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IN the unlikely event of a tree falling in the forest at Ballycuggaran, there will now definitely be someone there to hear it.

Coullte are putting the final touches to a scheme which has opened up the magnificent views and provided rest- ing places for weary feet as well as healthy walks.

The woodlands have long been a favourite place for picnics and walks, but having spent in excess of €15,000 on ground works and adding ameni- ties, Coillte have made it possible to walk up to eight kilometres with lots of loop walks and shorter strolls.

The graded walk, which is located just outside Two Mile Gate, will pro- vide a focal point for tourists as well as a valuable amenity for the people of east Clare.

“We did the ground work and opened up the walks and views. We put in seats at strategic viewing points – people get weary when they walk for a bit and this way, they get a rest and a view,” said Christy O’ Dea, of Coillte in Scariff.

The work has also included putting in two small new car parks and pic- nic tables at strategic locations.

In keeping with Coillte policy, the existing conifer trees will be gradu- ally replaced with broadleaf species

which have already been planted in some parts, including oak, ash, alder, beech and hazel.

The new walkway was made pos- sible thanks to a new funding initia- tive announced by Failte Ireland and Coulte last year. In the programme, some €5.3 million in funding has been allocated to help create an up- gerade facilities across the country.

The initiative will focus on provid- ing outdoor recreation facilities for walkers and cyclists across the coun- try and aims at creating some 250km of walking, hiking and biking trails at 34 sites.

Sadly, despite all the good work, selfish litter droppers are costing

Coulte €25,000 a year.

“It’s not just the cost – it’s the em- barrassment of having to ask some- one to deal with litter created by a third party. The motto is “Leave No Trace’, said Christy.

And that includes doggy-do. “One person comes along with two big dogs and the next person comes along with two small children. I’ll say no more other than take home anything you bring with you.”

IMPACT trade union staff at En- nis General Hospital will take part in a lunchtime protest tomorrow (Wednesday) to highlight health service cuts.

Delays in getting oxygen to Clare patients in their homes and under- staffed social work teams are just two of the knock on effects of HSE staff shortages, according to the un- ion.

More than 2,500 health workers in the county will take part in the lunch- time protest, which is not expected to

affect patient care as staff will man the picket line on their lunch breaks.

Andy Pike, assistant general secre- tary for the mid-west region, said the staffing embargo had been nothing short of catastrophic for local serv- leon

Mr Pike claimed that from Decem- ber 2007 to March 2008 the HSE in the mid-west lost 137 whole time equivalents (full time staff) and, given the number of part time posts in the HSE, the true figure could be close to 200.

He said that the employment con- trols introduced in 2008 allowed a

vacancy to be filled only if a differ- ent post was suppressed, so the cost of filling one vacancy was the loss of another in a different part of the Service.

“Two environmental health of- ficer posts have not been replaced in County Clare.

‘This means that patients and the public are at increased risk due to the frantic fall in the number of inspec- tion carried out in hospitals and the community,’ he said.

‘Two physiotherapy posts in Clare are vacant resulting in the closure of community physio services in east

and south Clare which currently serve 42,000 people.

“Two posts are vacant in disability services in Clare resulting in delays in delivering oxygen to patients’ homes,” said the trade union repre- sentative.

“The adoption service in the mid- west is struggling to cope without key posts being filled.

“Service provision has all but stopped. Social work teams are now seriously understaffed across the mid-west, including two permanent posts in ClareCare that have been suppressed,’ he added.

‘Family support worker posts have been left vacant increasing demands on residential services for vulnerable children and clients. Two occupa- tional therapy posts have not been filled thus increasing waiting lists.”

He said budget constraints also make it difficult for staff to carry out their duties as all travel outside Clare being banned except with prior per- mission. Numerous posts in Limer- ick and north Tipperary also remain vacant.

IMPACT workers will be protect- ing across the country on Wednesday from 12.30pm to 2pm.

CLARE County Council has urged An Bord Pleanala to uphold its deci- sion to grant planning permission to a €10 million explosives factory at Cahercon on the basis that objectors’ appeals have produced nothing new.

Opponents to the explosives plant including the Kildysart Explosives Factory Opposition Group (KE- FOG), Cairde Chill an Disirt Teo and An Taisce appealed the council decision to An Bord Pleanala.

In a rebuttal submission to the ap-

peals board, the council has stated that no further substantive planning issues have been raised and the plan- ner’s report into the initial objections deals with all of the issues raised.

In an 1l-page report lodged with An Bord Pleanala, the council states that the previous An Bord Pleanala decision conceded the principle of development on the site, while the extraction of the fill material and importation on site has since been addressed to the satisfaction of the council.

In relation to the issue of safety,

the council state that it is guided by reports from the Health and Safety Authority and submissions from the HAS on August 2007 and February 2008 do not recommend against the grant of permission.

In relation to claims by objectors on the adverse landscape impact of the proposal, the council state that having regard to the backdrop and forested area to the rear and side; the relatively low buildings and the lim- ited range of views to the site and the existence of industrially scaled de- velopments in the Shannon Estuary,

the development would be acceptable from a visual amenity viewpoint.

“In relation to the extraction area which is on undulating farmlands, it is considered that due to the tempo- rary nature and location of the site, this element of the proposed devel- opment will not have a significant serious negative impact on visual amenities of the area.”

In relation to Cahercon pier, the council state that the conditions at- tached to the planning permission do not imply consent for any upgrade works to the pier to facilitate the de-

(od Ceyeyeateael

The council also states that the pro- posed development will not seriously depreciate the value of properties in the vicinity of the site, stating that the nearest dwelling is owned by the applicant.

Without a sod being turned on the scheme, the Whelan Group has al- ready spent almost €7 million on the project. When operational the plant will provide employment for close to 35 people and will contrib- ute €3 million annually to the local economy.

KILLALOE singer/songwriter K1i- ernan McMullan will help launch a new night for local artists later this evening in Lahinch.

The up and coming east Clare art- ist, who last month signed his first professional contract with American based label One Eleven Records, will be joined on the night by Shan- non’s David Hope, Limerick’s Wal- ter Mitty and the Realists and Lynda Cullen from Cork.

They will all help to launch Clare’s newest free singer songwriter night, The White Horse Sessions, in Ken-

ny’s Village Inn in Lahinch. The evening is being organised by Clare singer/songwriter Louise McMahon and Kenneth Kenny from Kenny’s.

“We want to have a good mixture of acts in the White Horse Session and with Kiernan as well as the other acts I think we have achieved this. We don’t want to have all bands or all singer songwriters – we want to break it up,” said Kenneth.

“Clare has always been very good for musicians and at the moment there is something really good going on in Lahinch. There is a great lit- tle scene here, everyone helps each other out. People are crying out for

the music but they need a stage. Our real aim is to bring the music back to the west.

‘So we were thinking of something we could do here. We thought about an open mic but they’ve been done. We really wanted to get some real talent in, people who are really good. So Louise came up with the idea of the sessions and it has all snowballed from there,’ said Kenneth.

The aim is to create an intimate venue for candlelit sessions through- out the summer. The organisers hope to provides a stage and a listening au- dience for both the cream of up and coming and the established original

Irish and international artists.

The sessions will take place each Tuesday throughout the summer months with plans already being formed to continue the gigs into the winter if the demand is there.

Meanwhile, the next month looks set to be a busy one for Kenneth. Be- sides working on the new album, he plays the Sugar Club in Dublin next Tuesday, June 10, and will be the second artist in

MENTAL health services in Clare are significantly under-funded, ac- cording to the annual report of the Mental Health Commission (MHC) released last week.

The report also pointed to a sig- nificant reduction in the amount of patients admitted involuntarily to in- patient mental health units.

“The Clare Mental Health Service had been proactive in developing a community-based model of care over the five years since the closure of Our Lady’s Hospital,” said a spokes-

person from the Mental Health Com- mission.

“It had sourced external support to further develop the workings of teams and had a written plan based on the national planning document, ‘A Vision for Change’.

“However, Clare faces consider- able challenges in reconfiguring ex- isting nursing resources, introducing health care assistants and accessing funding to achieve appropriate staff- ing levels on all teams.”

The figures, which covered all of 2007, revealed a 25 per cent reduction in the number of involuntary patients

in health care centres since 2005. Na- tionally, just over 2,000 people were involuntarily admitted in 2007.

“2007 was a milestone year for men- tal health services in Ireland. It was the first full year of the implementa- tion of the Mental Health Act 2001 and this has had a significant effect on the delivery of mental health services in Ireland,” said Brid Clarke, Chief Executive Officer of the MHC.

“While we acknowledge _ that changes have taken place in a lot of approved centres, there are a still a number of centres which are not op- erating to best practice. It is the goal

of the commission to continue to pro- mote high standards during 2008 and onwards.”

Despite improvements made in mental health services in 2007, the MHC expressed its concern about the lack of progress in the implemen- tation of the Government’s policy on mental health.

“The implementation of “A Vision for Change’ is necessary so that a modern, comprehensive person-cen- tred model of mental health service provision is available for all of those who need to avail of it,” said Dr Ed- mond O’ Dea, Chairman of the MHC.

LAST Tuesday at training, Jim Gully gathered his players and faced them in the direction of reality. He said Clonlara can now rightly call them- selves a senior team and he pointed out that they have the players to cope at the highest level.

He named a couple of other clubs who had made decent progress down through the years only to eventually fall by the wayside. His point was that Clonlara should take advantage of the pool of players at their dispos- al and do their best to get out of the eaveleiey

It’s not that Gully is overly-con- fident. He rightly says that the next two or three years should be about consolodating their seinor status, but he’s optimistic enough to aim for the play-offs.

Last season’s heroics in the Inter- mediate championship and in the provincial championship are partly down to Gully’s positive approach. Players thrived under his influence and the success of last year spread much wider than winning the Inter-

mediate championship.

“It lifted the whole place, gave hurling a great foundation in Clon- lara,” says Gully. “You saw kids in school making up songs about the team. It was the kind of thing you dream about.”

This year hasn’t started too badly either. The Under 21s captured the A title in Cusack Park defeating a seasoned Nermarket-on-Fergus side and nine of those players had a role to play in the senior squad of 2007.

“People are going around saying that we’re in with a chance of win- ning the championship year and that’s the sort of thing we have to guard against. People around here think these guys are unbeatable but playing in the senior championship 1s going to be a big step-up.

“Senior teams can stop open hurl- ing easier than intermediate teams and that’s the kind of hurling we like to play. Then there’s the speed of the game. Players, I reckon, will have two seconds less to make up their minds this year. Our lads will have to think fast and act fast. Basically, you’re go- ing to have to make decisions imme-

diately and go with them.”

Gully is also pleased that unlike the last time Clonlara were a senior club, there isn’t a two-tiered system.

“We were relegated three years ago having played in what was a Senior B championship. There were eight top teams that year and 12 on the second level. So we didn’t really have an op- portunity to have a go at the big boys. The way things are this year, it’s far better.”

Clonlara’s youth factor, Gully reck- ons, means that the team may be bet- ter positioned to adapt to taking on some of the more seasoned sides.

‘Before the final last year, the young lads were going around as though it was just another hurling game where- as we [the management] were having sleepless nights. What I’d love to see is our more senior players leading the younger lads and that way, we can all adapt straight away.”

For Clonlara’s opener against Ogonnelloe, they’ll have to do with- out Darach Honan and John Conlon who are both sitting the Leaving Cert. The O’Donovan brothers are also America bound after the first

round and they won’t return until the end of August.

With typical positivity, Gully man- ages to see the bright side.

“We’re not going to use any excuse. Of course we’d love to have the lads but you show me a team that won’t have to deal with something simular. The lads we have, once they’re cer- tain that they’re not going to let this chance slip by, then I’ll be happy. We’re not the same as the likes of Clarecastle or Sixmilebridge. We don’t have a conveyor belt producing players year after year.

“We’ don’t have a large pool of players and we’re in this competition to battle and to give a good account of ourselves. Nothing less.”

Last Christmas, in the middle of the All-Ireland championship, the club took a short break from hurling. Gully recalled the panel for train- ing on January 2. Close to 30 play- ers showed up. They may have fallen short in Munster earlier in the year, but a new challenge is about to be- gin.

With Gully steering the ship, they’ll strive to break through any icebergs that come in their way this summer.

FIVE Clare women have been nomi- nated for the Champagne Nicho- las Feuillatte Women of the Year Awards. The awards will be pre- sented at a gala dinner on June 7 at the Silversprings Moran Hotel, Cork, with up to 600 guests present.

“This is the inaugural year of the awards which honour women who have excelled in whatever area they are in, whether it be business, sport, charity work or simply exceptional achievement of any type,’ said Tom

Desmond, Managing Director of Galvins Wholesale Ltd, distributors of Nicholas Feuillatte Champagne.

Quin businesswoman and founder of Conference Connections Ltd, Colette Duggan has been nominated for her role in promoting excellence in entertainment and business. As proprietor of Clare Conference Con- nections Ltd she caters for a national and international blue chip client list. She is being nominated for deliver- ing objectives over and above her cli- ents’ expectations.

Much-loved traditional musician,

Sharon Shannon is being nominated for her contribution to music.

Rita Mc Inerney, Chief Executive Officer of Ennis chamber, is also nominated. She represents the in- terests of the 250 business members from professional, retail, tourism and industrial sectors in the Ennis and Clare area, on a range of issues through lobbying and submissions on a local, regional and national lev- el. She is a current board member by ministerial appointment to the Shan- non Foynes Port Authority.

Ann Norton is nominated for her

voluntary work as manager with the Clare Crusaders Children’s Charity. The charity, which was established by the late Howard Flannery, pro- vides clinical and vital care for the children of County Clare with spe- cial needs. Ann, whose eldest daugh- ter has Cerebral Palsy, continued the dream of her late friend and over the past nine months has opened a clinic which now employs 12 therapists, providing care for more than 80 chil- dren in the county and providing over 6,000 hours of therapy annually. Ennis woman and presenter of

‘Paisean Faisean’, TG4’s highly rated fashion and dating show, Blathnaid O’ Donoghue is also one of the nominees. She is nominated for her promotion of the Irish language, particularly to the younger audiences on TG4.

The awards are being run in con- junction with TV3 and RSVP maga- zine, with TV3’s Colette Fitzpatrick and Cork’s 96FM’s Neil Prendeville presenting on the night. Nicholas Feuillatte is the top-selling cham- pagne in France and GWL are its sole Irish distributor.

ma dite councillor said these are among his priorities for the coming year.

Pat took over office from council- lor Colm Wiley (FF) at the last area meeting of the council.

“I’m very pleased with the progress that’s been made in areas such as the

Scariff sewerage scheme but I want to see these facilities rolled out for other areas. In parts of east Clare, there has been little or no develop- ment because of the lack of this type of infrastructure and we must keep on working to provide and upgrade water and sewerage schemes for eve- ry area of east Clare.”

Cllr Hayes said that he 1s also con- cerned that there has been a huge fall-off in angling tourism in east Clare, a slice of the market which played a major role previously.

‘There was a time when a lot of people made their living solely from the angling tourism trade. Now that

has fallen off the page entirely,’ Cllr Hayes said.

The councillor said that he ap- plauds the work being done by the East Clare Tourism organisation: ‘But we need to be part of a bigger promotional picture and we also need to integrate cultural tourism into the picture. If you look at the east Clare area in the coming months, we have a myriad of different festivals with a cultural emphasis.”

Pat wants to see a meeting of the key people involved in tourism and tourism promotion to set out a plan of action. The newly elected chair says he is also anxious to see more

co-operation with council colleagues in neighbouring areas, including Tip- Oe DAA TIOm Or NAVE hs

He is hopeful that when the elec- toral boundary commission unveils it’s plans in the coming weeks, east Clare will remain intact.

“Rural and urban areas have differ- ent needs and places like Scariff and Tuamgraney need representation on different issues to developed urban areas.”

The councillor said he will also be placing a lot of emphasis on road up- grades “particularly main link roads such as Limerick through Broad- ford’, he said.

CLARE children with intellectual difficulties will remain forgotten and neglected because there is no dedi- cated intellectual team for children in the county.

According to the 2007 Mental Health Commission Annual Report, a consultant psychiatrist visits the county just once a month to provide a mental health clinic for 120 children.

In between these visits, all clinical problems – including prescription of medication – are dealt with by phone.

The commission’s report into men- tal health services in the country showed that there were no nursing

staff, psychologist, social worker, oc- cupational therapist, speech and lan- guage therapist or any other facilities available to these children in Clare.

The report carried out by the In- spector of Mental Health Services found that since the last report in 2006, there had been no change in provisions for services for adults and children with an intellectual dis- ability who require a mental health service.

“There was a need for the HSE to take a lead role in organizing the de- velopment of this specialist service based on a catchments population model,” it said.

‘The child and adolescence service

in Limerick, Clare and north Tipper- ary remain under-resourced. None of the multidisciplinary teams had a full complement of core staff.”

The report stated that there was a part-time consultant psychiatric post designated to children who at- tended the Daughters of Charity, but observed that early intervention teams set up in the region do not see

was in contact with staff who had not received the required Garda clear- ance.

“The staff had also not received training in the care of these children. “Appropriate accommodation, in- cluding segregated sleeping areas and bathroom areas, were not avail- able in the unit.”

The annual report also. stated,

children with more that two develop- “Children admitted to the unit did not

mental delays.

Meanwhile, the report into mental health practices in Clare was critical of the admission of a child to the psy- chiatric unit at Ennis General Hospi- tal in November 2006.

The report revealed that the child

have access to appropriate educa- tion provision. The unit has a written operational policy and protocols in relation to the admission of a child but this did not include a policy and procedure in relation to parental con- sent.”

TRACE a finger over 2007 and you’ll find that the season for Scariff could and should have held more promise. By the end of June, they had two wins under their belt — against Ogonnelloe and Smith O’Briens – and were mov- ing in the right direction.

Two months passed before the next round of the championship and by then, Crusheen, who had three points from a possible four, were standing in wait. A win would have given Scariff the edge to progress from the group. As it was, they ended up five points off of Crusheen in a low scor- ing game. It set up what was effec- tively a straight-knock out with even- tual county champions, Tulla. Scariff were blown away by 13 points and

the early promise of June had faded by the middle of September.

Strangely, three of those four teams now occupy Scariff’s group this year — Tulla being the exception – and the opportunity to apply the lessons learned towards the end of the group stages of ’07 presents itself.

It won’t be easy, though. Mark McKenna – one of the club’s finest hurlers before his recent retirement — was one of two selectors last year. Now, he has taken the reins from Ger Rodgers but McKenna points to the Clare Cup campaign to date — Scar- iff have lost five from five — and says securing a couple of early wins won’t be as easy this time round.

“Don’t get me wrong,” says McK- enna, “every team will be fighting to come out of the group and Scariff

will be no different. Since the draw, everybody’s been saying that every game for Scariff will be local derby and that’s true. It’s up to us to cope with that.”

In a sense, it’s how best they can cope with the pressure that comes with playing their neighbouring teams that will dictate whether or not they can go one step better this year.

Over the course of the Clare Cup, they’s used 25 players in those five games but not once — mainly because of injuries — have they been able to pick a team from their strongest ornate b

Last week, the treatment table was in full use. The likes of Pat Moro- ney, Johnny Colleran, Shane Corry and Michael Rodgers are all carry- ing worrying knocks so the fact that

Scariff have a bye in the first round could be of benefit.

‘We have the bare pool of players and in that situation, when you pick up injuries it tends to have more of an effect. So the break at the start of the championship is welcome. It will also give us the chance to assess how other teams are going in the group, SO We won’t complain about not hav- ing a game the first day out.

“On top of the injuries, Brendan McNamara and Martin Hartigan have both retired and a couple of lads have also gone to Australia. In a way, this will be as weak a Scariff team as we’ve fielded in a championship for a long time but that’s no reflec- tion on the lads that are driving the club forward.

“Being realistic, it’s going to be a tough group but we’ll fight for our survival. It looks like Crusheen are going to be the team to beat and looking ahead, you’ll have the rest of the teams in the group doing their best to advance with them.”