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NORTH Clare romantics take note, a special Moonlight to Midnight walk has been organised to take place on the Flaggy Shore next month.

The walk, which will take place on April 18, will be undertaken in complete darkness except for the moonlight and a few guiding torches placed along the way to add atmos- joa ken

All the money from the event will go towards the Irish Red Cross.

“It is going to be a very relaxed, kind of serene night. We will have no light, no nothing. The full moon

is out that night so we are going to meet at the Flaggy Shore at half nine and we are going to start rambling at 10,” said organiser Joe Queally.

“It’s about four and a half miles of aramble, maybe five. Just to add a bit of extra atmosphere to the occasion we are going to have a few old fash- ioned lanterns placed along the way.

“We are going to have music on the beach as well. As people pass by in the moonlight we have a flute player and a violin player going as well. They are just to help to get the stones talking and get the ocean talking as well. We are hoping it’s going to be a bit of a fairytale night.

The Moonlight to Midnight walk was officially launched in Linane’s of Bellharbour last week.

“It would be a great night for peo- ple to look to renew old friendships, a night to help the Red Cross or for young people just to get out there and enjoy themselves, to hold hands and walk,’ continued Joe.

“It’s nota long walk and we will be taking it very handy as well. More of a stroll. We will be keeping the group fairly together, no one will be flying off in front, but we want people to have their privacy to be together in the group.

“It’s a nice relaxing walk for eve-

ryone. It would be a great walk for people who want to walk it on their own, clear their head and find peace in their head. It should be a very spe- cial night.”

All people need to do to take part is to get a Sponsorship card from Joe and collect €100 worth of sponsor- ship for the Red Cross. For more in- formation or to collect a sponsorship card, contact Joe on 087-6260301.

in response to a Freedom of Information request to the Depart- ment of Arts, Sport and Tourism.

In an internal department memo of November 2006, a senior official cautioned against State financial aid for Shannon.

“Any plan will have to take into ac- count the full implications of the new

State aid guidelines for regional air- ports. The EU Commission is already scrutinised existing arrangements in Shannon and it is not clear what the outcome of that scrutiny will be,” the official wrote.

“In the meantime, caution 1S fe- quired in relation to the articulation of any public commitments of sup- port to Shannon.”

In a separate email from a senior department official to Failte Ireland in March, 2007, the official states, “One key issue is marketing and airports. There are State guidelines on this. There are Commission en- quiries in relation to Shannon. It is

important that both agencies make it clear that they are not in the busi- ness of marketing airports. They are in the business of exploiting the marketing opportunities that access routes present.”

In the same email the official states, “The new aviation environment, in- cluding the advent of ‘open skies’, presents tremendous opportunities for Shannon airport provided it can break out of its old dependency men- tality, focus on the opportunities and provide the level of economic and ef- ficient service required by both con- sumers and airlines.

“In particular, the airport will need

to look beyond the north Atlantic and look at the opportunities presented by routes to Britain and mainland Europe.

The same official in a separate memo states, “From a tourism per- spective, there is little point in mak- ing a special marketing push in re- lation to an area unless the requisite tourism product is there and at the right quality.

“Tt 18 essential that, in addition to new product development, problems in connection with traditional tour- ism products be resolved .. . It is im- portant to understand that marketing alone will not do the job.”

Werelmm ats couldn’t rent the house next door as a result of the unsightly local authority property.

Mr Casey said that he bought No 2 St Senan’s Terrace in Kilrush seven years ago as a rental property.

The property owner ran into diffi- culty however when the neighbouring house No | was vacated a few years ago. Soon after the front garden was being used for illegal dumping.

‘“T have been over there cleaning it up a number of times. I have killed rats over there, but I am not doing

anymore. I have been to the council numerous times to complain.

“If you have rubbish in front of your house then the council would fine you €100. I am living next door to a dump,” he said.

“It is a lovely street. I was born and reared there and that is why I brought a house there.”

Mr Casey said that he offered to buy the house from the council and renovate it.

A spokesperson for Kilrush Town Council said, “It is the policy of Kil- rush Town Council to carry out an investigation within two days of an incident of illegal dumping being re- jOLey a Keren

“Notwithstanding the fact that No 1 St Senan’s Terrace is owned by Kilrush Town Council, no report of illegal dumping at this location has

been received in the offices of Kil- rush Town Council to date in 2008. There has been previous illegal dumping at this location and Kilrush Town Council have previously taken action which involved an investiga- tion and removal of all items illegal- ly dumped,” she said.

Kilrush Town Clerk Fiona Mooney admitted that Kilrush has as prob- lem with illegal dumping – as has a number of small towns.

The town clerk said that people are dumping at a number of locations around the west Clare capital includ- ing the town centre and at the bottle bank.

The controversial house, No 1 St Senan’s Terrace, has been the subject of a public meeting.

At the January monthly meeting counillors were told that in Decem-

ber 2006 the Department of The Environment, Heritage and Local Government allocated funding for remedial work on numbers 5, 9 and 17, which has since been completed.

Between 2004 and 2006 all of the council’s houses in St Senan’s Ter- race with the exception of number | had central heating installed.

In January Ms Mooney told the council that No 1 was derelict and for structural reasons could not be RAMUDMOYISELSLem

“A demolish and infill develop- ment is possible at this location. A preliminary approach with regard to possible development of the land to the rear has been made. It is prudent for the council to await the outcome of this, before proceeding with the planned demolition and infill devel- opment at No | St Senan’s Terrace.”

WOMEN from Clare and the mid- west will not be able to avail of a screening mammography — service until Breastcheck is rolled out in the county. According to Cllr Deirdre Culligan (Ind), that could take an- other year or three, leading the Kil- rush Town Councillor to call for the abolition of the HSE.

Cllr Culligan was speaking on a motion by Cllr Tom Prendeville (FF) who proposed that the council call on the Minister for Health and the HSE to deliver a modern and effec- tive health service to peripheral ar- eas like west Clare.

Cllr Culligan read a statement from the radiology department of the HSE west in the Mid Western Regional Hospital Limerick.

“Limerick Regional Hospital was recently designated as one of the eight regional symptomatic breast units. Following the closure of lo- cal units – Ennis and Barrington’s – there has been a marked increase in the number of imaging requests for symptomatic patients,” it said.

“Consequent to a meeting of the eight breast units with Professor Tom Keane, Director of the National Cancer Control Programme, the des- ignated symptomatic units will no longer provide screening mammog-

raphy. This is to ensure rapid access to imaging for symptomatic patients as outlined in the O’ Higgins report.

“Screening mammography will now fall under the auspices of Breast- check, the National Screening Pro- gramme, with all women between 50 to 65 years old in this region being invited to attend for mammography over the next two years.”

Cllr Culligan said, “The HSE are missing the point by closing Ennis and Barrington’s. They are crowd- ing Limerick and therefore it can no longer be a centre of excellence.”

Mayor of Kilrush Tom Clyne (Ind) said that the HSE was “answerable to no one”.

Cllr Jack Fennell (Ind) believed it was time to get rid of all the execu- tives and bring back the matrons.

“TU fully support getting rid of the HSE on grounds that they are a dis- aster since the day it was formed,” said the veteran councillor.

Cllr Marian McMahon Jones was equally critical of the health serv- ices, believing the Government will continue to run down the services until it no longer works and the only option is a private health service.

The councillors agreed to write to the HSE, raising their concern about the crisis in breast cancer detection and to ask it to outline its plans for remote areas such as west Clare.

THE annual West Clare Kidney Walk is growing in momentum every year.

In its eighth year the walk is now a staple part of the west Clare events calendar.

This year more than 500 people are expected to take part in the charity walk from Kilrush to Cooraclare.

Organised by the West Clare Kid- ney Support Group in association with the Clare branch of the Irish Kidney Association, the West Clare Kidney Walk is expected to attract a lot of support during the May bank holiday weekend.

To date the 10 kilometre walk has

raised almost half a million, which has gone towards providing facilities for kidney dialysis and transplant pa- tients at Limerick Regional Hospital, Beaumont Hospital and the Respite Centre at Tramore.

All proceeds from this year’s event will be donated to the Renal Support Centre, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin.

The support centre, which is oper- ating for seven years, 1s located in the erounds of Beaumont Hospital all year round. It provides free accom- modation for all its residents, which include families of patients from out- side Dublin, and patients who have to travel long distance to see their consultant as an outpatient.

The centre arranges a counselling

service as required by outpatients and their families and preference for accommodation is given to families of patients receiving transplants and families of the seriously ill.

Speaking at the launch of the West Clare Kidney Walk, WCKSG chair- man Cllr Tom Prendeville and Car- mel Mc Cormack, Chairperson of the Clare Branch of the Irish Kidney Association issued an open invita- tion to members of the public to par- ticipate in the event.

Cllr Prendeville said that in places like west Clare there was a growing awareness of the problem in access- ing kidney dialysis and transplant OI KeLerere NK ee

“It is important that the public

should support this fundraiser aimed at providing better facilities for kid- ney patients. The Renal Support Centre at Beaumont is a particularly worthy cause as it accommodated the families of patients during kid- ney treatments,’ he said.

Sponsorship cards are available from any of the committee members including Flan Carmody, Vincent O’Halloran, Ruth Callinan, Ann Tubridy’s, Marie Culligan, Michelle Gallery Bernie Tubridy, Paudie Ney- lon, Carmel McCormack and Tom Prendeville and from committee members of the Clare branch of the Irish Kidney Association.

The 10-kilometre walk will take place on Sunday, May 4.

KILRUSH Town Councillors are planning to name and shame town TTRKe)doLerca MAU MOON Kwesleesemmensomlicmey” the council, Cllr Liam Looney (FF) asked that the council put CCTV cameras in the Parc de Plouzane car park to monitor the recycling facility and to curb the continuing dumping OKO )o) ane A suo

“Just a few weeks back, the dumping was so bad, I couldn’t get access my- self,” he told his fellow councillors.

“This 1s a continuous problem and the only solution is to put CCTV there and then name and shame the culprits,” he said. “I think if we caught a few, it would stop.”

Cllr Tom Prendeville (FF) had oth- er ideas to solve the ongoing unsight- ly problem. “My solution is to move the bottle bank out of there. I don’t think it is right to have that particular ley Da Gai alos Rom

‘The only solution to this 1s a civic amenity that is properly managed and monitored like in Lisdeen. Kil-

rush is a big enough town to warrant such a facility.

The schoolteacher told the meeting that serious illegal dumping had also taken place in the local graveyard.

Cllr Looney agreed that a new fa- cility should be built but, in the in- ter1m, he believed that the CCTV suggestion would be cost effective, considering the cost to the council of cleaning up the illegal dumping.

Senior Staff Officer Siobhan O’Keeffe said that, during 2007, quotations were sought from various

companies for the provision and in- stallation of CCTV cameras in Place de Plouzane car park.

“Quotations received and site visits conducted presented technical difficul- ties which made it impossible to pro- ceed at the time. The town engineer has been in contact with another com- pany that could overcome the techni- cal issues and he is awaiting a detailed quotation from them,” she said.

“In the interim, the location of the bottle banks was moved to the centre of the car park and this has resulted

in a notable reduction in the incidents of illegal dumping.

“While incidents of illegal dump- ing are still occurring, every effort is made to tackle the problem. Twice daily inspections are carried out at this location to enable a timely response to incidents of illegal dumping.

‘Where an incident of illegal dump- ing has taken place, an investigation of all contents takes place and action is always taken under the Litter Pol- lution Act where evidence is recov- ered,’ she said.

A GREEN Party politician and one- time PRO of the Ennis General Hos- pital Development Committee has asked if the time has come to recon- sider protesting for the county hospi- tal’s future.

Instead, Cllr Brian Meaney has sug- gested that it may be time to consider fundraising for the hospital so that the HSE cannot use its budget deficit of approximately €2 million as an excuse to downgrade the hospital.

“No one is going to supply that from the central fund. So has it be- come time to fundraise?” he asked.

The frustrated councillor, who 1s also one of Clare’s four representa- tives on the HSE West Forum, said that he received numerous assur- ances from the HSE that the review of acute services (The Teamwork Re- port) would not affect the upgrade.

“The HSE have since informed me that the opposite is, indeed, the case and the review will determine how, when or if the proposed upgrade will

take place,” he said. “A deception has taken place. The HSE are implicated in conspiring with the political system they seek to distance themselves from, in order to ensure a specific outcome in the last general election.”

Cllr Meaney has written to Clare’s four Oireachtas members asking them to ensure that the HSE sign off on the proposed upgrade of Ennis General Hospital.

“The project is before the National Estates office, who are refusing to sign off until the review of acute

services is published,’ he wrote.

In his letter Cllr Meaney states, “The ongoing delay in progressing the upgrade of Ennis General Hospi- tal is making the project less viable. The projected cost, as of now, in or- der to complete the project has been put at €46 million, yet there is only €39 million allocated.

‘Please use your offices to further an outcome from the estates office of the HSE, so that the people who de- pend on these services know where they stand in the future,” he said.

THE primary school in Newmarket- on-Fergus has reduced the amount of waste it sends to the landfill, by more than 95 per cent.

This has been achieved by the staff at Scoil na Maighdine Mhuire en- couraging the pupils to be mindful of the importance of the environment.

A wide range of initiatives have been undertaken by the school, in its ongoing efforts on the environment.

Last week the school’s staff and stu- dents all took part in a green dress- up day, where everybody dressed up in green. This was aimed at honour- ing St Patrick and to highlight green awareness. In the process they raised money to buy a new lawnmower to

keep the school’s newly-seeded grass field in tip top shape.

Each class planted a tree during na- tional tree week earlier this month. The school also hosted Beni Oberu from Trocaire, who highlighted the need for water conservation.

School principal Ann McMahon said a survey carried out late last year showed the reduction in the amount of waste going to the landfill was more than 95 per cent, compared to previous levels.

She said that a number of initia- tives have been carried out by vari- ous classes at the school.

“We had a recycling project earlier in the year where each child used re- cycled materials to create something useful or artistic,” she explained.

‘Each class has planted a variety of seeds in recycled yogurt pots which we hope to transplant to the school garden as soon as they have sprout- ed. Juniors and seniors are sprouting water cress seeds. Third and fourth classes are doing a science experi- ment to determine whether seeds need water to germinate,” she said.

“Sixth class undertook to survey the number of light switches and sockets in the school and have designed an art competition to make reminder signs for switches and sockets.

“Third and fourth classes under- took a survey of toilet cisterns in the school. They have collected 500ml bottles which they will fill and place in every cistern in the school, thereby saving 500ml of water for each flush

of each toilet, which 1s a lot of water saved annually,” she said.

“We are collecting plastic bottle tops for a hospital in Dublin who hope to collect a skip full and raise funds for a wheelchair,” she added..

The school held an exhibition in the school hall last month, which was judged by members of the En- vironment section of Clare County Council.

The winning entries are currently on exhibition in Newmarket-on-Fer- PAU lyeTae

FIANNA Fail county councillors know that their future in politics will go the way of Ennis General Hospital and fear a wipeout.

With just 15 months until the next local election, the nervy politicians are only too aware of the fate that faces them if work on the hospital does not progress soon.

As the future for the hospital looks progressively bleak, the 15 council- lors fear for their seats.

iio Omi OeconorlENinocrley

of the Government party, the group secretary of the Fianna Fail council- lors in Clare, Pat Daly (FF), said that unless the development of the hospi- tal takes place “the local Fianna Fail councillors will be wiped out”.

The man who also works for Clare’s most senior politician, Junior Min- ister Tony Killeen, said that all the councillors agreed with his letter to Sean Dorgan.

“I can assure you that if the Team- work Hospital Acute Review is not positive, it will create a huge embar- rassment for the Fianna Fail party in

County Clare,” he told the general secretary.

“At this stage, it is only rumour but the HSE are not denying that this de- velopment could be delayed by up to two years. Prior to the General Elec- tion, the Taoiseach visited Clare and confirmed that the €39 million in- vestment would be going ahead.

“For the past two years, the HSE have been playing around with plan- ning briefs and designs for the up- grade of the hospital. It went to the planning stage with Ennis Town Council and in 2007 full planning

permission was acquired.

‘So here we are now. The Govern- ment allocated €39 million for the upgrade of the hospital, the local authority gave the go-ahead for full planning permission and it is held up by the HSE through the Teamwork Report,” wrote Cllr Daly.

“I urge you to get the Taoiseach and the Tanaiste to intervene by imme- diately contacting Professor Drumm and insisting that this €39 million be allocated for the original purpose, the development of Ennis General Hospital.”

A RESIDENTS association’s fight against the construction of 60 alf- fordable houses in their estate is to move to a new level next week.

The Concern Residents of Cluain Airne 1s opposing the proposed de- velopment in their estate, where there already are 178 houses.

They believe that there is inad- equate infrastructure in the area to cope with new homes.

The group also says the develop- ment of additional homes will result in their green area being taken away from them.

When the details first emerged last summer, a group of the Cluain Airne residents grouped together and or- ganised a petition, highlighting their opposition to the construction of the new houses.

That petition has since been signed by more than two-thirds of the resi- dents and they attached this to their

formal objection to the scheme, which was lodged with the council.

Next week, Shannon area council- lors will be given the opportunity to vote on the proposed development. The residents association is appeal- ing for the councillors to vote in their le AVeluie

Secretary of the group, Nicole Murphy, said locals are encouraging the local politicians to take their con- cerns into account when they vote.

“If all of the councillors vote

against it, it would be great. It is in the councillors’ hands. They need to think of their local people who have been and will be voting for them.

“There are hundreds of acres of suitable land down the road and they could leave the green area (in Cluain Airne) where it 1s,” she said.

Mr Murphy said the residents ac- knowledge that affordable housing in required in Shannon, but feel it should be catered for on alternative sites.