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AN EAST Clare woman who was a passenger in a stolen car was “in the wrong place at the wrong time,’ a court has heard.

Carmel O’Donnell (23), of Curra- kyle, Caher, was charged arising out of an incident on February 28 last.

Inspector John Galvin told Ennis District Court that a car was spotted driving through Ennis with no reg- istration plates.

He said it was travelling at high speed and it turned out that the car

had been stolen. “The accused was a passenger in the car,” he said.

Defending solicitor John Casey said his client was collected at her home and was driven in to Ennis. He said that after a chase began, the accused begged with the others to stop and said she co-operated fully elses NuOr ne

“She has distanced herself entirely from the other three involved. At the time she was hanging around with people who wouldn’t have led her down a correct path.

“She knows nothing about the situ-

ation of the other three parties in- volved. A criminal conviction will pose difficulties for her,” he said.

Inspector Galvin agreed that the accused was very co-operative and said she has no previous convic- tions.

He said it appeared she was “in the wrong place at the wrong time and took the wrong option.”

Judge Joseph Mangan ordered the defendant to pay €100 to the court poor box and dismissed the charge under the Probation of Offenders Xam

THE GRANDMOTHER of a fam- ily which has been pleading to be allowed take up residence in a Clare Traveller accommodation scheme is in intensive care today after taking ill in her caravan.

The woman – who is in her 50s – her husband, two sons and her son’s wife and seven children have been asking to be allowed move into some of the 14 free units in the Traveller accommodation in Quin.

But in a letter in answer to the accomodation application, Clare County Council refused to cater for the family in the Quin facility “in accordance with the Traveller Accomodation Programme.”

Heather Rosen, a Traveller advo- cate and friend of the family who has been campaigning on their behalf said, “The position now is that this lady, who suffers from Epilepsy, Asthma and Vasculitis has had seizures in her caravan and has had to be brought into in- tensive care,’ Heather said.

The family – who have asked not to be named for fear that it might hamper them further in finding privately rented accommodation – have been repeatedly moved on in their caravans from various areas along the by-pass.

“When they were on the bypass they knew where they were and they could tell the emergency serv-

ices how to get to them. But they had been moved off it again on Saturday night and they were on a small road and couldn’t describe to the emergency services how to get to them when she took ill.

“They could only stay with her until the seizures had passed and then brought her to Ennis Accident and Emergency on Sunday morn- ing, where she is now.”

Ms Rosen said that the family had been given the go-ahead for rent allowance if they could find private accommodation.

“She found a house and after meeting the landlord, he agreed to let it to them last week. But the day afterwards he rang to say he had let it to someone else.

“It’s very, very difficult for Trav- eller families to find private rent- ed accommodation even when they have the allowance.

Heather described the collection of woes for the Traveller family as “a litany of despair. This woman desperately needs housing that is warm, dry and has proper sanita- tion.”

“She is a very ill woman. Even her medications are damp in the caravan. The wind howls through the skylight.”

Heather said the family have written to the council seeking clarification of the original letter.

There was no-one contactable in Clare County Council to comment on the matter last night.

A MAN made phone calls of a sex- ual nature to a woman in the wake of a relationship breakdown, a court heard yesterday.

Floriano De Faricus (23), of Fer- gus Park, Ennis, pleaded guilty to sending a message or other matter which was grossly offensive or of an indecent, obscene or menacing character by means of the telecom- munications system, between Feb- ruary 13 and 27 last.

Inspector Michael Gallagher told Ennis District Court that a woman complained to gardai that she was receiving regular phone calls of a sexual nature from an unknown number.

He said there were five phone calls in total, over a period of a month. After gardai were alerted, an inves- tigation was set up and the defend- ant was traced and subsequently charged.

“I think it was something to do with a relationship,’ said Inspector GPU ET aoe

Defending solicitor Tara Godfrey

said the recipient of the phone calls had been in a relationship with the accused’s brother-in-law.

“That relationship had ended. My client was concerned by the attitude adopted by the recipient of the phone calls, to his brother-in-law. It had created terrible upset,’ she said.

‘He, in very poor judgment, made telephone calls to this lady. He was acting out of concern for his wife and her family. He had no right to make those phone calls and he ac- cepts that,’ she added.

“He acted out of extreme emo- tional strain of he and his family,” SI NTomT BOR

Ms Godfrey said her client has lived in Ireland for the past two years “without having committed any offence”.

Judge Eamon O’Brien ordered the accused to pay ©200 to the court poor box and said if this is done the matter will be struck out.

‘The State can re-enter it if there are any other problems,” he said.

THE Citizens Information Service will hold An Information Session on the Nursing Homes Support Scheme Act, 2009, also ‘known as Fair Deal Scheme’ on Tuesday, December 15, in the Temple Gate Hotel, Ennis, at ro) NOE

The session will be presented by Marie Keane, Partner with John Callinan & Co Solicitors who has extensive experience in the area of Family Law and the emerging area of Mental Health Law She is a mem- ber of the Family Law Civil & Legal Aid Committee of the Law Society of Ireland and has contributed to a number of reports and publications undertaken by the Committee

The Nursing Homes _ Support Scheme, A Fair Deal, began on the 2/th October 2009.

From that date onwards, people may apply to the HSE for the new scheme.

The Nursing Homes Support Scheme is the single funded means of accessing long-term nursing home care for new entrants.

“We have been receiving a lot of queries fron the public and I’m urg- ing those wishing to avail of the financial support towards nursing home costs under A Fair Deal to familiarise themselves with the ap-

plication process so as to be ready to apply to the HSE,” added Paul Woulfe Manager with the Citizens Information Service

The Nursing Homes _ Support Scheme will equalise State support for public and private long-term care recipients.

It will ensure that there 1s one, trans- parent system of support towards the cost of care that will be fair to all, irrespective of whether they are in public, private or voluntary nursing homes.

It also aims to render long-term

care affordable and anxiety-free, and ensure that no-one has to sell their home during their lifetime to pay for their care.

Finally, the Fair Deal will replace the existing Nursing Home Subven- tion Scheme. However, it is impor- tant to note that individuals already in receipt of subvention may retain their existing arrangements or may opt to transfer to the new scheme if they so wish.

For further information you can con contact The Citizens Informatio Centre in Ennis at 065 6841221.

A COURT HAS heard allegations that a gate was thrown at a woman as part of an ongoing dispute in north ETc

Arising out of an alleged incident, Joe Scales, of Callura, Ennistymon, is accused of assaulting Anne Ma- digan causing her harm at Callura West, Ennistymon, on May 14 last.

Solicitor Jim Finnegan, represent- ing Mr Scales, told Ennistymon District Court that the case would be defended.

Superintendent Declan Mulcahy

told the court it would be alleged that gardai went to Callura West as a re- sult of a call.

He said they met the husband and a son of Mrs Madigan. He said it was alleged that the accused threw a gate at Mrs Madigan.

Supt Mulcahy said Mrs Madigan sustained injuries and was taken to hospital.

The Supt explained that this was part of an “ongoing dispute.”

Judge Joseph Mangan accepted ju- risdiction of the case in the district court. The case was adjourned until early in 2010.

THERE was great excitement in Tulla this week, as the community council took delivery of not one, but four life saving machines.

The four defibrillators were do- nated to the people of Tulla by John and Brid Littleton and will be placed at the strategic locations in the town. The first will be placed outside

Vaughan’s shop in the middle of town, the others will be placed at the GAA pitch, the soccer pitch and the last one will be placed at the primary School.

Training took place over the last month and the Red Cross were hap- pily surprised when more than 50 people turned up for training. The group was so large that it had to be split up into two for different train-

ing sessions.

The campaign to secure the vital machines and to train local people in their use produced an amazing response, said Jim O’Sullivan Chair- man of the Tulla Community Coun- ote

“It was a very generous gift to give to the people of Tulla but hopefully something that we will never have to use. And we had great interest from

local people in being trained to use the machines. There were four dif- ferent groups at the training so now there are people trained from the soc- cer club and the GAA club, teachers from the primary school and a group of people from the community.”

Tulla is one of many communities across Clare where defibrillators have been provided locally.

The move towards having the life-

saving equipment available has, in many cases, been prompted by fear- ful statistics which show that 6,000 people a year die from sudden car- diac death in Ireland. Two per week will be under the age of thirty five. The defibrillator provides a vi- tal link in the chain of survival as speedy combination of CPR and the defibrillator can often restore life which would otherwise be lost.

THE owners of businesses which were damaged during an incident in Ballyvaughan earlier this year have been fully compensated.

The businesses bore the brunt after a row involving a group of youths and a number of visiting American students in June.

Several premises were damaged in what locals described as a “mindless attack”.

At the time, concern was expressed that gardai were not available to pa- trol the area that night.

However, gardai did launch an investigation into the events and a garda source confirmed to

SHIOFRA Keogh aged 14 from Ar- dnacrusha has beaten off creative competition to be announced Octo- ber’s secondary school finalist in the Boyne Valley Book of Kells National Art Competition.

Shiofra produced a bespoke work of art based on the brief of using inspi- ration from either the Book of Kells itself, the monks who wrote and 1I- lustrated it, or life in the 9th century.

Malachy McCloskey, founder and chairman of the Boyne Valley Honey

Company and judge commented: “Shiofra’s creation really stood out from the crowd due to its level of fin- ish, use of colour and overall inter- pretation of the brief.”

Shiofra’s school Laurel Hill in Limerick now goes forward to the final, held in March 2010, and is in with a chance to win a Fine Art Facsimile copy of the Book of Kells worth €20,000.

Over the Christmas period Boyne Valley Honey is encouraging fami- lies to take advantage of the time off, and get the creative juices flowing by

entering – there are still four chances left with finalists being announced each month from now until March 2010.

Three Fine Art Facsimiles of The Book of Kells worth €20,000 each will be presented to the primary and secondary winning schools and to the individual from the third level and adult category, with runners up receiving cash prizes of €100, €250 Ane OOO OF

Miriam O’Callaghan who helped to launch the competition in September commented: “It’s a great initiative. The judges are looking for creativity, individuality and real pride in work. The Book of Kells is a national, vis- ual treasure, SO we expect exciting works of art to be created!”

Judges include; Malachy McClos- key, founder and chairman of the Boyne Valley Honey Company; Des Egan, renowned poet; Robin Adams, College Librarian and Archivist, Trinity College; Edward McPart- land, Fellow Emeritus, History of Art, Trinity College.

The culmination of the competition will be an exhibition of winning en- tries, with winners being presented their prizes by Miriam O’Callaghan.

See | www.boynevalleyhoneyart. com for further details / to enter or check us out on Facebook / Bebo.

Local wisdom can reduce flood risk

A STUDENT of St Anne’s Com- munity College, Killaloe, was one of the ten highest achievers in this year’s Junior Certificate engineering examination.

Christopher Balfe of Clonfada, Killaloe, brought the honour to the East Clare academy. He is son of Anne and Brendan Balfe and now in fourth year.

He has received a special certifi- cate from the Engineering Teachers Association of Ireland in recognition of an outstanding performance.

The presentation was made in Lim- erick Institute of Technology at a cer- emony attended by his family, John Fitzgibbon, principal of St. Anne’s, and Raymond Murray, teacher.

Christopher (left) is a keen sport- sperson and is a member of Smith O’Brien’s hurling teams.