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AN INDEPENDENT radio producer from Scariff has been nominated for an award in the radio documentary category of the prestigious Interna- tional Celtic Media Festival which will be held this year in Ireland.

Paula Carroll of Rag and Bone Pro- ductions previously won the award, regarded as the “Oscars of the world- wide radio industry”, in 2004.

The Celtic Media Festival, held each year in one of the Celtic coun- tries, 1s a celebration of radio, TV and film work produced in those ar-

eas. This year the Festival returns to Ireland for the first time since 1998.

The radio documentary ‘I’ll Find a High Mountain’ tells the story of the O’Donoghues, one of the last Travel- ler families who still take to the road in the West of Ireland every year. Produced by Ms Carroll, it was made with the support of the BCI’s Sound and Vision Scheme and broadcast on RTE Radio One in 2007.

Radio listeners in Clare will be familiar with the work of Rag and Bone Productions through the re- cent, hugely successful series of live traditional music broadcasts “The

Kitchen Sessions’ on Clare FM.

Paula Carroll won the Celtic Media Festival award in 2004 for her docu- mentary ‘Living with Dara’, also broadcast on the Clare station. That also won the World Silver Medal at the New York Festival for Radio Pro- eramming.

Another independent radio produc- er associated with Clare FM, Mary Owens of Well Said Productions, has been nominated in the same category for her documentary on Hanna Gre- ally, who was forcibly detained in a midlands psychiatric hospital for al- most 20 years.

The aim of the festival is to pro- mote the languages and cultures of the Celtic countries onscreen and in broadcasting.

The Festival is an annual three-day celebration of broadcasting, film tal- ent and excellence from Scotland, Ireland, Wales, Cornwall and Brit- tany and is supported by broadcast, film, cultural and economic develop- ment organisations throughout those Kosta (Once

The awards presentation will be made at the Celtic Media Festival in Galway which will take place from April 16 to 18.

THE beautiful Vale of Belvoir nes- tles into the countryside between Kilkishen and Sixmilebridge. Its beauty inspired local Bard Martin Kennedy from Violet Hill Broadford to write about this tranquil place of peace and serenity. On Sunday, Feb- ruary 17, people will get a chance to retrace the Bard’s footsteps as they will be led on a ramble through the Vale.

It is all for a good cause. Emer Cleary, a young girl from Ennis, will be taking on the challenge to climb the great mountains of Kiliminjaro on the Kenyan border at the end of February. The ramble through the Vale will help Emer to raise funds for the charity Bothair who do tre- mendous work in helping people in third world countries to help them- So Aone

Over the years, Bothair has sent breeding animals such as _ heifer calves and goats to farmers in third

world countries to help them stock their lands.

By climbing Kiliminjaro, Emer will help in keeping this dream alive.

By rambling through the Vale of Belvoir, you will be able to help out in keeping the dream alive as well. Base camp is Kilkishen National School where registration takes place at 12.30pm with the ramble leaving for the Vale at lpm sharp.

There will be a short five minute history lecture on the poetry of Mar- tin Kennedy and on the vale before the ramble leaves. Local traditional singer Sean Mc Mahon from Kil- murry will give a rendering of the poet’s creation on the vale at the old forge in Belvoir while the walkers are having a short break.

The ramble is 10 kms and people are asked to bring suitable walk- ing gear as well as a little food and drinks.

Sponsorship cards are available by contacting Eoin on 086 2572792 or people can contribute on the day.

A FORMER Killaloe doctor who was charged with 18 offences last month, including defrauding termi- nally ill cancer patients, faced a fur- ther 26 charges yesterday (Monday).

Pascal Carmody (60) of Bally- cuggaran, Killaloe, was originally arrested on December 17 last and charged with 18 offences.

These charges included defrauding three terminally ill cancer patients of between €100 and €20,000 between January 2001 and December 2002.

At Killaloe District Court yester- day, Detective Sergeant Oliver Nevin gave evidence of arresting Mr Car- mody at Cullina, Ballina, County Tipperary, and charging him with 26 additional offences.

The accused made no reply in re- sponse to the charges.

The alleged offences include steal- ing cheques and obtaining monies under false pretences, contrary to the Feo aa

Mr Carmody is also accused of deception, contrary to the Criminal Justice Theft and Fraud Act.

The original 18 offences are similar to the new ones preferred yesterday and involve six alleged injured par- ties in total.

All the offences are alleged to have occurred at a clinic in east Clare. Some of the charges allege that the

former GP obtained money “by false- ly pretending that cancer would be cured by photodynamic treatment.” In court yesterday, the State did not object to the accused being remand-

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Judge Joseph Mangan remanded Mr Carmody on continuing bail to appear in court in March, for service

of the Book of Evidence.

THE FUTURE of Irish traditional music in East Clare is secure and well, according to Tulla concertina player and teacher, Mary McNama- ra. And Mary should know, having taught concertina and fiddle in the area for the last 12 years.

Now some of her young musicians Mary are to take centre-stage at the Comhaltas HQ, Cois na hAbhanna in Ennis for a seisitin that will showcase East Clare talent.

The 20 youngsters — aged 10 to 18 — will play the venue at the invitation of Comhaltas on January 25, and a fabulous night of music, song, poetry and dancing is promised.

“We have such a wealth of talent

here that I could have picked more than the 20 needed for the pro- gramme,’ said Mary.

Since before Christmas, the music students have been practicing the tunes, solos, duets and songs they will perform on the night.

‘We have a very varied programme including a couple of O’Carrolan ar- rangements. They had to learn the tunes and that comes naturally to these youngsters, but they also had to learn to play on a group Seetting or with other musicians. But they’re all very talented and capable.”

The seisitin is an informal evening, more like a gathering by the fireside of a home or cosy pub.

As well as the youngsters under Mary’s direction, students from the

Anne Burke school of traditional dancing in Scariff will perform.

Comhaltas have a programme of seisiun nights planned for their newly refurbished HQ, which gives musicians a platform to perform and families a venue to share the pleasure of music at a reasonable price.

An adult ticket for the evening costs just €5 and a family ticket can be bought for €10.

Mary has been preparing students for competitions and performances for many years. Her daughter, Sor- chadha Costello, won the All Ireland Under 12 fiddle title in August last year and her son, Padraig plays piano with the seisiun group.

As well as Mary, Mike Willis teaches piano, Conor Keane teaches

accordian and John Kelly teaches flute.

The evening fits in with the ethos that Mary likes to bring to her les- sons.

“T want the children not just to learn the tunes themselves but to en- joy their music and to be aware of the rich heritage they have in learning the tunes and the style of East Clare. And through evenings like this, they also learn that the greatest joy in per- forming is the pleasure they bring to an audience through their music,” she said.

THE rise in stock of St Caimin’s this year has made everyone sit up and take notice. With the restructuring of the Harty Cup in recent years and the reduction in the number of boarding schools, the traditional superpow- ers of the Harty have given way to a new wave of schools eager to take advantage of the changing face of the feyeel ole sisleyee

St Caimin’s demonstrated this new found confidence early in the group stages with victory over perennial Clare representatives St Flannan’s and as the group played out, it be- came apparent that neither Flannan’s nor St Colman’s were going to qual- ify for the latter stages. Confidence is soaring in the Shannon school at the moment as they look forward to Wednesday’s quarter-final against last year’s champions De La Salle and manager Alan Cunningham is the first to compliment his players progression over the last year.

“Things are going great for us at the moment. Last year we lost all our games, some of them not by a whole lot but we lost them and again the whole idea is about progression. The young fellas that we have in the school are getting better by playing Harty hurling. It would have been

much easier option for us to play B hurling, we could have played the B and maybe get to the final every second year. But in terms of the Harty, it’s the premier competition, the standard is way higher and its about preparing lads for the future. We have done extremely well and the lads have been fantastic. At this point we have nothing to lose.” Considering that Caimin’s lost all their games last year, this year’s tunraround has been something of a surprise to followers of the competi- tion but Clare selector Cunningham admits that most of last year’s team are there again this year and that ex-

perience has helped them immense- ly. However, by coming second in the group, it meant that they were always going to draw one of the big guns and unfortunately for the Shannon school, they drew last year’s Harty and Croke Cup champions De La Salle of Waterford who have already added a prestigious Dean Ryan Cup to their trophy cabinet this year.

“ld say we have drawn probably the best team in it but it’s a challenge, a test, an experience and it should bring our lads on. We won’t be found wanting but now is the time to meet the big guns I suppose because if we can’t beat them, we are as well out of

it. But we will give it a cut and see what happens.

“To be honest, I don’t know a whole lot about them really, but likewise for them, they wouldn’t know much about us. Now we have met twice in three years in the Dean Ryan so both schools would be familiar to each other but in terms of the group sys- tem, they weren’t down watching our matches and we weren’t down watch- ing theirs. I do know that they are a serious outfit and the investment they are putting in is phenomenal. They are on a different level to what most other schools are. I mean they are not long back from Newcastle, they went there on a training weekend. You know I’m trying to get a dozen shothars and they are going to New- castle for the weekend. But that’s the level they are at and fair play to them and that’s Waterford hurling trying to come good as well. But again they are red hot favourites and we have nothing to lose. If we win it will be a huge result for us and if we don’t win, it won’t be the end of the world because we have progressed and lads have had a fantastic experience.”

The new nature of the competi- tion means that instead of dwelling on such daunting opposition, Cun- ningham prefers to take the positives out of the situation and sees De La Salle’s success last year as something of an inspiration to his side as that

was their first Harty Cup success in the school’s history.

“We are very fortunate in Caimin’s that we are backboned by the Bridge, Newmarket, Cratloe and Wolfe Tones. In Caimin’s now, we are get- ting young fellas who have been extremely well looked after, well prepared and coached so our job has been made easier and easier. That would have been the difference be- tween ourselves and Flannans this year. If you take the county minor championship, really we would have had the stronger clubs on our side. A couple of years down the road with the Ballyea under 14’s and Crush- een under 14’s, things are going to change but at the moment, outside of Clonlara in the minor, we had the next best three with Newmarket, the Bridge and Cratloe so it’s really not rocket science.”

A YOUNG woman has admitted pulling her pregnant sister-in-law’s hair, in what her solicitor said was “a moment of madness’”’.

Ann Marie O’Loughlin, of Davitt Terrace, Ennis, was convicted of as-

saulting Donna McDonagh in Ennis, on July 6 last year.

Garda Breda Cronin told Ennis District Court that Donna McDonagh had complained to gardai that Ann Marie O’Loughlin had assaulted her. Donna McDonagh was four months Ovusrca tT-VOL MENA Som BUNS TCR

“She grabbed me from behind and tried to kick me into the stomach,” Donna McDonagh told the court.

Defending solicitor Tara Godfrey said her client, a mother-of-five, “wasn’t in her right mind”. She asked that the Probation Act be applied.

Judge Joseph Mangan replied, “‘Ap-

ply the Probation Act for assaulting a joy ueyea OreDOL AMY epee T0 eam

Ms Godfrey said it was “a moment of madness” on her client’s part. Judge Mangan adjourned the case for preparation of a psychiatric report.

“The intention as of now is custo- dial,” said the judge.

A SHANNON councillor has been accused of painting a “bleak” picture in relation to funding available to Shannon Town Council.

The comment was made by the Town Manager Ger Dollard, after Cllr Gerry Flynn (Independent) said that lack of funding for the local au- thority was proving problematic.

The discussion arose amidst a de- bate on the effects of flooding in various parts of Shannon.

Cllr Patricia McCarthy raised the issue, Saying she wished to thank the council staff who worked so hard to get to the root of the flooding in Drumgeely.

Clare County Council Senior Ex- ecutive Engineer Donal Hogan said there are “always gulleys getting blocked in Shannon”.

He said that manhole covers in the Corrib Drive estate had been lifted and a section of the sewer which had been blocked was freed.

A similar problem had been recti- fied at St Conaire’s school, said Mr Hogan.

He added that he was confident that the problems in those areas will not recur.

Councillor Gerry Flynn said, “They have left you with no funding. You have no money. You haven’t enough of a crew. This is the facts of it,’ he Said.

He said he regularly walks and said he believed that 90 per cent of paths “were not accessible in certain areas’.

‘Planners allowed so much develop- ment in the Ballycasey area. Women with buggies couldn’t get out of their homes in the last few weeks. A lot of this is due to developers leaving infrastructure around,” he said.

“Money has to be found to do something with the infrastructure in general in Shannon,” he added.

Shannon Town Manager Ger Dol- lard reacted to Cllr Flynn’s com- ments and said, “Councillor Flynn is painting a very bleak picture. It is a phenomenon. Climate change is hap- pening in Shannon.”

Mr Dollard stressed that there had been “a huge volume of water in the past couple of weeks”’.

He said, “We certainly could do with more funding. We will contin- ue to try to improve the situation. I don’t think the picture is as bleak as it’s being painted.”

Cllr Flynn said he wanted to point out that improvements had been made in a number of areas such as lighting and footpaths, but there was a lack of funding in other areas.

“I have no problem working with the council to try and get extra fund- ing. I don’t think it’s fair of you to say I am painting a totally bleak picture. I have to tell the truth,” said Swe aise

THE Roslevan-based Homeless Help service has already helped find ac- commodation for four homeless neo

Help was set up two weeks ago by local women Josephine O’Brien and Ann Quinn to provide support to the homeless. So far the service has helped two Polish men and two members of the Travelling commu- nity find accommodation.

Help co-coordinator Josephine O’Brien said a number of people have made contact with the service since it opened.

“We have been able to get some people into temporary accommoda- tion. Two of the lads we helped find a house in Cahercalla and the other two we helped get a place in a bed and breakfast. That’s four people off the street at the moment. The system at the moment is crazy – people don’t know where to go if they can’t get accommodation. They sort of slip through the cracks.”

The service is located at Fahy Hall, Roslevan and operates every Wednesday night at 7pm. Volunteers and a qualified teacher offer practi- cal help in sorting through social welfare applications and assistance finding accommodation.

Josephine said the service had re-

ceived several enquiries from foreign UETBCODeE Dice

“Some of them find it very difficult and have problems and end up squat- ting in abandoned houses.”

The group behind Help have sought assistance from Clare County Coun- cil and hope that in the future it will tie in with other adult education pro- grammes currently being run in the county. Despite objections from local residents, An Bord Pleannala earlier this year upheld a decision by Ennis Town Council to grant planning per- mission for the homeless hostel.

The €2.1 million transitional hous- ing unit on the Clare Road will pro- vide temporary accommodation for 13 people.

The centre will be run by the St Vincent de Paul, working in conjunc- tion with Clare County Council and the Health Services Executive.

The centre will provide temporary accommodation for people who have found it difficult to acquire rented af- fordable housing. Outreach workers will work alongside community wel- fare officers to ensure the maximum help is given when people are stay- ing at the centre. Staff will maintain contact with residents once they leave centre and will provide assistance in finding permanent housing.

Referrals will be made by the homeless unit of the council.

TWO men who were caught with a scissors and kitchen knife claimed they were carrying them “for self- protection” as one of them had been badly assaulted previously.

Patryk Dej (22), of Bru na Sionna, was convicted of possession of a sharply pointed scissors, at Shannon

Town centre, on November 17 last.

Zenek Moroniski (26), of 9SA Bo- heron, Newmarket-on-Fergus, was convicted of possession of a knife with a sharply pointed blade, at Tul- lyvarraga, Shannon, on the same CPI Kes

Inspector Tom Kennedy told Shan- non District Court that the two were intoxicated outside Murphy Brown’s

pub in Shannon. One was found in possession of the scissors and the other with a kitchen knife.

Defending solicitor Jenny Fitzgib- bon said Dey had had his jaw broken in two places in an attack prior to this incident and had become paranoid as a result.

‘He was very much afraid he would be attacked again. He had a scissors

on him only for self-protection,” she Sr AKOE

She said Moroniski was accompa- nying Dej on the night and was “very much aware” of the previous attack.

“The kitchen knife was strictly for self-protection. He didn’t believe it was unlawful,” said the solicitor.

She said both men had drank a bot- tle of vodka each and were paranoid.

Judge Joseph Mangan asked was this paranoia caused by drink and was told it was. Both men told the court they have not drank since the night of the offence. However, In- spector Kennedy said, “I would 1m- agine that’s a bit of a fairytale.”

The case was adjourned to establish if either have previous convictions in Poland.

A YOUNG Shannon student’s skills in art have been recognised in a na- tional awards competition in which she scooped first place.

14-year-old Desislava Valkanova, a student at St Caimin’s in Shan- non, won the top prize in a postcard competition which was organised by Léargus, which promotes language learning 1n Ireland.

The event was organised to cele- brate European day of languages last September and the winners have just

been announced.

Junior cycle German students were asked to depict a site of cultural in- terest for another country and write a message in a language of that coun- try on a postcard.

Dessi, who is a native of Bulgaria and moved to Shannon with her fam- ily a few years ago, drew a picture of the Aleksandar Nevski Cathedral in Sofia and wrote a friendly message in her native tongue on the back.

She even went to the lengths of drawing a stamp on the back of the postcard. Her work earned her a

book token for €500.

Dessi and 16 others from St Caimin’s entered the competition. While Desi particularly impressed the judges, her schoolmates also fared well as they were all com- mended on their efforts.

Her teacher Anne O’Loughlin, who organised the competition in St Caimin’s, said everyone was very proud of Desi, who thoroughly de- served the award.

“She is deserving of the award and always puts her heart and soul into her work. It is great to see her getting

some kind of recognition,” she said.

“We are thrilled. We incorporated this into celebrating the European day of languages,” she said.

This was the first time that the school entered this competition and Ms O’Loughlin is optimistic that this success will be followed by fu- ture accolade.