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THE Ennis Farmer’s Market is the subject of the RTE programme “Fresh from the Farmers’ Market’, to be aired tomorrow night.

Presenter and food writer Clodagh McKenna visited Ennis on a wet and windy day last October.

Ms McKenna interviewed some of the traders and then cooked a Greek style dish using organic lamb, cu- cumber, scallions, garlic, mint, sun dried tomatoes an olive oul – all pur- chased in the farmers’ market.

She also talked with customers about the appeal of farmers’ mar- kets. One customer from Ruan tells the show, “People should realise what good value the market is. For example, I always buy a bag or two of mixed salad leaves. I wash them and store in the fridge where they last all week, whereas the bags from the su- permarket cost more and the leaves start to go brown once you open the bag. I know that the market salad has been picked that morning, has not been sprayed with any chemical and has not travelled thousands of miles

to get to me”.

The farmers’ market has been up and running since 2004 and consists of a group of dedicated food produc- ers and traders with a wide range of local, artisan and organic foods. Most of the produce is sourced in Clare with some coming from near- by Tipperary.

The market runs on Friday morning in the upper market car park (oppo- site Meere’s Butchers) from 8am to 2pm. This year traders are advocat- ing to customers, the benefits to the environment of eating fresh, local

produce and minimising their carbon footprint.

Another regular customer tells the show, “I really look forward to Fri- day evenings because I know I will have something delicious to eat from the Farmer’s Market.

Today I have a quiche, some local goats cheese, salad and I also have a beautiful bunch of flowers, some new potatoes and an apple tart for Sun- day lunch and some Brussels sprout plants and duck eggs for my dad.”

The programme goes out on RTE 1 tomorrow night (June 11) at 7.30pm.

AFTER months of posturing and talking a good game, the IFA did what most presumed they would eventually do on Tuesday by pledging their support to the Lisbon Treaty.

After playing politics right up to the June 3 deadline, IFA President Pad- raig Walshe pulled off a major coup by forcing Taoiseach Brian Cowen to go public on his intention to veto a WTO deal that would be considered bad for Irish farmer.

The week started with the ICMSA claiming to have received “ironclad assurances” from Cowen on world trade and throwing their lot behind

the Yes campaign.

The news was warmly welcomed by Clare TD and Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture Tony Killeen. “This deal is in the best in- terests of Irish farmers and the wider agri-food sector,’ he said.

‘Membership of the EU has being undeniably good for Irish farmers over the past 35 years. Ratifying the Lisbon Reform Treaty would dem- onstrate Ireland’s consistent com- mitment to a strong and effective European Union and would help us to secure the support of key EU part- ners and to build strategic alliances on major issues to this country and, not least, to Irish farmers.”

Fellow Clare TD Timmy Dooley (FF) echoed Killeen’s comments

“I fully welcome the decision of the Irish Farmers Association who have called for a Yes vote for the EU Lisbon Reform Treaty,” said Dooley who is the vice chair of the Joint O1- reachtas Committee for European Affairs. “I believe that it is always in the best interests of Irish agriculture that we address issues of concern to our farmers from a negotiating posi- tion of strength and not from a nego- tiating position of weakness.”

Reacting to the news, Libertas Ex- ecutive Director Naoise Nunn said that the news was disappointing, but totally to be expected.

On Thursday the ICSA voted by a majority of 59 per cent to 41 per cent in favour of recommending a yes vote.

Meanwhile, the bridge building ahead of the WTO continued apace this week with Agriculture minister Brendan Smith meeting to discuss matters with Polish Secretary of State, Andrzej Dycha.

“It is clear that both member states have a shared sense of disquiet about some of the proposals currently on the table and that we are determined to make all efforts to ensure that the outcome of the negotiations does not undermine the future of the CAP,” said Minister Smith.

on Monday that he felt it “inap- propriate” that Fr Cullinan, who was filling in for parish priest Fr Liam Enright, “used his sermon for the po-

litical purposes of campaigning for a No vote in the Lisbon Treaty”.

However, Fr Cullinan denied preaching politics: “I didn’t preach for a ‘No’ vote from the altar. It might have looked to some people like I did call for a ‘No’ vote but I didn’t,’ said Fr Cullinan, who re- fused to explain what he said about the treaty at Mass.

Fr Cullinan is a chaplain to Limer- ick Institute of Technology where he is responsible for the pastoral care of students, including many from Clare. He said the treaty was “a huge issue for us here”.

“The European Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Ham-

marberg, criticised Ireland last month for not legislating for abortion. And that is the European commissioner for human rights.”

However, Mr Hammarberg is not an EU commissioner. Rather, he is a commissioner for the Council of Eu- rope, a separate body to the EU and one to which the treaty does not ap- ply. He is a former head of Sweden’s Save the Children charity.

It is understood that Fr Cullinan made his controversial remarks at Masses in Cratloe’s two parish churches last Sunday.

“He talked about homosexuals and that because of Europe thousands had to be paid out because of discrimina-

tion,’ another Massgoer revealed.

“Tf he didn’t tell us how to vote, he was bringing up issues he had with the referendum,’ he added.

Fr Seamus Madigan, a spokesman for the Bishop of Limerick, Dr Donal Murray, said “that the reported re- marks made by Fr Cullinan are per- sonal to him and are his opinion”.

He added the Bishops of Ireland, including Bishop Murray, “are en- couraging people to use their vote wisely and not to use it as a protest vote”.

GERRY Quinn has perhaps more reasons than one for hoping Clare do well in this summer’s hurling cham- eyCoyeleuyey

Quinn has just opened his new pub in Ennis. The Corofin man has a 50 per cent share in the Library Bar and Clare doing well on the pitch could mean a boost in business off it.

Quinn said, “Well the Clare thing could help a small bit but we are hop- ing that the place will succeed any- way, away from that”’.

Originally opened as the Kings Bar in 2006, the building has since been renovated. Quinn explained, “A lot of work was done on the place. It’s

is completely different. The bar ar- eas were changed around. New décor was put in, new furniture. We opened a beer garden out the front. There is a cocktail bar. We were trying to make it different from other bars in Ennis. There is more space upstairs, more seating. We have a function room that will be opening soon.”

Quinn has previous experience of the bar trade. He said the opportu- nity to open a pub at a prime location in Ennis was too good to pass up.

He said, “I had Crowley’s for about two years in Corofin and that went pretty well. That was different to this, it was more of a traditional music type pub. I suppose with The Library, it was such a good opportu-

nity. I liked the location and I liked the building. It’s a new business. We’ve only been for nine days. It’s going great so far. One or two things that have come up but we’re getting Woe

Quinn, who works as a property ne- gotiator with Ennis based auctioneer- ing firm Philip O’Reilly – Property Plus, is also determined to force his way back into contention for a place on the Clare team to face Limerick in the Munster semi-final on June 22.

Quinn didn’t make the starting 15 for Clare’s impressive Munster first round victory over Waterford.

He said, “That’s the plan anyway, to try and get and get back into the team. It was disappointing not to be

involved the last day. But when you look at the result and the way the lads played, I suppose I can’t really have any argument. There have been one or two injuries, so there might be an opening. I’ll just have to work hard and see what happens”.

Quinn joins a distinguished list of Clare hurlers who have opened busi- nesses in Ennis. All-Ireland winning captain Anthony Daly runs a sports shop on O’Connell Street. Solicitor John Callinan, a two-time all-star recipient has an office in Ennis as does double All-Ireland winner and auctioneer, Brian Lohan.

WITH all attention being diverted to WTO and Lisbon, a new outbreak of the highly pathogenic H7 version of bird flu in the UK went almost unno- ticed in farming circles this week.

Despite a number of near misses, the Republic remains a bird flu free zone and Minister for Agriculture, Brendan Smith, took a number of measures on Thursday to attempt to insure that this remains the case.

Smith confirmed all notifications from the Department of Environ- ment, Food and Rural Affairs (DE- FRA) that Oxfordshire outbreak does involve the deadly H7 strain of the virus.

As a consequence, the required EU movement restrictions on poultry and poultry products had been put in place by DEFRA and a ban had been imposed on bird gatherings and shows in the control zone around the outbreak premises.

The minister confirmed that, as a precautionary measure and along with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development in Northern Ireland (DARD), his department was placing a ban on the participation of birds from the control zone in Ox- fordshire at bird shows and gather- ings in Ireland.

In addition, a ban was put in place on pigeon racing to Ireland from part of England or involving pigeons that

were in the control zone from last Wednesday.

“This is a further example of the application of an all-island approach to the threat of the introduction of avian ‘flu to the island of Ireland,” he said.

“The ornithological advice avail- able is that as we are currently at the high point of the breeding season, the risk of spread of avian flu by move- ment of migratory wild birds from Britain remains very low.

“My officials would continue to keep the situation and the existing contingency arrangements under on- going review.

“I would urge flock owners to con- tinue to take the measures that are

outlined in the biosecurity Informa- tion booklet that was recently circu- lated to them.”

The booklet, entitled Avian Influ- enza Control Measures, contained the clinical signs of the disease and any suspicions should be reported to the contact numbers listed.

In America, meanwhile, testing of more than 16,000 migratory birds between May 2006 and March 2007 showed no evidence of the H5N1 bird flu virus.

Information released last Thursday showed that the birds studied were infected with virtually every other known strain of influenza, other than the highly pathogenic and potentially deadly HSN] virus.

AN ENNISTYMON- man has claimed that he has been unfairly labelled “‘anti-traveller’” following a public meeting in the town last week.

The meeting, which was held in the Falls Hotel in Ennistymon on Thurs- day night, was called to discuss prob- lems relation to a development in the reyyaee

“The Traveller family that will be going into that development used to

use my house as a postal address for their correspondence. We were help- ing this family long before Clare County Council had any interest in it,’ said Philip Fahy from the Ennis Road in Ennistymon.

‘How could I have anything against that family’? This is an issue between myself and Clare County Council and they way they have handled this issue. We feel that we have been de- ceived.”

“IT live across the road from this development. We have just bought a

new house on a thirty year mortgage. We feel that we were robbed of our chance to have a say about how this development is being put together.”

The meeting was addressed by a number of county councillors in- cluding Martin Conway (FG), who claimed that the meeting was very productive.

“I feel that the councillor answered very comprehensively any issues that were raised on the matter of Traveller accommodation.”

“It is an executive function and ac-

cording to the 1998 Traveller Accom- modation Act means that the county manager has the power to introduce traveller accommodation unilater- ally,” he said.

“If the councilor doesn’t agree he can introduce the measures himself as he did with the emergency halting site just outside Ennistymon.”

‘People are not aware that the local councillors are tied when it comes to this issue.”

“The meeting gave us a great chance to clear the air. I would appeal to

people to embrace this change. If we were to oppose everything then we would not have a role in the manage- ment and development of things go- ing forward.”

“People were satisfied going away from this. It’s a difficult issue and the best thing that we can do is to man- age it going forward rather than op- posing it for the sake of opposing it.”

A number of other issues were raised at the meeting including pub- lic toilets in Ennistymon, sewage and car parking spaces.

A TWO DAY programme that teach- es the value of openness and attitude begins in the West County Hotel, En- nis, on Saturday.

The Vision programme developed, by Quin priest Fr Liam Lynch en- courages participants to embrace opportunity in their professional and personal lives.

Fr Lynch explained, “It’s about showing people that there are two concepts out there, the well of scar- city and the well of possibility.

“When people get bogged down

thinking about the well of scarcity, it can lead to negative beliefs and then negative conversations. The net result is people can become fearful and worry.”

He added, “It’s no wonder that life, for some people can become a living hell and that so many people suffer from depression. Its all a matter of PAAOTRELG (ome

Originally from Quin Fr Lynch trained with the Franciscans before going on to teach in Cork.

After travelling in India Fr Lynch spent 27 years in New Zealand where he set about developing the Vision

programme. That programme has since expanded to Australia, Korea an Canada.

Fr Lynch explains, “We try to get people to see that the world of abun- dance is a world of possibility. More than just abundance in the way you live your life. It can lead to generos- ity, having better confidence and bet- ter self esteem.”

He continued, ““To me its never been about religion. It’s about spirituality. Attitude is everything in life.”

Fr Lynch said the reaction in the workshops has been a positive one. “IT get people from all walks in life,

from doctors, teachers to people who are illiterate. It has helped people enormously. You meet people and they say it has changed their lives. There is a great energy in the room. People get excited about it.”

The Vision programme takes place in the West County Hotel, Ennis, from June 14 and 15. Workshops start on Saturday from 10am to 5pm and on Sunday from 10am to 2pm.

Enrolment takes place on Satur- day morning from 9.30am to 10am. The cost of enrolment is €35 or €10 for students. Donations are also ac- cepted.

NEWLY revised bye-laws affecting beaches and promenades have been implemented at thirteen locations throughout the county.

The Clare County Council Beach Bye-Laws 2008 include a relaxation of the prohibition on dogs at various locations, on the spot fine increases, and an extension of the licensing function on beach and water related activities.

The regulations, which came into force on May 22 following wide-

spread consultation, are designed to protect beach eco-systems, to regulate the ever increasing variety of beach uses and to ensure that all beach users can enjoy the beauty and amenity of Clare’s beaches equally. Areas covered by the bye-laws include littering, lighting of fires, removal of beach materials and pro- tected species, nuisance, the bring- ing onto and parking of vehicles on beaches, camping on beaches, trad- ing, control of animals, commercial filming and regulation on the use of motorised craft and of water sports

activities.

The bye-laws apply to the beaches at Bishopsquarter (Ballyvaughan), Fanore, Doolin Harbour Beach, Tra Leathan (Doolin), Lahinch, Whit- estrand (Miltown Malbay), Spanish Point, Doughmore (Doonbeg), Whit- estrand (Doonbeg), Carrigaholt, Brew’s Bridge (Kilrush), Ballycug- geran (Killaloe) and Mountshannon. Clare County Council is working in partnership with the Garda in the im- plementation of the bye-laws.

Among those to welcome the bye- laws was Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind),

Chairman of the Environment, Emer- gency Services and Consumer Pro- tection Strategic Policy Committee. “T warmly welcome the proposal to relax the prohibition at promenades and public car parks. I also welcome the requirement that dog owners keep their animals on a leash in the interests of public safety,’ he stated.

Sean Ward, Senior Engineer, Envi- ronment Directorate, stated the bye- laws were well observed by beach users, adding that they had greatly as- sisted in ridding the county’s coastal amenity areas of nuisances.

KILLALOE, one of the most popu- lar holiday and day-out destinations in Clare, was almost cashless at the bank holiday weekend.

The AIB have apologised to cus- tomers who couldn’t get any money from their machine, which 1s the only on-street ATM in the east Clare town. The machine stopped giving cash on Friday evening and was out of com- mission until Monday evening, the end of the holiday weekend.

Traders and visitors to the town had to manage with credit and La- ser cards but some came up against a Crisis.

One businessman said, “First the AIB machine went down so people went up the hill to the one in the su- permarket. That was fine for a while but there was such a big run on that machine that it ran out of cash.

“They got it refilled later in the day, but the only machine that people

could access outside the supermar- ket’s opening time was out of order.

“The place was packed with visi- tors trying to work around the prob- lem and a good number of them had to give up and go elsewhere if they didn’t have a credit or Laser card to pay with.”

In a statement on the matter the AIB said that “due to a technical problem, our ATM service in Killa- loe was unavailable from the evening of Friday, May 30, until the evening of Monday, June 2.”

“We sincerely apologise to our cus- tomers for the inconvenience this caused. We aim to provide the most competitive customer proposition for our customers and our products and our delivery channels are continually reviewed to ensure this.”

“For example, AIB customers can now use their Debit Cards directly at point of sale and can also avail of a cash back facility to access their funds.”

CLARE County Council are hoping to get the green light from the De- partment of the Environment, Herit- age and Local Government for the long overdue sewerage schemes in Labasheeda and Carrigaholt.

On June 20, 2007, the council sent the revised proposals for the Labash- eeda and Carrigaholt scheme to the department following a requested CS tances

“A positive response to these re- vised proposals is expected shortly.

“Following any DEHLG approval, and subject to the water pricing ele- ment being acceptable to the coun-

cil, the construction works could be expected to commence within 12 to 18 months,” a spokesperson for the council told councillors.

This means that after more than a 30-year wait the people of Labash- eeda and Carrigaholt should see work begin in their sewerage schemes in late 2009 or early 2010.

Councillor Oliver Garry (FG) said it was hoped that the foreshore licence required for Labasheeda would not take as long as previous schemes.

The sewerage scheme in Quilty and Mullagh was delayed for almost two years while Clare County Council awaited the approval of a foreshore licence from the Department of the

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Such foreshore licences must now be rubber stamped by the Environ- mental Protection Agency, a process that should be of shorter time dura- tion than before.

Contractors are expected to begin work on the Mullagh-Quilty scheme at the end of the month.

Cllr Garry said that he was now cautiously confident that work would begin in the Labasheeda and Car- rigaholt scheme within the next 18 months.

“We hope that money is forthcom- ing when the project begins,” he Sr HGe

Meanwhile, following a question

from Cllr Madeleine Taylor-Quinn (FG), a council spokesperson said that site investigation work had be- gun in the Cooraclare scheme.

Cooraclare was “de bundled” from Carrigaholt and Labasheeda almost two years ago.

“The preliminary report for Coora- clare Sewerage Scheme is approved and contract documents are current- ly being prepared.

“Site investigation works are cur- rently ongoing and the land acquisi- tion has been finalised.

‘Construction is due to commence in spring 2009, and is expected to take nine to 12 months,” the spokes- person said.