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LITTLE boffins saw theory put to the test last week, when a stunt pi- lot drew gasps from the pupils as he turned barrel loops over the school.

The aeronautical display was to show the youngsters of fourth class, who have been doing a project on the Forces of Flight, just what can be Ley stor

Former RAF pilot and aerobatic display pilot, Gerry Humphries, took

to the skies after being approached by the school to give the youngsters a practical demonstration.

All 260 pupils gathered in the school yard on Thursday morning to see the death-defying stunts.

Fourth class teacher, Cathal Crowe said the pupils were “amazed. He per- formed loops, did barrel rolls, stalls and did a dive towards the school. The children were delighted”.

Earlier in the year, the class had visits from pilot, Jane Magill, and

aeronautical engineer, Eddie Ryan, who both talked to the youngsters about their careers in the aviation industry.

The school is reaching for an Ex- cellence in Science award for the third year running and the display went ahead in tandem with the Par- teen National School Green Schools Action Day.

Organised by the school’s Green Schools co-ordinator, Aisling Carey and discover science co-ordina-

tor, Fidelma Coughlan, the day was one on which youngsters displayed projects they have been working on and their knowledge about important environmental matters.

COMMUNITY interest = groups across Clare are being invited to have their say on the drafting of a new heritage strategy for the county.

Clare County Council, in conjunc- tion with its partners, is currently developing the second Heritage Plan for County Clare covering the period 2009-2013.

The Clare Heritage Office will for- mally launch the public consultation process at a major heritage confer-

ence next Thursday and Friday at the Templegate Hotel in Ennis.

The event will feature presentations on such issues as funding, commu- nity heritage, built heritage, natural heritage, networking and communi- cation, and the effectiveness of the Clare Heritage Plan since its intro- duction in 2003.

“It is imperative that the new herit- age plan reflects the needs and views of all of the people of County Clare,” said Bernadette Kinsella, Director of Services, Economic Development

and Planning, Clare County Coun- oF

“It 1s important that we are made aware of ideas, comments and con- cerns relating to networking and communication, opportunities for funding, the needs of communities and individuals to carry out a local heritage project, best practice guide- lines, access to heritage sites and ad- vice on built and natural heritage.”

Ms Kinsella added that the upcom- ing conference would provide com- munity interest groups with the ideal

opportunity to learn more about the new heritage plan, as well as a range of other heritage-related topics and TEStS1 Ueae

The event will include addresses by Junior Environment and Energy Minister, Tony Killeen and John Gittins of the Cheshire Landscape Trust, along with representatives of various community organisations from across Clare.

“We have built up a considerable network of community contacts since 2003 and we will be consulting with

all of these people in relation to the formation of the new heritage plan.

“The conference presents a tremen- dous opportunity for members of the general public to have their say on the formation of the plan,” said Con- gella McGuire, Heritage Officer with Clare County Council.

Information is available from the Heritage Section of Clare County Council at 065-6821616, heritage @clarecoco.ie or www.clare- coco.ie. The closing date for submis- sions is Friday, June 16 at Spm.

THE Irish League of Credit Unions Ce) COKSBLecwe-DeDOLet-N excselosecD mae lcrolnb Orem aleydl weekend in the University Concert Hall in Limerick.

Over 1,500 delegates and other members will gather for the two day meeting at which they will review progress of the credit union move- ment in Ireland to date and plan for future developments.

Membership of Ireland’s 521 credit unions stands at 2.9 million peo- ple with savings of €13.4 billion. The Limerick/Clare chapter of 31

different credit unions comprises 177,244 members with savings of over €704.35 million and loans of €344.25 million.

“Having successfully agreed new lending limits for credit unions with Minister for Finance, Brian Cowen, we can now offer larger loans over longer periods to our members. So we are facing the future with even greater confidence and making plans for even better service for our mem- bers,” said Uel Adair, President of the Irish League of Credit Unions.

“With exciting new services and products in the pipeline, credit un-

ions are looking forward to even greater Success aS a movement than we ve enjoyed so far. Ordinary peo- ple can now get the money they need to help them properly plan their own and their family’s lives.”

Delegates will also be able to see and discuss the latest support and management services available to credit unions at a special exhibi- tion running in conjunction with the AGM.

The first credit unions in Clare, Sts Peter and Paul’s Credit Union in Clarecastle and St Francis Credit Union in Ennis, were established in

July 1966. Around the same time, the first and, so far, only industrial credit union in Clare was formed by employees of the Shannon Free Air- port Development Co. Ltd.

Since its earliest days, the Limer- ick/Clare chapter has played a sig- nificant role in credit union develop- ments. It has been represented on the board of the Irish League of Credit Unions since 1964 by Fred Fennessy, Kit McDonald, Frank Canny and Tony Cullinan. Mr Canny served as president of the league between 1985 and 1987 and Mr Cullinan between 1995 and 1996.

THE Minister for Agriculture, Mary Coughlan has called for realism to prevail in the upcoming WTO talks.

Speaking in Luxembourg at the Council of Agriculture Munisters meeting last week, Minister Cough- lan said that while Ireland, like most member states is committed to the WTO multilateral trading system, the European Union should not be bounced into concluding a deal which is unbalanced and does not respect the important role of agri- culture within the EU or the changed circumstances which prevail in re- lation to global food shortages and food security.

“We need to inject some realism into the discussions. We cannot al- low European agriculture to be sac- rificed for the sake of an unbalanced deal,’ she said.

Outlining the changed circum- stances in relation to food scarcity and food security the minister said that mounting concerns in Europe and the world on these issues makes the CAP more important than ever.

Coughlan went on to say the EU must safe-guard its production base so that it can meet the future demand of its population for food, feed and bioenergy.

“Ireland is committed to working closely with our partner Govern- ments, multi-lateral agencies and hu-

manitarian organisations to develop effective mechanisms and supports that proactively prevent persistent food shortages becoming famines in parallel to longer-term development programmes,’ she said.

Coughlan met with a number of her ministerial colleagues and counter- parts including the French Miuinis- ter for Agriculture, Michel Barnier on the margins of the meeting and she expressed satisfaction with the strong line which many of her col- leagues are taking in search of a bal- anced WTO deal which respects the important role which EU agriculture plays in the production of safe food to the highest standards, respecting animal health and welfare as well as

environmental concerns.

Meanwhile, Macra na Feirme na- tional president Catherine Buckley called on young farmers across the country to support actions taken against the WTO.

Buckley said the impact of the lat- est paper on the WTO negotiations would be a ‘Worst Trade Outcome’ for young farmers and it would dev- astate the agriculture industry.

“The future of agriculture in this country 1S very much dependent on the outcome of the upcoming WTO negotiations and EU Trade Commis- sioner Mandelson is determined to dismantle and destroy the agricul- tural industry for young farmers,” she added.

JUNIOR minister Tony Killeen has OED AoxO MO OToM(O)0 GOs DITMUDNLOlorU RAN. ConmEN the mid-west to promote the use of renewable energy technologies.

Speaking following his visit to the annual Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) Energy Show, Minister Kil- leen said that the region had played a leading role in the growth of the country’s thriving sustainable energy orca

“Householders, business owners and local authorities across the mid- west have, in many respects, set an example for other regions to follow in relation to embracing the potential of renewable energy technologies,” he said.

“All we need do is look at the work of the Limerick Clare Energy Agency and the Tipperary Energy Agency, which are supported by the mid-west’s local authorities, to real- ise how important it is for the region to embrace the potential of renew- able energy.

“Renewable Energy Skills Skill- net has also played a pivotal role by upskilling and certifying renewable

energy installers, which has boosted consumer confidence in the standard of installations being provided,” he Sr BKOE

“The Energy Show is by now well established as Ireland’s biggest an- nual showcase for the sustainable energy sector.

‘Anyone who walks around the ex- hibition hall will get a sense of the enormous growth and vibrancy in the sector.”

The minister said that the mid-west would again highlight the region’s considerable role in promoting sus- tainable energy when the County Clare Wood Energy Project hosts a national seminar and open day next Neto

He pointed towards a recent Gov- ernment study showing that it was feasible for Ireland to generate 42 per cent of its electricity supply from renewable resources by 2020.

‘Meeting the wider target of achiev- ing 16 per cent of our overall energy needs from renewable energy sourc- es will require significant investment from both the Government and the private sector,’ concluded Minister OU one

THE men behind some of Ennis’ most enduring landmarks will be re- membered at a special ceremony in Dublin next week.

Labour leaders from the first En- nis guilds in 1701 to the present day will be honoured in Connolly House, Dublin on May I.

The event will be attended by members of the Congress Informa- tion and Opportunity Centre, Ennis, Minster of State Tony Killeen, Presi- dent of the Irish National Teachers Organisation, Declan Kelleher and Vice President of the Teachers Union of Ireland, Don Ryan.

In all six prominent figures from the labour movement in Clare will

be remembered.

SU ilar Deomm AUD eE-DesmmeyeeulssMmO MW ayuloF| (1803-1864); = Michael §Consid- ine (1814-1884); William O’Brien (1881-1884); Michael McNamara (1863-1947); Patrick J McNamara (1890-1967) and Patrick Hogan (1886-1969).

As chairman of the congregated trades of Ennis, Michael Considine organised the erection of the Daniel O’Connell monument in Ennis in 1867 and the Manchester Martyrs Memorial in 1881.

William Smith O’Brien was a founding patron of the Ennis Me- chanics Institute in 1829 beside Springfield house.

That building later became the Clare Unemployment Resource Cen-

tre (1991-1995) and later the Con- eress Information and Opportunity Centre (1995-2008).

The mechanics institute encour- aged scientific and technical educa- tion to advance industry. William Smith O’Brien served as an MP for Ennis from 1826-1831.

William O’Brien was the son of James Connolly, who established the first branch of the ITGWU in Clare at Dromoland in 1918. O’Brien was general secretary of the ITGWU from 1924 to 1946 and organised the United Trades Council in Ennis in 1918.

Michael McNamara was a founder and president of the Ennis and Dis- trict Labourers association in 1910 and after fighting in the second

Boer War, he served on Ennis Urban Council from 1914 to 1920.

His son Patrick J McNamara was the Clare County Secretary of the Irish volounteers and later the na- tional Irish volounteers. He served 31 years on Ennis Urban District Council between 1920 and 1967.

In a long political career Patrick Hogan served variously as an Irish volounteer, Gaelic league activist, Clare county councillor, Dail deputy, Senator and Ceann Comharle of Dail Eireann between (1951-1967). A na- tive of Kilmaley he later moved to Dublin.

As an active ITGWU official he de- fended workers during the construc- tion of Ardnacrusha hydro-electric station and Shannon Airport.

IRISH farmers rose up with one voice last week and unilaterally re- jected the current trade deal on the table of the World Trade Organisa- nee

More than 10,000 farmers brought Dublin to a standstill Thursday in an unprecedented show of power and solidarity. The protest was timed to coincide with the visit of the Presi- dent of the EU Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso.

Barosso was in the capital to cam- paign for a yes vote in a crunch up- coming referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. The majority of Irish farm- ing organisations have threatened

urging a no vote if their concerns on the WTO are ignored.

‘Farmers could not support a Com- mission that has sold out on family farming and food production right across Europe,’ said IFA president, Padraig Walshe addressing the pro- test.

“If the Mandelson proposals were followed there would not be farmer support for the treaty. That is my message for President Barroso today. That is my message for the Govern- ment today.”

It has been claimed that the out- come of the current negotiations would cost the Irish economy four billion euro and see 50,000 farm- ers put out of business, along with

50,000 job losses in the processing sector.

Speaking before the national day of protest, Clare IFA County Chairman Michael Lynch has called on farm- ers to hit back against Commissioner Mandelson.

“The WTO negotiations are at a critical stage and Mandelson is out of control, offering to destroy the CAP in a reckless last-ditch effort to get a deal,’ he said.

“The reality of the Mandelson cuts would be a flood of beef steak 1m- ports from South America into Eu- rope, which would collapse Irish cat- tle prices to €2/kg or 7Op/Ib, making suckler and livestock farming totally uneconomic.

“Milk prices would be cut to 24c/ litre as a direct result of greatly in- creased imports of butter and other dairy products. There would also be huge losses in the sheep, pigs, poul- try and grain sectors.

“Irish agriculture would be devas- tated and the loss of farmers’ liveli- hoods and jobs in the food industry, agri-business and services would be felt in towns and communities across the entire country.

“If Mandelson is not stopped, we are facing a €4 billion per year loss to economy with rural Ireland hard- est hit by far. This 1s a crucial protest in our campaign to stop Mandelson and secure the future of Irish farm-

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A MAN who provided “short, sharp breaths” into an intoxlyser machine after he was arrested on suspicion of drink driving has been accused of “trying to fool” the machine.

Tony O’Leary (53), of Lower Quay, Liscannor, was convicted of fail- ing to provide a breath specimen to gardai, at Ennis Garda Station.

Garda Michael Sweeney told En- nis District Court that he was at the Garda station on November 9, 2007,

when another garda arrived with the accused who had been arrested on suspicion of drink driving.

Garda Sweeney said he started a 20 minute observation of Mr O’Leary.

He said he demanded a breath specimen. “He started providing a breath specimen. He gave a short, sharp breath, which was insufficient, twice,’ said the garda.

“IT informed him on numerous oc- casions he was to take a good deep breath, but he kept providing short, sharp breaths. He provided a breath

specimen roughly four times. He failed to provide a breath specimen. He was giving short, sharp breaths, which were insufficient for the intox- lyser,’ he added.

“Mr O’Leary didn’t indicate any reason to me why he wasn’t able to provide a breath specimen. I felt he was able to provide a breath speci- men. He just wasn’t providing it for us,’ said the garda.

Defending solicitor Siobhan Mc- Mahon said her client “wasn’t given the option of blood or urine, which

he would have been willing to pro- vide.

‘He is charged with failing to com- ply with the requirement to provide. It says nowhere about sufficiency. He proceeded to provide at least four times,” said Ms McMahon.

Inspector Tom Kennedy said it was the State’s case that the accused “was deliberately avoiding blowing prop- erly into the machine, as opposed to being unable”.

Mr O’Leary told the court he did “everything that was required of ine ome

“I blew into the apparatus on a number of occasions. I suffer from high blood pressure, I have a chest infection,’ he said, for which he was on a lot of medication.

He said, however, he did not tell this to the garda.

Inspector Kennedy put it to him that he was “trying to fool the machine”’. to which he replied, “I wouldn’t agree with that at all.”

The inspector replied, “You are coming in here today trying to get yourself off on a failure on your part to properly breath into the machine as required. You thought you would fool the machine by conveniently not giving it enough breath that it could analyse.”

Ms McMahon said her client lost a leg in a serious accident some time ago. He is on unemployment assist- ance and earns €25 a week busking at the Cliffs of Moher.

Judge Joseph Mangan heard he had a previous conviction for drink driv- ing in 2001.

He banned him from driving for six years and fined him €1,250.

AN event at Holy Family National School to celebrate diversity has re- ceived a ringing endorsement from the new president of the Irish Na- tional Teachers Organisation.

Declan Kelleher was speaking at an event to mark Intercultural Week at the Ennis school.

There are 37 different nationalities attending the Holy Family including children from Argentina, the Phil- ippines, Moldova, Brazil, Nigeria, Poland, Latvia and the Czech Re- public.

Each country was represented at events during the week, with children showcasing aspects of their culture such as traditional songs, costumes and dance routines.

Mr Kelleher said the Holy Family had played an important role in help-

ing newcomer children integrate into the local community.

He said, “As one of the foremost Clare schools in welcoming and em- bracing so many newcomer children to the county, I wish to publicly ac- knowledge the immense contribu- tion of the Holy Family senior and junior school.

“In years to come this school and many other primary schools throughout Clare will rejoice in their achievements as they see our new Irish citizens make extraordinary contributions to every facet of Irish life including sports, the arts, in- dustry, education and innovation at every level. Primary education can take a bow.”

Mr Kelleher said that despite little initial Government support, primary schools had responded with vision to the changes in Irish society.

He said, “If 15 years ago anybody were to be told that by the year 2008 the pupil population of an Irish pro- vincial town primary school would include children from 37 different nationalities they would undoubtedly have been scoffed at.

“Yet this is exactly what became the reality for Holy Family National School, Ennis and indeed for many more primary schools throughout the island.”

Mr Kelleher continued, ““The man- ner in which schools adapted to the change and welcomed newcomer children into their pupil communi- ties has been one of the greatest un- sung and uncelebrated successes of Irish primary education.

“The fact that the change was ac- complished in a largely unsupported manner makes the achievement all the more laudable. Government reac-

tion to the tidal wave of change which Swept over our primary schools was tardy and recognition of the huge lin- guistic and cultural challenges which our schools faced was by and large ignored.”

Mr Kelleher singled out the role played by Catholic managed schools in embracing change. “In particular the reaction of Catholic managed primary schools was both exempla- ry and exceptional to new pupils of every religion and none were made unwelcome.

‘This was exactly as it should have been and today I want to acknowl- edge the extraordinary contribution that primary schools have made to- wards the creation of a new, diverse, multicultural Ireland where all new- comers can aspire to having their culture and contribution recognised, affirmed and valued.”

TWO men who decided to buy a house between them finished up in court, with one accusing the other of eeu

But the case against Warren Tully (27) of 8 Mountshannon, Labash- eeda, was stopped when the alleged victim of the fraud, James O’Connor, from Ballybeg, Clarecastle took the stand.

Stephen Coughlan BL, prosecuting for the State had earlier told the jury that Mr O’Connor had been compen- sated for an industrial accident.

He and the accused wanted to buy a house together and O’Connor trans- ferred €70,000 and, later, €28,000 into an account which Tully had set

up for that purpose.

“Matters came unstuck and Mr O’Connor became dissatisfied and said he wanted his money back,” Mr Coughlan told the Ennis Circuit Solitan

He told the jury that €10,000 was returned and further sums of €25,000 and €10,000 were handed over after the gardai became involved.

Mr Tully denied charges of theft of €70,000 and deception in relation to the €28,000.

When Mr O’Connor took the stand to give evidence, he said that he wanted “to drop the charges. I’m just sick of it at this stage”.

With no evidence from the State to offer, Judge Rory O’Donnabhain struck the case out.