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ANGLERS are being asked to help scientists to trace any remaining fish of two species which have not been seen for some time. Scientists are be- ginning to fear that Lough Derg has lost two species – gilaroo trout and pollan – both of which have inhabited the lake since the last Ice Age. Shannon Regional Fisheries Board Marine biologist, Dr Fran Igoe has said that there is a real possibil- ity that gilaroo trout exist in Lough

Derg, or that they did until recently.

Appeals to anglers over the past two years to report any catches of the fish have produced nothing.

Despite co-operation in trying to find the two species from the angling clubs in Lough Derg, there have been just two pollan netted as part of a fish biodiversity study of the lake.

The scientific co-ordinator of the study, Dr Igoe, is trying to solve why the stocks of once plentiful pollan in Lough Derg have declined.

The fish species is found only in Ire-

land’s five large lakes, and stocks in Lough Derg, Lough Ree and Lough Erne have seriously declined.

The situation has become so bad that a Local Area Species Action Plan has been drawn up by the Clare Biodiversity Forum.

Dr Igoe explained that the neces- sary steps include investigations into the possible impact of hydro-power, pollution and non-native organisms on fish numbers.

Eleven angling clubs which use the lakes and the Lough Derg Sub-Aqua

Club have been supporting the re- search.

“This is very significant as there is no other animal except perhaps the Irish hare, that comes close to this kind of uniqueness when it comes to our wildlife heritage in Ireland,” said Dr Igoe.

Any anglers who come across what they suspect might be a gilaroo trout are being asked to take and freeze a muscle tissue sample so that Dr Igoe can test it to see if the species still OIA

CLARE’S politicians were more concerned with painting far-away lands saffron and blue than green this St Patrick’s Day.

Travelling between New York and Chicago, the county mayor Cllr Pa- tricia McCarthy (Ind) is highlight- ing the need for direct flights into

the west of Ireland and to forge and maintain links.

Yesterday was a sunny day in the Big Apple with a “wind chill factor” and Clare’s first citizen represented the county in the famous New York St Patrick’s Day parade.

Speaking from New York as she prepared to lead the Clare contin- gent in the 40-minute parade, she

outlined the importance of keeping a strong link with the powerful Irish diaspora. “We are here to let people in Chicago and New York know that we are committed to them and grate- ful for their support,’ she said.

Leading the St Patrick’s Day parade in New York was one of its most sen- ior policemen, Michael Collins who has Clare roots.

Cllr McCarthy also met with the New York speaker, Christina Quinn, of Kilmurry McMahon descent, who is expected to run for mayor of the city in a few years time – New York, that is, not Kilmurry McMahon.

Among the other dignitaries met by the mayor was Ed Burke, whose family comes from Labasheeda. Mr Burke is the Chicago alderman and his wife, Anne Burke, is a superior court judge.

Cllr McCarthy also visited the Clare Man’s Association in both cit- ies, aS Well as meeting with the IDA, CIE Tours and Aer Lingus North America’s Jack Foley.

During that meeting, she impressed upon him how a non-direct flight from Shannon to Chicago was be- coming an issue for tourism and business. She said that the Consul General to Chicago, Martin Ryan, also highlighted this issue.

The Consul General to New York was also supportive of any Clare de- velopments, especially as his mother is from Miltown Malbay.

Meanwhile, Fianna Fail TD Timmy Dooley was also in New York yester- day. The Tulla man told

NINE animals at various stages of decay were found in a shed at a west Clare farm when gardai and veteri- nary inspectors visited last summer, a court has heard.

Arising out of the inspection on June 11, 2007, Patrick McCarthy (46), of Cloughauninchy, Quilty, pleaded guilty to two charges.

He admitted permitting carcasses of lifestock to remain unburied in an open shed and also pleaded guilty to

cruelly ill-treating a cow, by allow- ing it to remain in a shed among nine animal carcasses which were at vari- ous stages of decay.

Sergeant Joe Hehir told Miltown Malbay District Court that he went to the accused’s farm accompanied by two veterinary inspectors from the Department of Agriculture.

“We went into a shed at the rear of the house. There were a number of animals in the shed at various stages of decomposition,” he said.

He said there were five animals

dead in one shed and four in anoth- ae

‘There was between four and six inches of slurry in the shed. There was one live cow amongst the other dead animals,” he said.

“It was a very serious matter. The animals were in a very bad state. I think Mr McCarthy let things go,” he said.

He explained to the court that the accused had inherited the farm from his father. He had been transferred to Dublin through work and had got rid

of most of his 100 animals. However he ran into difficulty, said Sgt Hehir.

“His herd started increasing. He was unable to sell them,” he added.

Defending solicitor Grainne Arkins told the court that the only difficulty was with the animals which were housed in a slatted shed.

“It escalated out of my client’s con- trol. He has 10 animals at the mo- ment and doesn’t intend farming in the future,’ she said.

Judge Joseph Mangan fined him €1,200.

MVNO ehEe)e ficially launched by Fr Sean Sexton from Kilnamona last week, 1s a col- lection of the favourite prayers of some of Ireland’s biggest celebrities. The transition-year girls wrote to more than 100 people and received responses from more than 30, who

also described why they liked their particular prayer.

“A school in Athenry put together a similar project for the millennium and after reading that we were in- spired to use that as our fundraising idea,’ said religion teacher Joanne O’Brien.

“It’s not just a prayer book. Peo- ple were asked to contribute their favourite prayer, reflection or piece of scripture and say why they like to and why it is important to them.

“We wrote away to about 100 celeb- rities and about 30 of them responded to us. We have Christy Moore, Miri- am O Callaghan, Joe Duffy, George

Hook, Anthony Foley, a few Clare hurlers, the four TDs in Clare, Dana and even Daniel O’Donnell.

“A lot of effort and work went into it and all of this was done by the transition years.”

All the money raised from the book will go to help fund the work carried out by Pat and Neilus O’Doherty who spent the last year working with children of Pemba in Tanzania.

The O’Dohertys are both retired teachers from the locality who have become involved in many charitable projects Overseas.

Their work in Pemba was chroni- cled monthly last year in the Burren

People.

“We had all wanted to do some fund raising for Pat and Neilus. I had worked with Neilus over in the CBS for the last two years and I knew him since I was a little child through his involvement in athletics. So once I heard that they were going out to Tanzania, I knew that we had to do something,’ continued Joanne.

“The book is going to be on sale in the Lahinch Bookshop, the Friary in Ennis, here in the school and at local A aTED Ke ele O seme lUbANe rhyme

The book retails at €10 each with two available for €15. For more, contact the school on 065 7071224.

A POINT may not have been enough to maintain their challenge for a quarter-final place but essentially, it was more about the performance than the result for Clare on Sunday. An alarming second half collapse against Limerick a week previous could have been detrimental to the young side’s confidence but Clare came out fighting from the first minute against the leaders and man- aged to scrape out a result.

After three games in East Clare, this was Clare’s first competitive out- ing in Cusack Park under Mike Mc- Namara and while the Clare manager was contend with the overall result, he also felt that Clare, bouyed on by momentum, could have snatched all three points in the closing minutes.

“We are at home in Ennis and we’d like to win all our home matches and I think it’s vital that we do. It’s the only match we have played in Ennis this year and that in itself I suppose is disappointing. With five minutes to go, I would have been happy with a draw but certainly at full time, we were pushing for a winner. We lost enough chances probably in the first half to put the game out of reach again but we are creating the chanc- es at least which augers well for the jaUiHeN Kone

Ironically, it was the previously freescoring Tipperary side who found it harder to get scores and hit 13 wides to Clare’s six, a contrast to last week in which Clare hit 16. The

only real downside for Clare was their inability to create clearcut goal chances with two Fergal Lynch op- portunities their only sight of goal over the 70 minutes but McNamara still felt that his young side are ma- turing which can only be encourag- ing for the championship.

“Well we had something like 16 wides last weekend and young Mur- ray [Brian Murray, Limerick goal- keeper] was probably the busiest player on the field. Limerick had a puckout almost every minute and a half last weekend which means we are doing something right and he had seven or eight very good saves as well. Again, to win matches and if you are talking about winning championship matches then we have to start creating goal chances which we are not creating so it is an area of concern and hopefully we will work Oona

“On the other end of the scale, we are improving all the time and that’s all we can ask from the lads. We can harp on about the new lads and all that but they are new and they are young and I think we saw another bit of progression today with some of those.”

Killanena’s Mark Flaherty was one of those young players whom McNa- mara picked out for special praise. Flaherty had been impressive against Galway and Laois scoring 4-20 but had an off day against Limerick last weekend when even his frees weren’t going over. He was back to his best on Sunday though with an 100 per

cent freetaking record, converting ten points and was also a threat from open play.

“All the teams who win All-Ire- lands and Munster titles, in general terms they have a free-taker who puts over something like 95 per cent of frees so we must have that if we are going forward and if we hadn’t that, we would have to sit down and make one so it 1s a huge plus yes.”

The league aside, McNamara has been unerring in his continued fo- cus on Clare’s main aim this season, meeting Waterford in the Munster championship on June |. That day is where he feels everything is be- ing geared for and until then, every game is just more preparation for that greater goal.

“We have to keep our eyes focussed on what happens in June and from there on in. We must present our- selves properly in Munster and we haven’t done that for a long number of years now. We must do that for the Clare people and the public and in- deed the Clare jersey.”

Such is it’s importance to McNa- mara, that the championship game has been mentioned in every inter- view he has done this year. Judge- ment will be saved until then but it seems the pieces are slowly coming together.

IRELAND’S first regional writing centre has opened in Limerick under the auspices of the newly established Shannon Consortium.

The University of Limerick (UL), Mary Immaculate College (MIC), Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) and the Institute of Technol- ogy Tralee (ITT) have joined forces under the Shannon Consortium with the establishment of the centre at University of Limerick.

The centre will work with individ- uals and groups of students to help them develop their writing skills.

The centre was set up to meet the need for a coordinated, systematic approach to the development of writ- ing for both academic and profes- sional purposes.

While writing centres flourish in American universities, the concept is a new one in Ireland. The centre can draw on an established academic writing support programme at MIC and the writing centre and writing research forum at UL.

Fintan O’Toole, who officially launched the centre, said, ““We live at a time when the misuse of language is more deliberate, more organised and more professional than it has ever been.

“Whether it is obfuscation at the tribunals, the spinning of the Iraq war, the marketing of so-called “low fat” foods, or the subtler kind of re-branding that led, for example, to ‘global warming’ becoming the much more benign ‘climate change’, the use of words to obscure realities has become a key tool of power.”

‘Attention to structural and stylis- tic features of a text promotes basic literacy skills and with so much writ- ing done on either a word processor or online, writing promotes IT lit- eracy, according to Professor Don Barry, UL President.

The project was financed from over €18.6 million in Strategic Innova- tion Funding granted to the Shannon Consortium over the past two years. It involves collaboration between language specialists and subject spe- EVA

A GROUP of transition-year stu- dents from the CBS in Ennistymon will represent Clare in the National Mini-Company of the Year competi- tion after winning the county title in SHWE NIM (oe) @

The group, who put together a DVD of scenic scenes from north Clare entitled Iomhanna an Chlair, saw off some competition to take the Clare County Council Enterprise Board Student Enterprise 2008.

“The project is a DVD of still photographs from the north Clare region. The images are set to tradi- tional music and divided into differ- ent sections for the different areas or the county,” said Stephen Conway from Ennistymon.

Each member of the group took a number of photographs representing some of the nicest scenes from their own area.

‘Most of us are from different areas from around north Clare. We had two from Corofin, two from Lahinch one from Ennistymon and one from Lis- doonvarna. So we had a fairly wide knowledge of the area. And then we got the tourist attractions as well like the Cliffs of Moher and the Burren. Each of us took the pictures from our own area,” said Cathal Malone from Bybee

The best pictures were then select- ed and compiled into a DVD.

“We do photography in school so we have a good idea of how to get into it. It was tough enough but we had digital cameras so the quality

was very good. Putting it onto DVD was probably the hardest bit of it,” said Joe Queally of Ennistymon.

To add that extra touch, two of the students composed a number of trad tunes to act as a backdrop for the im- ages. “We are all from around differ- ent parts of the county so we knew a lot of the nice places which would make good pictures. Keith had a spe- GEV B Te CooKe BOOM BE-LONIBCO)IT-T BONE CemNORYYo decided that we wanted to take the photographs and use the musicals tal- ents that we had as well,’ said Declan O’ Loughlin from Lisdoonvarna.

“Declan did one track and I did five others. The first time we tried record- ing them, the quality was fairly bad SO we gave it a second go and that was much better. The music was all original and we played the whole lot

ourselves,’ said Keith O’Loughlin from Corofin.

The group will now do on to repre- sent Clare in the National Finals in Tullamore on May 8, but in the mean time they hope to keep sales kicking over.

“We got it into places like the Falls Hotel where a lot of tourists go. We sold it a good bit around Ennisty- mon and we are hoping to get it into the Cliffs for the start of the tourist season,’ said William Nealon from Sorcery

THERE has been a call for Ennis Town Council to alter proposals for the planned re-development of Fair Green to include a helicopter land- Thohcan oy-1e

An extensive re-development of Tim Smythe Park is being proposed, with consultants already assigned to the project.

The plan would include an enhanced pitch maintenance programme and the improvement of playground fa- cilities with the aim of making the area a more open and family-friendly CIVIC space.

The final stage of redevelopment will involve the upgrading of the pitch adjacent to Steele’s Terrace and the provision of new dressing room ELON D BLA lony

Fine Gael councillor Johnny Flynn is calling for the current plans to be amended to allow for the inclusion of a helicopter landing pad.

There is currently concrete space for helicopters at the Lifford road end of Tim Smythe Park. Cllr Flynn said it was crucial to the health infra- structure of Ennis that a landing pad oem ULEADD NICO

“The current design plans do not make provision for a landing pad.

There is a hard standing area in the northern quarter of the Fair Green where helicopters can land, but I am worried that this will be lost if the plans go ahead as they do now,” he said.

“Particularly with things like spinal injuries, it’s vital we have a helipad close to the hospital that it is easily accessible for ambulances.

‘‘T have asked the town engineer and the consultants to make provision for it in the plans. It’s very important we keep it there. It is a very significant OLSArel Ke) ovaslos sl MM er-lap lowers oelouebNsrcaB bem nsle Fair Green.”

Meanwhile, further developments

are expected at Ennis’s other main sporting facility, Lees Road. The council is currently examining the feasibility of constructing a large indoor facility at Lees Road. Town Manager Tom Coughlan has said that no definite decision has been made on where to locate such a facility. Cllr Tom Glynn (FF) has called for an indoor arena to be built at another location.

Work has already begun on an all-weather running track at Lees Road and it is expected to take three months to complete. Work on a cross- country running track is expected to proceed later this year.

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.”