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THE 2008 Cheltenham Festival will go down in history as a landmark meeting which saw the abandon- ment of racing due to high winds on Wednesday but the main reason last week’s action at Prestbury Park will live long in the memory is due to the brilliant performances from a triumvirate of national hunt stars, Denman, Master Minded and Inglis Drever.

Despite the pressure on the fixture list, the Gold Cup still held onto its’ position as the feature contest on a bumper nine-race card on Friday and it is hard to remember a horse race that was so eagerly anticipated by the racing world. The big clash between Kauto Star and Denman even made its’ way onto the pages of the non- racing papers as the outside public could not resist the engaging battle that was promised between the two chasing stars who are near neigh- bours at the stable of Paul Nicholls.

As many pundits, fronted by Den- man’s ebullient part-owner Harry Findlay, correctly predicted, Den- man’s power and relentless galloping style proved too much for the reign- ing Gold Cup champion who had no answer to the punishing pace set by the eight year-old son of Presenting. The winner of his only point-to-point start for Adrian Maguire at Liscar- roll, County Cork in 2005, Denman (9/4) was settled in second place be- hind his stablemate, Neptune Collon- ges, before taking control under Sam Thomas as the field headed out on the final circuit. A heavily backed 10/11 favourite to claim his second Betfair Million, Kauto Star never looked at ease on the tacky ground and he also made a few uncharacteristic jumping errors in contrast to the impressive fluency of the winner. The much- hyped contest never materialised as Denman had the race won a long way from home and he maintained his unbeaten record over fences with a decisive seven lengths verdict over Kauto Star who stayed on strongly to his credit despite not performing at his best. Neptune Collonges ran a fine race to complete a historic 1-2- 3 for Paul Nicholls, some 25 years

after Michael Dickinson saddled the first five home in the Gold Cup.

It is hard to believe that Denman’s demolition job could be eclipsed by another horse at Cheltenham but that is exactly what happened when Master Minded (3/1) produced a breathtaking performance to turn the Queen Mother Champion Chase into a one-horse race. The French bred five year-old, who raced in the Clive Smith colours of Kauto Star, was sim- ply awesome in the manner in which he brushed aside Voy Por Ustedes by nineteen lengths and Ruby Walsh’s post-race assertion that the winner is a “machine” only confirmed what our eyes had told us that Master Minded has the chasing world at his feet. Paul Nicholls will have a nice headache trying to keep his three stable stars apart next season and the Ditcheat maestro has already hinted that the

Gold Cup principals are unlikely to meet next season until renewing ri- Neb Yar-1 Om Oo Ted ike sDet-beee

Already a dual winner of the race in 2005 and 2007, Inglis Drever wrote his name into the history books when claiming his third World Hurdle title on Thursday. Given a fine ride by the Galway Plate winning jockey, Denis O’Regan, Inglis Drever (11/8f) was many people’s banker of the meet- ing and Howard Johnson’s admira- ble nine year-old did not disappoint his supporters with a typically de- termined performance to hold off a strong challenge from the French horse, Kasbah Bliss with the Eoin Griffin trained Kazal running a cracker back 1n third.

The Champion Hurdle proved a big disappointment for the strong Irish contingent who were seeking to win the opening day’s feature

for the eighth time from the last ten runnings. All seemed to be going to plan when Sizing Europe smoothly moved to the front under Andrew McNamara to challenge at the sec- ond last while last year’s winner, Sublimity, was also travelling well in behind under Philip Carberry. Things changed dramatically in the closing stages however as Sizing Eu- rope capitulated dramatically and it was later discovered that Henry de Bromhead’s six year-old had pulled muscles in his back. The John Carr trained Sublimity could not go through with his challenge on the rain softened ground and it was left to the Alan King trained Katchit to continue his love affair with Chelten- ham with a typically gutsy victory over Osana at odds of 10/1.

The number of Irish trained win- ners was seven at this year’s Festival

which was a respectable tally consid- ering the defeat of many fancied run- ners like Zaarito, Mossbank, Sizing Europe and Wonderkid. The roll of honour for the Irish contingent was Captain Cee Bee (Supreme Nov- ices’ 17/2), Garde Champetre (Cross Country 4/1), Finger Onthe Pulse (Jewson Novices’ 9/1), Cousin Vinny (Champion Bumper 12/1), Fivefor- three (Ballymore Hurdle 7/1), Tiger Cry (Grand Annual 15/2) and Silver Jaro (County Hurdle 50/1).

For Tony Martin, the 2008 Chelten- ham Festival was a meeting he will want to quickly forget. The Meath trainer failed to yield a winner from a powerful string which saw Robin Du Bois (Pertemps Final), Wonderkid (Cross Country Chase) and Psycho (County Hurdle) all head the betting for their respective races while Patsy Hall could only finish fourth after being heavily backed for the Wil- liam Hill Chase on Tuesday. To add insult to injury, Martin’s Coral Cup ante-post favourite, Leg Spinner, was withdrawn due to the softening conditions after the race was moved from Wednesday to Friday. Like a lot of Irish punters, Martin also had to leave Cheltenham with a sour taste in his mouth after Paul Carberry gave Psycho a hugely over-confident ride on the well-backed 5/1 favourite who came from a long way back to beaten less than a length by Tom Hogan’s 50/1 winner, Silver Jaro.

The prizes for leading trainer and jockey at this year’s festival unsur- prisingly went to Paul Nicholls and Ruby Walsh who both recorded three winners while Davy Russell, despite some high profile defeats, also en- joyed a profitable meeting with two winners and three second places. Racing fans can now look forward to the upcoming festivals at Fairy- house, Aintree and Punchestown but thanks to the likes of Denman, Mas- ter Minded and Kauto Star, the an- ticipation is already growing for the 2009 Festival which will seem like an unbearably long wait for many punters.

A COURT has heard that a motor- cyclist is still receiving treatment for injuries sustained in a road collision with a bus last June.

Arising out of the accident on June 30, 2007, bus driver Simon Quinn (51), of St Michael’s Place, Ballya- gran, Limerick, was convicted of

careless driving.

Garda Diarmuid O’Brien told Shannon District Court that a Mr Baker was driving his motorcy- cle and stopped at a stop line at the end of a road at Bothar na Luachra, SJ etbabetoyey ;

He said that a Bus Eireann bus, driven by the defendant, approached from the motorcyclist’s left, indicat-

ed and turned right onto Bothar na BE e Ne

‘The bus cut the corner and collid- ed with Mr Baker,” said the garda.

‘The motorcycle fell to the ground on top of Mr Baker. He received injuries. He is still receiving treat- ment for his injuries,’ said Garda O’Brien.

Defending solicitor Mr Lenihan

said as Mr Quinn was approach- ing the junction, a car was also ap- proaching and he did not see the motorcycle.

He said his client had been driving with Bus Eireann for seven years and previously had driven heavy goods vehicles for 25 years.

Judge Joseph Mangan imposed a fine of €400.

The book, by Jim Corbett, tells the story of the ferocious battle by Re- publican volunteers to hold the bar- racks at Clancy Strand during five days of the Civil War in July 1922.

The officer commanding Clancy

Strand barracks against this bom- bardment was Captain Cornelius McNamara of ‘A’ Company, 2nd Battalion, Mid Limerick Brigade, but known to his men as Connie Mackey.

Between July 15 and 20, 1922 the Republican held barracks was re- peatedly bombarded by sniper, ma- chine gun and mortar fire by Free State troops located at Arthur’s Quay, and lead by Commandant General Michael Brennan, a native

of Meelick.

He led a fierce onslaught against the men led by Connie Mackey. When that failed to dislodge them, the Free State unit turned an 18 pounder Ar- tillery Gun on the barracks. This was the only time a siege gun was used in Limerick since the siege of 1691. Mackey was told to surrender the barracks or be responsible for the loss of life. His response was he would not surrender “while he still had ammunition”.

Even when the four foot front walls had been breached by the nineteen Shells fired…he remained resolute. But they were eventually surrounded after Free State troops also began an assault from behind the barracks.

Only when he realised that further resistance would lead to the loss of the lives of his men did Connie Mackey surrender. But when he did, an ever gracious Commandant Gen- eral Brennan complimented him on the magnificent defence he put up.

THE opening sprint of the Thurs- day’s night card at Galway was race number two for S10 graders and here the good recent run of the John Fit- zgerald kennel of Kilrush continued as his Ler Peepers a daughter of Match Up and Cranny Droopys came home a length to the good over Lor- rha Pepsi (T3) in 18.53.

The winner wearing the red jacket trailed Lisnaculla Shaw (T6) early doors but she was in control roun- deing the opening bend before eas- ily holding the late effort of Lorrha oe

The night’s entertainment opened

with an N2 graded 525 for which Shyan

Matilda (T4) owned by the Callin- ans of Kilmihil was sent of favour- ite and although she was away well enough she was outpaced into the Opening corner by the John Gleeson owned Greenlane Saving who led by a length turning down the far side.

Racing past halfway the the gap was two lengths and although Shyan Matilda closed between the final two bends Greenlane Saving(Top Sav- ings-Rushmore Spiral) won hand- somely by one and a half lengths in PESTO

The eighth contest on Fridays pro- eramme was an A3 graded 525 and

from traps Devon Hero (T3) Crag- brien Magic (T5) and Got Derailed (T6) all came away well and they raced line abrest to the opening cor- ner where the Martin Cronin/Jack

Markham of Ennis owned Cragbr- ien Magis grabbed the initiative and the rail berth to lead his rivals as the turned down the far side.

Racing past halfway Cragbrien Magc led by three lengths from Got Derailed who was now looking the only danger but the son of Top Honcho and Greencroft Magic kept the lead at three lengths all the way home in a time of 29.28.

The ninth contest was an A graded 550 in which Burnpark Duke cake

in as reserve in trap five and he was well supported in the ring from 2/1 to 5/4 and he certainly delivered for his Supporters as he came home three lengths clear of Maninthemiddle in 30.45. On the long run to the open- ing corner Hold Te Head(T3) led from Maninthemiddle with Burn- park Duke improving rapidly on the outside rounding the opening bend.

Racing down the back the David Browne of Kilrush owned Burnpark Duke (Top Honcho-Burnpark Cuck- 00) stretched clear and as he exited the back straight he was “home for all money”’ as he stretched clear for victory would not be denied as she gained her second success.

Race number seven at the Col- lage Road Venue on Saturday Night was for A4 graders where the Frank Browne of Quin owned Mine Dyna- mite never saw another rival as she blew away with a real burst of early pace on her way to a six length victo- ry over Unique Express (T3) in 29.44. The winner a son of Honcho Classic and Belindas Hill led by two lengths at the opening corner from Lingrawn Ger (T2) and Unique Express (T3) and with the remainder involved in crowding behind the front three had it between them turning down the back. Racing towards the third bend Mine Dynamite led by three lengths from Unique

A PROSECUTION taken against a couple accused of assaulting their wheelchair-bound children was with- drawn by the State, after some of the case was heard in court last week.

Martin and Mary Browne of Knockbeg, Kilmihil, had denied as- saulting their wheelchair-bound son and daughter, aged 23 and 17, in the carpark of the West County Hotel, Ennis, on July 15, 2007.

Witness Gillian O’Gorman_ told Miltown Malbay District Court that she was sitting in the lobby of the hotel when she saw a family with two young adults who were both in wheelchairs.

She said the family’s car was parked in a disabled zone and the parents were attempting to put the two young adults into the vehicle.

“The girl didn’t have the ability to communicate. They didn’t have full control of themselves,” said Ms O’Gorman. She said the girl seemed “agitated”.

She said she saw the parents slap- ping the young adults while loading them into the vehicle.

“IT thought the force used was exces- Sive,’ she said. She said she took the registration of the vehicle and made a complaint at Ennis Garda Station.

Defending solicitor Bote O’Kelly put it to the witness, “You made assumptions about the treat- ment of them. Why didn’t you go to the hotel manager? If you were that

concerned why didn’t you go out and intervene?”

She replied, “I was one person. I don’t think anything good would have come of that.”

Mr O’Kelly said that the two young people’s conditions are such that “they are subject to spasm and they jerk a lot. They have to be physically restrained.”

The witness replied, ““There’s a ditf- ference between physically restrain- ing and walloping someone. What I saw was not acceptable. Whatever was happening, the force was exces- sive.”

Mary Browne told the court that both of her children were born with a very rare disease. She said on the date in question, her son started laughing and this upset her daughter. She then got agitated and started jerking in her wheelchair at the hotel.

She said she had to move her daugh- ter’s head to get her into the vehicle.

Asked by her solicitor did she slap the children, she replied, “No. I’ve never slapped the children.”

Mr O’Kelly said Ms Browne has been honoured by President Mary McAleese for her care of the chil- Clone

While giving evidence, Ms Browne broke down in tears. Inspector Tom Kennedy said, “In the light of the evidence presented, the State will withdraw the prosecution.”

Judge Mangan pointed out that the witness was “perfectly justified in doing what she did”’.

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.