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A NEW page in the long history of the Ennistymon Courthouse was turned last week with the appoint- ment of the gallery’s first ever pro- fessional co-ordinator.

The historic building, which came within a whisker of being demolished a number of years ago, now boasts one of Clare’s most dramatic exhibi- tion spaces as well as top quality loft studios for artists in residence

With a rich background in art and art administration, Maria Kerin from Bellharbour has been appointed as the gallery’s first professional coor- dinator.

“It’s a very interesting set-up here

because the whole thing is voluntar- ily run. This building was saved by the historical society in Ennistymon and then a number of artists moved in and gave it an artistic presence,” said Maria.

“Bit by bit they got help from Clare County Council and put together the building that we have in Ennistymon today. The amazing thing about it is that all of this has been achieved al- most totally by volunteers.”

Up until last week the day-to-day running of the gallery has been man- aged by volunteers like Catherine Comber from the historical society.

“We want this gallery to be open to all and to be an inclusive space for the whole of the locality,” continued

Maria.

‘We aim to run all of our events to he highest quality standards. There has been a wonderful sense of pro- fessionalism and respect in the way that the gallery has been run up to now. It’s very important to keep that going.

‘“Ennistymon is changing and this street is changing so we really want to get people up here. We want this space to be an integral part of En- nistymon and the community of north Clare.

“It’s not visual art, we are hoping to attract more people in to do poetry recitals and small musical events. We are looking at putting more workshops together and organising

more outreach projects with the lo- cal primary schools and secondary schools.

“We really want it to be opened up to the community. I’ve been asking local people as I meet them what they would like from their gallery space. Anyone who has any idea should re- ally feel free to get in contact – we are open to any ideas that people migfht have.”

To learn more or to get involved contact the Courthouse Gallery at 065-7071630.

AFTER just a few years in exist- ence Macra Na Feirme’s Know Your Neighbours weekend has already grown into one of rural I[reland’s most important social and cultural events.

Last week the young farmers or- ganisation announced more details of the event watch by a star-studded gallery including GAA personality Micheal O Muircheartaigh, Mary Davis, CEO of Special Olympics Ire- land, and Clare TD Tony Killeen.

This year’s Know Your Neighbour Weekend will take place on July 12 and 13 and is aimed at encouraging people to do more to get to know their neighbours.

“While we’ve seen increased pros- perity in Ireland in recent years,

many people are now also faced with the increased pressures that come hand-in-hand with modern living,” said Macra na Feirme’s national president Catherine Buckley.

“Long hours at work, ever-increas- ing commute times, family and other commitments mean that people are spending less and less time involved in community-based activities.

“All too often we hear people say- ing that they don’t even know their own neighbours. This initiative is a great way of encouraging people who don’t know anybody living in their local area to really do something to rectify that situation. Only you can get to know your neighbour.

“Vd encourage anyone interested in organising an activity or event to order their organiser’s pack straight away and start planning for the

weekend of July 12 and 13.”

Also attending the event was Gov- ernment Chief Whip Pat Carey.

“T am delighted to be here to launch the third Know Your Neighbour weekend,” he said.

“The initiative is a great way of encouraging people to do something about the disconnectedness they may feel from community, or people’s lack of belonging to an area.

“There is no magic wand for ener- gising communities but I look for- ward, as Minister for Active Citizen- ship, in working with organisations like Macra to make real progress in communities right around the coun- ae

The initiative is being driven by Macra na Feirme with the support of ESB Customer Supply.

“ESB Customer Supply is once

again delighted to partner with Mac- ra Na Feirme in sponsoring the ini- tiative for the third successive year,” said Pat Fenlon, General Manager ESB Customer Supply.

“ESB has over the decades con- tributed to the development of every community in Ireland, rural and urban, and 1s committed to further enhancing this with support for com- munity based initiatives.”

THE Christian Brothers have played a central role in the history of north Clare since they arrived in En- nistymon almost 200 years ago. In 1824 local parish priest Rev Pe- ter O’Loughlin wrote to Christian Brother Edmund Rice, asking him to send two brothers to provide for the education of the many Catholic boys in the area who, due to the Penal Laws, had no opportunity of receiv- ing any schooling.

Later that year two brothers arrived in Ennistymon and took up tem- porary residence in a small house owned by a Mr Arthur near the Prot- estant Church, while a new dwelling was being built at the south end of the old Ennistymon Chapel.

In 1825 a lease was drawn up mak- ing over the premises “for the pur- pose of a school to Edmund Rice and Philip Hally of Mount Sion, Water- Ko)Ke ae

In the same year the famous Wel- lington of Waterloo made a donation of £100 to aid in establishing the said school on the understanding that the premises would always be used for that purpose. Another donation of

£100 was made by the Parish Priest.

The Chapel was converted into classrooms with a small organ loft that was removed from the north transept. In cold weather turf fires blazed in each of the three fireplaces and there was an abundance of fuel supplied by the parents of the boys.

In the five years after the arrival of the brothers between three and four hundred boys were enrolled in the school. It is recorded that “the fame of the establishment soon spread far and wide-distinguished visitors coming to see the work of the new brotherhood and, in many instances, oLoyele ul oLUceb rca Com meteam aun Telan

In May 1827 the brothers moved from their temporary residence at Arthur’s Arch into their new Mon- astery beside the school. The site on which the monastery and school stood became known as Mount St Joseph.

During the construction of the Monastery the boys, after school- hours and during playtime, helped to lay out the grounds and to build an enclosing wall.

Much of this information was first published on Wwww.homepage.eir- com.net/~cbsennistymon/

AS the leaving cert comes to a close for another year, one student has more to celebrate than most after complet- ing her entire secondary education without missing a single day.

As Martina Murphy completes her leaving cert music exam at Scoil Mhuire in Ennistymon last Wednes- day, she also brought to a close a six year journey without missing a day.

“I don’t think I did it on purpose re- ally. I just never really had any cause to miss a day. But then I got half way

through Transition Year it kind of dawned on me so I decided to just keep going and never miss a day,” said Martina.

“I started to think about it a bit af- ter that. I got a certificate every year to mark completing the year without missing a day – so I have six of those now.”

Despite taking part in a number of extracurricular activities, Martina still managed to show a face on each and every day.

‘“T never really seemed to get sick. | eaetp rColmecLeeKomAy eh VAup Lan Lec ap NCoAV ol MB KSr DUN

seemed to be an issue for me. I guess I’m really healthy,’ she continued.

“T was in ‘Hell for Leather’, the set dancing show, and we had loads of tours around the country but I was always able to make it in. I remem- ber my grandaunt died and I went to the funeral, but I still came in in the morning for a few classes or on other days I came in for a few hours in the afternoon.

“I guess I value my education. Of course it was to see my friends as well. My friends are great. I really loved secondary school, it was so

much fun.

“I did miss a day 1n primary school. Well, one or maybe even two days in primary school, I’m not really sure. But other than that I was always in.”

With her leaving cert finished Mar- tina is hoping to extend her second level record into third level.

“Tm actually hoping to be a sec- ondary school teacher when I finish in college. The place has obviously had a good impact on me,” she con- tinued. Maybe I can go through my first few years as a secondary school teacher without missing a day?”

IRISH food producers appear to be winning the battle against unwanted food contaminants appearing in the Irish food chain.

According to new research released last week just 24 positives cases of food residue contamination were re- corded last year. These positive cases were taken from more than 30,000 overall samples and represent a 0.08 per cent contamination rate. This represents a 50 per cent decrease on the 0.17 per cent recorded in 2006.

Of the 24 positive samples, 14 taken in the poultry sector contained residues of a feed additive approved

for use in poultry production.

Both the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) and the Department of Agriculture declared themselves satisfied that these positives cases did not pose a specific risk for con- sumers of poultry meat.

Of the remaining ten positives, nine contained residues of author- ised veterinary medicines, while an individual sample of wild game was positive for an environmental con- ieDeaupar-balm

In the milk sector, where 1,134 samples in total were taken, two samples or 0.18 per cent contained residues at levels above the MRL for Anthelmintics, which are medicines

approved for the treatment and con- trol of parasites.

Of the two positives, one related to cows milk, while the other related to goats milk and were due to failure to comply with requisite post-treatment withdrawal periods.

Another reassuring aspect of the 2007 results for consumers is that no traces of banned medicines or growth promoters covered by the hormone ban were found in any samples.

This reflects the fruits of the robust approach taken by the department in the past as well as a responsible ap- proach taken by the farming sector. Notwithstanding this good outcome, the department will continue to be

vigilant in monitoring activities both at farm and slaughter house/process- ing plant level.

Meanwhile in the aquaculture sec- tor more than 650 tests for 2,219 de- terminants were carried out on 161 samples of farmed fin fish for a range of residues. As in 2006, no positive results were detected in the national monitoring programme for farmed finfish in 2007.

The Food and Veterinary Office (F VO) of the European Commission, as part of its ongoing programme of inspections in EU member states and in third countries, carried out an au- dit of Ireland’s national residue plan during April 2008.

PARENTS of 47 children who will shortly be without childcare found little comfort in the words of the minister for finance this week.

In response to parliamentary ques- tions from Clare TD Pat Breen (FG), Minister Brian Lenihan merely con- firmed what distraught parents and staff were told in a note last week – the civil service creche in Ennis was to close with just two weeks’ notice.

The minister responsible for the running of the creche offered no so-

lution to the parents’ urgent childcare needs or to the plight of the 16 mem- ber staff. Deputy Breen was later ruled out of order when he attempted to raise the issue again.

‘The minister for finance must re- view his decision and permit the tem- porary operator to remain in place until October, when a permanent operator can then be appointed,” said Deputy Breen before he was told he could not continue.

The Board of the Civil Service Childcare Initiative, who operates the creche on behalf of the minister

pulled the plug on the creche last Fri- day week. The department “hope’”’ to have a new operator in place to open the creche by October.

The current temporary operator of the créche, Linda Hayes, has said she was happy to continue running it un- til then. Ms Hayes began in the créche on a temporary basis six months ago when the department failed to attract WM AUUMBNDNoMOooE-llee

“The board is in ongoing discus- sions with a potential operator with a view to taking over operation of the creche for a five year period with

effect from October 1, 2008,” said Minister Lenihan.

“As the current temporary ar- rangement comes to an end on June 30 2008, parents of children in the creche were individually advised that the Ennis créche would close from June 30 2008, and of the dis- cussions to appoint a permanent op- erator from October. Two of the sup- port team have also been in place at the créche to offer advice,’ he said.

Parents have said that the only sup- port they received was a photocopied list of créches in the area.

THE Burren has dozens of new scholars and protectors this week following the graduation of children from nine primary school in the area from the Eco-Beo programme.

The programme, which is organ- ised by the BurrenBeo organisation, aims to give students and their teach- ers a unique insight into the Burren’s famous landscape and tradition.

“It was great fun. Different people came to the school and did a lot of presentation with us about the Bur- ren,’ said fifth class student from Tubber National School, Evan Fahy.

“They showed us load of pictures and slides about the Burren and we

learned so many different things about our own area. We went on field-trips and we also were paired with a school in the Outer Hebrides in Scotland. We tried to teach them all about the Burren.”

Besides Tubber, students from Kin- vara, Kilnaboy, New Quay, Corofin, Kilfenora, Doorus, Kilshanny and Boston National Schools took part in this year’s programme.

“T learned a lot of thing about the place where I live. We learned a lot about the winterage for example, where the cows graze outside in the winter to help the Burren flora and fauna come up in the spring and Summer,’ said Ita O’Connor from Tubber. “The cows graze and keep

down the brush and scrub and that lets the flowers grow.”

The students also put together an award winning video inspired by their experiences. “The video looked at different ages of the Burren; start- ing at the Stone Age and the Ice Age and going right up to the present time,” said fifth class student Sibeal Hanrahan.

“We did dramitisations of the peo- ple who would have lived in the dif- ferent ages of the Burren. There was one scene where people were in Ca- herconnell cooking up some fish and another down in the Ailwee caves.”

“I’d like to be a farmer when I grow up and I’d like to farm in a way that would be good for the Burren, said

sixth class student James O’Grady.

“IT live on a farm now and I don’t think I would have to make many changes on the farm to be able to farm in a way that would help the Burren.

“T think it has thought them a great since of respect for the beautiful place in which they live,” said Tubber school principal Ann Comyn.

“T think that they all feel privi- leged to be living in such a weird and wonderful part of the country. It has developed a great since of pride of place within the children.”

ENVIRONMENT minister John Gormley will be in Clare this Friday to join the Mayor of Clare, Council- lor Patricia McCarthy (Ind), in offi- cially opening the new extension to Killaloe Fire Station.

Adrian Kelly, Chief Fire Offic- er, Clare County Fire and Rescue Service said that the completion of the extension and upgrade works to Killaloe Fire Station would ensure that Killaloe and surrounding areas would continue to be served by a quality fire and rescue service.

The new facilities include a recon-

figured appliance bay to include a 4WD vehicle, new drying room fa- cilities, a watch room, lecture room, male and female facilities, a breath- ing apparatus maintenance room, a resurfaced drill yard, security fenc- ing, a boundary wall and automatic gate. General refurbishments and re- decoration was also carried out.

“T would like to congratulate eve- rybody involved in delivering these new improved facilities.

“Of course, we should not forget the dedicated fire fighters who put their own safety on the line day in day out to protect members of the local com- munity,” said Mayor McCarthy.

CLARE academics across a range of ages proved this week that they have brains to burn, scooping not one but several awards.

North Clare students Darren O’Gorman and Laura Sims jointly won the main individual prize at the Northern Ireland Young Scientist

of the Year Competition. The pair, who are both Leaving Certificate students in Mary Immaculate Sec- ondary School in Lisdoonvarna, won the coveted Individual Award for 17 to 19 years with separate research projects.

Indeed there was more success for Darren who was also awarded the Queen’s University Award for Bio-

logical Sciences. The Kilfenora man was also one of just five projects nominated for the BA Crest, which entitles him to take part in the UK Young Scientists and Engineering Fair which takes place in London in March 2009.

His project was entitled “An Inves- tigation on the Effects of Temporary Limestone Lakes or Turloughs on

Leaf Morphology of Ranunculus Reopens”. Earlier this year he repre- sented the school at the Irish Young Scientist of the Year using the same project

Sinead McNamara, Amie Barrett, Catriona Callinan and David Crowe, all from Mary Immaculate, also took part in the competition.

Meanwhile Marie Clancy from Clare, a student of DIT Cathal Brugha Street, today won a National Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) award for her project which examined the prevalence of listeria monocytogenes in the dairy farm en- vironment in west Clare.

Marie’s assignment explored the oc- currence of listeria monocytogenes in the dairy farm environment on three different farms located in County Clare during the summer of 2007.

Environmental samples were tested to see if listeria monocytogenes was positive at different locations on the farms. Following on from the study, recommendations were made to the farmers who took part.

The achievements don’t stop there however as two Clare primary schools were honoured in the Awards of Science Excellence. St Tolas Na- tional School in Shannon and Par- teen National School were presented with the awards last week.

CONTRACTS for Corofin’s new sewerage scheme were officially signed in north Clare last Thursday. SW tlemNO rele OULCO MA “IIMS a cmmr-y0 estimated 750 homes, represents a massive boost to the infrastructure of the area.

The €1.9 million contract was signed by Tom Carey, Director of Service and County Engineer for Clare County Council, Patricia Mc- Carthy, Mayor of Clare, and Padraig Burke of Ward and Burke Construc- tion Ltd, Galway last week.

Officials are now hopeful that work on the project, valued at €1,894,247.28 in total, will com- mence immediately.

The contract is due for completion within 12 months, by which time the local authority expects the upgrade of the wastewater treatment plant design-build-operate contract to be well advanced. When completed, to- tal upgrade works on the schemes are expected to cost over €7million.

“T am delighted that this contract is beginning and look forward to the completion of the entire scheme over the next 12 to 18 months. We

are conscious of the urgency with which we need to progress the en- tire scheme,” said Tom Carey, Clare County Engineer. “Approximately 750 homes will benefit from the pro- vision of these high quality sewerage treatment facilities.”

Also present at the contract signing was Mayor of Clare Cllr Patricia Mc- Or Tad

“T look forward to the hugely 1m- proved service being put in place to facilitate the future development of Se KeyTTA MAY eNO omne (or DBD OTcMm Ua IN OMA elem Eos nificant environmental considera- tions of such infrastructure for future

generations,’ she said.

“Schemes such as this, while com- ing at a significant price to the coun- cil, are of urgent necessity given the European and national standards that we are obliged to meet.”

Contract three entails almost 3km of new and replacement foul sewer- age network and provision of almost Ikm of storm surface water sewer network as well as upgrading of 900m of watermains for the village.

The contract programme is struc- tured such that there will be minimal disruption to the village centre dur- ing the summer period.