Irish Coastguard, gardai, the ambulance service and the Shan- non based coastguard helicopter. The operation was coordinated by Valen- tia coastguard radio.

Mr Murrihy was treated at the scene

by Red Cross personnel pending the arrival of the coastguard team.

Shortly before 9am the man was airlifted to University College Hos- pital in Galway where he is receiving treatment for back injuries which, al- though serious, are not believed to be life threatening.

Gardai at Ennistymon are inves- tigating the incident which is being treated as an accident.

A coastguard spokesperson said the man fell about 8 metres down a sheer cliff. The tide was out at the time but if it had been in, the casualty would have been very close to the water.

“We were able to reach him by

walking down a ramp but it was de- cided to airlift him to hospital rather that transport him by road. It was certainly a good thing he had his mobile phone with him.”

A spokesperson for UCHG con- firmed that the man 1s expected to be discharged from hospital on Monday night or Tuesday.

Last October, an 81 year old retired New York City fireman died after he fell from the same cliff just yards from the scene of Sunday’s accident. Pat Lusterring, who was originally from the area, was returning to his holiday home from visiting a friend when the tragedy occurred.

JUDGES were in Shannon on Satur- day running the rule over the Gleann an Oir estate for this year’s Pride of Place awards. The estate, which is hoping for success when the na- tional finals come around in October, has made great strides over the last months and years.

A relatively new housing develop- ment, Gleann an Oir is home to some 200 residents. Taking part in the Pride of Place awards has improved the estate both physically and in terms of community spirit.

“We have about 40 houses in the estate including families, people

renting out houses and a lot of peo- ple from different counties,’ said Michelle Hayes, Gleann an Oir Resi- dents Association.

“We are located just across the road from the Wolfe Tones GAA club, where a number of presentations took place on Saturday morning before the judges took a walk around the estate. The estate was build in 2001 and this is the first time we have taken part in the competition.”

Taking part in this year’s Pride of Place competition has improved the physical look of the estate, but more importantly it has also improved the community spirit with all sections of the population working together.

“During National Tree Week, Clare County Council donated some trees to the estate which we all got together and planted. We also got a new stone for the estate with the name carved into it, which is really nice now,” continued Michelle.

‘This has been really great for get- ting the community spirit going in the area. We have a summer party at the end of the summer with a bar- becue and a bouncy castle for all the kids. It’s great for getting people together and allowing them to meet their neighbours.

“People are working on the estate during the day so it is harder now for people to meet their neighbours and

settle in.

‘Since we set up the residents asso- ciation we have had more and more people coming to the meetings which are really starting to take off. At Christmas time then we have Santa come to the estate so it is a full year of activities.”

The finals of the Pride of Place will take place in Waterford in Novem- ber. The winner’s top prize includes €2,000 and a commemorative glass plaque.

FEAR, rage and bitterness – long af- ter the battle of the Gaelic Grounds gave way to a night of nursing disap- pointed pints and stifling tears, the fight raged on in the darkest corners of the World Wide Web.

The scrapping in the stands may have been blue-on-blue action, but on the forums of An Fear Rua, Boards. ie and GaaBoards.ie the battle lines were drawn very much along the banks of the Shannon.

The day had started in friendly fashion; with a public poll on boards. ie predicting a narrow Tipperary win and some 30-year-old memories on An Fear Rua.

“T’m old enough to remember the Munster Final of 1978. There was a massive build-up,” said Clooney- QuinHead on An Fear Rua.

“Both sides were crammed with outstanding hurlers and everything pointed to a classic match. What oc- curred was a disappointing match, with a lot of niggle between players all over the field. I hope it wont be the same today,”

After the match however, the gloves came off with fans pointed at each

other and the Banner players.

“Our supposed big game _ play- ers were no where; Carmody, Grif- fin, Plunkett and Gilligan (lets face it, when the fat was in the fire he

couldn’t score from 40 yards),” said Kid Chocolate on An Fear Rua. “Only Colin and BOC and to a less- er degree Donnelan, Vaughan and O’Grady came out with reputations

intact…Frank Lohan has hurled bril- liantly for Clare for a long time but he is not a full back. He was caught against Limerick last year, Limerick this year and nearly Waterford and was very poor yesterday. It’s unfair to such a good hurler to have him end his career like this. We need a full back… Mike Mac showed a stub- born side by excluding Quinn and this cost Clare. We now have a centre back 1f Mac picks the right team.”

Meanwhile on boards.ie the con- sensus was that Clare had only them- selves to blame.

ml OIF: Vcmm sey uoay amd s(ommex: hoe Come UE hYARUYa Li their wasted chances. Not at all un- expected, I think the Biddy Early Curse is still having an effect,’ said AO STE

Greediness was singled out as an- other contributing factor.

“Clare beat themselves today with the six forwards displaying high lev- els of greediness,’ said CyberDave.

‘Any time one of the players got a chance within 90 yards from the goal they were looking to land the big ‘hero score’ in stead of using their heads an picking out a better placed forward inside, a lack of experience I suppose.

“They had something like 14 wides if they got even a third of them they would have had a better chance at the end. However, they will still be a ma- jor challenge for who ever they meet in the quarter-finals.”

There was even time for some two week old sour grapes from the Wa- terford faithful.

“TI think Clare have been made to look better then they actually are,” said Deise59. “Tipp were awesome at times today yeah, but 10 wides to 2 in the first half tells its own story.”

Last word to Clare poster Keano the Legend on boards.ie who summed up what many in the county are still feeling today.

“Tm still very disappointed by Clare’s performance. Always hard to take a defeat but yesterday was tough as I felt Clare had the potential to win the game,’ he said.

“Once again the poor shooting was the main factor. The management will have to look at their own per- formance. Tactical changes should have happened sooner. Oh well, its onto even tougher challenges ahead.”

THE executive of Clare County Council was last night accused of pulling a stunt by reversing a deci- sion by councillors to grant planning permission for a one off home to an Ennis businessman in the Burren. CUlr Tommy Brennan (Ind) made the charge during a tense one hour debate at the council’s July meeting. He said that the 27 members of the council who voted in favour of the application from businessman Gerry

Danagher and Cllr Brennan, himself, had been wronged and hoodwinked.

At the council’s June meeting, councillors believed that they had secured planning permission for Mr Danagher to build a home at Bally- cullinan, Corofin after they voted 27- 3 in favour of contravening the Clare County Development Plan.

A planner’s report before members recommended that planning be re- fused on a number of grounds.

However, on the foot of legal advice from county solicitor, John Shaw,

county manager Alec Fleming re- fused planning permission.

Mr Danagher was refused on two grounds. The council ruled that he did not qualify as a local person as he was not born in the area and that the proposal would give rise to a risk of water pollution affecting the qual- ity of the surface waters.

Cllr Brennan said last night that the decision to refuse planning permis- sion to Mr Danagher “defies logic and common justice”.

Mr Shaw said that there was no

evidence in the report he received on the June meeting that the councillors had considered all material issues re- lating to the application that formed part of the planner’s report.

He said that he had been provided with a full record of the meeting and the conclusion was that all material matters were not considered.

Mr Shaw said that proper procedure was not followed in the material con- travention process and any objector could have overturned the decision by way of judicial review.

He said that his advice to the council was based upon the need “to protect this body from a judicial review”.

Cllr Brennan said that the report that Mr Shaw based his legal advice upon was itself based on an incorrect record of what was said at the June meeting.

However, senior council official Michael McNamara said that there was a note taken by a council em- ployee and he stood over that the record of the meeting was accurate.

An animated Cllr Brennan said: “All I want is justice, not vengeance for me, the applicant and council- lors.”

Acting County Manager, Tom Coughlan said notes of the coun- cil official would be provided to Cllr Brennan and that a legal report would be prepared by Mr Shaw on the overall issue.

A JURY has returned a verdict of ac- cidental death in the case of a man involved in a road traffic accident on the road between Tulla and Gort in October last year.

The inquest into the death of 29- year-old Patrick Murphy heard that he died after he got trapped when his jeep overturned on October 27, 2007. No other vehicle was involved in the collision, the Coroners Court in En- nis was told.

Mr Murphy, a native of Crusheen, had been out socialising with friends

in Tulla on the night the accident oc- ie Kee

The deceased’s brother James Mur- phy told the court that Patrick had gone to get his get his phone from his car after leaving the Teach Ol pub in Tulla.

He said, “The first I heard of what had happened was when Valerie Hogan came out and said Pat had been in accident. We drove out to the scene. I knew it wasn’t good when I saw his back sticking out.”

Garda Liam Donoghue was called to the scene of the accident. He told the court that when he arrived he saw

‘‘a jeep overturned on the correct side of the road”.

In his deposition Dr Rasheed, a consultant anesthetist on duty in En- nis hospital on the night of the ac- cident, said that “resuscitation was started and every step was taken to resuscitate him (Patrick Murphy)”.

Mr Murphy was pronounced dead at 4.10am on the morning of October 28.

State Pathologist Dr Marie Cas- sidy told the Coroner’s Court that blood and urine tests taken from Mr Murphy recorded high levels of alcohol. She said the cause of death

was asphyxia caused by a crush in- jury. Dr Cassidy also found evidence of Sarcoidosis, a rare disease which affects the immune system, and said this may have been have contributory cause of Mr Murphy’s death.

Directing the jury, County Coroner Isobel O’Dea said that the appro- priate verdict was one of accidental olerldee

Ms O’Dea said Mr Murphy’s death was a “very sad and tragic accident”.

Inspector Tom Kennedy also ex- pressed sympathy on behalf of the Clare Garda Division to Mr Mur- eMac E-TeOvO RTA

A BID to make the financial services regulator, IFSRA, investigate if Aer Lingus was in breach of EU market- ing regulations in the way they broke the news about the pull-out on the Shannon-Heathrow slot has failed.

Maverick airline boss, Michael O’Leary and Ryanair had applied to the High Court to have IFSRA inves- tigate how the rival airline broke the news to the Government of the pull- out.

But Mr Justice Peter Kelly ruled that the Irish Financial Services Regula- tory Authority has a wide discretion in the matter of what investigations it oF Neato melele

Mr Justice Kelly also ruled that IF- SRA is not obliged to say what it is investigating or to make public the results of any investigation.

He noted the regulations which in- clude an option to “private caution” a body for market abuse.

Ryanair – which holds a 29 per cent stake in Aer Lingus – claimed that if

Aer Lingus had informed one share- holder before another shareholder and the public, then it had breached an EU market abuse directive and regulations relating to insider deal- ing and market manipulation.

Aer Lingus publicly announced its decision to pull the route on August 7, 2007.

Ryanair cliamed that Aer Lingus chief, Dermot Mannion told RTE on August 12 that the Minister for Transport had been informed of the decision on August 3.

Ryanair initiated the judicial re- view proceedings to try to compel an investigation in January 2008.

In his reserved judgment, Mr Jus- tice Kelly found against Ryanair. The judge found IFSRA had no legal duty to advise Ryanair whether it intends to investigate the complaint or has actually investigated the complaint.

The judge said it was “remarkable” that Ryanair’s statement specified no breach of the market abuse regula- tions or act or of any other duties of of IFSRA.

THE twin towers of the Tipper- ary forwards, Lar Corbett and Eoin Kelly, slipped away from the cel- ebrations out on the field in Limerick and made for the quiet refuge of the dressing room.

Before they reached the door, they stopped in the Mackey tunnel and took a moment to reflect on the title they’s just won. It’s a stepping stone, both believed, nothing to celebrate

too intensely, but an achievement nonetheless.

For Corbett, the other Munster medal he can jangle was picked up seven years back, when he had just broken into the Tipperary team.

2001 is a long time ago,” he said. “IT probably didn’t fully realise what I had in 2001 but I really appreciate this today. I’m delighted to be part of such an honest bunch of fellas and it was a dream there today. The hon- esty of the Tipperary people is awe-

some and I’m just delighted.”

He’s reminded of the Clare rally in the second half, but says that Clare’s response was expected. Tipperary ex- pected an ambush, they just weren’t sure when it would arrive.

“Clare were always going to get a run and we didn’t know if it was going to be in the first or the sec- ond half. They got it in the second half but the difference was John O’Brien’s goal. It was inspirational. It gave us another lift and we went on

Jeue)eemser-lmme

Eoin Kelly is of a similar opinion. He knew the backlash was com- ing, but he also knew Tipperary had enough in the tank to play themselves out of trouble.

“Like Clare, we were training since last November so we knew we had the fitness to get the scores in the last 20 minutes. We all chipped in with scores and personally, I’m just delighted.

“We’re just delighted that we don’t

have to go through the qualifiers, that we have a direct route into the semi. We’ll probably enjoy this tonight and tomorrow then we’ll sit back and focus and see where we need to 1m- prove because we do need to improve if we’re to go further.”

A stepping stone, hopefully, Kelly says, to better and bigger things to Koy nates

A year to September and the Liam McCarthy Cup is all that’s left for Kelly, Corbett and co to ahieve.

SWS l Smear yibicr IHCOeM ONO MDM OM ADNTCaNKO establish a drop-in centre in Ennis for homeless people and people with social difficulties are holding a fund- raising dance on July 31 in the West County.

The Homeless Educational Learn- ing Programme (HELP) volunteers – who have been working with peo- ple in the town since January – have decided the new centre will be called the Sara Finn drop-in centre, in re-

membrance of Sara who died tragi- Creuse neh

“We want the centre to be a place where people can come and talk or get advice about their entitlements, or just have somewhere to go,’ said Josephine O’Brien.

Josephine now has 11 helpers work- ing with her and is adamant that the drop-in centre will be different to anything that has gone before.

“Tt will be somewhere that people can talk and be listened to, especial- ly young people and people who are

having mental health difficulties.”

The aim of HELP is to provide as- sistance to homeless people strug- gling to find accommodation.

Information on housing and resi- dents rights along with guidance on issues associated with renting prop- erty will also be available.

HELP was set up by local women Josephine O’Brien and Ann Quinn after hearing about the difficulties faced by the homeless.

The spark for HELP was provided by a Christmas Day dinner organised

for the homeless at Fahy Hall.

Josephine explained that after talk- ing to people on Christmas day she recognised the extent of the difficul- ties faced by homeless people.

“A lot of them were living in B&Bs and were finding it very hard to find permanent accommodation. In many cases, particularly where renting was concerned, they were having difficul- ty dealing with landlords. Phonecalls weren’t being returned”.

She continued “What we are aim- ing to do with HELP is to provide

some sort of guidance, show them what their rights are, what kind of forms have to be filled out, that sort Oma av eercaae

The group has had a Playstation do- nated and are hoping that someone will donate a TV.

“We’re also hoping people will give us spot prizes for the dance and of course, donations are always wel- come,’ said Josephine.

Tickets for the dance can be had from the West County Hotel or from Josephine at 065 6891596.

THE way is now clear for planning permission for a €50 million retail park adjacent to the Ennis bypass after the disappearance of a rare but- terfly from the site.

The extinction of the Marsh Fritil- lary will also be welcomed by the builder of the bypass, GAMA Con- Struction, as it faced accusations from Clare County Council that it performed a breach of contract by transferring the butterflies to the re- tail park site from the bypass site.

The presence of the butterfly on site represented a major planning hurdle to Stephen Harris in his bid to secure planning permission for the retail park; it prompted the Department of the Environment to lodge an objec- tion against the plan.

However, a new report by expert Ken Bond has stated that the butterfly — which is the only butterfly protect- ed under the EU Habitats Directive — “has been lost from the Skehanagh site and that there are now no suitable habitats for the species in this area of the immediate surroundings”.

The site was initially home to a substantial colony of the butterfly in the year 2000. Larval tents of the butterfly were trans-located onto the site in the Autumn of 2005 as they were threatened by the development

of the Ennis by-pass.

According to Mr Bond, a satisfac- tory population of the species was recorded on the retail park site in 2006 and 2007.

Mr Bond was of the opinion, in the report, that the butterfly has become extinct at the site due to heavy graz- ing during the Autumn and Winter of 2007 combined with flooding events during the Winter of 2005/06/07.

A second expert, Paul Murphy of EirEco Environmental Consultants, visited the site in June 2008 and he affirmed the findings of Mr Bond on the disappearance of the rare butter- uae

The report states: “Mr Murphy did not record any adult butterflies and judged that the vegetation at the site was now a sub-optimal habitat for Marsh Fritillary.

“Mr Murphy broadly agrees with the findings of Mr Bond and also concluded that the butterfly has be- come extinct at the site.”

Last year, the Department of the Environment claimed that planning permission would be be contrary to the aims of the EU Habitats Direc- tive.

On the basis of the new evidence the department may have to revise its earlier objection.

A decision is due on the application next month.