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THREE prominent Ennis-based companies will lose millions of euro if Clare County Council rezones their lands in the forthcoming draft Ennis development plan.

In recent days, representatives of Michael Lynch Ltd, Tom Hogan Mo- tors Ltd and T Sheils & Co Ltd have scrambled to lobby councillors to have the proposed rezonings reversed before the draft plan is published in the next number of weeks.

The businesses learned of the plans when the council circulated the draft plan to councillors.

Last year Tom Hogan Motors paid around €10 million for an eight acre site which included the One Mile Inn on the Lahinch Road, Ennis. The land was zoned “local centre” in the 2003 development plan, a categorisa- tion which confers the capacity “to sustain and strengthen the area as a centre of commercial, retail, cultural and community life”.

However, planning officials have

removed that zoning and instead moved to have a large proportion of the site rezoned to “open space” and “flood risk”’ with the remainder zoned “commercial”. Tom Hogan Motors has written to the council seeking to have the proposed rezon- ing reversed.

Separately, the council is moving to rezone land, which Michael Lynch & Co owns, from “proposal site” to “other settlement land” and “residen- tial”. The council only zoned eight strategic sites in the Ennis town area.

The “proposal site” zoning conferred on the Lynch site in the 2003 Ennis Development Plan, stated that it had “significant scope for the provision of retail facilities as it is considered to be an edge of town location”.

Two years ago the company was refused planning permission for a retail park at the site. Michael Lynch & Co has also written to councillors in order to prevent the rezoning from proceeding.

TURN eCemUOUERO MDDOT E-De(GCemm DO Cemereebe(OUENTS seeking to rezone a site on the Gal-

way Road opposite Sheils’ 24-hour garage from “commercial” to “other settlement land” which provides for limited housing development. A five- year planning permission was se- cured for a hotel on the site in 2001.

T Sheils & Co has also written to councillors seeking to have the re- zoning overturned.

Councillors from Ennis ‘Town Council and county councillors of the Ennis and Environs area were meet- ing behind closed doors yesterday to discuss the companies’ submissions.

THE potential of Clare as a gen- erator of wood energy was further TORO) STARVE oLO MNO OURS ( oto) GEAWA LOO MNO omE- Date nouncement by Teagasc that Irish farm forestry has the potential to

replace a huge 58 million litres of home heating oil per annum.

The new Teagasc research indicates that private investment in forestry provides a massive opportunity for the wood energy sector in Ireland. Thinnings from privately-owned for-

ests could help to reduce the depend- ence of domestic and commercial consumers on oil for their heating needs.

With nearly 60,000 hectares of Irish forestry now more than 15 years of age, research indicates that

two-thirds of these plantations are ready for thinning. Annual output from the private sector has the po- tential to rise from its current level of just 100,000 cubic metres per an- num, up to 1.1 million cubic metres per annum by 2015.

‘Because of the nature and composi- tion of farmer-owned plantations,the wood energy market offers farmers the opportunity to sell their produce to new and growing markets, partic- ularly in areas where no market op- portunities previously existed,” said Teagasc forestry researcher Niall Sek IML (cle) .@

“This also offers farmers the op- portunity to have their plantations thinned. In order to realise this po- tential it is crucial that farmers thin plantations where appropriate.”

Private planting of forests increased in the 1990s and these are now ma- turing for harvest. It is anticipated that half of the landowners will opt to thin, which could lift the annual output to 550,000 cubic metres per annum by 2015.

A high percentage of this thinning volume – 340,000 cubic metres – has the potential to supply the wood en- ergy market. This energy resource is equivalent to 2.24 million giga joules, or 58 million litres of home terlmusremeyee

That is enough energy to heat 58,000 houses based on an average size house using 1,000 litres of home heating oil each year.

New research, sponsored by CO- FORD and presented last week at Bioenergy ‘08 in Athenry, will in- vestigate the structures to quantify, locate and market timber for forest owners. It is planned to develop a framework for the optimal quanti- fication of the wood resources from farm forests using clustering tech- niques.

Clare, alongside Donegal, has al- ready started to use the produce of first thinning to supply the wood en- ergy market for local and municipal heating requirements.

Weve ote al Féile na nGael held at venues in Laois, Offally and Tipperary over the weekend.

Clare was represented at Féile by camogie and hurling teams from the Bridge. Despite some encouraging performances, neither side qualified from the group stages.

The hurlers were pitted in a tough group alongside noted Cork side Na Piarsaigh, Dungarvan from Water- ford and another side from the rebel county Kiltha Og.

The Bridge lost their opening en- counter against Na Piarsaigh and lost narrowly by two points to Dun- garvan. The Bridge bounced back and bowed out with a three point win over Kiltha Og.

The Bridge’s group opponents Na Piarsaigh made it to the Féile final where they were beaten by Kilkenny club James Stephens

Qualification from the group stages also eluded the camogie players of Sixmilebridge over the weekend.

The Bridge, who were representing Clare for the third time at the annual

event, gave themselves a great chance of making it into the knockout stages for the first time by beating Tipper- ary champions Thurles in their sec- ond group encounter.

Sixmulebridge lost their opening game on Friday night to hosts ‘Toom- evara. But results elsewhere went kindly for Sixmilebridge. Toome- vara drew with Douglas and Thurles. These coupled with Sixmilebridge’s win over Thurles left the Clare side needing a win against Douglas to quality.

The Bridge played with tremen- dous spirit for long periods, but were eventually overcome by an older and stronger Douglas side, who ran out comfortable winners.

That ended the Bridge’s interest in the competition for another year at least.

The highpoint of an eventful cam- paign for the Bridge was undoubt- edly Saturday’s win over Thurles.

The Bridge edged a tight game 3- 1 2-1 with goals from Ali Quinlan, Sinead Tuohy and Niamh Murray.

Manager Niamh McInerney said the club can be proud of the team’s performances. “They were excel- lent, particularly against Thurles,

but even against Douglas as well. We kept them out for a long time” said McInerney.

Dublin side Lucan Sarsfields were crowned Féile champions when they defeated Mullagh in the division one final in O’Moore Park on Sunday.

Meanwhile, there was some suc- cess for Clare camogie when Vera Loughnane was crowned winner of the Feile Skills competition in Laois on Saturday. The Feakle girl beat of opposition from Antrim (2nd) and Limerick (3rd) to claim her title. This was Vera’s second year to go to the National finals having won the coun- ty competition last year also. Vera had accounted very well for herself at last year’s competition coming a creditable third. Vera worked on her hurling skills with her father in Feakle and was also delighted to have had some coaching and pointers from Colin Lynch and Deirdre Mur- phy. Vera had to contend with the wet and blustery conditions on the morn- ing of the competition. However the weather failed to deter the young Feakle girl. The local community in Feakle are delighted with Vera’s achievement and hope it will help in fostering the importance of the skills

of the game on the rest of players in the club and county.

CLARE v Limerick always throws up a different script — so it was on Sun- day, on the field and off. Clare FM and Limerick 95 were the partisans, as only they could and should be, but tuning into the national broadcaster, it was hard to escape the notion that everything was stacked in favour of Ore

Honorary Clareman Len Gaynor was parked beside Micheal O Muirc- heartaigh for Radio Eireann while next door in the Teilifis Eireann eye in the sky Anthony Daly was Ger Canning’s lieutenant.

And, it didn’t end there. Cyril Far- rell, who always seems to trump the

Clare card, was with Michael Lyster a few doors down. There were Clare cards everywhere, maybe this is why Limerick’s Martin Kiely played a different card by trying to summon some divine intervention when the game started running away from his team.

Kiely brought novenas into the hurling game at half-time. It was a throw of the dice — not desperate but a call to the heavens at the same time. “You’ve been to the novena this morning — maybe Limerick need it,” Kiely said hopefully to Limerick se- lector Bernie Hartigan.

From one Limerick man to anoth- er — a bit like Marty to Ger in 95. Thing is though, Ger was much more

convincing with his famous “we’re going to do it” line. Bernie wasn’t so sure, only hoping and trying to convince himself of Limerick’s belly for battle. “The team that’s up for it and really fights for it will win. It’s as simple as that,” he said.

At the same time over in the Clare FM booth they were digging a trench and building their Maginot Line, bracing themselves for a Battle of the Bulge like attack from Limerick. A desperate offensive that represented their last chance to turn their Mun- ster championship year around.

“Limerick are not going to go down without a fight,” said commentator Syl O’Connor. “It’s going to be a ferocious battle, there’s going to be

a massive onslaught.” For a minute bousoukas and not hurleys sprang to mind.

Limerick didn’t have them though, something Len Gaynor hinted at dur- ing the break. Maybe he was wearing his Clare hat when he said: “It should be enough for Clare — they started very lethargic, but are now into their rhythm.”

Anthony Daly did his best to keep his Clare hat off, but off air was sure- ly chuckling with delight as Limerick gifted goal after goal. “The soft first goal has turned it around for Clare,” he exclaimed. Cyril Farrell jumped in with his Third Secret of Fatima: “goals win games”.

Farrell, who championed Clare all

day added: “they stood up and were counted today. They got the breaks and were good enough to take the breaks. I don’t believe Clare are get- ting the credit they deserve.”

Just as he was talking, Martin Kie- ly had collared Colin Lynch on the field, but wasn’t talking about nove- nas anymore.

The time for novenas had passed — it was Lynch’s time. “It was a long time coming, it’s all about how badly you want it,” he proclaimed.

It wasn’t the only proclamation. Kiely then roared above the din. “The Clare Shout is back, they’ve swarmed the field.”

It was like old times — a long time coming as Colin Lynch said.

SCHOOLS, homes and businesses in Shannon are being encouraged to take pride in their places, as the lo- cal tidy towns competition is up and ubbavepentes

The Shannon Tidy Towns commit- tee has recommenced its local com- petitions, after a lapse of three years. It is encouraging entrants to three categories of the competition — best kept area, best kept school and best small business. There will be two prizes for the best kept areas and two for the best kept schools.

According to the chairperson of the tidy towns committee, Olive Bowen,

independent adjudicators will keep an eye on the schools, residential es- tates and businesses around the town throughout the summer.

“We will concentrate on litter, hanging baskets, quality plants and how areas are kept in general,” she said.

“We are hoping this scheme will continue to encourage people to keep their areas clean,” she added.

She said the tidy towns committee was working hard in an effort to 1m- prove marks gained in the national competition. The committee has also entered the countywide Clare in Bloom competition and hopes are high that the town will earn plaudits

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“We are very pleased with the way things have been going. People in Shannon are keeping their properties very well,” she said.

‘We are very pleased that the Bal- lycasey roundabout has had shrubs put in place, but we are still waiting for the roundabout at the town centre to be better organised,” she added.

Local businesses have been keen to get in on the act. McDonald’s fast food outlet in the town helps out with the cleaning every year, while 50 staff from Intel cleaned the river- walks last week.

The local youth club and the Chris- tian Leadership Movement have also

committed to helping out with clean- ups during the summer months.

The changing characteristics of the population of Shannon have been re- flected in the campaign to keep the town in tip-top shape.

In recent years, several people from Poland and Lithuania have moved to the town and locals are keen to en- sure they are made welcome.

Posters, encouraging people to get involved in keeping Shannon tidy, have been compiled in four lan- guages — English, Irish, Polish and Lithuanian.

A presentation night for the local tidy towns competition will take place in September.

CLARE TD and Minister of State with Special Responsibilities for Fisheries, Tony Killeen, last week joined Agriculture Minister, Brendan Smith, in a meeting with EU Fisher- ies Commissioner, Joe Borg, where the difficulties being experienced by fishermen across Europe was the main topic for discussion.

While the meeting was the first face-to-face meeting between the ministers and the commissioner, it followed a lengthy telephone con- versation recently between Minister Smith and the commissioner.

In the course of the meeting, the ministers, as they had undertaken to do during a meeting with the Fed-

eration of Irish Fishermen on Friday last, impressed upon the commis- sioner the serious difficulties and the depth of feeling of Irish fishermen and also the urgent need to bring forward an EU-funded package of measures to alleviate the concerns of TeKemensaouensee

Minister Smith also indicated to the commissioner his intention to press, at next week’s Fisheries Council, for the adoption of new EU regulations to prevent the import of illegal, un- regulated and unreported fish into the EU market which are undermin- ing the markets for legally caught ne

He is also seeking the early adop- tion of new conservation measures to reduce discards and juvenile fish

protection measures in the waters around Ireland.

Minister Killeen emphasised to Commissioner Borg the priority that would have to be attached to the Irish fishing fleet in any EU package and also raised the issue of the re- quested adjustment of the Celtic Sea Cod TAC.

The ministers welcomed the pro- posals outlined by the commissioner, which were published last week, but highlighted the absence of a provi- sion for additional EU funding to underwrite the proposals.

Commissioner Borg indicated that he was still undertaking an exercise within the DG Mare to explore all possibilities for the identification of some additional funding for the

package.

Minister of State Killeen said that as many of the issues were also of concern to fishermen in other mem- ber states, he and Minister Smith would continue to press, with their colleagues at next week’s Council of Fisheries in Luxembourg, for a pack- age of measures and additional EU- funding which would be required to address the difficulties being expe- rienced by fishermen across the EU and particularly in Ireland.

Following a full discussion on the range of issues affecting the indus- try at next week’s council, Commis- sioner Borg will propose a definitive set of proposals for presentation to the Fisheries Council of Europe on ith ey

THE trial heard that the lethal toxin ricin was found in Essam Eid’s cell in Limerick prison.

Detective Garda Jarlath Fahy told the court on Friday that he received intelligence which led him to suspect that the toxin was hidden somewhere in Mr Eid’s cell, where he had been held since his arrest following the burglary of the Howard family busi- ness in September 2006.

At the prison, he asked Mr Eid if he

had a pair of contact lenses. “He told me he had contact lenses but he had lost them about two months after his arrival at Limerick Prison,” he said. He said that Mr Eid told him he still had the lens case, which was stored in a box under his bed. Commandant Peter Daly of the army Explosives Ordinance Dis- posal division was in charge of the search of the cell. He said he had been a UN weapons inspector in Iraq in 1998 and was familiar with the toxin ricin. He said he had found

the contact lens case in a box under Mr Eid’s bed and handed it to his colleague for testing.

Retired Commandant PJ Butler said that he tested the contact lens case, using a RAMP machine (Rapid Analyte Measurement Platform).

He said the first test on the contact lens case was spoiled but the second produced a positive result. He said this test produced only a preliminary result and a further confirmation was eX cy-A

The court heard from several ana-

lytical chemists from LGC Limited in Teddington, Middlesex in the UK. The manager of the facility, Stephen Kippen, explained that ricin was the third most deadly toxin known to man and was fatal if ingested, inhaled or injected. He said it was a biological toxin derived from the beans of the castor oil plant.

He said there was a “sheen” on the inside of one of the cups on the case TbACGUCOrc1BUOTSMmMOt-TMmSO)oats1 OD NNTSMmsr-le menu lere! onto it. He had irrigated the lens case using a sterile saline solution to dis-

lodge any material.

He then made two separate samples from the solution used to wash out the cup and lid of either side of the case which, together with a control sample of the buffer solution, were sent to a sister laboratory for testing.

He said the remainder of the sam- ple left over for testing had been re- served and was being stored at LGC Ltd. He said that it was not known how stable ricin was and it was not known if the samples were still vi- able.

THE Brothers of Charity have opened their first ever respite house in Shannon. The facility, located in the Cluainin housing estate, will pro- vide short breaks for people with dis- abilities.

The four-bedroomed house is staffed by support workers and is available four days and nights every week. It is primarily geared towards Service users 1n the Shannon, Sixmi-

lebridge and Bunratty areas.

The house was funded by the Health Service Executive, while ad- ditional funding was made available through Shannon Parents and Friends (€5,000) and St Senan’s Social Club (€2,000), while the Shannon mayor’s ball also yielded more than €5,000 for the new facility.

“It 1s the first such facility provided by the Brothers of Charity in Shan- non. It means that people can come and spend three or four nights at the

house,” said Helen Minogue of the Brothers of Charity in Shannon.

“It is about breaks for families. There is a social aspect to it,” she added.

‘Respite is the one thing that comes up all the time. People are always asking for respite. This facility has been on the cards for the past four years,’ added Ms Minogue.

“We were offering breaks in a small apartment in Ballycasey, but this is a house especially for respite.

We will open it as much as we can, particularly during the summer,’ she added.

FOUR of west Clare’s petrol station owners are claiming that Tesco’s §ar- rival in their market will threaten the existing network of stations.

Many local jobs will be lost if Tesco gets planning permission to establish one of its stations in Kilrush, accord- ing to local businessmen Vincent Crowley of Ennis Road, Kilrush; Ol- iver O’Shea of High Street, Kilrush; John Daly of Cooraclare and Michael Fitzpatrick of Kilmihil.

The four have lodged a joint ob-

jection against Tesco developing a four-island petrol filling station ad- jacent to its recently opened store in Reta

“Competition already exists with four retailers located within such a small area,” according to the objec- tion which planning consultant Tim O’Brien lodged on behalf of the sta- tion owners.

“The addition of another petrol retailer in this small geographical area with the economic and market- ing power of Tesco will only serve to undermine the viability of the exist-

UITSMB Kol R-DULo RCM DOLOMAUDUNSMONLOKe IONMNOLS Tesco store as a competing centre to the town centre.”

Mr O’Brien points to the town manager’s report which states that new petrol filling stations will only be permitted “where the need for an additional petrol station can be demonstrably justified and where it will not result in over concentration of single uses in one area”.

The consultant said that there was already an over-concentration with four petrol stations servicing a small geographical area, including two

within metres of the proposed devel- e)yetorle

Mr Fitzpatrick, in a separate objec- tion, states that there are “many fill- ing stations lying derelict all over the country due to Tesco serving cheaper brands of fuel…

“Temploy 12 people full time. With a drop off in sales it will mean that I will have to let people go.

Mr Crowley, in his objection, also says forecourt jobs at his station will go if Tesco arrives.

A decision is due on the application next month.

CLARE manager Mike McNamara was a hard man to tie down for a few words after the final whistle sounded Oye mO Len Tee hi

Semple Stadium officials said inter- views would be conducted in a media room, a stroll away from the dressing room areas, under the Kinane Stand. But when McNamara, Mark Flaherty and Jonathan Clancy piled into the room, journalists in tow, they found it full with match stewards, drinking tea.

McNamara, even in_ euphoria, wouldn’t hear of the room being cleared, so it was back to where we started, up by the Clare dressing rooms, the Clare manager shaking hands with jubilant Clare fans along STOWE NE

Thankfully, the route taken by Mc- Namara’s team so far this summer has been more straightforward.

Limerick were the latest side to feel the sting of the Clare attack, but even after wins over two of last year’s All- Ireland semi finalists, McNamara’s feet remain firmly planted on the ground.

“Tt’s a long time since we contested a Munster final, it’s actually nine years since we contested the final and it’s too long, really. We have to

put our best foot forward. We have to be contesting matches with the best and we’ve said that since the start of the year. We’ve nothing won yet. Limerick contested a Munster final and an All-Ireland final last year and they haven’t a medal. It will be a test of character and strength now.”

Goals win matches we’re told and Clare got plenty of them on Sunday. They also, vitally, McNamara point- ed out, got the breaks.

“We did get the breaks. We got the four goals. We got them at vi- tal times. That’s the only difference really. Limerick are still there, so it’s all to play for. We have to win Munster championship matches. We are a proud, crazy, I suppose, hurl- ing county. We have to win Munster championship matches.”

The game against Waterford proved a massive advantage to Clare “par- ticularly in the last 10 minutes,” said McNamara.

The Scariff man bemoaned the late dismissal of Brendan Bugler and said his team’s pride shone through again on Sunday, as he barely suppressed a chuckle at the thought of Tipperary in the Munster final.

“T think everybody looks forward to meeting Tipp. I don’t know what they do to the opposition’, laughed McNamara. “It’s the Munster final

again. It’s a huge day. It’s a great day for the lads. This team are self- motivating. They’ve led themselves from the start [despite] all the hul- labaloo about Mike and his selection team. This team are self-motivat- ing. A wonderful bunch of leaders. They knew they could go through their whole career without winning a Munster Championship match if they didn’t get out of the doldrums. We’ve a second step taken. It’s only a second step. It’s a wonderful time in Clare now to ignite the passion again. Maybe it went over our head a little bit in 1995-2000.”

McNamara revealed that Tony Griffin had been a serious doubt in the build up to the game and said that despite Griffin being given the all clear maybe it was the “wrong di- agnosis’.

As for his own role in Clare’s resur- gence, McNamara brushed it off say- ing, “I’ve been lucky in management. I’ve kind of arrived with good teams and good players. Nothing changes. The team wins games”.

So then. Clare are lucky, Clare are hungry and suddenly the summer ex- plodes with possibility.