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SUSU Sm bi ontromO MNase (Come ME (steno Michael Harold was recognised at Ennistymon Vocational School’s an- nual award ceremony last week.

Mr Harold, who devoted a 40-year career to teaching mathematics and Science in the school, retired four years ago and passed away last month. An image of Mr Harold was included on the cover of the award ceremony’s programme and a minute’s silence was observed in his memory before iW elomre Mise 0 6 om ol oseee TOE

During the ceremony, the senior student of the year was announced as John O’Brien, Ardnaculla, Ennisty- mon, who received the Patrick Com-

NeEN eM aNNe-HKCE

This and four other special awards commemorated students who died while attending the school and one who met tragedy a short while after graduating from the school.

Junior student of the year went to Seamus Crosbie who received the John Kierce Award, while the senior and junior sportspersons of the year award went to Micheal O’Loughlin (Jimmy Considine Award) and Pa Na- gle (Seamus O’Donoghue Award).

The Emer O’Loughlin Award for transition year student of the year, first presented last year, went to Michael McCormack.

The awards were presented by chairman of the school’s board of

management, Cllr Flan Garvey, school principal Enda Byrt, and a number of teachers. The event was co-ordinated by teacher Halimah Heaslip and the student council.

Music to entertain the big number of students, parents and staff was provided by Shona Long, Seamus Crosbie, Cathal Hogan, Mairead Fahy, Gavin Coughlan, Seamus Scholand, Shane Sexton and Sinéad RST rededee

Enda Byrt congratulated students and staff on a very successful and busy year and told the parents that they could be justifiably proud of everyone who was nominated for an award as well as those who were eventually chosen for awards.

He reminded the attendance that the school’s award concept was root- ed in two fundamental ideals – do your best and show respect.

“Ours is a small school and one in which we pride ourselves in concern for students and in our efforts to help them maximise their social and per- sonal qualities while under the care of the school,” he said.

‘“T would also like to recognise the very dedicated teaching and support staff who prided themselves in hav- ing a care and concern for students that extended far beyond the class- room door.

“T hoped that this continued to be the foundation on which the school’s success 1s based.”

IF TULLA’S explosive run to the county title taught the rest of the championship anything last year, it is that any side are currently capable of winning the Canon Hamilton. It wasn’t strength in numbers or pre- vious underage success that steered the east Clare side to victory, as they only used 18 players during the seven games and had only a minor cham- pionship in 2000 to show for their underage endeavours. No, ‘Tulla’s transformation was in attitude not personnel — a self-belief carved out by aruthless determination and stub- born unwillingness not to be beaten.

That criteria alone will inspire oth- er similar unfancied teams to organ- ise and develop with similar intent. Tulla were a Senior B side only the year before but due to the restructur- ing of the senior championship last year, the senior B sides were elevated to the top tier. The new format was so designed, that in time the so- called weaker sides would improve and develop by playing stronger op- position on a regular basis. Obvious- ly Tulla hadn’t read the script as they marauded their way to glory, leaving several notable casualties lying in their wake.

Tulla’s triumph was a huge blow to the traditionally strong sides who

now fear a similar uprising from the rest of the perceived underdogs. There have been grumblings that it was a reflection on how bad hurling in Clare had gone that Tulla were al- lowed to dominate but those acidic remarks only mask their own failings and inability to handle Tulla’s uncom- promising style. Crusheen, Clarecas- tle, and Newmarket-on-Fergus will all feel they left it behind them last year. A combination of complacency and lack of physical strength cost each of those sides dearly and Tulla deserved full credit for assessing the vunerability of the opposition and exploiting the gap which opened up in front of them.

The same predicament manisfests itself this year. With no outstanding team in the top tier, the champion- ship is wide open once again. The heirarchy at the top still remains the same with Newmarket, Clarecastle, Crusheen and Wolfe Tones standing out from the pack as favourites but unlike the English Premiership’s big four, they are by no means guaran- teed their status in those positions. After last year, Tulla and Sixmileb- ridge have significantly climbed the pecking order and the amalgamation of Inagh and Kilnamona also has the potential to provide another future superpower. Cratloe, Corofin and Kilmaley are knocking at the door as

well but there are only eight places available after the group stages and in that regard, the make-up of the draw this year was very significant.

Examining the evidence, Group | is a veritable lottery. Aside from Bal- lyea who are not as far advanced as the others, Tulla, Wolfe Tones, New- market and Inagh/Kilnamona are all capable of beating each other. Un- doubtedly this “Group of Death’ will go right down to the last fixtures in September with Newmarket to pos- sibly shade the group and the experi- ence of the Shannon side to ensure they advance with them.

Sixmilebridge appear to be a step above the others in Group 2 but it should be a scramble for the second spot with Cratloe or maybe even SoKeyimole nates

Despite their recent downward spi- ral of results, Clarecastle’s side are championship hardened and _ they should top Group 3 with Kilmaley to advance with them while the final group has only one alteration from last year with intermediate cham- pions Clonlara replacing Tulla. As the most prominent side, Crusheen should again claim the top spot and the rest will all be confident of claim- ing the coveted second spot. If this group existed last year, Scariff would be favourites but not anymore as they have really struggled to muster even

a glimmer of form this season. Clon- lara have the potential but their small squad will be severely hampered by the Leaving Cert and players go- ing abroad. It means Ogonnelloe or Smith O’Briens look most likely to make the step up, but their inconsist- ency should mean that they will have to be satisfied with just a quarter-fi- nal appearance.

Depending on the draw of course, Newmarket, Sixmilebridge, Clare- castle and Crusheen should all progress to the semi-final with per- haps the Blues and the Magpies to re- new old acquantances in what would be an intriguing decider. Going on early season form alone, Newmarket appear to have the slight edge over their neighbours but they have been favourites for a number of seasons now and only have a county final apearance in 2006 to show for all their efforts and potential. As last year demonstrated, early season form has little significance when it comes to the championship. Maybe this year, the form book should be consigned to the shredder. Pulling a name out of a hat is probably a bet- ter method of yielding the winning candidate.

ON SATURDAY evening just af- ter 6pm Clare GAA president, John Hanly, was sitting on the bench that lies near the Magpie pub in Clarecas- aloe

He hadn’t got his thumb out look- ing for a lift, but you knew he was waiting for a lift. It was destination Ruan – the only place to be for old hurlers on Saturday night.

They came from near and far – Hanly and Michael Slattery from Clarecastle, Whitegate’s Naoise Jordan, Bishop Willie Walsh, Cyril Lyons from Ruan, Pa Howard from over the road in Tubber, Tony Red- dan all the way from Tipperary.

All were there to honour one of

Clare and Ireland’s greatest ever hurlers – Jimmy Smyth. To be com- memorated at all is a signal honour, but its extra-special when that hon- our is conferred by your own.

That’s what Ruan GAA club did on Saturday evening, unveiling a plaque they commissioned noted sculptor Mike McTigue to craft in honour of Smyth, their greatest hurling son.

The piece of sculpture told the story – the Harty and All-Ireland Colleges successes, the eight Railway Cups, the Oireachtas, county champion- ships and much more.

No All-Ireland medal, but as All- Ireland winner Cyril Lyons and many other said on Saturday: “greatness is not judged by All-Ireland medal’.

Jimmy Smyth is one of the great-

est players to play the game – Christy Ring said so himself. He’s even had a stamp issued in his honour by An eye

The stamp of greatness was there when An Post was known the Posts and ‘Telegraphs.

THE decision by Aer Lingus to with- draw its Shannon/Heathrow service last summer continues to cause grave concern to businesses in the mid- west.

That’s according to the new presi- dent of the Shannon Chamber of GreysbeRCcMe EVIE ST DUKChMER, Zeemote

ployed at Avocent.

Avocent, which designs and manu- factures PC components, outsources work to Eastern Europe and its head- quarters is located in Alabama in the US. The company is linked to sever- al other countries including France, Hungary, Malysia and Singapore.

“Shannon Airport and the whole connectivity issues 1s very important

for Avocent. We are very dependent on customers coming in to us through Heathrow and are very dependent on connectivity to the US. It is critical for a company like us and we are only a medium-sized company,” said Mr Barrett.

He said that the united effort by a myriad of groups in the mid-west when it emerged that Aer Lingus was

to withdraw its Shannon/Heathrow service last August was encouraging. However Government didn’t listen. “Locally, everybody pulled togeth- er very well. Unfortunately we didn’t seem to have a desire on the part of the Government to act,” said Mr Bar- rett, who is a qualified accountant. “The one thing I learned from the Heathrow issue is that any one in-

dividual organisation working by itself 1s a lone voice. It is important for groups to work together, like the Connectivity Alliance, Shannon De- velopment and Clare County Council. They can come together and speak with a unified voice. That’s when we get far more attention. There is a significant worry about the pullout of Aer Lingus,” Mr Barrett said.

CLARE will play host to the All-Ire- land Currach Championships for the first time ever.

Kilbaha Curragh Club secretary, Eugene Costelloe, announced this week that the championship will be held in the picturesque west Clare village.

The event, will take place on July 12 and July 13 during the Loop Head Gathering Festival.

“It’s the first time ever (the compe- tition 1s to) be held in Clare and it has taken four years of hard work and a

lot of money to achieve this. Crews from Donegal, Aran Islands, Con- nemara, Clare, Kerry and Limerick will take part,” said Mr Costelloe.

“T look forward to two great days racing. I would like to thank the fes- tival committee for giving me the opportunity to hold the All-Ireland Championships in Kilbaha,” he said.

The people from Kilbaha are al- ready preparing for the prestigious event with local crews training for the competition.

The host village hopes to enter a crew in every category.

The tradition of currach racing has

received a new lease of life in the last number of years in west Clare.

Next Sunday, June 8, a currach re- gatta will be held in Kilrush, with another regatta in Carrigaholt the following week on Sunday, June 15.

This year the All-Ireland Champi- onship will be the highlight of the curragh racing year in Clare and fea- tures as part of the successful Loop Head Gathering Festival.

Inspired by the Scattering emigra- tion project, the Loop Head Gather- ing Festival 1s now doing the oppo- site, as it encourages former residents to return to their west Clare home-

land for a week of celebrations.

In its fifth year, the Loop Head fes- tival is a follow on from a smaller event; The weekend festival, Eannach an Clar, which was held on alternate years between Cross and Kilbaha.

Now both communities have joined forces with their peninsula col- leagues to hold the Loop Head festi- val, which is going from strength to strength.

This year’s festival will begin on Friday, July 11 with a céili.

The highlight of the festival this year will be the cultural parade and the currach racing.

MUSIC and food are the dominant themes of Glor’s new summer pro- eau beebetlen

In a departure, for a venue more commonly associated with music and the arts, a farmer’s market will open in Glor later this month.

Beginning on June 24, the mar- ket will be open for business from 10.30am to 2.30pm on the last Tues- day of each month for the remainder of the summer.

The farmer’s market is one of the new features announced in Glor’s new summer programme.

The other main development is the “Sounds of Programme” which will be held each Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening, over six succes- sive weeks. The programme starts on Thursday July 24 and over the sum- mer will feature many international, national and local acts.

Thursday evening is themed “All that Jazz’, and will also feature live comedy acts. Friday evenings are be- ing themed “An Enchanted Evening of Opera and Song”. Saturdays have a more traditional flavour with per- formances from some of the top names in Irish traditional music.

Clare ska band Skazz are among

the bands who feature during the six- week programme. This Clare band, formed in early 2006, had been play- ing under the name Doonbeg Swing & Jazz for several years.

Opera and song will be provided by Sandra Oman; Sinead O’ Sullivan, Peter O’Donoghue and Dean Power with Noel Lennon on Piano and Car- mel Griffin on Keyboard. There will also be special guests each week and some “Legends of Swing” specials, featuring the music of the “Brat Pack” era. Concerts will showcase old favourites, music from the mov- ies and popular classics.

Traditional acts to feature include,

Josephine Marsh, banjo player John Carty, Dermot Byrne, Brid Harper and John Joe Kelly of the high-en- ergy band Flook.

David Collopy, Acting Director, Glor, commented, “All of this high calibre entertainment will be pro- vided in a relaxed cabaret style. You can enjoy a glass of wine or a cof- fee and weather permitting our café chefs will cook up a culinary storm with an Al Fresco BBQ.

He continued, “Thankfully, the space at Glor is very flexible, so on the evenings when the gods don’t smile, we can move the dining expe- rience indoors”.

FOR dual clubs, it is always hard to get the balance right. How do you de- ploy resources to seriously compete in hurling and football, without one team harming the prospects of the other?

Clubs like Doora Barefield and Wolfe Tones have an obvious prefer- ence for hurling. In Eire Og, the split is more evenly proportioned. And O’Callaghan’s Mills? Hurling would probably win a majority, but, when you’re junior football team starts winning county titles and contest- ing Munster finals, it tilts the balance oy sateayy eel

The club’s chairman Joe Cooney, though, hopes that under new man- ager Pat Donnellan, the club’s hurlers can steal back some of the limelight.

“Pat Donnellan, is totally commit- ted to the hurling. He’d be hoping that they give more commitment to the hurling this year than the foot- ball, which in fairness to the last cou- ple of years they did give great com- mitment to the football. We achieved great things in the football and we’d be hoping now over the next year or two to try and turn around and achieve those things in the hurling as well.”

Cooney juggled the dual roles last year of chairman and manager when,

after a very promising start, the Mills failed to qualify from their group.

A win over Wolfe Tones was fol- lowed by a disappointing loss to Eire Og. The signs were encouraging ear- ly on against Sixmulebridge, but, the Mills waned and ended up ten-point losers.

The two months gap between the first and second rounds, Cooney believes, checked any momentum, gained from beating Wolfe Tones.

“The thing was, and I said it after the Wolfe Tones game, the big break wasn’t going to help us. When you have to wait ten weeks for your next match, it wasn’t going to help us and it didn’t help us. It was very hard to keep it going for the ten weeks. We were just flat against Eire Og, we weren’t up for it”.

Keeping interest and enthusiasm alive during the idle summer weeks, is an age old problem for club man- agers. The problem is keenly felt by rural clubs, battling against declin- ing population numbers.

“It’s definitely getting harder and even talking to other clubs around east Clare, they are finding it hard to keep training going. The numbers are not there. It’s getting tougher, year after year.”

Cooney readily accepts, that in a group that includes Kilmaley and Clarecastle, the Mills are up against

ie

But there are reasons for optimism. Patrick Donnellan has emerged as a hurler of county standard. Conor Cooney, Joe’s son and the middle brother of the three Cooney boys on the Mills team, started corner back on the Waterford IT team, that won the Fitzgibbon cup.

If they need any extra reason to be- lieve, the Mills need only have a chat with the neighbours.

“Without a doubt Tulla were an ex- ample to all clubs in East Clare, with what they achieved last year, without a doubt. There is great credit due to them. No one gave them a chance halfway through the championship, of not alone winning the champi- onship, but even getting out of the group. When Killaloe beat them in Scariff, everyone wrote them off. They are an example to every club in east Clare. My belief is this year’s championship will be very keenly contested, on account of what Tulla did last year. Other clubs are saying to themselves, if Tulla can do it, why can’t we do it”.

Role models within and around them. Time again for the Mills to walk the line.

THE outspoken co-founder of a ru- ral-rights group has told a high level Oireachtas committee that a root and branch review of An Bord Pleanala is needed.

Issuing a plea to the Oireachtas’s Environment Committee to overhaul An Bord Pleanala, Kilbaha-based, Jim Connolly said he didn’t know why Irish society had handed re- sponsibility for major decisions on everything from single houses to gas pipelines and motorways to a group of ten people who were not account- able to anybody.

Demanding that the membership of the board be more representative of Irish society and not top-heavy with planners, Mr Connolly said if planning appeals were decided by a specific and narrow group of profes- sionally trained persons – planners, in this case – it would be a case of planners looking at planners look- ing at planners all the way along the line.

“Such a system would not be in line with what was originally in- tended, regardless of how one views the role of planners. That is why we have suggested this matter be dealt with by means of a root and branch review of An Bord Pleanala which was established 30 years ago when Ireland was different. Everything has

changed since.”

“The standard of housing that ex- isted and still exists throughout ru- ral Ireland is small, cold, damp and substandard in every way. Therefore, people are entitled to modern hous- ing.

“They are new people who can’t get their mortgages. Their hearts are broken because they are being re- fused. From driving around Ireland, some people say they are shocked at houses painted in white, blue, green and so on.

“They should have driven around the country 30 years ago when there was nothing but dereliction and houses falling down.

“What a wonderful thing it is and it lifts my heart to see development in rural areas and to think people are being properly housed at long last in spite of the begrudgers. Our hearts go out to our young people who can- not build.

aU ec Nevevbercm betsy olelkOym sla Wle BLO) KC! Pleanala is on record as saying there should be no housing in the country- side. This statement has huge impli- cations not alone for any element of fair and impartial treatment for cases being appealed, but is also in direct conflict with Government policy.”

“It appears the board is an exten- sion of the Department of the En- vironment which gets whatever it wants,’ Mr Connolly concluded.

MULLAGH National School has maintained its French connection again this year, as its pupils con- tinue to learn French from a native speaker.

Taking over the role of ensuring these west Clare students have a third language is Monsieur Frederic Charrier.

Mullagh National School has been included in the Department of Edu- cation and Science Modern Lan- guage Initiative for the past number of years and, as part of this, French is taught to pupils in the school.

Last year Swedish born Hulda Schorling taught French to the pupils in Mullagh while she lived in rural west Clare, miles away from the busy streets of Paris where she studied.

School Principal Sean McMahon is

aware of the added dimension these young French-speaking teachers bring to the school.

‘The school has been fortunate this particular year to avail of an EU Lin- gua language initiative. This Europe- an community programme promotes teacher mobility throughout the EU as well as helping children learn the language of their fellow Europeans from a native speaker,’ he said.

Since September 2007 Monsieur Charrier has taken over the baton from Ms Schorling and has been teaching French to the pupuls.

He has also immersed himself in life in Mullagh and is enjoying the experience.

The young Frenchman has a partic- ular love for the traditional music so often heard in the area, as well as the rural landscape that surrounds him in his temporary new locale.

“The children and staff in return have welcomed Frederic into their school community and shared not only his native language but also French cuisine, games and litera- ture. They are, however, particularly proud of the recent Munster victory over French club Toulouse,’ said Mr McMahon.

Under the Department of Educa- tion and Science Modern Language Initiative, the progressive Mullagh National School is a pilot school for the teaching of French.

Pupils in Mullagh have embraced the opportunity to learn French, expanding not only their language skills but also their understanding and appreciation of other European GI TRE Kone

Arising from this project Mullagh National School has also got involved in a Leargas sponsored Comenius

Project facilitating international teaching through a Comenius Lan- guage Assistantship.

This is aimed at giving future teach- ers the opportunity to gain a better understanding of the European di- mension to teaching and learning, to enhance their knowledge of foreign languages, other European countries and their education systems and to improve their teaching skills.

It was in this capacity Ms Schorling taught in Mullagh.

A CHANCE to help out in one of Africa’s most troubled regions was enough to persuade Ennis woman Sarah Geraghty to spend her summer bem Ose: beler-m

On June 10, 23-year-old Sarah will catch a flight to Nairobi, Kenya be- fore boarding a bus without suspen- sion for a 17-hour trek to neighbour- ing Uganda.

Her destination is Gulu, in the northern part of the country. There, along with four other Irish voloun- teers, Sarah will work with staff from the Gulu Medical Research Centre, in one of the region’s many Internally Displaced Camps (IDC).

The camps are home to thousands

forced to leave their homes as a result of fighting between the Lords Resist- ance Army and the Ugandan govern- ment that has flared since 1986.

Sarah is currently in her third year studying Social Care in the Water- ford Institute of Technology.

Her duties in Gulu will involve counseling AIDS victims, helping at the clinic and distributing clothes and food.

Sarah is expecting a massive cul- ture shock when she gets to Africa.

‘A friend was over there a few years ago and that’s how I heard about it. She told me it’s going to be massive culture but a great experience. She told me it would take a while to get used to everything, the culture, the scenery the way people are treated”.

Doctors with the Gulu Medical Re- search Centre are conducting a study on sexual and gender-based violence in the IDCs. Sarah will contribute by helping to compile data.

She explained, “There is a lot of violence against women in the camps and there are a lot of reasons for this. There are no jobs; people just spend their days in these camps, bored and with nothing to do. Because they have no role men struggle to express their masculinity. It’s a vicious cycle. The doctors are hoping to find a link between the violence towards women and HIV, which is a problem particu- larly in that part of Africa”.

Tensions between the opposing fac- tions have eased though child abduc- tions remain a danger.

Sarah is both nervous and excited loyeltl mst swt Oy

“It’s exciting, I suppose, but it’s also nerve-wracking at the same time. I’ve been told that its one of those things that will really open my eyes. We have it very easy over here com- pared to the lives people have over there. It’s good to be able to go out help people.”

Before setting off Sarah will hold a fundraiser in the Barge Rooms, Ennis on Friday June 6. Tickets are €10 and are available from the Barge Rooms with plenty of music and food on the night.

“T’ve had great support, from my family and loads of others like Ken from Realprint. It should be a good night”’.