Category: Uncategorized

has also learned that almost 180 new clients reported that they had been raped or sexually assaulted in the mid-west last year.

Rape Crisis Midwest, which offers support to rape and sexual abuse vic- tims in Clare, Limerick and Tipper- ary, believes this figure is “only the tip of the iceberg”’.

The Rape Crisis outreach centre in Ennis increased its counselling last year. It offered 258 counselling hours to victims of rape or sexual abuse last year, which is an increase on 223 hours in 2006. It provided 173 hours in 2005, after opening in May of that year.

14 new clients were seen at the out-

reach centre in Ennis last year. All of those clients were from Clare, while a number of other clients from Clare travelled to the centre in Limerick.

There is also a continuous waiting list of one or two people in Ennis.

The co-ordinator of Rape Crisis Midwest, Miriam Duffy, said there was a definite need for the outreach centre to be opened in Ennis.

“It was identified by a number of clients in Clare as it was much more difficult for them to have to travel to Limerick. It is a lot more convenient

for those who can access it,’ she Cr HOR

“We are constantly aware of the level of sexual abuse that is out there,’ said Ms Duffy.

The number of hours offered to cli- ents varies, depending on each ind1- vidual case.

‘There is a waiting list, but we al- ways prioritise somebody who is in crisis,’ she added.

Ms Duffy said that 90 per cent of victims know their attackers.

“This idea of being dragged down

a dark alleyway does happen but the risk of being sexually assaulted by someone you know is greater,” she added.

Some victims do not report the abuse for years and their bad memo- ries are triggered by media coverage of fresh cases.

Ms Duffy said victims should re- port abuse as early as possible. ““The earlier they can get on to us, the bet- ter for themselves, as it will be less negative for them as they get on with their lives,’ she said.

THE fight for the continuation of sustainable farming in the Burren is being taken to the streets of Dub- lin today as the BurrenLIFE Project Stages its first awareness day in the Cree

OW atom hirse-Nusdslotmer hymnal omelets pemRy alae] the official launch of the first ever conference on sustainable farm- ing ever hosted in Ireland, which will take place in Ennistymon next peareyeleee

Attending the official launch will be the chairperson of Teagasc and the Heritage Office, Dr Tom O’Dwyer; Senior Conservation Scientist of the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Michael Berkery; Chief Executive Officer of the IFA and Clare TD, Tony Killeen.

“It is critical to get a focus on this in Dublin. We have learned from other projects like this all across Eu- rope that it is critical to get the infor- mation out there. It 1s important both to get the information out there but also to get political support for the project,’ said Ruairi O Conchuir of the BurrenLIFE organisation.

“It is critical that the politician, the media and the general public all buy in to this project. At the end of the day, it is EU taxpayers’ money that is being used to support this project.

It’s Irish taxpayers’ money that is be- ing used to support this project.

“It’s very important for us to let people know what this conference is about and more importantly to let them know what the project as a whole is about.”

Following the formal launch of the BurrenLIFE’s ‘Farming for Conser- vation’ conference, the organisation will then visit four Dublin schools and host presentations and work- shops designed to explain the work of the Burren farmers to the Dublin school teachers.

This will be followed by a formal evening lecture and illustrated talk and wine reception hosted by Dr Brendan Dunford, Dr Sharon Parr, Ruairi O Conchuir and Dr James Moran of the BurrenLIFE Project.

The three-day international *Farm- ing for Conservation’ conference will take place in the Falls Hotel in Ennistymon from February 24 to 27.

The conference will include speak- ers from Ireland, the UK and a number of other European countries. It will also mark the first official en- gagement of a Green Party minister in the county as the Minister for Environment, Heritage and Local Government and Green Party leader, John Gormley will attend along with the newly appointed director of Tea- gasc, Professor Gerry Boyle.

FARMING experts and conserva- tionists from all over Europe will at- tend Ireland’s first Farming for Con- servation conference which takes place in Ennistymon next month.

The conference, which is being or- ganised by the BurrenLIFE Project, aims to bring together leaders in the field to assess and examine the eroundbreaking strides which have been made towards creating sustain- able farming in the Burren.

The conference will also focus on pooling the participants’ knowledge and discovering new and exciting ways of creating sustainable farming in north Clare and across Europe.

The conference, which is entitled ‘Farming for conservation — support- ing the future’, will take place in the Falls Hotel in Ennistymon from Feb- ruary 24 to 27.

The conference will include speak- ers from a number of European coun- tries and in particular from other limestone regions such as the Alvars of Sweden, the Causse in France and the Yorkshire Dales in England.

The Minister for Environment, Heritage and local Government, John Gormley (GP) and the newly appointed Director of Teagasc, Pro- fessor Gerry Boyle, will be among those to address the conference.

Proceedings have been broken into three sections with the first day fo-

cussed on introducing the concept of ‘farming for conservation’. This will include presenting European case studies, outlining the work of the BurrenLIFE Project and a dis- cussion on the practical difficulties and obstacles associated with farm- ing for conservation. Day two will involve a visit to a number of Burren farms where conservation farming 1s taking place. These field trips will be followed by a panel discussion on the future of farming for conservation in the unique context of the Burren. The final day of the conference will look at potential models for Supporting and delivering farming for conservation. A discussion will also take place on the marketing of

conservation produce and on deliver- ing conservation through innovative agri-environmental schemes.

The BurrenLIFE project is just over half-way through its five-year long project on north Clare. The overall aim of the organisation is to help cre- ate a means of farming in the region than can both protect the local ecol- ogy and give local farmers a means of making living.

Over the past two years, they have undertaken the largest campaign of scrub removal ever seen in Ireland, established a producers group for top-quality ‘ecology class’ Burren beef and lamb and undertaken a mas- sive education programme aimed both at children and older people.

A KILRUSH man who has admitted robbing a US bank at gunpoint is to be sentenced next month.

Niall Clarke, 27, who is originally from the Killimor Road in Kilrush, was arrested in Bangor, Maine, in October 2006, shortly after robbing a Bank of America branch, near the Bangor Mall.

He had more than $11,000 in a black mesh bag and a loaded .38-cal- iber handgun and box of ammunition with him.

He pleaded guilty in January to charges stemming from the robbery.

After his Bangor attorney, Richard Hartley, had Clarke evaluated by a psychiatrist, he sought to withdraw his client’s guilty plea and enter a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity.

Hartley has said that Clarke suffers from a severe mental illness. Clarke also was evaluated during the sum- mer at a federal facility by a govern- ment psychiatrist.

Clarke also had an assessment car- ried out by a psychiatrist, who was employed by his family. It concluded that “Niall was suffering from an ill- ness that rendered Niall unable at the time of the crime to appreciate the nature and quality of the wrongful-

ness of the act.”

In November, Clarke’s attorney agreed to schedule a sentencing date rather than to continue trying to withdraw Niall Clarke’s guilty plea, as had been indicated earlier.

Clarke faces up to 25 years in fed- eral prison on the armed robbery charge and a mandatory minimum of a consecutive seven years for using a gun during the robbery.

Under the federal sentencing guide- lines, the recommended sentence for the robbery is between 33 and 41 months. The seven-year mandatory sentence would be added to that sen- tence.

The sentencing date of February 19 next was fixed last week. The sen- tencing hearing will take place in Bangor, Maine.

Clarke was an award-winning stu- dent while studying Computer Sci- ence at Trinity College, Dublin and won a top Enterprise Ireland Student Award in 2002.

As a result of his Junior Certificate results at St Joseph’s Spanish Point, he was invited to join the Irish Math- ematics Olympic team.

As a result of his Leaving Certifi- cate, he was awarded a scholarship by Trinity College to study math- sere ee

THE house that inspired the final play ever penned by WB Yeats is in the centre of a growing row between the descendants of its former owner and the State.

Tyrone House, which is located on the outskirts of Kilcolgan and close to Coole Park in Gort, where Yeats spent much of his time, was the inspiration for the Nobel Prize winners’ final play, “The Death of Gee y re

The 18th-century property, which was formerly the home of the St George family, has also been cred-

ited as inspiration for a number of other artistic works, including “The Big House of Inver’ by Somerville and Ross.

According to the St George family, the Government has gone back on a commitment to purchase and pre- serve the historic property.

The property, which is currently in a State of disrepair, was designed by renowned Irish architect, John Roberts for Christopher French St George in the early 18th century.

One of his direct descendants, Gordan St George, last week criti- cised the Government for going back on acommitment to allocate funds to

purchase and preserve the property.

The house was abandoned in 1905 and then burnt by the IRA during the War of Independence in 1920. It iS now in private ownership but has been ransacked and looted down through the years.

Galway County Council has pre- viously tried to purchase the build- ing on behalf of the Department of the Environment, but with no suc- TIE

Labour TD and former Minister for the Arts, Michael D Higgins has sup- ported a proposal to purchase Tyrone House, but ownership problems de- layed the plan.

According to Deputy Higgins, fur- ther representations were made last year but he was informed that Gal- way County Council had written to the owner in relation to the building but had received no reply.

‘The Death of Cuchulain’ was writ- ten by Yeats in 1939 and tells the sto- ry of the last few days of his life. It was the fifth in Yeats’ series of plays on Cuchulain.

He also wrote ‘On Baile’s Strand’ in 1904, “The Green Helmet’ in 1910, ‘At the Hawk’s Well’ in 1917 and “The Only Jealousy of Emer’ in 1919.

Yeats also penned a number of po- ems on the legend of Cuchulain.

CLUSTERING has become a com- mon phenomenon in our large towns and cities and Philip O’Reilly, Property Plus has just launched a car showroom development, which could see a large concentration of car dealerships establish a new base on the Kildysart Road.

The development incorporate six car showroom sites, which range from 1.1 acres to 2.1 acres. Prices range from €850,000 to €1.225 million.

The property is very well located

on the Kildysart Road, just 2km south of Ennis town centre and 300 metres south of the Clareabbey in- tersection of the new bypass.

Each of the six sites has outline planning permission in place for a car showroom unit together with assoociated parking and other facil- ities, allowing for the development of individual styled units.

The property has extensive road frontage running to 210 metres. The site is bounded by residntial lands with full planning permission for 220 housing units.

For full details call 065 6844448.

A DEFENDANT who has been in custody for more than four months pleaded with a judge not to send him to Dundrum mental institution in Dublin.

David Mulcaire, 31 St Senan’s Road, Ennis, told the Ennis District

court that he would “never be able to get on outside again if I went there. I’d never be served in a shop or a pub. No one would want anything to do with me. It would ruin my name.” Judge Joseph Mangan had suggest- ed sending Mulcaire to Dundrum af- ter reading an assessment of him. Previously the court had heard that

Mulcaire, who is facing charges of theft, suffered a serious brain trauma in 1999, when he was hit in the head with a concrete block.

Two psychiatrists gave conflicting evidence on that occasion on whether or not the accused was fit to plead.

He has been in custody since his ar- rest more than four months ago.

‘Surely the whole thrust of what we are trying to do here is to take this man out of the criminal justice sys- tem and get him into the psychiatric system?” Judge Mangan said.

He remanded Mulcaire to Clover- hill prison for two weeks to be as- sessed by a psychiatrist from Dun- drum mental institution.

A KILKEE man who is serving a 12- year sentence for aggravated sexual assault was yesterday handed a five- year-term for sexually assaulting a woman in Ennis.

Brian Mulvihill (30), of Lislana- han, Kilkee, admitted the offence, relating to an incident at a flat in En- nis, in January 2005. He also admit- ted sexually assaulting a woman in Tralee in November 2004.

Both incidents and the aggravated

sexual assault occurred within a five-month spell when Mulvihill was “gripped” by drink.

During that time, Mulvihill’s “life crashed around him. His old friend drink let him down and led him on a merry dance,” said his barrister Mark Nicholas.

The 12-year term, imposed at the Central Criminal Court last April for the assault on a 20-year-old student in a caravan in west Clare in August 2004, is currently under appeal.

Referring to the Ennis incident,

Garda Val McCormack told En- nis Circuit Court that Mulvihill had been drinking with the injured party for several hours. They both later re- turned to her apartment.

She went to bed and “as she knew him, she allowed him to sleep on the bed outside the covers, fully clothed,” said the garda.

She fell asleep and when she woke up, he was sexually assaulting her.

When she shouted and attempted to push him off, he started pulling her hair. She attempted to strike him

with a bedside lamp and flee the apartment, but had difficulty escap- ing. He asked her to promise not to the tell the gardai. She agreed, in an effort to get away from him. The young woman was later treated at a sexual assault treatment unit.

Mr Nicholas said his client “went on a downward spiral over the five months and was out of control on olen om

Judge Carroll Moran said Mulvi- hill was invited to stay at the young woman’s house, but “he abused the

invitation and took liberties of a fair- ly intrusive nature.”

He noted that a psychiatric report on Mulvihill didn’t question the ex- istence of sexual deviance which, he said, had to be a factor.

“It can’t all be down to drink and mood swings,’ he said.

He said he must impose a prison sentence and jailed him for five erase

“What he did was dreadful but there has to be some element of pro- portionality,’ he said.

WITH early indications showing that the price of beef has started to improve, the farming organisations have been keeping the pressure on the factories in a hope to maintain the positive trend.

Fears have been raised in recent week that there could be a massive exodus from beef farming, and in particular winter finishers in Ireland if consistent price improvement is not witnessed in 2008.

Speaking last week, the Chairman of ICMSA’s Beef & Cattle Commit- tee, Martin McMahon, repeated his

warning to factories that they will fall victim to “their own short-term view’ of the industry unless the re- cent firming-up of prices is contin- UerOmr Ree meee loesIiclee

“Beef finishers are looking at a situation now where they see strong demand and a tight supply, they know that a substantial increase in prices should be in the pipeline and they are left — once again — wonder- ing why the factories seem bent on keeping the prices as low as possi- ble to the point where beef finishers will simply drop out of the trade with dire consequences for the factories themselves next year’, said the Clare

le Dusnoe

“In the context of the substantial kill at the end of 2007 and the ad- ditional and very welcome curbs on Brazilian beef, it 1s perfectly clear that there will be a shortage of cat- tle supplies this spring and that the meat processors would want to start reflecting that reality for the sake of ensuring a continued supply going forward.

“The people who finished cattle in spring 2007 and who suffered finan- cially as a result will not be able to take two successive years in which their costs outweighed any benefits.

“If the processors take the short-

term view again, they may inflict fatal damage to their own industry. Prices must keep rising and they must do so immediately.”

Last week, they revealed that the price paid by factories to farmers has actually decreased in the last 17.

According to new figures seen by

A MAN who was suffering from de- lusions and believed he was being fol- lowed stole two cars and tried to take another, in three different towns, all in the space of a few hours.

Timmy Casey (30), of 3 Clonlong, Southill, Limerick, stole cars in Shannon and Ennistymon, and tried to take another in Lahinch, on May 29, 2006.

Ennis Circuit Court heard yester- day that Casey, who has 59 previous convictions, stole an Audi from the forecourt of a garage in Shannon, at 9.30am.

He had called to Shannon and

Roxboro garda stations that morn- ing and said he felt he was being fol- lowed in what was described in court as “a cry for help.”

He drove from Shannon to Corofin, Where he attempted to buy petrol. The alarm was raised after a petrol attendant in Corofin became suspi- cious when Casey was unable to find the petrol tank in the car.

He then drove to Ennistymon where he ran out of petrol and parked up that car.

He then stole another car in En- nistymon, where he told the owner he had a gun and demanded the keys.

That car was later seen speeding around Lahinch and Ennistymon.

“It was weaving in and out of traf- fic. There were school children on the road at the time,’ said Gda Alan Keane.

Shortly after 12 noon, he crashed that car into a BMW at Dough, La- hinch, where he tried to take another car and assaulted its owner.

He tried to pull the driver, a mid- dle-aged woman, out of the car, but she managed to hold on to her keys. He was arrested as he sat in the driv- er’s seat of that car.

Garda Keane said that he was “very incoherent and didn’t know what he was saying, at the time.

While he was sober, he was “defi- nitely under the influence of drugs”

and was “suffering from delusions,” said the garda.

Casey’s barrister said the incident “verged on a rampage on the roads.” She said her client could offer €3,000 in compensation.

Judge Carroll Moran accepted the money and directed that it goes to one of the victims.

“What would concern me now is that there would be any repetition of Wek

“It is important that he keep taking his medication, but how do you po- lice that,” said the judge.

He imposed a two-year jail term, suspended on condition that he co- operate with his doctors.