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AN eight-month jail term has been handed down to a man who lashed out at two cars in Kilkishen, caus- ing more than €3,500 damage in the Reet

Before Tulla District Court was James Delaney (21), of Waterpark Heights, Ennis, charged with damag- ing two cars, on May 20, 2007.

Garda Michael Mulryan told the court that when he arrived on the

scene, a row was in progress, involv- ing two men and two women.

He said two cars which were near- by had been damaged. The owners approached the garda and told them that Delaney was the culprit.

He said that the accused was intox1- cated and had his shirt off.

The owner of one of the cars, Tommy Bentley, told the court he heard commotion outside his house. He looked out and saw a row taking je e-leror

He said that more than €3,000 damage had been done to his car.

He said his two young children were also looking out the window and saw the incident.

Ms Godfrey apologised to Mr Bentley on behalf of her client. He replied, “I know that but this car is after costing me €3,000.”

Denise Marsh, whose car was also damaged by Delaney, said she looked out the window of her home and saw the accused “circling the cars.

He was pounding on my car. He kicked out with his legs.” €240 dam- age was caused to her car.

The court was told that the total damage to the cars amounted to €3,561.54. Ms Godfrey said her cli- ent “had something of a blow-out.”

Judge Joseph Mangan jailed De- laney for eight months and fixed a bond in the event of an appeal.

He was unable to meet the recog- nisances of €2,000 and was taken to prison.

RELIEF is in sight for long-suffer- ing residents of St Louis Villas in Killaloe after a local councillor was promised that works will be done to alleviate flooding in the area.

Cllr Tony O’Brien asked the en- gineering section of Clare County Council what could be done as the area has been badly flooded on a number of occasion in recent times.

“I asked that they explore getting funding for the project under the housing regeneration programme. People have put up with a lot in those houses because of flooding and it has to be sorted,’ the councillor said.

Senior Executive Engineer, Sean

Lenihan told the councillor that works will be done to stop the flood- waters rising in the villas.

He told Cllr O’Brien that funding would be found and the works com- pleted. The councillor was also given good news on a number of other mat- ters he raised in relation to the lake- side town.

“T’ve also been given assurances that work will be carried out on re- surfacing the road between the GAA field and Ballheigue Bridge. It has been completely worn away and it’s in a terrible state.”

There was also good news for east Clare councillor Pascal Fitzgerald who had asked that additional light- ing be put in place at the top of Par-

teen village “as this is a health and safety hazard at night”.

Mr Lenihan said that “following an inspection, I am satisfied that the necessary lighting infrastructure is in place in the area referred to. I will however, follow up to ensure that all lamps are working and if higher wattage bulbs are required to 1m- prove the situation there.”

Cllr Fitzgerald also called on the director of services to ensure that new road markings be put in place at Griffins Cross and Larkins Cross, Parteen as soon as possible.

The senior executive engineer said that “the members will be aware that our application for funding under the Low Cost Safety Scheme for 2008

for the much needed improvement works at Griffins Cross was success- ful. These works will be carried out in the coming months.”

He added that regarding Larkins Cross, “it 1S accepted that works are required here due primarily to the large volumes of traffic and re- cent infrastructure carried out in the area. It would not make any sense to upgrade the road surface and then shortly after come back and dig it up to lay water and sewer services. Having said that, I do accept that the works can’t be put off for much long- er. We will be reviewing the situation there shortly and in the meantime, maintenance works will be carried out.”

FARMERS across Clare are being urged to consider renovating farm outbuildings on their lands.

Clare County Council’s Conserva- tion Officer said that a newly intro- duced grant aid scheme ensured that a number of traditional farm build- ings, which contribute to the visual landscape and are of historical and architectural value, would be main- tained into the future.

The Heritage Council will oper- ate the Traditional Farm Buildings Scheme for REPS4 farmers, on be- half of the Department of Agricul- ture, Fisheries and Food.

“There is a significant gap in aware-

ness when it comes to our agricultur- al heritage despite its fundamental impact on the socio-economic de- velopment of this county throughout the last number of centuries,’ said Clare conservation officer Risteard Ua Croinin.

“It is imperative that we do not lose sight of the fact that agriculture has played a significant role in County Clare’s history.

“The many hundreds of outbuild- ings located on the county’s farms are a cogent reminder of this long as- sociation with the land. The scheme for REPS 4 farmers, therefore, presents an ideal opportunity to pre- serve these buildings.

“Most farm buildings constructed

prior to 1940 are stone structures and feature a slate, thatch or galvanised roof. Therefore, most of the build- ings being targeted by the scheme range between 60 and 400 years old.”

One of the main criteria of the scheme is whether a building im- proves the appearance of the land- scape. The criteria also state that the quality of the proposed building works must be of a high standard. For example, slated buildings must be renovated using natural quarry slate and hydraulic lime must be used in place of cement.

“The scheme also requires that all repaired buildings must be utilised by farmers in their day-to-day work.

This should be looked upon posi- tively by farmers who will enjoy real practical benefits out of undertaking repair work on the buildings,’ con- tinued Mr Ua Croinin.

‘Anyone wishing to apply for grant aid funding under the scheme must provide still photographs of the in- terior and exterior of the building in eLbCeri ale) eF

“These photographs should focus specifically on the parts of the build- ing in need of repair.”

The closing date for receipt of ap- plication is Monday, 31st March, 2008. For more information on the Traditional Farm Buildings Scheme contact the Grants Office, Heritage Council, Kilkenny, at 056-7770777.

THE actions of aman who broke into a church and beauticians in Sixmile- bridge were fuelled by his addiction to heroin, according to his solicitor.

Michael Desmond (26), of St Munchin’s Street, St Mary’s Park, Limerick, pleaded guilty to enter- ing St Finnachta’s church, Sixmileb- ridge, as a trespasser with intent to commit theft, on May 22, 2007.

He also admitted breaking into a beauty salon in Sixmiulebridge on the same date.

Desmond also pleaded guilty to possession of a knife and two counts of criminal damage.

Inspector Tom Kennedy told En- nis District Court on Friday that at 1.30pm on the date in question the church caretaker found Desmond in the sacristy.

He fled from the church when he saw her and had kicked the door of the sacristy, said the inspector.

“Gardai had a description of Mr Desmond and his accomplice and had a number of a car. Gardai discovered Mr Desmond on the street. At that stage he had broken into a beauty sa- lon,” said Inspector Kennedy.

He said that at the beauty salon, Desmond had tried to force open a door, but did not take anything.

“He was found in possession of a Stanley knife, the type of knife you’d use for cutting carpet,’ he said.

Desmond had 57 previous convic-

tions, the first of which was regis- tered in 1996. They included convic- tions for burglary, criminal damage and motoring offences.

“I can’t say anything really positive about Mr Desmond. He has a des- perately bad record,” said Inspector Kennedy.

Defending solicitor Tara Godfrey said her client was “probably about 13 when he first got into trouble.”

She said that when asked by gardai why he committed the offences, he said, “to try and help my habit, until I get treated.”

She said her client had been free of heroin for the past seven or eight months.

‘He is undergoing urine testing at the moment at Limerick Prison. It’s not impossible to get heroin in Lim- erick Prison, but he is not using it,” she said.

She said when he went into custody last year, he was just seven stone but now weighs 15-and-a-half stone.

‘He is off the heroin. He’s doing his best. Physically he is recovering,” she said.

“It was a day of complete madness, which was fuelled by his heroin ad- diction,’ she added.

Judge Joseph Mangan imposed jail sentences totalling 15 months and fixed a bond in the event of an ap- peal.

A NEW pilot scheme to bring people to east Clare on holidays where they can learn traditional skills and crafts is being launched this summer.

The Centre for Environmental Liv- ing and Training, CELT are now ex- panding their operations to include new initiatives.

CELT are now offering eco-holi- days where visitors can learn a tra- ditional skill for three days, enjoy a guided woodland walk, or take a day off, then learn a second skill for two more days, creating a package week’s holiday.

Skills included are of the kind that CELT usually offer in one of their

bigger camps, such as blacksmith- ing, weaving, basket-making, chair- making or other crafts.

“We have put together packages that will suit all budgets, whether people want to do bed and breakfast, camp, self-cater or stay in a hostel,” said CELT administrator, Sarah Thomson.

The organisation is also booking beds in B&B’s locally which use eco-friendly practices, such as com- posting recycling or eco-friendly cleaning products.

“We’ve brought a lot of visitors into the area with our weekends in the woods but this is a different pack- age, which will give people a chance to come for just a few days and pick

and choose the courses they want,’ Ce RCOMmO YD eT Oe

The visitors will be encouraged to visit local pub traditional music ses- sions, sports events, fairs and other activities.

The eco-holidays are being adver- tised both at home and abroad and a representative of CELT is travelling to Poland this week to promote the package.

There is also an option for visitors to simply book one of the skills train- ing courses and sort out the rest of the holiday for themselves, for which CELT will provide suggestions and recommendations.

“We will be starting the first of the holidays in May and we already have

bookings for June, so we are hoping this will take off. At the moment, we’re still tweaking the details and making a list of accommodation op- tions which use eco-friendly prac- tices. We’ve had a lot of interest and co-operation and once the eco-holi- days are up and running for a while, we will have a better idea of which courses and packages are most popu- lar,’ said Sarah.

For further information on the CELT eco-holiday package contact Sarah or Bob on 061 640765 on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursday between 10am and 3pm. You can also email enquiries to info@celtnet. org or visit the website on www.celt- net.org.

THE majority of employers agree that training and skills development is a ALE ERCLo)eayoLeyelos tL MEO MNMSLomeleayodle)oyeatonle of a business in today’s fast moving economic environment. Training and skill’s development serve to motivate and engage staff and build moral within the team all which positively impacts on the bottom line.

Clare Campus Skillnet 1s promot- ed by Clare College of Further and Higher Education Ltd, and has been established to address the training and skills needs amongst businesses in all sectors and industries. It aims to provide flexibility, innovative, clear and succinct certified training programmes at affordable prices while developing networking prac- tices amongst network members.

Clare Campus Skillnet provides op- portunities for:

e Business co-operation, alliances and networks

e Substantially reduced Business Training Costs

e Business to achieve economies of scale, scope and speed in the devel- opment and delivery of training

e Learning from others and share best practice

e The creation of strategic alliances in your area

¢ Growth and personal development of your workforce

¢ New business opportunities

Why become involved?

¢ Highest quality FETAC/HETAC accredited. training delivered by expert

e Credits awarded for training pro- grammes completed

¢ Opportunity to collect credit towards a Qualification

e Practical and workbased projects

incorporated into training pro- erammes

e Accreditation of prior learning where appropriate.

What’s involved?

¢ Minimum 60 per cent subsidised DeeDb Ope NTSs

¢ Networking opportunities for companies and businesses to share best practice

e Certified Training on the National Framework for Qualifications

e The practice is in line with recom- mendations of the 5th expert skills group-to increase numbers of people in the workforce in Clare with qualifications from level four to nine on the NFQ.

e This is Enterprise working for En- terprise-Clare Campus Skillnet will be run by the steering committee chosen from member companies

e Members identify training require- ments, appropriate intervention, supported by a professional network nervereRexo we

Sinead Mellett is the new network manager, she has a number of years experience working on international research in the area of learning and small and medium enterprises, she has a Masters in Technology Man- agement from the University of Lim- erick and is completing a PhD in the area of eLearning and small medium enterprises.

Ina Reddan, network administrator, worked for many years in Shannon Development in both a Project and Marketing capacity in Small Busi- ness Development.

For further information contact Adult Education Centre, Clon- road Business Park, Ennis. Sine- ad Mellett, Network Manager, sinead@clarecampus.org or Ina Reddan, Network Administrator, inareddan@clarecampus.org.

TWO members of the Travelling community have appeared in court, A ik-NEKeCO MAINO MBE OL Sseec DUN am Oy: Du On ITcam belo caravans on Ennis Town Council erounds almost six years ago.

The two men, aged 34 and 24, were prosecuted under the Housing Mis-

cellaneous Provisions Act, which was introduced in 2002.

Inspector Tom Kennedy told the court that this case dated back to 2002 and related to the parking of caravans on lands owned by Ennis seam eeiiale

The court heard that both men pleaded guilty to two charges each,

of parking their vans at Drumbig- gle, Ennis, without the consent of the owner of the lands.

Their solicitor said they had no- where else to go.

“My clients didn’t have anywhere to live at the time. They found it dif- ficult to find accommodation,” he Said.

“They were living on the side of the road at the time. They lived as Trav- ellers always had done, on the side of the road,’ he added.

He said that the two men now lived with their families in houses and want to “move on”.

‘Was this in the form of a protest?” Judge Joseph Mangan asked.

The solicitor replied, “No, there was no protest involved.”

Inspector Kennedy said the legisla- tion was brought into effect because of illegal parking.

“This was one of the first cases,’ he said. The judge dismissed the charg- es under the Probation of Offenders aoe

MEELICK GAA club is celebrating having acquired the first defibrillator for their grounds and for the village itself.

Thanks to the very generous spon- sorship of ex-player and successful business man Joe McNamara, Meel- ick GAA Club have acquired a de- fibrillator and are in the process of arranging training for it.

Treasurer Seamus Speight said he would like to “thank Joe for his very generous sponsorship that enables the club to provide a very important service to the community. We also

have plans to increase the number of both defibrillators and qualified peo- ple to use it in the near future.”

Club PRO, Cathal Sherlock, said that getting the potentially life-sav- ing device is part of the club’s on- going effort to have state-of-the-art health and safety procedures.

“We already have a number of peo- ple trained in first aid and this is an extension of that,’ said Cathal.

“We’re delighted that we have this facility for the community now and we will be continuing our fundrais- ing to get a second one. The current defibrillator will probably be kept at the club as that is a fairly central

point for the whole community,” said OFTHE

Meanwhile, the club is opening a challenge to have members and sup- porters design the new club crest.

“This competition is open to all but we would especially like to see entries from families. The design 1s completely up to those entering, the committee will make the final deci- sion,’ Cathal said.

The prize is a E100 one4all voucher. Many of the entries will be displayed on the new website Meelick.Clare. GAA.ie. Entries need to be submit- ted before Good Friday, March 21.

Entries can be handed in to teach-

ers in Meelick National School or any club officer. They can also be e-mailed to MeelickPhysicalTherapy @gmail.com. Alternatively, you can post your design to Cathal Sherlock, Knockalisheen, Meelick. Club offic- ers include Padraic O’Brien, Seamus Speight, Mike Mulvihill, Ray Ryan and Cathal Sherlock.

The club would also like to thank the following sponsors for their gen- erosity throughout the year. Squire Maguires, Mojo’s, Pat Russell, Brendan Healy, Gerry Markham, Frank Quinn, Bobby O’Connell, Ca- thal Sherlock and Dermot Fahy in Guinness.

ANGLERS are being asked to help scientists to determine whether re- ports of two rare species of fish are anything more than tall fisherman’s tales.

Scientists fear that Lough Derg has lost two species – gillaroo 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 possibility that gillaroo trout no longer exist in

Lough Derg.

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

Despite co-operation to help find the two species from all of the an- gling clubs in Lough Derg, there have been just two pollan netted as part of a fish biodiversity study of the ENC

Dr Igoe said that reports in old an- gling literature point to the gillaroo being common in the lake 100 years ago. He wants to determine why they are so scarce today and what has

happened to account for this.

Dr Igoe 1s appealing to anglers who land trout which have a gillaroo ap- pearance to freeze a sample of mus- cle tissue so that his team can test it to determine whether or not it is the rare species.

The doctor is director of the Lough Derg Native Fish Biodiversity Project which is looking at ways of protect- ing uniquely genetic trout and pollan in the lake.

Dr Paulo Prodohl, a geneticist with Queen’s University in Belfast who is also involved in the project, says that

the Lough Derg pollan appear to be a unique species but the tiny number of sightings would raise the spectre OMe, cans TeLe Levee

Algal bloom has been fingered as the possible culprit behind declining fish numbers. The toxic bloom caus- es a reduction in the oxygen content of the water which can lead to fish and isy

According to marine biologist Dr Dan Munchin, rising lake tempera- tures associated with global warming are also creating conditions which are difficult for native species.

TWO women who invested in a Kil- laloe bed and breakfast business to- gether appeared before the Circuit Court last week to settle a row about entitlements to the house they had shared.

The Ennis Circuit Court heard that plaintiff, Margaret Barnett and respondent, Maureen Ryan began a relationship when they met while working in a Limerick hotel and lat- er, moved in together.

Ms Barnett told the court that she raised a number of mortgages on her home at The Green in Killaloe to help refurbish Ballyheefy House in Killaloe and to pay debts which

arose out of their business there.

Ms Barnett told her legal counsel, Philip Moloney BL, that she had con- tinued to work outside of the bed and breakfast business and had let her house at The Green so that the couple would have an income.

Judge Rory MacCabe heard that Ballyheefy House had been pur- chased by Ms Ryan out of the pro- ceeds of the sale of another house.

Ms Barnett applied to the court for relief because, she said, she had raised money through mortgaging her own home to finance Ballyheefy and she wanted this money back now that the relationship had ended.

Ms Ryan counter sued, alleging damage and tresspass against Ms

Jeybwsteam

Judge MacCabe said that Ms Bar- nett could not succeed in her claim, as even allowing for all her evidence of the money she had spent “this was money which had been spent on the LURID AL ehiSiae

Peter Clein BL for Ms Ryan said the counter-claim was withdrawn. The judge said that he would make no order as to costs.

“In a different situation, if people had a personal relationship which broke down, the case would be heard in camera. Matters which would normally have been heard in pri- vate have been vented in public and both parties have suffered because of this,” he said.