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AS OF yesterday, council officials and elected representatives in east Clare have a new home to go to. Staff began the move yesterday from the courthouse to the new coun- cil offices at Mountshannon Road. The Tulla Courthouse, which was home to the council in recent years, is now being leased to the local com- munity development group which will be using the building for various

community activities. The Court will also continue to sit in the court- house.

The new offices in Scariff will also be home to a branch library, and will offer a range of services for the public including payment of house rents, loans, rates, water rates and planning contributions, receipting and processing of all road opening licence applications and distribution of information, application forms and contact details relating to all

Clare County Council services.

The public will also be able to view documents such as County Develop- ment Plans, area plans, register of electors and there will be a planning clinic at which the Local Area Plan- ner will attend on the morning of the fourth Tuesday of each month for pre-planning consultations.

Motor tax online service will be available in the very near future and elected representatives will hold their meetings in the new offices.

“These range of facilities should be a great asset to the people of the east Clare area in availing of services lo- cally,” said Area Officer, Michael McNamara.

The new branch library will be Open as and from the November 12 and will have increased opening hours.

The official opening will take place on Monday, November 19 next and will be performed by the Mayor of Clare, Cllr Patricia McCarthy.

CLARE county football cranks back into gear tonight (Tuesday) with the first training session of the new sea- son, a full two months ahead of last season’s return.

It’s the third manager in as many years for the footballers and while the exact make-up of the league squad won’t be known for a number of weeks, some new additions are likely to be included when the panel is pared down.

The early start brings renewed

Structure, a direction that has been welcomed by players involved under recent appointment Frank Doherty. “Players have had a rough enough time of it over the past couple of sea- sons, maybe they lost their way at times and we decided to get together to bring some guidance back,” said Doherty. “I want to get to know play- ers and know what they’re about. Put faces to names. There’s no point in starting out for the season a couple of weeks after Christmas and maybe a fortnight to go before a McGrath Cup game. The bottom line is that

we want to get belief back in Clare football that’s been missing for the past while.”

With the addition of Kilkenny to the footballers league group, it means the spring will be action filled and if Clare can put together a decent McGrath Cup run, close to a dozen hours of competitive football could be played before the championship Torta DENSE

“It’s important to get some work under the belt at this stage,” adds Doherty. “All going well, the core fitness will increase and the lads

will be able to play at a high tempo throughout the league.”

Some dovetailing for those involved in the Under 21s is also expected.

“In all, I’m hoping for 28 to 30 lads at the first training. Some will be in- volved in Under 21 training and I’d expect a lot to be involved with us as well. On top of that, we have lads involved with Sigerson who won’t be available immediately and there isn’t any issue there. We want the entire panel to know what the game plan is and what’s expected in terms of physical condition.”

CLARE suckler farmers are to re- ceive €80 per cow thanks to last week’s approval by the EU of the new fully Exchequer-funded suckler welfare scheme.

The suckler herd is the source of much of Ireland’s high-quality beef, which is so important to the rural economy and comprises 65,000 herds with over one million cows.

The minister for agriculture be- lieves that increased welfare stand- ards will add to the high quality rep- utation of Ireland’s beef sector. “This

is an important initiative aimed at improving welfare and quality in the national suckler herd.

‘Participation in the scheme is vol- untary and will be open to all suckler farmers, including those with mixed enterprise herds containing both suckler and dairy animals,” said Minister Mary Coughlan.

The delivery of the scheme was signalled as a key element of the Agri-Vision 2015 Action Plan which identified the beef sector as a vital area for development.

The new plan was welcomed by Clare TD Timmy Dooley. “Mainis-

ter Mary Coughlan has informed me that the EU has just approved a new fully Exchequer-funded suckler welfare scheme,” he said.

‘Participation in the scheme is vol- untary and will be open to all suckler farmers, including those with mixed enterprise herds containing both suckler and dairy animals.

“A payment of €80 per cow up to a limit of 100 cows will be available to suckler cow farmers who comply with six animal welfare measures in relation to calves born from January eles

The department will shortly write

to all potentially eligible farmers with details of the main aspects of the scheme. Application forms, help- sheets and the terms & conditions will be issued soon while farmers who apply under the scheme will be issued with the Animal Events Book, which will be used to notify the reg- istration of calves, as well as certain events relating to breeding.

The scheme will operate for five years, while the closing date for ap- plications is March 31, 2008. A Lo- call number has been created by the department at 1890 252707 and will operate from Tuesday, October 30.

A JURY failed to reach a decision in a trial of a Kilrush man accused of push- ing a woman down the stairs at her place of work, after the defence raised an issue over the identity parade.

Patrick Hall (21), of Beech Park, Kil- rush, had denied assaulting Bernadette Adams, causing her harm, at Leahy’s accountancy office, Francis Street, Kilrush, on April 6, 2006.

Mr Hall was found not guilty by the jury of stealing her mobile phone on Wd eLomcy eH OOLemOk-I Kor

Ms Adams told Ennis Circuit Court that she was shocked to see two young men “with hoods” walking out of her office.

‘I asked them what were they doing there. I knew they weren’t there for the good of their health. I said “If you have taken something, can you please give it back’,” she said.

She said one of the assailants was small with red hair and freckles. She knew him to see from being in the shop previously.

She said she tried to push one of the men back into the office and he started to push her back.

“The two of them pushed me down the stairs. I hit my head at the bottom of the stairs. They ran off and left me. I could have been dead,” she said.

She sustained a bump to the side of the headand was treated in hospital

and later made a recovery. When she returned to her office, Ms Adams no- ticed that her mobile phone was miss- ing. The following day she _ identified Patrick Hall in an identity parade at Kilrush Garda Station.

Mr Hall’s barrister, Mark Nicholas, put it to the witness that she was mis- taken in her identification.

She replied, “I’m very happy with my identification. For months afterwards I could see his face”.

Mr Nicholas pointed out that another red-haired man, Michael Sweeney (19), of Wood Road, Kilrush, was ar- rested in connection with this incident. He pleaded guilty to a charge of as- sault and his case would be finalised at a later stage.

Mr Nicholas stressed that only two of the 10 men in the identity parade were red-haired while one had sandy hair, after Ms Adams had said the as- sailant had red hair.

‘This case against my client revolves only on the identification parade. You put six brown heads in to identify a red haired man,” he said.

Garda Donal Corkery said he inter- viewed the accused, who had denied going into the office and denied push- ing Ms Adams down the stairs.

After deliberating for over three hours, the jury indicated that it was unable to reach a verdict. Mr Hall was remanded on continuing bail. The DPP will decide if a retrial will take place.

KINCORA Macra, founded in No- vember 2003, is based in the Ballina/ Killaloe area and attracts members from surrounding areas including Bridgetown, Ogonnelloe, Scarriff, Feakle, Ballinahinch and Whitegate.

The club has a current membership of 35 and this year had the honour of been chosen as one of the final 12 clubs in the AIB Club of the Year Sroyeayereisisceyee

This competition is designed to award the most dynamic and active clubs in the country.

As a relatively new club, adjudica- tors were impressed with the level of involvement and commitment Kincora club members had shown to

competitions and festivals through- out the year. The Macra na Feirme Leadership Training Programme is hugely important to the organisation and has been acknowledged by many of today’s leaders as the foundation for future careers.

Kincora members have taken part in club, county and national training programmes and are proud to have members on both the county com- mittee and national executive.

Learning the skill of oratory is a key area in the club’s programme and members competed in the na- tional debating and impromptu speaking competitions. Links were made with the local Toastmasters Clubs and Janice Mooney, PRO of Kincora branch, would like to thank

Toastmasters for all the help and ad- vice members were given.

Farming members of Macra na Feirme were kept up to date through- out the year through discussion eroups, young farmer development groups, seminars and competitions. Key areas, which members compet- ed in were The Bord Bia Stock judg- ing Competition, The Alltech Silage Competition and FBD Farm skills Competition.

Every member has an opportunity to travel with Macra and take part in exchanges with other clubs. Recently Kincora members have travelled to Edinburgh, Brussels, Paris and they are discussing the 2008 programme.

Kincora members had a very suc- cessful year at various festivals, with

three ladies from Kincora chosen to represent Clare in the Blue Jeans Festival, The International Miuiss Macra Festival and ‘Queen of the Land Festival’.

Macra is a democratic organisa- tion and every member is entitled to his or her opinion at club meetings. The success of Kincora Club was in the collective responsibility of all the members in the running of it. It was not in the individual skill of one person but in the way members sup- ported and worked with each other.

A PLANNING row continues be- tween two Lahinch-based business- man over plans to extend premises in the town.

Earlier this year, plans by Olan O’Connor to extend Flanagan’s pub in Lahinch were opposed local re- tailer Pat Kenny. The plan is now before An Bord Pleanala.

Now, Mr Kenny has an application before Clare County Council to ex- tend a retail premises on the Main Street but Mr O’Connor has object- ed.

In his objection Mr O’Connor

states, “I am generally supportive of development that would add, and be beneficial, to the commercial vitality of the town centre.

“However, I have serious concerns that the development, as proposed, will have a negative impact on my property and will also constitute an inappropriate precedent for similar forms of development in the future for the centre of Lahinch.

‘“T have recently applied for permis- sion for an extension to Flanagan’s Bar. This application was granted by the council. However, it has been ap- pealed by the current applicant for a variety of reasons and the matter is

currently under the consideration of An Bord Pleanala…

“His current application is effec- tively providing 100 per cent site coverage and the envelope of the building is being provided up to the boundary with all neighbours.

“It is clear that the applicant is seek- ing to provide the maximum amount of retail floor space at this location without any recourse as to how this proposal will affect the amenities of neighbouring properties or proper re- gard given to how the retail units will function…

“Mr Kenny is now proposing to build right up to his site boundaries

and provide a two-storey building with pitched roof at a location where previously only single storey devel- opment was in place. This will un- doubtedly have an adverse impact on the amenities of adjoining proper- Hone

“The developed as proposed by Mr Kenny would clearly have an adverse impact on my property and the amenities. Again, I would like to stress that I am not anti-develop- ment but I do have grave reservations regarding the nature of the current proposal.”

A decision is due on the application later this year.

CLARE is on the brink of bread shortages this winter with skyrock- eting overheads threatening to put many bakeries out of business.

The price of wheat and flour in Ire- land increased by 70 per cent in the 12 months from September 2006 to September 2007, with a further 30 per cent increase reported over the last six weeks alone.

“We have already seen a number of bakeries close over the past few years because of cost pressures. Considering this recent spate of cost

increases, I would not be surprised to see more casualties, as businesses can’t continue to absorb these kinds of cost increases,’ said Paul Kelly, of the Irish Bread Bakers Association. “The bakery sector is of significant importance to the Irish economy, employing over 4,000 individuals throughout the country. The cost of doing business in today’s market is becoming increasingly difficult.” These unprecedented increases are as aresult of a combination of factors all connected with global warming. European grain crops were deci- mated this year as a result of drought

in the south and too much rain in the north. Fear of global warming has also cause hundreds of thousands of farmers worldwide to abandon tradi- tional crops in favour of bio-fuels.

“It’s cheaper to burn the grain as fuel than it is to change it into food. The Americans have set targets on bio-fuel and it is unlikely that they will back down on them,” said Sea- mus Murphy, head of the IFA in Ee

“If you look back a few years, we had grain mountain in Europe. The EU changed their policy and all of these stores disappeared and that is

what’s driving the cost increases.

‘The reaction from farmers will be to produce more grain, so hopefully over the next few years grain sup- plies will come back a bit.

“This is providing that there is no major incident in a grain producing ote as

“Whatever about the chance of a grain shortage, from a farming point of view the pig, chicken and beef farmers cannot take this rise in the cost of grain; especially the pig farm- ers, they have been loosing money on every pig they have sold after the last few months.”

STUDENTS at St Anne’s school in Ennis did their bit for People in Need on Friday when they took part in a sponsored walk.

63 pupils participated in the walk which took place at Lees Road, help- ing to collect €3,225 in the process.

St Anne’s is a recognised school, which enrolls pupils from age four to 18.

The school caters for pupils with mild general disabilities and also students with more complex learn- ing needs. St Anne’s is financed by the Department of Education and Noto een

The broad range of learning the school provides is tailored to meet the individual needs and each pupil in the school has an individual edu- cation plan.

In this way, the many services the school provides such as music therapy, wood technology, aquatics, horse-riding and cookery, can be harnessed to provide as broad a cur- riculum and learning experience as possible for all pupils.

As they progress through junior and senior cycle at post primary lev- el, St Anne’s students have received FETAC awards with some going on to take exams in Junior and Leaving Certificate applied.

Recently appointed principal Sarah Barnes said the school was eager to give back after benefiting from gen- erous contributions from People in Need in the past.

‘We have a fantastic staff and won- derful pupils in here at St Anne’s. I know that the school has benefited generously from People in Need in the past. But this year it’s our turn to change things around and give something back. A sponsored walk was organised and all the pupils participated in this. On the day of the walk 63 pupils collected €3,225 with more to come.”

The sponsored walk was one of nu- merous events organized in Ennis for

People in Need.

The Clare Branch of Network Ire- land organized a cocktail event for People In Need on Friday in Rogue’s Bar & Restaurant, Ennis. The Lif- ford bar hosted a slave auction.

Coffee mornings were held in Clarecare and the Chapel Lane com- munity centre while students at St Claire’s school are organizing a Hal- loween sing-a-long.

THE absence of a garda on beat pa- trol in Crusheen is contributing to a rise in anti-social behaviour in the village, according to locals.

The local Garda station has been vacant for a number of years due to various issues concerning accessibil- ity to the building.

While most of the issues have been resolved, a problem regarding the site map is the latest reason for the building to be unoccupied.

The Garda responsible for Crush- een currently works out of Ennis

Garda station. Locals believe this is not good enough and say that, given the growth in population, a garda must be based in the village.

Local residents are concerned that levels of anti-social behaviour in the village have increased in recent weeks.

Groups of young men are congre- gating in new housing estates includ- ing Inchicronan and Brodagh View and are proving a nuisance for resi- Cla e

Several residents have complained to Ennis Garda Station. While gardai have called to the area, locals believe

that the lack of a garda stationed there is adding to their woes. One resident, who did not wish to be named, de- scribed recent behaviour:

“They knocked on doors, threw eggs at houses and hurled abuse and threats at residents, who live here with young families. This is most notable when there is activity at the local pub. It has been going on for a while. It is uncalled for. | am very concerned about it,’ said the resi- dent.

“It is frightening. Crusheen is lo- cated in a commuter area, accessible to Galway, Limerick and Gort and is

a nice residential area, with people getting on with their daily lives,’ she SrHKG

Clare Garda Representative Asso- ciation spokesman, Tom Keane, is concerned that the problem has per- sisted for so long.

“The station 1s furnished, but we can’t take possession of it until the problem of the site map is sorted. How do we expect to have policing when we don’t have a garda station?” he asked.

“You are bound to have anti-social behaviour if you don’t have a garda in situ,” said Garda Keane.

THE first ever Ennis Style and Glam- our Awards took place on Thursday last at the Old Ground Hotel. It was the highlight event of Ennis Fashion Week, an event organised to height- en the awareness of Ennis as the bou- tique capital of Ireland. Lisa Fitzpatrick, celebrity stylist, brought a touch of glamour to the night, together with her fellow judg- es, PJ Gibbons and Edward Alex Fit- zgerald.

Lisa was impressed, “For a first time event I was absolutely bowled over by the effortless glamour at En-

nis Fashion Week and by the sheer professionalism of all involved.”

The pinnacle of the evening was the awards ceremony where judges had a very difficult task choosing a BUONO e

Bernie Garry, from Cooraclare was named the Most Stylish Person at Ennis Fashion Week. A mother of one and a nurse by profession, Bernie wore a black and white halterneck dress and a fur stole.

Ennis Fashion Week Most Glamor- ous Person 2007 is Marie Slattery from Ballymaley, who is head of sales and marketing with Shannon Heritage. She has always worked in

tourism and previously worked with Delta Airlines.

The Ennis Fashion Week Design Student Style Award 2007 went to Siobhan O’Callaghan for her crea- tion, Urban Warrior.

Her design was inspired by the ar- chitecture of Ennis and also Quin Abbey, creating a look that com- municated the unique and complex landmark that spans and typifies Tem Nioay

The dramatic fabric mix worked into the dress represents medieval architecture and all its intricacies.

Siobhan is currently studying in The Limerick College of Art and

Design.

The Ennis Fashion Week Up-Style Hair Award went to Creative Edge for the best interpretation in relation to the student design titled Blathan- na. The hairstyle had autumnal flow- ers interwoven into the hair. A col- laboration by Caroline, Marie and Fiona at Creative Edge.

The Ennis Fashion Week Make- Up Award went to Aveda CSpa and Medi CSpa for their interpretation of Student Design titled Urban Warrior It was truly an artistic creation and had the absolute wow factor created by Claire Connellan at Aveda CSpa and Medi CSpa.