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TWO east Clare organisations have been given grants by Environment Minister, John Gormley for their role in promoting eco-friendly practices.

The two were among a list of or- ganisations countrywide which re- ceived a total of €600,000 in pay- ments under the 2007 Local Agenda 21 Environmental Partnership Fund Grants.

The Centre for Environmental Living and Training (CELT) was awarded €1,145 for their Biodiver- sity Awareness Programme 2008

The programme provide tutors,

information and appropriate sites where native woodland species can be studied, planted and monitored.

Irish Seed Savers Association (ISSA) Ltd were awarded €1,115 for their “Celebrate Food” project.

The ISSA project aims to raise awareness of some of the issues con- cerning food security from the envi- ronmental cost of industrialised food production.

Agenda 21 is a programme which aims to promote initiatives which help build sustainable communities.

Other organisations in Clare which benefited from the grants were the Clare Association of An _ ‘Taisce

which received €1,167 for the Kuly- ana Project. Kulyana is an Hawaiian word meaning both privilege and responsibility.

The Clare Association of An Taisce with the Limerick/Clare En- ergy Agency will initially give talks and then will carry out a project in five villages or towns in the county aimed at their becoming aware of energy saving and recycling to com- bat climate change.

Another grant of €325 goes to Michele Castiaux for her geology workshop.

The workshop is “aimed at mak- ing children environmentally con-

scious citizens who will understand the importance of our geological re- Se] I Kee

Tom Varley Heritage in Inchicro- nan, Crusheen was awarded €1,080 for his “Community Development, Landscape and Settlement” project.

The scheme aims to encourage pub- lic participation in the development of the parish of Inchicronan and the surrounding area.

The School Book Exchange pro- gramme was awarded €500.

Available on www.schoolbookex- change.ie, the programme allows families all over Ireland to re-use their used college and school books.

THE speed at which the linesman ran towards the referee at the final whistle demonstrated how much he realised his colleague was in for a tongue lashing. The Waterford of- ficial seemed to frustrate both sides over the hour but it was the con- troversial penalty decision which caused the most anger amongst the Mills players, management and sup- Oda ay

It was a bewildering decision really as it was very difficult to see what in fact the penalty was for. Eventu- ally the referee signalled that it was a foot block much to the annoyance of the Mills following. Several Mills players vented their frustration to the official at the time but he had to be escorted off the field after the game as the players and management sur- rounded him once more in an effort to get an explanation for his deci- sion.

Afterwards, the Mills players stood in a understandably trance-like state near the tunnel where manager Mike O’Brien voiced his frustration to the waiting media and inevitably referee Tommy O’Sullivan was at the top of his list.

“It was unbelieveable really. At half time, we knew we had a problem with the referee and I said it to him. We had been awarded just four frees to 16 for our opponents but he made light of it. The second half wasn’t too bad but the penalty decision was the worst I’ve seen in all my time involved in the game. From where I stood it wasn’t a penalty. I would give him O out of 10 for his perform- ance there today. At the end of the day he won it for Canovee and that shouldn’t be the case.”

It was testament to the Mills’ per- formance that the Canovee players and management all remarked that the East Clare side deserved some-

thing out of the game. That wasn’t much consolation to Mike O’Brien and his players but he did reserve special praise for his players for a superb hour’s football, arguably their best performance of the year.

“We couldn’t have asked for any- more. They really came at us in the first half. They probably settled faster but we got into the run of it and maybe we got a fortunate score with the goal. But we were unfortu- nate for a second one as well. Was it a square ball? maybe yes maybe no. Some days they are given but it was definitely as much of a goal as the penalty was but that’s the way it goes. We are very, very, very proud of what the lads have done this year and I’ll you, I couldn’t say enough in deoDumE-NZOloue

“We said we weren’t coming down to make up the numbers. We knew that we had a good team, we knew we were fit and were well capable to keep of keeping the game going for as long as it took. The defending was excellent and I think only for the penalty we had it. You can never be sure of winning but we thought we had it.”

The post-match confrontation with the referee was certainly a talking point but as the photographers rushed to take photos of the incident, Clare Champion photographer John Kelly appeared to be struck by one of the Mills players. It was a bizarre and unsavoury incident that happened in the heat of the moment but O’Brien was quick to stress that he didn’t ac- tually witness the event.

‘Well I had words with the referee after the game and I voiced my dis- pleasure with him once again. While I was talking to him, I noticed some- thing happening behind me but I didn’t see what happened. I don’t know what happened.”

Afterwards, Mr Kelly lodged an of- ficial complaint with the Gardai after

his camera was also damaged in the incident. When asked if the photog- raphers were too close to the play- ers, the Mills manager conceeded that they had been a bit too close for comfort.

“Well they were stuck in our face to be honest and there was two pho- tographers in my face straight away when I was having words with the ref. | mean you don’t have to come that close to get a photo. Now saying that, nobody deserves a belt of a fist or an assault if that’s what happened. That’s what I’m told happened but I haven’t seen it. Now if it is true, it shouldn’t have happened and I would apologise on behalf of the club if it did happen.”

It was obvious by his lowered head how much this defeat was eat- ing away at the Mills manager and O’Brien saved his final tirade for referee Tommy O’Sullivan whom he felt cost his side the Munster title by awarding the controversial penalty.

“IT don’t know how anyone could see it as a penalty but that’s the way it goes. Its gone now so we can’t do anything about it. We are county champions and we had a good run in Munster but we would have no problem being beaten by 12 point today if we were beaten fairly. Full credit to Canovee, I have no problem with them whatsoever. They played a good sporting game, they are a good team and I wish them all the very best. But as I say the performance of that ref today was an absolute dis- grace and I don’t care if I am pulled before any disciplinary committee, I will stand by what I am saying. I will take whatever punishment is going because that’s how I feel.”

A PSYCHIC has been helping gardai with their investigation into the death of a teenager whose remains were re- covered from a lake in east Clare two weeks ago.

Denis McKenzie came within a breath of locating the body of Rich- ard “Happy” Kelly but became con- fused because he did not know the geography of east Clare.

Denis – who lives in Cambridge – has helped police in numerous high profile cases, including the Soham murders and the tracking down of the victims of an American serial enitare

He travelled to Killaloe to help Happy’s family try to locate him, carrying some of his possessions.

“T felt I was close and I saw a wom- an who said she was his grandmoth- er and I got the name Bridget. Mary said his grandmother was named Bridget so I presumed she was giv-

ing her name. And I kept hearing the word ‘dyke’ I believed it was telling me he was in a dyke somewhere in the area. But when he was found, the ‘dyke’ turned out to be Bodyke and Bridget referred to the lake where he was found, not the name,’ said Denis.

Denis said he was also given some significant information which may help the gardai in their investigation and he has passed this on to them.

Last night, Happy’s mother, Mary, said she will “not grieve for my son until the people who did this to him have been brought to justice. I will fight until they are caught and con- victed”’.

The heartbroken Limerick mother said that she is “so thankful to Denis – he has been here so many times and he 1s like one of the family now but he won’t take a penny from us for all he has done. I’m also very grateful to the fishermen who found him – one of them is a friend of the family. With

what they did to my Happy, weigh- ing him down with concrete blocks, he was never meant to be found”. Mary said that she wants to see jus- tice for her son who “never deserved what happened to him”. While he had convictions for taking cars “he never hurt anyone 1n his life’, she told

SOMETHING prominent has been missing from the grounds of Scar- iff Community College. It’s the An Taisce Green Flag for environmental awareness.

Continuity on the award was bro- ken during the period of re-roofing and other structural updates on the buildings. Now, however, the Green School committee has reconvened to resume full activities, hoping to re- gain the green accolade that slipped because of the limitations placed on the schools activities while renova- tions were under way.

The committee is involved in rais-

ing awareness about the three r’s: reduce, reuse, recycle in the context of the college. Its modus operandi to make the college more environmen- tally friendly is to concentrate on an issue a month. For instance, during October the emphasis was on out- door recycling.

Thirty-five people make up the green committee – students’ repre- sentatives from first year to Leaving Certificate, teaching staff, non-teach- ing staff and the college caretaker. Recently, a parents’ representative was invited to join them.

The Scariff college was one of the first secondary academies in the county and the first under Vocational

Education Committee control to achieve ‘green’ status.

Last month the emphasis was on the area in front of the main build- ing. A tree dedicated to deceased past pupils and another to deceased staff were planted.

There was also a ‘green code’ com- petition in which a student comes up with a slogan.

This month the committee visited the Mr Binman recycling centre as well as mounting a campaign to reduce Christmas packaging. Aine Purcell, Green-School Co-ordinator, says that ongoing projects include paper recycling, composting and plastic bottle recycling.

The aim of the Green-Schools pro- gramme is tO move from environ- mental awareness in the curriculum to environmental action in the school and wider community. As with any environmental management system, a structure is required to help it run smoothly. Pilot testing showed that a programme embodying seven es- sential elements provides a structure successful in achieving this aim.

These elements range over the adoption of a green code, environ- mental review, action plan, forming and involving, curriculum work and monitoring and evaluation. Hopes are high that the green flag will soon be flying again in Scariff.

THE search is continuing today for a Whitegate man who went missing after a night out with pals in Killa- loe.

James Burke has been missing since Sunday, December 9 when he failed to get into either of two taxis which were taken by the group of friends to get home.

The 23 year-old was last seen walking near the bridge on Sunday evening. Gardai have appealed to people with holiday homes in the Killaloe area to check them in case the missing man may be in one of the elt one

Meanwhile, almost 100 locals have joined the Killaloe coastguard unit, the Irish Coastguard helicopter, the Mountshannon search and rescue unit and gardai in the shore and lake search for the missing man.

It is feared that the Ballinruan man may have slipped into the water as he

headed home from Killaloe.

The alarm was raised when he failed to return home, contact his parents or arrive for work on Mon- day morning.

A spokesperson for the coastguard said the search started in the area around the bridge where he was last seen and spread out along the shore- bb aten

“We are hopeful that he didn’t fall into the river but we have to suspect that he did until we know otherwise. It is possible that he is safe and sound and staying somewhere. If that’s the case then we would appeal to him to make contact and let us know he is all right,” the spokesman said.

The search, which continued through the weekend, had to be called off as darkness fell last night and was resumed at first light today.

Meanwhile, a man who died after falling into the River Fergus last week has been laid to rest.

The body of 21-year-old Dermot

Molloy, was recovered last Wednes- day by divers at a section of the river to the rear of Aldi.

The search was initiated in the early hours of the previous Sunday morn- ing after a body was seen moving in the river behind the Abbey Street car park in the town.

An initial rescue attempt, made shortly after Mr Molloy entered the water, had to be aborted because of the treacherous water conditions at the time.

Ennis gardai co-ordinated the huge search operation, which involved members of the Garda Water Unit, Doolin Coastguard, Ennis Sub Aqua Club, Burren Sub Aqua Club, Kilkee Sub Aqua Club, Clare Civil Defence and the Coastguard helicopter.

THEY’RE bending it like Beckham in O’Briensbridge!

The ladies of the Celtic Ladies soc- cer club held their foundation night in Darby’s Pub in O’Briensbridge last week.

The club was the brain child of Becky Bowers, Naimh_ Byrnes, Karen Murtagh and Statia Byrnes, who started recruiting in August of this year.

At the first AGM, John Slattery was elected chairman and team manager, Becky Bowers is secretary and Niamh Byrnes is the treasurer. Jack Byrnes and Luke Turner are the trainers with Pat Crotty also helping out.

To kick start finances, the ladies and friends tackled a few fund rais- ing ventures. “We wish to thank all who have worked with us on this so far – we’ve got great support,” said Jack. The club currently has thirty eight ladies on the panel and they have been training diligently since September.

“The improvements in_ fitness and skill levels have been huge and everyone is really enjoying it,’ said FToe

The ladies held a club seven-a- side recently, the final of which was played on December 5.

The competition was such a suc- cess that it’s now planned to hold it every play year.

The awards to the winners were

presented by Jim Mooney from the Limerick Ladies and School Girl Sroyenveavlaraes

Every lady present was also pre- sented with a foundation medal to celebrate the occasion.

The winning captain, Nuala MckK- eogh gratefully accepted the win- ners trophy from Jim and made her acceptance speech in Irish.

The winning team was Collette Flemming, Norma Hartnett, Shirley Conway, Caroline Fortune, Sarah Doyle, Emma Hickey, Statia Byrnes.

The player of the tournament award went to veteran centre forward Statia Byrnes who accepted the trophy.

“The club is now official with this date as its foundation date,’ said ire

“We wish to thank all those people who donated spot prizes for the event, the Bridge Celtic soccer club for do- nating the trophies and Jim Mooney for taking the time to present the tro- phies. We also wish to thank Heatons of the Crescent Shopping Centre for donating a set of gear.”

The ladies are now getting to grips with the workings of the league in Limerick and they are looking for- ward to playing in the league next season. “The future craic looks good. We’ve had a great start and we’ll certainly be back next season. The players are already talking about it. Watch this space,” said Jack.

A POLISH man who was attacked in a Shovel row in Ennis two months ago was “beaten to an inch of his life’ a court has been told.

Piotr Baran (30) was one of two Polish nationals attacked during a fracas on Parnell Street, in October. He sustained serious head injuries in the incident.

Baran, of no fixed abode, appeared before Ennis District Court on Friday charged with public order offences arising from a different incident.

Defending solicitor Daragh Hassett CP NCGM ODISMOMBLoJ SIMTK UAYcLOMNDOM DRolE-DOLOmCO)n the past two-and-a-half years and has very little English.

He noted that his client has an al- cohol problem but is currently not drinking.

“Up to recently you’d walk down town and he’d be begging. He now has accommodation with a friend and a job in Dublin,” said Mr Has- sett.

The court heard Baran had a number of previous convictions.

Judge Aeneas McCarthy said, “I don’t think probation is appropriate. He’s an alcoholic.”

Mr Hassett replied, “He’s doing something about his drinking. This man was viciously assaulted on the street to an inch of his life two months ago.

“It’s a matter for the DPP. He has given up drink.”

A probation officer told the court that residential treatment was not an option because of the language dif- ECON Lone

Judge McCarthy replied, “Resi- dence in prison 1s an option.”

“T will place him on probation for six months.

“If he starts drinking again, he will be brought back before the court,” he added.

He asked what steps the accused has taken to learn English and was told he has enrolled in English class- oe

THE people of Miltown Malbay were celebrating last week.

Against all the odds they have built and developed a thriving family re- source centre and library during the past 15 years, and on Tuesday they celebrated the extended opening hours of the library.

Local musicians gathered to cel- ebrate in traditional west Clare style – with a few tunes.

As they played they tapped their feet in unison on the wooden floor laid by the late Willie Clancy, who was part of the community praised for its volunteering achievements.

Retiring county librarian Noel Crowley told those gathered in the

library, “If ye hadn’t put a gun to our head we would never have come in here. It was ye’re vision and suc- Te

He told the group that on the day he met the founders Cllr Christy Cur- tin and Michael Mahoney in the then derelict vocational school.

“Every window in the place was broken,” he said.

He told of a hole in the ceiling that a council worker proposed could be rectified within a drop ceiling of £6,000.

The local people had other ideas and working to a tight budget em- ployed a local plasterer to fill the hole for £300.

This he said was an example of a community working together and

volunteering to make a project a suc- TS

With the assistance of the county council, VEC and the HSE the com- munity have provided a centre with a library, youth reach, art classes, Clare VEC, social worker, money advice and budgeting service, home help organiser, community welfare officer, social and family affairs of- ficer, elderly care service, mini bus, dental team and child health practi- tioner.

The Spraoit Family Resource Cen- tre is also due to open early next year on the site.

Clare County Manager Alec Flem- ing said that he was amazed at the number of people volunteering to work on the project.

“In the 20th century it is getting harder and harder to get people to volunteer in the true sense of the word.”

Cllr Curtin said that the resource centre was still campaigning for a full time manager.

‘We have been to the ends of the earth trying to get support for fund- ing for a manager,’ he said.

“Our management is on a shoe SOME tTae POM UN leet la cone ;

“We will ask Eamon O Culiv to come down here and show him what a value for money model the West Clare Resource Centre is,” he said.

A MAN who admitted possession of stolen lead has been handed a six- month jail term.

However, he will not serve time if he behaves himself for two years.

Bernie Mongan (19) of Clancy Park, Ennis, pleaded guilty to han- dling stolen property between June 29 and July 2 last.

Garda Michelle Holian told Ennis District Court on Friday that a build- ing site in Ennis was broken into and

lead, valued at €2,000, was taken. Mongan was arrested and ques- tioned at Ennis Garda Station. He admitted being in possession of some of the goods. All of the prop- erty was recovered. Defending so- licitor Daragh Hassett said his client

had purchased the rolls of lead on the side of the road in Ballyalla and told gardai what he had paid for it.

Judge Aeneas McCarthy imposed a six-month jail term, suspended on condition that Mongan be of good behaviour for two years.

MAYOR of Clare Cllr Patricia Mc- Carthy was guest of honour at the last Kilrush town council monthly meeting of 2007.

The Kilrush native thanked the town councillors for affording her the honour. “We all remember where we come from and | am very hon- oured,’ she said.

Describing her as “a fine lady and politician” mayor of Kilrush Cllr Tom Clyne (Ind) said *“*“We are very proud of you here in Kilrush.”

The councillors all paid tribute to the mayor’s handling of the “Shan- non Crisis” and Aer Lingus’s plans to move the Heathrow slots to Belfast.

“IT admire Patricia for the stance she has taken on Shannon Airport and the hospital. Patricia is always at the forefront to put up a fight,” said veteran Cllr Jack Fennell (Ind).

‘For this year we couldn’t have had a better mayor,’ said Cllr McMahon fey itete

“I don’t think anyone could have done a better job.”

Cllr Deirdre Culligan said, “I was so proud of you down in O’Connell Street Limerick at the Shannon pro- test and to see you speak.”

Fellow county councillor Tom Prenderville (FF) also paid tribute to the Shannon councillor and mayor.

“You have been a marvellous am- bassador for County Clare,” he said.

“She has never forgotten her roots. I remember Patricia in Clare County Council in full voice in defence of Kilrush.”

“Patricia McCarty is one of those people who could size up something and go in and fight and it may not al- ways be the popular thing.

‘She was a great loss to Kilrush and I would love to have worked beside her in the Kilrush electoral area.”

“I know Sissy Roughan (former chair of Kilrush Town Council) would have been very proud.

“I love her to bits and not only be- cause we were classmates but because she has great honesty,” he said.

“I don’t recognise myself in half of what has been said because I can

be very stubborn and very thick and very argumentative,” said Mayor McCarthy with a laugh.

She told the councillors that Kil- rush was a great example of a town in transition.

While it was a bustling market town in her youth, the closure of the West Clare Railway hit the west Clare capital hard, but things have improved in the last year.

“It is good to see it coming to the fore again and people investing in the town.”

“There was an element that took control of Kilrush for a while. I am glad that has being reversed and the community had now taken back con- trol.”