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THE new €2.7 million extension to Cahercalla Community Hospital of- ficially opened its doors in Ennis on JDulerne

The development at Cahercalla Community Hospice and Nursing Home will bring the number of beds at the facility to 129, consisting of 103. nursing home/convalescence beds; lO hospice beds, seven set- down hospice beds and nine beds for the day surgery and out-patients clinic.

The facility provides a_ state-of- the-art hospice unit with 10 private rooms, social space looking out onto gardens, a family room which can provide overnight accommodation for relatives of patients and a kitchen.

Ten further beds are being pro- vided for the nursing home and the seven beds, which previously served as hospice beds, are now to be used as step-down hospice beds.

The extension was officially opened by Minister for Older People, Maire Hoctor.

Paying tribute to the dedication of

all volunteers who contributed to the project, Ms Hoctor said the extension could only serve to enhance Caher- calla’s already excellent reputation. She said, “I would like to acknowl- edge the generosity in terms of time and money invested by all those in these fundraising activities. I am deeply impressed by the commit- ment and dedication of all those working here. I congratulate each and every one of you involved in this development. The increased capacity will allow Cahercalla to build on its good name and, most importantly,

enhance its caring role and make a difference to the lives of even more individuals and families.”

Demand for hospice care has been a key feature of the growth of the hospital and its services. In 1999, the number of hospice admissions was 50 and that figure had risen to 70 per year by 2002. To date, over 1,000 people have received hospice care at Cr toerlee

Fr Harry Bohan, Chairman of the Board of Directors said Cahercalla Community Hospital said, “A com- munity 1s looking after its own by

providing within reach services for our ailing and old. The quality of the services here at Cahercalla 1s re- flected in the number of admissions from counties Sligo, Mayo, Kerry, ANIC Me Blo) oo e-v as

Cahercalla is chosen because pa- tients can be treated faster than in their own areas. So the process at Cahercalla is easing the waiting lists pressures on other areas.”

Built by O’Brien’s Builders of Mil- town Malbay, construction started on the extension in November 2006 and was completed in December 2007.

THE people of north Clare are being offered the chance to take advantage of the newly refurbished community space in Kilfenora.

The newly upgraded Kilfenora Community Centre will be formally re-opened this Friday evening and the centres committee is inviting lo- cal people along to see what the cen- tre has to offer.

“We already have badminton, set dancing, youth club, music, trad for teens, step dancing and we have the fitness club. There is lots on already but if anyone out there is interested in any other activities the should get in contact with myself or any mem- ber of the committee and we’d love

to help out,’ said chairperson, Pat aerator

“We also have a long tradition of boxing here in the hall. It’s been going here for years and they have achieved a lot of success over that apes lone

The hall committee has secured a number of grants for the hall, most notably a €30,000 grant from Clare County Council through the Com- munity Capital Scheme and has un- dergone fundraising activities.

The hope now is that the venue can become self financing before the end of the year.

‘We have done well with the grants and got some help from the local businesses. Our main fundraiser for the hall is our bring-and-buy sale

which takes place at Christmas. We use that to finance insurance, light and heat costs,” continued Pat.

“We hope that the hall can become self financing by the end of this year. We are looking at introducing a nom- inal fee, maybe a euro per head per hour, which would cover the basics of heat and light. Hopefully, if we get enough people involved we wont need to go fundraising anymore, it will be able to fund itself.”

Local councillor, Joe Arkins (FG) said the council funding was partly as a result of an increase in social hous- ing in the area over recent years.

“The hall at Kilfenora was badly in need of upgrading and is used by many orginisations in the commu- nity. The north Clare area committee

considered a number of worthwhile proposals. The members agreed on the Kilfenora proposal because it clearly met the criteria of the Social and Community Capital Scheme,” he said

The hall will be officially reopened this Friday, March 14, at 7pm. Any- one interested in organising or taking part in activities in the hall should contact Pat Keane on 086 8127903.

AN elderly man, who was seriously injured in a fire at his home near Feakle last week, has died in hospital in the second fatal house fire in the county in less than week.

Brendan McNamara (73) of Magh- erabawn, Feakle died at University College Hospital Galway on Friday evening from injuries he sustained in a fire at his home last weekend. Mr McNamara was related to a 79 year woman who died in a fire at her home near O’Callaghans Mills last Wednesday night.

WZ Da CONE Reekcverc MUI e-DDaUsLO mB ODRCMB DONEC ries as he was trying to light the fire in his living room possibly using a flammable liquid. The fire got of control setting the pensioner’s cloth- ing alight. He was rushed to Ennis General Hospital for treatment but was later transferred to UCHG where he passed away on Friday evening – almost a week after the incident.

Mr Namara was a cousin of Mary ‘Molly’ Carey who died after she

reportedly re-entered her burning home at Clonloum House, O’ Cal- laghans Mills last Wednesday and attempted to extinguish the fire her- self. She was overcome by smoke and died at the scene.

The popular local woman is sur- vived by two sons and a daughter. A week before her death, she was elect- ed President of the O’ Callaghans Mills Fianna Fail cumann.

Mr McNamara’s funeral took place yesterday (Monday) following 11.30 mass at St Mary’s Church in Feakle. Both victims lived just 18 kilometres from each other.

Local councillor Pat Hayes said, “We were shocked by Molly Carey’s death on Wednesday but to hear of the passing of Brendan McNamara at the weekend is a double tragedy for both communities and their fami- lies. Brendan was a great traditional singer and would travel to many of the regular local sessions. He par- ticipated in the Feakle Traditional Music Festival and everyone looked forward to his singing.

FUNDRAISING targets at Caher- calla Community Hospital are set to rise to €500,000 per year.

Speaking at the opening of the new €2.7 million extension at Cahercalla on Friday, fundraising co-ordina- tor Mary Moloney said a decision had been made to increase the target from €300,000 to €500,000.

She said, “All in all, we estimate that there are about 1,000 people giving time and effort in voluntary Support to the cause and its funding. With hospice care expanded to 10 beds, each of which costs €75,000 in overheads, the fundraising target has now increased from €300,000 to half a million euro per year.

“This presents us with an immense challenge and we are now, more than

ever, dependent on our volunteers, supporters and fundraisers to rise to this enormous task with us.”

Ms Moloney also revealed some of the unusual approaches to giving she has encountered in her seven years as fundraising co-ordinator for the Cahercalla hospice initiative. Caher- calla and a children’s hospital both benefitted substantially when a cou- ple decided to mark the occasion by donating their wedding gifts to the two good causes of their choice.

She said, “People are also making happy occasions a time for giving and thinking of those whose lives have been plunged into sadness.”

The mainstay support for Cahercal- la Hospice is the weekly draw which has been running for seven years and is supported by over 1,400 people every week.

FINAL parades are being made across the Burren region for St Pad- dy’s Day with a number of quality parades in store for locals. Both Gort and Fanore are getting in early by hosting their parades before the big day itself.

Recognised as one of the smallest but best parades in the county, the Fanore Parade will take place on Saturday, March 15, from 12.30pm. The parade will assembly in the car park of Fanore Beach before making it’s way through the village.

Anyone interested in taking part should contact Kevin McCormack or

Anne Pilkington locally.

Parade fever hits Gort on Sunday loth March and the parade organi- sational committee are appealing for helpers to act as stewards for the day. The parade has grown in recent years and more help is now needed to make sure that everything goes off smoothly.

It has also been announced that Gort native and Galway hurling leg- end, Sylvie Linnane, will act as mar- shall for this years event.

The Band of the 4th Western Bri- gade have also been confirmed for the parade as has St Patrick’s Pipe Band from Tulla under conductor Sean Leamy.

The parade will start with the blessing of the shamrock outside the church immediately after 12.15pm mass before the shamrock is distrib- uted to members of the Gort Reserve Defence Force.

The parade will proceed through the Square and after going through Bridge Street, children’s groups will turn right at Supermac’s Corner and return via Church Walk.

The theme of this years parade is myth and legend, and a number ind1- vidual and street theatre entries have already been entered with the chil- dren’s art workshops re-enacting the Little Folk and the Children of Lir.

Entries can either be on foot or on

floats. However entrants are asked not to use long or wide vehicles or throw items from them for reasons of safety. Vintage cars, tractors and a threshing exhibition by Francis Lin- nane will also take place.

After the parade Gort Fire and Res- cue Service under John Lally, Station Officer, will simulate a motor acci- dent rescue scene.

On Saturday, Sean-Nos_ Danc- ing workshops will take place from 10.30am to 4.30pm in the Lady Gre- gory Hotel.

There will also give an exhibition of dancing at a Ceili with music pro- vided by Donie Nolan and Taylor’s Sivese

revealed how young children were wreaking havoc in communi- ties across the county.

Drug abuse, robbing other chil- dren, damaging schools and cars and intimidating others were among the main offences for which young chil- dren were caught.

Children from the age of just seven are getting involved in crime. While those very young children mainly engage in petty crime, the serious- ness of the offences intensifies as those children progress to their early Kote he

The problems grow when young children get their hands on illegal drugs and they then lose all control.

Agencies say that factors including lack of parental control and lack of suitable community services con-

tribute to the problems facing young children at risk. The children’s court is testament to

this on a weekly basis. One particu- lar tragic case in recent weeks once again highlighted the failings in the

system. A 16-year-old boy from Ennis re- turned to his home, having spent

over a year at Oberstown boys centre for young offenders.

The boy, who has at least two dozen previous convictions, deteriorated quickly after his release to his fam- ily home.

It wasn’t long before he began to re- offend and quickly found himself in court, after he broke into a business in Ennis and kicking mirrors on two cars in his neighbourhood.

The boy’s mother didn’t attend the court sitting and both the State and the boy’s solicitor expressed their concerns that she didn’t turn up to support the teen.

A member of staff at the boys’ cen- tre spoke out and said the boy had made significant progress at Obers- town, but a lot of the good work was undone, on his discharge from there.

There was demand for his bed and Oberstown staff felt they had “exhausted” what they could do for him.

Clare Youth Services agreed that there was no support for the boy at home. He was sentenced to a term at St Patrick’s Institution.

His case highlighted inadequacies in the family system, but every case is different. One thread is constant in the majority of young troublemakers’ cases – some aspect of society has failed. An overhaul is long overdue.

PUBLIC patients in Clare are wait- ing up to a year for a critical lifesav- ing test.

It emerged this week that Clare patients referred to the University College Hospital Galway for colon- OScopy examinations are waiting up to 12 months.

Those referred to the Mid Western Regional Hospital Limerick for these crucial tests to determine life-threat- ening diseases such as bowl cancer are waiting up to nine months.

Urgent referals to the Limerick hos- pital are seen within “two to three” weeks, while urgent referrals to UCHG are “prioritised”.

Last October Kilkenny woman Su- sie Long died from bowl cancer.

The brave woman had highlight- ed how a seven-month wait for her colonoscopy meant that it was too late when her cancer was detected.

Shortly after her death, the govern- ment vowed that such a fatal delay would never occur again, but yet the waiting list remains.

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ing the waiting lists to see if those on the waiting lists still require the test and then assessing patients for the Treatment Purchase Fund.

Colonoscopy is the endoscopic examination of the large colon and of the small bowel with a fibre op- tic camera on a flexible tube passed through the anus. It can provide a visual diagnosis and grants the op- portunity for biopsy or removal of suspected lesions.

Meanwhile the Irish Country Wom- an’s Association 1s also critical of de- lays in the healthy service.

The ICA is to discuss waiting times of up to two years in Limerick for mammogrammes for woman who are concerned but have no obvious Symptoms of breast cancer at its na- tional meeting in Cork on Saturday.

The meeting will also discuss the delays in the publication of enquiries into breast cancer services in Limer- ick, Galway and Portlaoise, including the report into the misdiagnoses of Killaloe woman Rebecca O’ Malley.

After learning that, for ‘legal rea- sons’, the release of the HIQA report into her breast cancer misdiagnosis

has now been delayed for a third time in as many months, the mother of three is demanding that the ability of individuals or groups within our health services to delay or block the publication of independent reports that deal with issues relevant to pa- tient safety, should be severely cur- Aer!

“It really makes me despair that any recommendations within the re- port into my case still cannot be im- plemented,’ said Ms O’ Malley.

The report was initially to be pub- lished on December 17.

LIMERICK City Council was yes- terday accused of seeking to achieve a boundary extension by stealth through purchasing houses for peo- ple on its housing list in south-east ETc

Fianna Fail TD Timmy Dooley said the policy was “unacceptable” and that the council’s actions had the potential to create local authority ghettos.

“Clare County Council carefully implements a housing policy of en- suring there is a spread of local au- thority tenants in housing estates in the interests of social harmony.

‘However, if Limerick City Coun- cil is purchasing in these areas you won’t get the balance right. What Limerick City Council is doing is en- tirely wrong. It is not acceptable and should not be seen as a solution to the

problems that Limerick City Council eke

“Where do you stop with this? Will Limerick City Council be able to purchase homes in Dublin? The mat- ter needs to be regulated and legisla- tion may be needed.”

Clare County Council has written to the Limerick City Council Man- ager, [om Mackey, on the matter.

The Clare letter asked to know Where the houses had been pur- chased.

In response, Mr Mackey stated, “You will appreciate that in the inter- ests of both protecting people’s right to privacy and in promoting social integration, it would not be appropri- ate for me to make public the details requested by your council.”

Cllr Cathal Crowe (FF) of Meelick said, “If Limerick City Council is ex- porting into Clare the small minority of families that have been causing

trouble, it would be met with staunch Opposition.

“However, as a councillor in the area, I would be the first to welcome genuine people into the community fabric in south-east Clare.

“It is regrettable that Limerick City Council could not have been more honest and forthright in relation to its policy.”

Describing Limerick City Council’s attitude as “cavalier”, Cllr Crowe said that he believed that Limerick City Council had purchased up to seven homes in Westbury.

“I believe that the city council has enquired about purchasing homes in Clonlara, Meelick, Parteen and Ard- nacrusha,” he said.

Cllr Crowe said that he had request- ed Limerick City Council to provide details of the number of homes it had purchased in Clare, but that the city council had refused.

A CONTENTIOUS plan by a vol- untary housing association looks set once more to be refused by Ennis Town Council unless it is radically Karel Ceeren

Already, Cluid Housing Associa- tion has been refused planning per- mission for a five-storey apartment block adjacent to Ennis Tennis and Badmintion Club.

The proposal involved plans to con- struct 21 one-bedroom apartments and six two-bedroom apartments.

However, the Dublin-based housing association scaled back its plans and is now seeking permission to con-

struct three- and four-storey build- ings in the grounds of Waterville House to accommodate 14 one-bed- room apartments and three two-bed- room apartments.

The proposal has provoked re- newed opposition from the Ennis Tennis and Badminton Club and now putting a large question mark on the project in its current form, the council state, “The construction of two four- and three-storey concrete apartment blocks in the front gar- den of this important 18th- or early 19th-century Georgian house will, if permitted, result in diminishing the importance, character and integ- rity of the Protected Structure due to

their bulk and height, design and use of unsympathetic materials.”

The council point out, “The pro- posed floor area will take up most of the front garden, which was origi- nally designed to provide a tranquil setting for the house.”

The council considers, “that the proposed development is too dense. The density comparisons made by you are not appropriate because the other sites, unlike the subject site, do not contain protected structures and as such do not incur the same con- straints.”

The council “considers that “Block A’ should be omitted and “Block B’ be relocated to the area previously

occupied by it. please submit your proposals to reduce density.”

It goes on, “The council has no ob- jection in principle to change of use of Waterville house provided that such a change of use would not re- quire significant interventions or ma- terial alterations which might affect the character or historic fabric of the Protected Structure.

“However, it appears that it 1s pro- posed to totally remove the historic interior of the Protected Structure and install concrete stairs and floors. Such a proposal would result in the loss of all items of architectural and historic interest and be totally inappropriate treatment for such a building.

“It appears that it is proposed to de- molish the stone coach houses, which have been a feature of the streetscape for centuries. By this simple design and use of natural, local materials, this structure makes a positive con- tribution to both the ACA and Pro- tected Structure.

“The refitting of this building for a residential use would not be a mat- ter of serious concern but its demol1- tion, together with its adjoining ash- lar gate-piers, appears inappropriate and would result in a serious loss of character and would materially contravene development plan policy in relation to the demolition in the ACA.”

IN 2005/06 Scariff Community College’s Home Economics Depart- ment with the help of Red Branch – an international health and lifestyle consultancy – set about trying to encourage a change of attitude to- wards healthy eating and a healthy Perea (er

A survey was carried out by Red Branch to determine lifestyle pat- terns of students and the four main issues addressed as a result of this Survey were:

To increase water consumption.

To increase fruit consumption.

To encourage the eating of a healthy lunch.

To increase physical activity for girls.

Initially the vending machines were removed from the school cor- ridors and instead bottled water was for sale from the school canteen at a reduced price.

To tackle the low levels of fruit consumption a school fruit micro- business was established. Through this initiative transition year students were responsible for sourcing, order- ing, promoting and selling organic fruit. A local supplier Blue Moon Farm is used and around 4,540 units of fruit are sold per term.

Lunches were the big problem. Foods high in saturated fats, sugar and additives were the mainstay of

lunches and all were easily available from local fast-food outlets. Meet- ings were held between Red Branch, teachers and the student council to solve this dilemma. After a period of trial and error we now have a system in place which suits everybody.

Pallas Foods supply a variety of fill- ings for sandwiches, rolls and wraps. All these have been evaluated for salt, sugar and fat content and only foods that are trans fat free are per- mitted for sale, along with organic soup, smoothies and orange juice.

A group called Teenage Lifestylers introduced hip hop dancing, tae kwon-do and yoga for girls who are not into contact sports. The dancing is a big hit and is a regular feature in

school variety shows and musicals.

‘A healthy mind in a healthy body’ philosophy is promoted in transition year with a trip to an outdoor edu- cation centre for a week’s activities in October, a programme of fitness training with power bags by Fitness Solutions from Ennis in November/ December and a personal develop- ment programme in March.