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A BOOKLET detailing the results of Europe’s foremost large-scale audit of farm machinery will be launched at Clare Museum in Ennis on next Monday, April 14.

Produced by Clare County Coun- cil and east Clare-based consultants Minogue Associates, Antique Farm Machinery of County Clare tells the social story of the county’s farm ma- chinery from the early 1800s to the aL Oks

The Clare Heritage section secured funding from the Heritage Council and Clare County Council to under- take the project last year, as part of the implementation of the Clare Her- itage Plan 2003-2007.

“I am delighted to see that the lo-

cal authority has played its part in establishing a framework for docu- menting unprotected early agricul- tural machinery, which played a sig- nificant role in the socio-economic development of this country over the last number of centuries,” said Ber- nadette Kinsella, Director of Serv- ices, Economic Development and Planning, Clare County Council.

“The west of Ireland is tradition- ally an agricultural region and this tradition has bequeathed a signifi- cant amount of farm machinery dat- ing from the late 19th and early to mid-twentieth centuries.

“Therefore, it 1s imperative that we develop a strategy for the conserva- tion and posterity of such items as seed drills, harrows, ploughs and rollers, horse carts, and harvesting

and haymaking machinery.”

Commenting on the audit, Cllr Pat Hayes, Chairperson of the Clare Heritage Forum, said that there is a sionificant gap in awareness when it comes to our agricultural heritage despite its fundamental impact on the socio-economic development of this country over the last number of centuries.

‘The Clare Heritage Forum is con- fident that this audit and its subse- quent promotion will help address that gap in Clare and also provide an effective template that can be used on a national and international lev- el,” he said.

‘For example, local authority herit- age offices in Galway and Donegal have already followed our lead by undertaking similar studies.

“We are confident that this au- dit will achieve its main objective, which is to uniquely inform as to the historical, geographical, eco- nomic and even scientific develop- ment of agricultural machinery in one county.”

Following the launch of the audit, 10,000 summary booklets will be made available at schools, libraries, museums and heritage centres across County Clare.

Dr Hugh Maguire of the Heritage Council will launch Antique Farm Machinery of County Clare at Clare Museum at 7.30pm on Monday, April 14.

The launch will also include an il- lustrated presentation on The Devel- opment of Clare Farm Machinery, 1800-1950.

GARDAI are conducting a major in- vestigation into alleged interference with bank cash point machines in County Clare, a judge was told last Neto)

On a day when a number of peo- ple were before the court on charges connected with the investigation, the Ennis District Court heard from Inspector Tom Kennedy that there is a “widespread investigation” into claims that ATMs were interfered with last month.

Among those charged in relation to the investigation into damage to ATMs were Mirren Gavrila of no fixed abode, Dublin and Cosmin Merla of Apartment 710, Two Mile Inn, Ennis Road in Limerick. They were before Judge Joseph Mangan accused of three counts each of criminal damage to ATMs, causing €1,100 worth of damage to each ma- abe slen

Garda John Corkery told the court

that it is alleged that the two dam- aged the card reader on the Bank of Ireland ATM in Kilrush on March 12 before travelling to Miltown Malbay, where it is alleged they damaged a second Bank of Ireland ATM.

The third charge relates to another Bank of Ireland ATM in Ennisty- mon, which the two are charged with damaging on the same day.

Judge Mangan declined jurisdic- tion and Inspector Kennedy asked for an adjournment to prepare a book of evidence in the matters.

The solicitor representing the two accused said they are Romanian and have been in Ireland for one month. Neither has previous convictions in Romania and there was a person in court who would be willing to put them up in the house which he is renting in Sallins, County Kildare, the court heard.

Judge Mangan remanded the two in custody to appear again in Kilrush District Court on April 23 for a Book of Evidence.

LOCALS in Gillogue near Clonlara will meet tomorrow (Wednesday) night to discuss ongoing concerns they have with the operators of an enterprise centre which is the cause of heavy traffic passing their homes on a daily basis.

The 323,000 sq ft former Burling- ton plant was sold by Shannon De- velopment in controversial circum- stances in 2006 and is now home to several companies including a heli- copter maintenance facility.

Local residents are concerned about safety in the locality, especially with dozens of trucks and other vehicles using the narrow road on a round- the-clock basis.

“As long as the factory was in op- eration, going back many years, we always had concerns about safety, especially along the road where we live which is the main access route to the facility. Now that the plant has changed hands, we still have a number of concerns,” a residents’ spokesman said.

A second meeting due to take place on Thursday has been postponed. Residents were expected to meet the facility’s owners as well as officials from Clare County Council but a spokesman for the plant said that a consultant’s report commissioned by them would not be ready and that they had to postpone the meeting.

The manager of the facility, Brian Whelan, said, “We will do all in our power to alleviate the concerns of locals. When we took ownership of the plant, we promised locals that we would sit down with them and we have already had one meeting. We have already committed to contribut- ing towards the construction of a foot- path and other associated road repairs from Larkin’s Cross to the plant.”

Local councillor Paschal Fitzgerald (Lab) said he had met with the op- erators and local residents and was hopeful that both sides could come to a satisfactory resolution.

The original sale of the former State-owned property at Gillogue was halted early in 2005 after local residents, politicians and business interests expressed concern about the manner in which the sale was being conducted.

Shannon Development pulled out of a deal after the State’s spending watchdog, the Comptroller and Au- ditor General, reviewed the proposed sale. Late in 2006, Shannon Devel- opment finally accepted a tender be- lieved to be worth around €8m from two mid-west-based businessmen for the purchase of the former factory and 27 acres of land. The company retained 89 of the 116 acres at the site although it had originally intended selling all the land, along with over 300,000 sq ft of buildings, for just €3.25m.

KILRUSH town councillor Collie Sweeney (Ind) believes it is time for owners of derelict buildings in the west Clare capital to clean up their ATOR

Cllr Sweeney told the March meet- ing of the council that the time is right to get owners to clean up these derelict houses or the council will use its power under the Derelict Sites aoe

When the town council adopted the Kilrush Town Development Plan it was agreed that derelict sites would be receiving special attention during

the lifetime of the plan.

Cllr Sweeney said that he noticed that the Tidy Town’s report for Kil- rush also pointed to the negative im- pact of the derelict sites.

“This is a warning call only to owners of derelict sites to do some- thing about them. This council has been ignoring this issue for far too long,” he said.

Senior Staff Officer with Kilrush Town Council, Siobhan O’Keeffe confirmed that there are now five sites on the Kilrush Town Council Derelict Sites Register.

Under of the Derelict Sites Act 1990, each local authority is obliged

to maintain a Derelict Sites Register.

In November 2005, Kilrush Town Council submitted a nomination form to the Department of the En- vironment, Heritage and _ Local Government for the entire Kilrush Town Council boundary area to be prescribed as an Urban Area by the Minister under section 21 of the Der- elict Sites Acct.

In November 2007, the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government confirmed this nomination.

The nomination of an Urban Area means that Kilrush Town Council can now charge or levy a derelict

sites levy on the owner or occupier of any of the derelict sites entered on the Derelict Sites Register where the market value has been determined.

“It 1s now proposed to prioritise the five entries on the Derelict Sites Register, proceed to determine the market value of each site and impose a derelict sites levies on the owner or occupier to take any other action as possible under the relevant sections of the Derelict Sites Act.

“Over the next three months a com- plete audit of sites in the town will also be carried out and sites will be added or removed from the register as appropriate,’ Ms O’ Keeffe said.

ARE we there yet? No, still strug- cling. However, if we realise this it can work to our advantage. Plenty of hard choices for the management. It will be seriously tested in planning for Waterford. Clare exited the league in the same manner as last year. No progress in that area. No knives yet however.

Tony Considine must be smiling. Clare lost their chances of a quarter- final slot in the Limerick game be- cause of sideline inertia in not rest- ing the free-taker when he was off aN ismee-0 8 olen

In addition, when Fergal Lynch was brought in at full-forward in the second half he was persistently given low ball. Lynch doesn’t do low ball

MAN (OR

Earlier there had been a hint of panic when Barrett was red-carded against Galway but in fairness the game against Tipp was a reasonable all-round effort. Yet it proved to be as revealing as I thought it would.

Not even one position, the goalie apart, has been settled in the Clare defence and Gerry O’Grady’s so- journ in his club’s attack doesn’t do him any favours.

He was easily turned by Eoin Kelly and the Mullinahone man scored four points from play. With a dry sod and ball in June or July this tally might well be doubled. Alarm bells surely.

On any given day that I watched there was a patent lack of pace all over the Clare defence. We can ig- nore it at our peril. It was blindingly

obvious when Pat Kerwick the Tipp half forward ran at the Clare backs. Left them going backwards in his slipstream. Imagine the scenario if Eddie Brennan, John Mullane or ei- ther of the O’Connor twins had had his opportunities.

A bit harsh? Not really. Realis- ing one’s limitations is the first step towards improving them. If we were planning for Mullane, Kelly, Molumphy, Flynn and Shanahan in this League it wasn’t much in evi- dence.

Against Tipp the Clare midfield pair hurled their own game, scored a couple of points, and left their oppo- nents to their own devices. The Tipp midfield pairing scored four points between them. Free scoring midfield- ers need marking as much as any for-

ward. Very often it means sacrificing one’s own game to tie them down.

Almost every Clare forward seems to do their own thing nowadays. Ominously, returns such as seven points from play in 70 minutes dem- onstrate forward poverty. Mark Fla- herty did remarkably well from frees but I wonder would he prove more productive from play further out. If Declan O’Rourke could up his work- rate for the entirety of a game he has the strength and hurling to do really well. Gaffney’s return for the cham- pionship will give other free-taking options and lead to badly needed changes up front.

Mike McNamara and his manage- ment team must make some hard choices. Shed the remaining links with the glory days and invest in a

new generation to back those who have some championship experience. Against the Decies we will need pace and hurling all over the field. Pace is the key word. To me it’s seems fool- ish in the extreme for any manage- ment set-up to invest it’s years work on one championship outing.

It is simply providing a rod to beat itself. With all the emphasis on the Waterford game if Clare are beaten, should the sideline fall on its sword? By all means do everything in your power to win in the Gaelic Grounds but don’t back yourself into a corner.

Finally Ger Loughnane is having a good year with the Tribesmen but some players look off the pace and their defensive problems will come back to haunt them before the year Tree) UL

AT least five lives will be saved eve- ry year in Clare that would otherwise have been lost once the major trauma bypass protocol is implemented in May, according to the HSE.

The protocol, announced by HSE Network Manager, John Hennessy, means that between 15 and 25 pa- tients from Clare will be brought di- rectly to the Mid Western Regional Hospital Limerick, bypassing Ennis.

Speaking in Ennis on Friday, Mr Hennessy said that the new standards for the management of trauma were set down some time ago by the Medi- cal Council.

“The recommendations are clear. Severely injured patients must be brought to a hospital that is specifi-

cally geared for it. In the case of the mid-west, that would be a regional trauma centre such as the regional hospital in Limerick.

“What we are proposing and pre- paring to implement in Clare has already been implemented in north sbi o)eoe- aan

Accident and emergency consult- ant, Mr Cathal O’Donnell, based in Limerick and Clare, said that out of every four patients that will be taken directly to Limerick, one will live that would have otherwise have died.

Approximately 20,000 patients a year attend the accident and emer- gency service.

“The driving force behind this is to try to save lives,” he said.

The major trauma bypass protocol

has been implemented in north Tip- perary for the past two months, with four patients in total taken directly to Limerick, bypassing Nenagh.

“Trauma care is changing, it 1s evolving, it is becoming more com- iene

“More complicated treatments, more expensive treatments, multi- disciplinary ways of treating people are being developed all the time, and the capacity to deliver that high level of care is best provided in a big cen- tre,’ said Mr O’ Donnell.

The decision to move patients di- rectly to Limerick will be the respon- sibility of the paramedics.

Advance paramedics have been Operating in the mid-west for three years, and six are expected to be based throughout the county by

May.

“Their up-skilling has led them to make more difficult decisions all the time, and more complex, but they have been well trained for that and, as medical director of the ambulance service, | support them,’ said Mr O’Donnell, “I am certainly very con- fident of advanced paramedics and paramedic staff to look after these patients very well.”

Mr Hennessy admitted, however, that staff were concerned about “re- source issues for their particular ar- eas” once the policy is implemented.

Chief Ambulance Officer, Pat Daly said he was happy with the situation but resources were always an issue.

“You never have enough resources. That has been a constant problem for the ambulance services. But what

resources are there I think are ad- equate,” he said.

The ambulance chief said that if ad- vance paramedics were not available in Clare during a major trauma, one could be requested from Limerick to meet the ambulance.

The air ambulance, being made available from the air corp, will be available to take patients from one hospital to another but not from the scene of an accident to hospital.

“T would imagine that the potential for more use of air ambulance will become a more significant reality in the future.

“It does represent a real opportu- nity to make use of new technology and get patients to the right place far quicker than traditional methods would,’ said Mr Hennessy.

A SHANNON priest who left the parish to minister to the poor in Ec- uador has led the first ever Easter celebrations in his new parish of El Bautismo del Jesus.

Fr Colm Hogan decamped from Shannon to work with the communi- ties in Ecuador who are leaving their homes in the county and living in wooden huts on the outskirts of the city in the hope of better employment opportunities.

But the Shannon curate is already making his mark, having led a con- eregation in the first ever Easter cel- ebrations in the community of the poor and now he’s planning to build a church there.

In letters back to his former Clare parish, Fr Colm explained that they have had to cope with monsoon rain- falls since the beginning of the year, in a place with no running water and no toilets.

“Some days the roads to my par- ish are impassable, there are huge craters, not potholes, developed in the mud roads and the roads that were tarred have either collapsed or just washed away. In all honesty the mud tracks on my brothers farm at home are in much better condition,’ he wrote.

Fr Colm is working with people who are living on the outskirts of a city which is steeped in wealth while his parishioners don’t even have a minimum wage.

“I was chatting to one guy today who is a mechanic in a garage in the city centre, and for 45 hours work every week, he takes home $80, his lunch break each day is ten minutes. Many of the families in the parish where I am based live in straw huts with no sewage or water facilities and basically only one big room, for families of up to ten people. Nights of heavy rains destroy such homes very easily.”

But despite their poverty, the people have “great dignity” and have made him welcome, Fr Colm and his pa- rishioners have now begun work on a small chapel which will hold about 100 people.

‘Much more facilities are needed in time, a central church location, a

parish house to live in, development of some of the schools which are in terrible conditions, a medical clinic and who knows what more,” Fr Colm Said.

There are two accounts open to support Fr Colm’s work, an account in Shannon Credit Union which can be accessed through the Shannon parish office beside St John and Paul Presbytery and the Fr Colm Hogan Ecuador Relief Fund account. The account number 1s 04613076 and the sort code is 93-22-72-AIB Birr.

WEST Clare’s newest football club has been hailed a success with more than 200 members signed up since its inauguration less than five weeks ago.

The Kilrush Ladies Football Club has a total of 182 players ranging in ages from four to 40, making it one of the fastest growing clubs in the eee as

The founders of the club attribute the overwhelming success to local support and a strong local base.

At the launch of the club just over a month ago more than 300 people turned out to support the venture.

Guests of honour on the night were

the 1970s ladies who played for the town in the Cailin Ban competition.

Not only were the ladies attributed the honour of being life-long honor- ary members of the club; they also joined the younger members in the St Patrick’s Day parade.

The young members of the club even won a prize on the day.

Those involved in the club said that the huge support they are receiving locally points to the need for such a club for so long.

Although in its infancy the club hosted this year’s under-12 West Clare Football Blitz, which included well-established teams such as Co- oraclare, Doonbeg, Western Gaels and Kilmihil.

The junior team has already played two games, with the under 16s also having fielded a team.

The club can now boast two nurs- ery groups, with under six and under eight age groups.

These young players learn basic skills of football and simple drills.

There is also an under 10 founda- tion group, and under 11 develop- mental group.

The Kilrush club enters competi- tions for the under 12, under 14 and under 16 age groups as well as for its junior team.

Plans are in place to have a minor ore ROOMoAoIMUCUE NTA

On the night of the launch the Munster Ladies Football chairman

Michael Ryan was very impressed with the enthusiasm for the game among the Kilrush ladies.

He told those gathered that girls who met involved in the game avoid potential trouble down the road. He encouraged the parents present to support the club for this very reason.

The community are also showing its support for the girls as sponsor- ship for all jerseys has already been found.

The recent church gate collection was also well supported, as was the Holy Thursday night quiz.

The next fundraiser for Kilrush’s newest teams will be a bag pack in Super Valu Kilrush on April 4 and a

THE idea of a ground up approach to hurling among kids about to enter the game took off last year with the launch of Go Games in Clare, and this weekend, the second season of the initiative was launched.

The idea is simple, but effective. Allow kids the opportunity to de- velop their basic skills before they’re

put into a match situation. Give them the chance to play, to have time on the ball.

There’s a maximum of eight play- ers per team for the Under 8 games, a maximun of ten per team for the Under 10s and four games can take place at any one time on a standard pitch. The other stipulation is that every player — back or forward — must remain in their zone, with the excep-

tion of the midfielders. Players swap positions at regular intervals and the the emphasis is on inclusion: each player will play at least two quarters in every Go Game.

The blitz schedule for the upcom- ing Go Games season has just been drawn up and the project is now se- cure in the landscape of the Clare GAA. It’s obvious that those who participate stand to significantly ben- efit so clubs, really, should embrace the concept. They should ensure eve- ry parent with a kid who 1s interested in game is aware of Go Hurling’s ex- istence.

The initial kick off takes place on Saturday April 19 at a number of venues across Clare. It continues throughout May, June and July.

For further information on_tak- ing part, contact Peter Casey on O86 6000027, Joe Gleeson on 087 1333430, Sean Chaplin on 086 3613779 or John Culligan 085 1744342.

CLARE’S GPs believe that the death knell has already sounded, albeit very lowly and slowly, for acute serv- ices at Ennis General Hospital.

Following a meeting of some of the county’s most experienced general practitioners and hospital consult- ants, the medics issued a detailed statement, predicting the hospital’s death by a thousand cuts.

The doctors have no belief or con- fidence that 24-hour acute medical, surgical, accident and emergency and intensive care services would continue at Mid Western Regional

Hospital Ennis (MWRH-Ennis).

The meeting strongly maintained that should the hospital lose any fur- ther services, it would be impossible to continue as an acute hospital.

“All available evidence to date in- dicates that Government health strat- egy 1s to centralise all acute services in Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick (MWRH-Limerick) and its proposed co-located private hospital. Acute services now provided in En- nis and Nenagh will be withdrawn,” the statement issued by the Clare fac- ulty of the Irish College of General Practitioners stated.

The statement outlined how the

consultant staff of the hospital wrote to the health minister two years ago, stating that it was unsafe to continue practising without a CT scanner. The scanner has not been provided, and the collective opinion is that it will not now be installed.

“The persistent failure to address these concerns serves to illustrate the lack of interest and commitment which exists within HSE manage- ment to address the serious clinical concerns of senior medical staff,” the statement read. “Further evidence of the lack of interest in the develop- ment of services at MWRH-Ennis is indicated by the dereliction of HSE

management in replacing consultant staff who have resigned or retired.” During the past six years, the radi- ology department has been forced to operate using the services of a series of locum radiologists. The general physician who retired five years ago has not been replaced, and the med- ics have little hope that the general

surgeon who retired in January and the second surgeon to retire later this year will be replaced.

“The closure of 24-hour services will be gradual and final. The timeframe for this process is uncertain, but it will probably occur over the next four years, but possibly sooner,” the Clare Faculty of the ICGP predicted.