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CLARE hurler and cancer fund- raiser Tony Griffin has been named the 2007 Clare People/Darren Hayes Sportstar of the Year. Griffin, from Ballyea, was awarded the top prize in recognition of his epic cycle across Canada last summer as part of his fundraising efforts to help in the fight against cancer.

Griffin edged out William Loughnane, Ciara Pender and Mar- cus Horan for the top prize, which includes the use of a Mitsubishi car for the year. A phenomenal number of votes were cast by the public and these were tallied alongside the vote of the Clare People sports team and sponsor Darren Hayes of Hayes En- nis in order to choose the overall BUONO Cede

Speaking from Canada on Monday, Griffin said he was delighted with the award.

“It’s an amazing honour,” he said. “TI looked at the eleven other names who were up for the Sportstar of the Year and there were some very de- serving athletes up there. I’m hum- bled to win it.”

At the moment, Griffin is nearing the end of his studies at Dalhouse University in Nova Scotia and once hie end of year exams are completed,

he will return to Clare on a full-time basis. A thesis concerning the af- fect mood has on pain — including daily laboratory tests involving will- ing participants and freezing water – takes up most of his waking hours but thoughts of hurling and Tony

Griffin Foundation plans are always in the background.

“Tl be finished my exams in April and the plan is to return home on April 17. I might take a short break but then it’s straight back into hurling mecpnepe tee

“It’s been snowing solidly here for the past while and I’ve been told that it’s the hardest snow for about two decades. It means that finding a place to hurl is a challenge. Last week, the snow began disappearing so myself and a guy from Gort went out onto

the soccer field for a few pucks, but soon enough it started to snow again. So the hurling has been curtailed for a while.”

He says he was heartened on hear- ing Clare’s result against Galway on Sunday.

‘““My mother phoned me a few min- utes after the full-time whistle blew and it was great to hear Clare scored so much. I think things are positive in the Clare hurling camp at the mo- ment. I was fortunate enough to have a look at the set-up when I was home in the winter and it’s fantastic. I’m looking forward to getting stuck into it again.”

To date, over €450,000 has been raised by Griffin with three major charities reaping the awards. All money raised is split equally be- tween the Ovarian Cancer Canada, the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the Irish Cancer Society.

“People in Clare were extremely responsive to the project from day one, but even after the publicity has died down, they’re still supporting the Tony Griffin Foundation and that’s great to see. I’d like to thank deloyen mre 0 0 ae

THE Government has been warned that it must examine the workings of the Labour Court and Joint Labour Committees (JLC) or face another legal battle with the Irish Hotels Fed- eel wemDe

The warning, from Lahinch hotel- ier and Chairman of IHF’s Shannon Branch, Michael Vaughan, comes days after his organisation success- fully challenged a JLC ruling requir- ing hoteliers in certain parts of the country, including Clare, to pay 2.5 per cent more than the national mini- mum wage.

Hotels in Dublin, Cork and Dun Laoghaire are exempt from JLC rulings. Had the High Court ruled against the federation some 25,000 employees outside of these areas would have been entitled to higher rates of basic pay.

“We have concerns over the con- stitutionality of the Joint Labour Committees and the Government would want to act quickly to review its position on the Labour Court and the Joint Labour Committees,’ Mr Vaughan said yesterday.

“This was never about the mini- mum wage directly. The Govern- ment brought in the minimum wage

but they never considered what effect that would have on the operations of the Joint Labour Committees.

“There were a lot of problems with the system. If you negotiate in the Joint Labour Committees there is no place for appeals and challenges. The system itself is flawed. I know that a number of sectors, such as the build- ing sector, which are also subject to Joint Labour Committees were look- ing very closely at what was going on last week and we could well see a number of other challenges in the near future,” he said.

It is estimated that some 250,000 workers in other sectors could be af- fected if further legal challenges to JLC rulings occur. In the immediate term, however, the outcome of last week’s High Court case means that the IHF will return to negotiations with the JLC on a proposed 22 cent per hour pay increase last Novem- ber.

“Essentially what this means is that we will be going back to negotia- tions,’ continued Mr Vaughan.

“In terms of hotel workers in Clare, we will be re-entering negotiations over the next couple of weeks and we will be expecting the Government to enter into discussions on the work- ings of the Labour Court. There is a constitutional question to answer but we chose not to go into it on this par- ticular occasion,” he said.

THE Shannon town manager is to recommend the provision of €50,000 in funding towards a major develop- ment of the town’s leisure centre, which will include the creation of a skateboard area and floodlit tennis court.

Ger Dollard said he would be sug- gesting this figure, after management at Shannon Swimming and Leisure Centre wrote to the local authority, seeking funding for a major renova- tion of the town’s leisure centre.

In the letter, Chairperson of the

centre, Martina Kennedy-Clancy pointed out that when completed, the outdoor facility will include a flood- lit fenced outdoor tennis court.

She said that the possibility of a skateboard area was also being actively considered. “The approxi- mate cost of this particular part of the project 1s €75,000,” stated Ms Kennedy-Clancy.

She pointed out that 15 people are permanently employed at the centre and every effort would be made to ensure it remains open during the renovation period.

“This approach would involve the

centre in additional financial ex- penditure and we are currently ex- amining how best to meet the addi- tional cost, which will be in excess of €250,000,” she added.

Councillor Patricia McCarthy (In- dependent) said that more than €1 million has been raised, for the ma- jor development.

Cllr Gerry Flynn said it would only be “right and proper” that the town council would financially support the renovations.

Councillors, in general, supported the calls for the financial support and said they would like to see copies of

the plans for the development.

Cllr Sean Hillery (FF) said, “The council should come up trumps. This is a Service for the community, being provided by a private company.”

Mr Dollard pointed out that over the past few years, money had been set aside for community initiatives. €100,000 had accumulated and he said he would be suggesting that €50,000 of this be considered for the leisure centre.

‘The idea of a skatepark is an ex- cellent idea. If we can get a skatepark out of this, I think it would be hugely successful,’ said Mr Dollard.

CLARE Fianna Fail TD and Vice Chairman of the Oireachtas Com- mittee on European Affairs member- ship, Timmy Dooley, has welcomed the news that the IFA have called for a Yes vote for the EU Reform Treaty.

“Europe has been good for Irish farmers and it is vital that we contin- ue to have a strong voice at the heart of Europe,’ he said.

“Showing our support for the EU Reform Treaty is a vital display of our support.

“The Common Agriculture Policy

of the EU has played a vital role in the development of the Irish farming and food industry. Farmers in Clare continue to be influenced by the EU and the IFA is right to recognise this and call on farmers to continue to play a central role in the EU.

“This Government is committed to backing farmers and the rural econo- my and our relationship with the EU is intrinsic to this.

“Issues such as the upcoming CAP Health Check negotiations and World Trade Talks will be dealt with by our Minister for Agriculture and her officials. It can only strengthen their position if they are quite rightly

recognised as active and respected members of the European Union. This is how we can deliver the best results for Irish farmers into the fu- neko

“IT am urging all Clare farmers to heed the call of the IFA. A Yes vote for the Reform Treaty will show that Irish farmers are determined to re- main at the heart of European deci- sion making.”

Meanwhile, Fine Gael’s Deputy Spokesperson on Foreign Affairs and Clare TD, Pat Breen, has welcomed the complete ban on the importa- tion of Brazilian beef saying it was good news for consumers and for the

farmers of County Clare.

“IT welcome news of the Brazilian beef ban and it is high time consid- ering the evidence of low production standards and risky practices which have been exposed in Brazil,” he said.

“Consumers have a right to know that the beef they are buying is pro- duced to the highest standards. I hope that this ban will result in a re- balancing of the situation where one set of rigorous standards is applied to Irish farmers who are forced to compete with Brazilian beef produc- ers who do not comply with the same rules.”

THERE was an air of gloom around Ardfinnan on Saturday afternoon for anyone in the Clare corner — some of those who made the journey were just standing around afterwards and talking in hushed tones.

You didn’t need to hear them, be- cause their body language said it all. They had started out the National League campaign with a pep in their step after the successful McGrath Cup campaign — they had hope for the future, but it was replaced by a feeling of hopelessness come 4pm on SY TAU KOE Ds

“Not now lads,’ was manager Frank Doherty’s stay-away sound- bite to the press as they closed in for a few words after the game. Instead, Doherty held in powder for the dress- ing room and his player’s ears only.

While there was anger welling

within Clare after the final whistle of the Carlow game, it was replaced here by something sombre. Manager, selectors and players just walked off the field resigned to the fact that they’re rooted to the bottom of foot- ball’s basement with London and OT ath

Captain Michael O’Shea, whose goal in the eighth minute should have teed Clare up victory was dumb- founded by it all. “After we scored 1- 2 without reply we seemed to change tactics. We seemed to fall apart,’ he PHO

‘The second half we just didn’t play at all. We won very little around the middle of the field and found it very hard up front and gave away a few handy frees. They kept popping them over and we just couldn’t haul them back for a finish.

“It’s not good enough to come any- where near the top of Division 4. We

started well and even for the 20 min- utes before half-time we had plenty of possession to pull away if we made it count on the scoreboard. We just didn’t seem to click up front.

“Eighty per cent of the breaks, we probably lost them and it cost us the game. If you don’t win around the middle of the field, you’re in serious trouble and we didn’t win around the middle. It’s hard to put a finger on it, whether it was lads not getting in there or just being unlucky. At the end of the day it’s up to every half- forward and half-back to get in there and get the breaks. We just didn’t do dake ne

They’ ll have to start doing it against Antrim or the losing streak will con- tinue next Saturday.

LEARNER drivers who want to take their test in Ennis will have to wait three times longer than drivers in other parts of the country.

The wait for a test in Ennis is cur- rently an average of thirty weeks, in comparison to centres in neighbour- ing Limerick where the wait is just

11 weeks.

Other centres in Donegal, Ath- lone, Cavan, Carrick-on-Shannon, Letterkenny, Monaghan, Mulingar, Sligo and Nenagh have waiting lists of just nine and eleven weeks to sit a test.

But Shannon, once one of the worst centres in the country for waiting lists, has now reduced its list to 22

weeks.

Ennis is in fifth place in the coun- try for L-Plate drivers getting into the test car.

The worst 1s Clifden where would- be full license holders have to wait 40 weeks for a test. In Birr, there is a 36 week queue, in Dublin’s Raheny the wait 1s 35 weeks while Roscommon and Wicklow learners have 31 weeks

to practice their driving skills. Heavy goods vehicle license ap- plicants fare better. They can get a test in Ennis in just 14 weeks and in 19 weeks in Shannon. The amount of time that learner drivers have to practice their hill-stars and three point turns may well be reflected in the pass rate in the Ennis centre. Some 63.7 per cent of drivers who

sit the test there can lay claim to a full driving licence. The only place in the country where test drivers do better is Buncrana, where 64.7 per- cent of drivers pass. Shannon boasts a similarly high pass rate, with more than six in ten drivers who sit the test there walking away with a full h- cence, according to figures from the Road Safety Authority.

THE people of Shannon are unclear about what services are available to them at the local health clinic.

That was the message delivered at a meeting between town councillors and two Health Service Executive Chie lecim ase

HSE General Manager in Primary, Community and Continuing Care, Chris Monaghan and Senior Execu- tive Officer in Community Services, Esther Conlon, attended a meeting of Shannon Town Council last Tues- day.

Independent councillor Gerry Flynn asked about the frequency or availability of a range of services,

including a family planning clinic, blood testing facilities for the elder- ly, dental, speech therapy and physi- otherapy services.

Cllr Flynn said, “Your PR is a dis- aster. There is no link for me. What I want is somebody at the end of the phone to say there is a problem there. The connection 1s gone.”

He said if the current trend contin- ues, he would be calling for the abo- lition of the HSE and “go back to the way things were”.

Cllr Sean Hillery (FF) said he regularly hears concerns relating to home help for older people.

‘The work is there. The people are in need. Ye must not have enough people to help,” he said.

Mr Monaghan said he agreed, add- ing, “We don’t have any additional re- sources to put in. There are restraints on what we can actually deliver.”

“We simply do not have enough resources to deliver home help pack- ages to everybody who needs them.

“We are developing primary care teams to provide additional services within a local community setting,” said Mr Monaghan.

In December, in response to que- ries from councillors, the Health Service Executive sent a letter to the town council, outlining the range of services on offer at Shannon.

Fianna Fail councillor Geraldine Lambert said she was surprised at how comprehensive the list was.

“If there is a perception out there that services aren’t being provided, that needs to be addressed,’ she CrHOR

However Mr Monaghan said that while he would take on board the queries, he couldn’t comment on 1n- dividual aspects.

“If there are issues or queries, write to us. If we are in a position to an- Swer, we will,” he said.

He said that HSE staff meet Oire- achtas members on a quarterly basis and issues could be raised at those meetings.

Ms Conlon told councillors that ophthalmic, physiotherapy and den- tal services are all carried out at the clinic.

DARK clouds are once again begin- ning to gather over farming in Ire- land the spectre of the World Trade Organisation looming large on the KeyuyZevne

Speaking last week, the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Mary Coughlan asked that particular attention be focussed on recent WTO developments which she described as being “of great concern’ to her.

Her fears were echoed by ICSA president Malcolm Thompson who said he had “grave concern” over the WTO.

“WTO negotiators seem hell bent on getting a deal and are quite pre-

pared to throw EU agriculture to the wolves,” he said. There will be considerable difficulty 1n convinc- ing farmers that the EU is acting in farmers’ best interests, especially if Commissioner Mandelson delivers a deal which goes beyond his negotiat- ing mandate. Of even greater concern is the fact that Ireland seems to have little or no control over the negoti- ating process. Farmers are increas- ingly concerned that too much of our autonomy has been lost to European bureaucrats, and will need strong re- assurances before accepting the Ref- erendum on the Reform Treaty.

“It will not be easy to persuade farmers of the merits of greater in- stitutional efficiency in the EU deci-

sion making process if the EU insti- tutions sell out agriculture at WTO,” he warned.

Meanwhile, the ICMSA have warned of an “agriculture catastro- phe” if WTO proposals are agreed.

‘“There’s no point any more in adopting a ‘“wait-and-see’ attitude on the subject of WTO,” said ICMSA President Jackie Cahill.

“Every time the process stops or breaks-down, it simply resumes again at a starting point that is even more disadvantageous than the orig- inal point of difference. Vital Irish economic interests are in imminent danger of being sacrificed.

“Despite repeated efforts by the Irish Government – and here, we

must acknowledge the personal ef- forts of Minister Coughlan and her team – unelected EU bureaucrats are about to broker what amounts to a catastrophic sell-out at WTO.

“The time has now come for the Taoiseach to point out to the Presi- dent of the European Commission – in the strongest terms possible – that EU Commissioner Mandelson does not have a mandate for the offers he is apparently now making on behalf of the EU.”

Gr NIURSTCCM der lMersmBEseoIlMCEh Amilo push for a deal has been noticeably increased and that Commissioner Mandelson continues to offer con- cession after concession on the agri- cultural front.

IT IS true to say that football in Clare again finds itself in troubled waters – this only a couple of weeks after real hope was floating around big ball country that a new era could be at hand.

The mood of positivity that wrapped itself around the county’s footballers came on the back of the county’s first McGrath Cup success in six years. Suddenly, in the wake of two very disappointing league performances against Carlow and Tipperary, the time for a reality check is here and now.

It’s going to be a very long haul back up the ladder for Clare football, probably one that won’t be achieved by many of the current generation of inter-county players.

And, it will take infrastructural change as well. No new trainer/man- ager/management team can wave a magic wand and wish away Clare’s football ills. The structures have to change whereby footballers in Clare are getting more games.

Success won’t come in the short- term – it will be a longterm thing and players and management should realise that. Looking at their history books might even teach them a thing or two, give them some confidence even, as they face into the Antrim game and sterner challenges that lie ahead against Offaly and Wicklow.

When John Maughan came to Clare in 1990, his first league game in charge was against Tipperary and Clare went down just as badly as they did last Saturday. They lost their sec- ond game too.

“We set ourselves the target of win- ning a couple of games in the league and we did that in the latter stages of the competition. It was the road to success,’ recalled Maughan.

Clare have to believe, even in the darkness of defeat to Carlow and Tipperary that they can go down a similar road. If they don’t Clare foot- ball will consigned to Divsion 4 for a while yet.

It’s up to the players, because there’s only so much that management can do. Many players were highly critical of the Paidi O Sé regime last year, wrongly blaming bad management for bad performances.

There’s been good management since November, with training up to five nights a week. Bad performances can’t be blamed on bad management now. It’s up to the players now.

A MAN who conned people into donating money for cancer research, under the pretence that he had suf- fered from cancer, has been jailed for eae lane leyeleelse

Arthur Boland (29), of 1A, No 46 Whitestrand Park, Galway, faced 30 charges relating to incidents in 11 different premises in Ennis and Ssixmilebridge between December |, 2007 and January 21, 2008.

The premises named on the charge Sheets included five bars, a hotel, an auctioneers, an insurance firm,

florists, a convenience store and a newsagents.

He admitted all 30 offences, but 11 of those were later struck out, after the judge noted that the euro symbol was absent from the charge sheets.

Boland admitted 18 charges of dishonestly, by deception, inducing people to contribute money with the intention of making gain for himself. The sums of money donated ranged between €2 and €20.

He also pleaded guilty to 12 charg- es of using a false instrument with the intention of inducing a person to accept it as genuine.

Garda Christopher Whyte told Ennis District Court on Friday that €945 was collected on the sponsor- ship cards, in the Ennis area. €81 of this could be traced back to those who donated.

Boland, he said, entered several premises in Ennis, where he pro- duced a letter stating that he was col- lecting money for cancer.

He stated that he had permission to collect the money and presented sponsorship cards for people to fill out. However the charity mentioned by Boland did not exist, said Gda Whyte.

‘There is a charitable organisation in Limerick, but it is not affiliated with any kind of cards, as it deals with corporate sponsorship,’ said the garda.

Garda Tracey Stanley, of Sixmileb- ridge, told the court that Boland told those who he sought money from in Sixmilebridge that he was a cancer sufferer himself.

Inspector Tom Kennedy told the court that Boland had 37 previous convictions. These include deception offences in Mayo and Tipperary and theft in Sligo and Harristown.

Boland’s solicitor Tara Godfrey

said he was pleading guilty to all stb e ene

“His life is somewhat barren. His relationship with his partner is Strained because of this,” she said.

‘He is willing to look into what is motivating him in this,” she said.

Boland accepted that a prison term was “almost inevitable,’ she said.

She pointed out that the sums of money included on the charge sheets were relatively small – €81 in Ennis and €85 in Sixmilebridge.

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