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IT WAS a busy week for young farm- ers organisation Macra who help their AGM in Carlow and elected a number of new national officers. The new Macra na Feirme national executive was elected at the National AGM in the Dolmen Hotel in Carlow last Saturday evening. Michael Gow- ing from Laois has been re-elected National Chairman, with Anita Meagher from Waterford being re- elected National Secretary and Dara Kavanagh from Wicklow taking up the role of National Treasurer.

The newly elected National Coun- cil for the 2008/2010 term was inau-

gurated at the AGM. Chairpersons and members of Macra’s three sub- committees – Agricultural Affairs; Rural Affairs and Member Services and Competitions – will be elected at the next national council meeting.

Speaking at the event, national president Catherine Buckley thanked the many sponsors and congratulated the organising committee in Carlow Macra for successfully coordinating the day’s proceedings.

Also during the meeting the young farmers organisation formally adopt- ed new Child Protection Guidelines and Procedures. The Macra presi- dent stated that she believes these guidelines and procedures are vital

as many of its clubs around Ireland host and organise a variety of events and initiatives in local communi- ties at which children are present. Furthermore, Macra membership is open to 17 year olds, and in the eyes of the law, such persons are deemed to be ‘children’.

In her keynote address at the Macra na Feirme AGM, Ms Buckley said that the organisation continues to be progressive and responsive to the needs of all its members. “We want to send out a clear message that Macra na Feirme 1s a caring and safe organisation for young people,” she Crate

‘We consider ourselves as the voice

of young farmers and a strong advo- cate for the benefit of rural youth. These guideline and _ procedures demonstrate to young people and society at large that Macra takes its responsibilities seriously, and wishes to safeguard its members.

‘“Macra prides itself on its ability to provide a broad range of activities for its members including agriculture, sport, travel, performing arts, public speaking and community involve- ment. Macra is a social outlet for all its members and now with these new child protection guidelines and procedures it provides an even safer, more secure, fun environment for all its members.”

CLARE golf clubs confirmed their quality yesterday when four of the county’s courses were chosen among Ireland’s top 100 courses.

The now established list was com- piled for the latest edition of Golf Digest Ireland and was chosen by a panel of experts.

Lahinch was deemed the leading Clare course and moved up the lad- der from eleventh position to eight due mainly to the growing impact of a major re-modelling by English golf-course architect, Martin Haw- Kron

Shannon Golf Club also received a confidence boost when it made the list for the first time, coming in at number 67. The other two golf courses in Clare to make the list were Doonbeg, which took the 29th spot, and Dromoland Castle, further lo: 1el tres) ROe

For a second-year running, the number one course was listed as

Royal County Down and Portmar- nock’s position of number two 1s also the same as last year.

Further down the order, however, there is some interesting movement in the top ten in which Ballybunion (Old) has climbed from fourth to third.

This means that Adare Manor goes down to number four, but it remains the top-ranked parkland course in the country, by a significant margin. The European Club remains fifth; Waterville remains sixth but the Co Louth links at Baltray has moved up one, to seventh place. Royal Portrush comes in at ninth with tenth place being awarded to the K Club Palmer Course, venue for the 2006 Ryder Cup.

“Movement is evident on this year’s list, due to a massive investment which has seen significant upgrading of a number of courses,’ explained Linton Walsh, managing director, Golf Digest Ireland. “After the pub- lication of last year’s list, the maga-

Zine contacted all of the courses on this island, requesting information on any work that was being under- taken. Replies were received from 53 of these clubs. A member of the panel or a PGA member inspected each of these courses and the im- provements were duly noted during voting on this year’s list.”

The top 100 were selected in groups of ten, which meant, that any course which went close to making the top ten, automatically came into consid- eration for the second ten, and so on down the list.

After a discussion on each group of courses, an individual, written vote was taken, with points being awarded to each course in order of preference, from 10 down to one. The counted votes then determined the order of preference.

CLARE’S bathing waters are bask- ing in the findings of the latest EU report into water quality.

Every single beach and bathing spot in the Banner county has been given a clean bill of health in the lat- est report from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Two beauty spots which lost their blue flags but regained them in 2006 – Mountshannon and Ballycuggera – were among the bathing places which got the highest accolade of “good quality”.

And despite Blue Flag problems in 2006 for Doonbeg due to coastal ero- sion, it’s waters also got top marks.

Councillor Pat Hayes (FF), who is on the county council’s area commit- tee for Mountshannon said he was “delighted to see that the water qual- ity is up to scratch. There has been much improvement in the quality of the water in Lough Derg in recent times and we need to keep working at that.”

The EPA’s Bathing Water Quality in Ireland Report 2007 lists 97 per cent of 131 bathing areas assessed nationally as being full compliance with European standards.

The score is one of the highest the country has enjoyed in the last 10 years. In previous years Ireland had scored between 79 per cent and 92 per cent compliance.

In Clare, 100 per cent of bathing waters assessed complied with EU minimum standards including all the

top summer holiday spots such as Ballyallia Lake at Ennis, Ballycug- geran, Bishopsquarter, Cappagh Pier at Kilrush, Fanore, Kilkee, Lahinch, Mountshannon, Spanish Point, White Strand at Doonbeg and White Strand at Miltown Malbay.

All bar one of the bathing spots got the top mark of “good quality” and Ballyallia met the “acceptable qual- ity” grading, which is second from the top.

Just four beaches nationwide failed to make the cut. Balbriggan in Dub- lin, Youghal in Cork, Clifden and Na

Forbacha in Galway were all graded as being of “insufficient quality”.

A total of 15 beaches were down- eraded from being of good quality to being acceptable quality.

EPA programme manager Dr Michael Lehane said that while the “overall level of bathing water quality remains good, the EPA is concerned that a small number of bathing areas are consistently failing to meet the mandatory minimum standards”.

A 17-YEAR-OLD WHO broke into a house and school in Shannon whilst on a cocktail of drugs and alcohol has been handed a six-month deten- tion term. However, the boy will not serve time if he is found suitable for community service.

The boy pleaded guilty to several charges, including burglary, theft and criminal damage, in Shannon.

He admitted criminal damage and theft at St John’s national school and damaging a glass window of a house at Drumgeely Hill, on December 22 last.

He also pleaded guilty to stealing a jumper from a woman’s clothes line, on January 2 last.

Garda David Laing told the court that a number of burglaries were car- ried out in the Drumgeely area of Shannon on December 22.

The first of these was St John’s School, where the accused broke a window at the back and entered the building with another youth. A class- room was ransacked, items were thrown across the floor but nothing was taken.

The boy then went to a house at Drumgeely Hill, along with three others. A hatchet was used to break

a garden shed door.

The accused then moved to another house at Drumgeely Hill, where a hatchet was used to break glass. A lamp, goldfish bowl and plasma tel- evision were taken.

He was disturbed by the occupants, after they arrived home from a shop- ping trip. In that house, he stole a one dollar bill from the Central Bank in Trinidad and Tobago and a small dagger. He was later arrested and gardai found the one dollar bill and dagger on his property.

“The day he committed the bur- glaries he was under the influence of drink, possibly drugs,’ said the

garda.

Three other juveniles who were in- volved with him that afternoon were dealt with under the juvenile liaison programme, which deals with young offenders by cautioning them.

Defending solicitor Caitriona Car- mody said her client had a “dysfunc- tional” upbringing.

“He was drinking on the night of the break-in to the school and house. He was on a cocktail of drugs and al- cohol. His life was a mess. He took the jumper to wear,’ she said.

A social worker with the Health Service Executive, who has worked with the boy, said he was “a polite and

well-mannered young man. He wants to make something of his life.”

The boy told the court he started taking ecstacy when he was about 15 years of age. Initially he did not take the drug regularly, but he did “get more into it” as time progressed.

Judge Joseph Mangan imposed a six-month detention sentence in St Patrick’s Institution, but said he would substitute it with 240 hours community service, if the boy is suit- able for it.

He said he wants the boy to be screened for drugs and wants to see compensation addressed. He ad- journed the case until next month.

WITH the arrival of Summer, the Burren is set to come alive this month with a host of flora and fauna coming into season.

To celebrate this re-awakening, the Annual Burren in Bloom Festi- val will take place throughout the month of May with a range of events designed to help people fully enjoy iW Ntomrs Baste

“The original festival was started about three years ago as a way of try- ing to increase tourism and try and keep people in the village of Bally- vaughan and make their stay more

pleasurable. The obvious option was to give people information about what is going on at a time of the year when it is really coming into bloom,” said organiser Jim McCarthy.

One if the central elements of the Burren in Bloom is a series of il- lustrated talks by leading botanists and environmentalists at the Burren College of Art. Contributors include George Sevastopulo, Paul Clements, Susan Sex, David Lyons, Tony Kirby, Mary Angela Keane, Bill McNamara and Brendan Dunford.

““Tt’s really to help show people what the Burren has to offer and the rich- ness of the Burren. It’s all about the

different walk and the different illus- trated talks – it’s about giving people a key to unlock the unique place that the Burren 1s,” said Pauline Burke of Burren in Bloom.

“Tt’s really an event for the locals and for the tourists. The communi- ty really comes together to make it work. All the lectures and talks are voluntary – there are a few things that we have to charge for, but we try to keep it down to a minimum where ever possible.”

Wilms clUomusemebOMs oy lole snmp Mme)ececTIN Kier! by the Ballyvaughan Development Group and has been growing solidly since it was first staged four years

ago. One of the highlights of the fes- tival each year has been the Dawn Chorus Walk led by Jim McCarthy.

“We all meet up here outside the supermarket at 5.l5am and have some coffee and fresh croissants be- fore we head off. We go from here out to Lough Rask, which is about a mile and a half outside the village. It’s a leisurely walk. The birds out there are fantastic. It takes about two hours in total and then we come back to the Hyland’s Hotel and have a champagne breakfast.”

For more on Burren in Bloom con- tact 065 7077464 or check out www. ballyvaughanireland.com

TWO Clare fundraisers have set themselves a target of €5,000 for St Luke’s Hospital, Dublin, in the Reeks Challenge.

The reeks are those famous McGil- lycuddy mountains in Kerry and the challenge is to climb four of them on Sunday, May 25, a most appropriate choice of date since it’s the feast of Corpus Christi (Body of Christ).

The latest examples of great Clare tradition of volunteerism are Jim McMahon of Ennis and Kerry na- tive, Chris Whittencome who now lives in Tulla.

Jim told the attendance at a func- tion to launch the fundraising in the Ennis Adult and Community Educa- tion Centre, Clonroad Business Park, that he was motivated dually: by the death of his father, Brendan (Lahi- nch Road), from cancer a year ago, and his own brush with a form of the disease in his early 20s.

Wheels Within Wheels Motorbike Project was the catalyst for the Ennis event, presenting a Bike Night of in- formation on building bikes, racing,

grasstrack racing, motocross and the like, all inspired and got together by another McMahon, Jacko from Mar- ian Avenue, Ennis, himself a formi- dable fundraiser for various causes.

Enthusiastically hosting the occa- sion was the Education Officer of Clare Vocational Education Com- mittee, Dr Sean Conlan (latterly the head of Clare Adult and Com- munity Education Service) and a dedicated biker for 30 years when a priest friend gave him a motorcycle that would take him to Dublin and Maynooth for his initial third-level lectures.

There too to lend their support to the Reeks Climb campaign were the chairman of Clare Vocational Education Committee, Cllr. Tommy Brennan, along with fellow Town Cllr Johnny Flynn and County Cllr Pat Daly, something that was deeply appreciated by the St Luke’s cam- paigners.

THE funeral will take place later to- day of author and journalist Nuala O Faolain (68), who died in Blackrock Hospice on Friday after a short battle with cancer.

Ms O Faolain, who lived in Bartra – just outside Lahinch, passed away almost three months to the day since she was first diagnosed with termi- nal cancer at a New York hospital on oe)ale- va arer

Journalist Nell McCafferty, who lived with Ms O Faolain in Bartra for a number of years, said that she was “proud” of her former partner and commended the way that she used her final days.

“I took pleasure and pride that the woman I knew, though she was afraid and very ill, she used what remained of her life with panache, style and exquisite good taste in her travels,’ she said.

“The culture of dying has changed, Nuala has changed that and the cul- ture of loving has changed.”

Instead of using chemotherapy to

extend her life, O Faolain decided to used the time to travel. In the last two months she visited Paris, made a trip to see art works in Madrid and took in the Berlin Opera.

Indeed, on the Sunday before her death, she had returned from her travels to Sicily with her sisters and a number of close friends.

A large crowd is expected to turn out for the funeral mass which will take place at the Church of the Visi- tation in Dublin at noon tomorrow. Removal will take place afterwards to Glasnevin crematorium.

Ms O Faolain is survived by five sisters, one brother, her partner John Low-Beer, and a wide circle of friends.

Born in Dublin in 1942, she was educated at UCD, the University of Hull and Oxford University. She gain ed international notoriety in 1996 with her controversial first memoir Are You Somebody’?

THE owner of land on which 450 trees were uprooted did not realise her responsibility for the trees, a court has been told.

Sarah McInerney (36), of Clohan- more, Cree, appeared before En- nistymon District Court, arising out of an inspection a year-and-half ago.

A forester with the Department of Agriculture and Food, Inspector Kevin Keary told Ennistymon Dis- trict Court that he had inspected a 0.9 hectare site on October 13, 2006.

He said that the site had been plant- ed in 1994 and a significant quantity of trees had been uprooted.

“It was impossible to count them without the aid of a JCB,” he said.

The court was told that an agree- ment was reached that the amount of trees was 450.

Defending solicitor Michael Ryan said his client had gone to her solici- tor when she was purchasing the land and there had been a “miscommuni- cation.”

Mr Kevin Keary accepted that Ms McInerney had no knowledge of any

legal obligations regarding those aKoxe

Mr Ryan said that “a portion of the trees had already been cut down when she purchased.”

He said his client, an Irish-Amert- can, moved to Ireland in 2003 and bought the property the following year.

“She never wanted the trees. She

felt as she wasn’t getting a grant, she had no responsibility for the trees. It wasn’t malicious. It was a genuine mistake,” he said.

He said that the department will be re-issuing a replanting order. His cli- ent would face the expense of this, along with clearing the area.

Judge Joseph Mangan fined her ol Op

THEY say that time waits for no-one. In Lisdoonvarna later this month however, time will gladly take a little rest and wait for a nice bite to eat.

After a gap of three years, the Bur- ren Slow Food Festival returns to north Clare from May 23 to 25. The three day festival will promote all that’s best about local produce and natural ingredients and all that is good about eating.

“Slow Food is all about local pro- duce. It’s about good food and pro- ducing food with heart that’s fresh and sourced locally. It’s about the way the chef puts all his heart into

producing something great for some- one else to eat. It’s about the way we eat it – about making time to sit down around the table and have a meal to- gether,” said festival organiser Bir- gitta Hedin-Curtin.

“Slow food is the total opposite of fast food. It started in Italy in 1986 when the first McDonald’s came into Rome.

“There was a movement to protect the traditional food culture and that has spread all over the world.

“We need to start educating chil- dren about what good food is. To look at what they have in their lunch- box and what they eat when they come home.”

The festival, sponsored by Shannon Development and Flo Gas, will be officially opened in the Lisdoonvar- na Town Hall before an evening of Slow Food will be hosted at local ea- teries including Sheedys, Cullinans, the Roadford House, Ballinalacken Castle and Gregan’s Castle.

Some highlights of Saturday in- clude a cookery demonstration from celebrity chefs Clodagh McKenna and Aidan McGrath of Doonbeg Golf Club, a presentation from John McKenna of the Bridgestone Guide, talks from local producers including Siobhan Garvey from St Tola’s goats cheese and a gala dinner in the new Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre.

On Sunday local guides Shane Connoly and Mary Howard will lead a walk through the Burren. The walk will end up at Gregan’s Castle for a slow food lunch featuring dishes in- cluding local honey.

“It’s going to be very pack week- end,’ continued Birgitta.

“The festival will finish on Sunday night in the town hall with Supper Theatre. It’s a three act play – the au- dience will watch an act, then have some slow food, and then back to the theatre.”

For more details or to book tickets contact the Burren Smoke House at 065 7074432 or check out www. slowfoodireland.ie

last week com- plaining that anti-social behaviour, and joyriding in particular, is forcing the early closure of Dromore Woods and Nature Reserve.

These claims have been refuted by a local NPWS spokeswoman, who did reveal that a number of cars have been broken into at the woods in re- cent times and that it had been used as a “racetrack” for joyriders in the past.

‘There has been some cars broken into out in the park but that is not the

reason that it is being closed at 7pm. The gates are closed at 7pm because they close the gates in Coole Park at 7pm. The decision was made so as to make the two parks uniform,” said Emma Glandville of the NPWS.

‘In the summer we close the gates at 7pm and in the winter we close them at 5pm. That’s the way it’s al- ways been.

“There are two people who’s job it is to take down those barriers and it would not be fair on them to have them going out later in the evening.

“There was a problem with joyrid- ing in the past but we put ramps in and that put paid to that. We have had young people going in and using it as a racetrack.”

Ms Glandville also confirmed that decisions on the opening hours of Dromore Park was not taken locally.

However, a national spokesman for

the NPWS declined to comment on the matter and also refused to con- firm that the NPWS had any role to play regarding the administration of Dromore Woods.

This is not the first time that the issue of antisocial behaviour have emerged in relation to Dromore Woods.

The matter was previously raised in a Dail debate by current Minister for State at the Department of Agricul- ture, Trevor Sargent (GP).

Responding to these allegations, the then Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, former Clare TD Sile de Valera, confirmed that the woods had suffered “continuous and unac- ceptable incidences of vandalism’.

She also confirmed that, at that time, the woods stayed open until 9.30pm in the summer and 7.30pm in the winter.