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THE rugged surrounds of the Bur- ren may have been the very centre of financial and social activity in Me- dieval Clare, a new excavation has shown.

Early indications from an excava- tion, undertaken earlier this month at the Caherconnell Stone Fort near Carron, have revealed that the struc- ture was a much more important building than previously thought, and most probably the property of a wealthy landowner.

Following a 10-day archaeological excavation, undertaken during Herit- age Week ‘07, it has been discovered that Caherconnell Stone Fort is twice the size of the 300-500 standard cashels that are now under study in

the Burren.

The true size of the fort at Caher- connell is 40 metres in diameter, and with a thick stone walls rising to over three metres in places it would have taken considerable resources, both in manpower and finances to construct.

Artefacts uncovered included two disc-shaped quernstones of the ro- tary type, used to grind cereals while iron arrowhead, three inches in length and with barbs at its base, were also found.

“Both the arrowhead and quern- stone fragments are very fine ex- amples, and are not of a quality you would expect to find in the cashel of a normal farmer of the period,” said Dr Michelle Comber of NUI Galway, who is currently researching early medieval settlements in the Burren.

“All told, it seems very likely that the people living at Caherconnell were of the nobility. Wealthy farm- ers who ruled much of the land in the vicinity of their cashel. Work so far places the site in the upper ech- elons of the Early Medieval social system.”

A piece of sandstone was also found, which was probably used as a hearth stone and, as the Burren 1s predominantly limestone, the sand- stone is likely to have been imported Seer NUR

“The excavation has exceeded our expectations and has produced a lot of information that was previously unknown,” said excavation site di- rector, Graham Hull of TVAS ar- chaeological consultancy based in Sul te

The excavation was undertaken by a partnership of NUI Galway, TVAS and the Davoren family. The visitor centre incorporates Ireland’s first Stone Fort virtual tour and illumi- nates the historical and archaeologi- cal secrets of the more famous Bur- ren monuments. The centre on the family farm now attracts over 20,000 visitors per year.

“When the company was estab- lished in 2003 one of our long term goals was to see the fort dated and preserved,’ said Sean Davoren. “We are very grateful to Dr Comber and Graham Hull for volunteering their time and resources to begin this V0) 0.e

“The work they have carried out has been amazing and their enthusi- asm infectious.”

MUNSTER rugby fans in Clare have expressed mixed feelings following confirmation that London Wasps have moved the venue for their Heineken Cup “home” clash with Munster in November to Coventry forcing supporters to change travel and accommodation arrangements at extra expense.

HEC champions Wasps were ex- pected to host 2006 cup winners Munster on November 10 in London however it has now been confirmed that the Round 1, Pool 5 clash will take place in Coventry, 100 miles from the capital. A spokesperson for the Ricoh Stadium has confirmed that the venue has been booked for the game at 5.30pm on November 10 next.

It was always unlikely that the game would be played at Wasps’ home ground at Adam’s Park as the

capacity there is only 10,000. The club had been considering a number of options including Twickenham, the Emirates, Wembley Stadium and other venues outside London, how- ever none of these options material- There

PRO of the Munster Rugby Sup- porters Club, Glenn Flanagan said yesterday, “Whilst initially we were disappointed that Wasps chose to move the game from London to Cov- entry, we do understand that Wasps exhausted every possibility, to stage the game in London. We understand that venues from Southampton, Emirates Stadium, MK Dons Are- na, Stamford Bridge, Wembley and Twickenham were all considered but for one reason or another, these ven- ues were not available.

As soon as the draw for this sea- son’s championship was announced during the summer, hundreds of Munster fans quickly booked flights

to London but will now have to take a two hour train journey from the capital to Coventry’s Ricoh Stadium for the clash or make alternative ar- rangements.

A spokesman for the European Rugby Cup (ERC) has said, “As the tournament continues to grow several Clubs are now moving pool matches to larger venues to cater for demand following a trend that started with quarter-finals like Munster’s last year at Lansdowne Road and Bourgoin who moved their clash with Munster to Geneva.”

“If Wasps stayed at Adams Park, Munster would get less than 1,500 tickets for their fans for what must be one of the biggest and most antici- pated pool games for either club and the tournament. Their move to the State of the art 32,000 Ricoh Arena will mean that thousands more fans will be able to attend the game if they wish.

‘The venues for the Pool stages are decided by the home clubs, and they must confirm the venues at least sev- en weeks before the game to ERC. This is a new deadline introduced this season,” according to the ERC.

MRSC PRO Glenn Flanagan add- ed, “of course, with the game being moved to a bigger venue, it gives the Opportunity to have more Munster Supporters at the game. Although many of our members have booked various flights into London for the game, we will endeavour to help show them the best way to Coventry from all London Airports.” Informa- tion is available from www.munster- rugbysupporters.com.

MEMBERS of An Bord Pleanala may soon face vetting from Clare Council Council should a motion put forward by the council be accepted by the planning authority.

This follows a motion put forward at last nights meeting of Clare Coun- ty Council by north Clare Council- lor, Michael Kelly (FF), which ques- tioned the logic of decisions made by An Bord Pleanala.

The motion, which was proposed by Cllr Kelly and seconded by Cllr Martin Conway (FG), called on the Department of the Environment to inform the council on the back- erounds of Bord Pleanala officials and in particular what percentage of officials are city or country dwellers.

“My concern is that the rural agenda is not being catered for the the mem- bers of An Bord Pleanala. I want to find out once and for all what is the background of the people who make decisions concerning rural Ireland,” said Cllr Kelly.

“IT would like to know, are they rural landowners, would they have experience in rural planning, would they have qualifications or are they picked add lib.

“If I am correct in what I believe there are only about two members from farming backgrounds. If you were a rural person, you would like the people who are making the deci- sions about rural communities to the the experience and social qualifica- tion to understand what is happening

Oo) Fmd sto Ker

“We have huge population decreas- es inrural areas and you still find that properties are still being refused.

“There are huge inconsistencies with An Board Pleanala, if you look at phone masts, they allow masts to go up to 70 and 80 feet into the air but yet houses beside it are brought down to a 6.5, or in some cases 5.5, fringe.

“If you are obtrusive with a 5.5 fringe, how do you grant an 80 foot mast. There is an inconsistency here.”

Speaking on the subject, Clir Mar- tin Conway, described some of the decisions made by An Bord Pleana- la as coming from “Never, Never Land.”

FOR decades, Irish people have been flocking to Yoga lessons as a way of destressing, improving mental and physical health or just relaxing.

But now a Clonlara teacher, who used a Yoga approach to having her own children, is helping women have a healthier, more holistic experience of pregnancy and childbirth.

And once baby is born, he or she can come to class with mum.

Paulette Egan is teaching the Birth Light method of enjoying pregnancy and childbirth in Killaloe and is also running mother and baby classes.

Mother of four Paulette knows what she’s talking about having learned the method and used it for the birth of her own children, avoiding any need for drugs or epidurals.

While medical procedures have undoubtedly made having babies safer, many women feel their experi- ence of pregnancy and childbirth has been taken out of their hands or that there’s no choice beyond putting up with pain or taking drugs in labour.

“What Yoga teaches are simple positions and breath techniques that put women in touch with their bodies and their babies throughout pregnan- cy and when it comes to giving birth, make it a much easier and more en- joyable experience.”

The method and exercises can be done from 16 weeks into pregnancy and help expectant women to have a better understanding and to experi- ence what is happening to their bod- les in a positive way.

For instance, Paulette says “later in pregnancy many women say they

have trouble getting a breath. Yoga teaches good posture which creates more space to breath’.

The techniques also help with high blood-pressure, backache, sciatica and many other discomforts associ- ated with being a lady in waiting.

Among the movements taught at classes are rocking movements to soothe the developing baby, leg strengthening exercises to help dur- ing labour and pelvic floor exercises that help during the final stages of labour.

“Most importantly, this helps women to focus on what is happen- ing during pregnancy and to connect with the growing baby.”

And afterwards, women who want to continue learning more about Yoga can include their newborns in post-natal classes, which also include

coffee mornings so that women can meet and socialise.

Paulette sends surveys to all the women who have attended her pre- natal classes and gets a very positive response.

“They all say they got benefit from it,” she said.

The pre-natal Yoga classes are start- ing in Killaloe on Thursday nights from 6.50pm to 8.20pm on Convent Hill and the mother and baby classes Start up again on Friday mornings between 10.30am and noon.

Anyone interested can contact Pau- lette on 086 3183646.

ENNIS and Kilrush have once again won gold medals in the national Tidy SKeaelsmereyesloreisialeyee

The county capital scored 295 points, which is just four points be- hind the overall winner, Aughrim, from Wicklow, the results of which were announced yesterday. It shows an increase of seven points on Ennis’ tally of 288 last year.

Kilrush finished second in Clare, with 290 points (an increase of eight on last year), while Mountshannon was third, with 279 points.

Ennis won a gold medal, the county award for Clare, a national regional biodiversity award, along with a ‘building a bilingual society’ acco- lade. “Ennis is just four points behind the overall winner. For a town this size, this 1s a major achievement,” said the secretary of Ennis Tidy

Towns committee, Margaret Neylon.

Ennis, which won the overall na- tional competition in 2005, has in- creased its points tally, in impres- sive fashion, over the past few years. It scored 272 points in 2004, 279 in 2005 and 288 last year.

Many villages, townlands and towns in Clare showed huge im- provements in their scores in the na- tional competition.

Although Mountshannon scored

279 points, it dropped one point from last year. The village, which won the competition outright in 1981, has been impressive in Tidy Towns over the past few years, increasing its tally in fine fashion.

There were significant improve- ments for many areas, with Ballyna- cally top of the pile in this section, scooping an impressive increase of 21 points, which showed an increase of 8.4 per cent on 2006. Not far be- hind Ballynacally was Kilkee, which increased its tally by 14 points. Thir- teen-point increases were recorded in Quin (256), Ruan (238) and Kilmihil (243).

Ballyvaughan increased by 12 points (256). Tuamgraney increased by 11 points, to 259, while Labash- eeda increased by 10 points to 259. Nine-point increases were awarded in Lahinch (230), Scariff (230) and Carrigaholt (214).

Kilrush scooped eight extra points (290), as did Killimer (227), Kildysart (230) and Newmarket-on- Fergus (241). Seven-point increases were scored by Ennis (295), Feakle (233) and Tulla (218).

Sixmilebridge (254), Killaloe (230) and Ennistymon (224) increased by five points each. A three-point in- crease was recorded in Broadford (208), while Mullagh (214) and Shannon (254) increased by two points each.

PRESSURE is mounting on Clare’s four elected members of Dail Eire- ann to make a concrete stand on the Shannon/Heathrow crisis.

Following a heated debate at last night meeting of Clare County Coun- cil, Clare TD’s Tony Kileen (FFP), Timmy Dooley (FF), Pat Breen (FG) and Joe Carey (FG) were described as “ducking and diving” and having “forked tongues” on the issue.

Speaking at the meeting, north Clare Cllr Martin Lafferty (Ind), said the onus should be on the coun- ties TD’s, rather that the County Councillors, to voice their concerns ODN BON ISw Ie CoR

“I have listened to this debate morning in and morning out. I don’t think that this is the remit of council. We have a representative democracy and the people who should be doing the job and put their necks on the line are the TDs.

“We are muddying the waters by sticking our necks out,” said Cllr Feouae

“If they acted the way that they talk this could be overturned in five seconds. But they have been ducking and diving with forked tongues.”

Speaking on the subject, Labour councillor, Pascal Fitzgerald, said that he believes that the government

TDs will support the decision.

“We have Clare TDs on the radio talking about this everyday with dif- ferent stories.

‘There is only one man up in Dub- lin who can change this, and he doesn’t give a crap about Shannon,” said Fitzgerald. “I believe that the TDs will support the Government. I believe that Shannon is gone unless our TDs stand up for the people of this region.”

Meanwhile, Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) indicated that he believed that a deal would be struck in the future which will maintain good connectiv- ity for the region, but could not con- firm when this might be formalised.

Responding to the comments, County Manager, Alex Fleming, re- acted positively.

“Tl think that this case is winnable, there has been example of people power winning out in the past, one example is the Western Rail Corri- dor,” he said.

‘We can take it from today’s meet- ing that there 1s unanimous support and we will be doing our utmost to continue this campaign.”

A motion was agreed to calling for An Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, he meet with the council on the deci- sion while a letter urging support will also be sent to every TD in the Western Region.

MENTION the words pop or rock band manager and the image that springs to mind is that of a middle- aged, middle spreading man in a suit or a judge on a dodgy reality TV show with a penchant for creating boy bands.

Which makes it all the more sur- prising to learn that a 15-year-old female Mountshannon student has landed the gig that promoters twice her age would give their platinum ODES we

Hannah Ryan has been commis- sioned by Cork-based teenage gig company, Blast Base, to organise their events in Clare.

Blast Base organise and promote alcohol-free events with live bands and DJ’s in Cork, which have be- come hugely successful with young music fans.

Hannah came to their attention when she got involved in a Cork gig on behalf of the Clare band which she manages, Marble Chips.

‘They had only spoken to me on the phone and we discussed me organis- ing Clare gigs for them. When they invited me down for an interview, I think it was a bit of a shock, but when we had talked and I told them what I’d done in the past they agreed to go ahead,” said Hannah.

Hannah organised her first music event at just 13 years of age, when

she staged a Battle of the Bands, organising venues, sound, lighting sponsorship and prizes.

“It turned out to be the biggest bat- tle of the bands held in Clare up to then, with musicians coming from all over,’ said Hannah.

She has organised 17 gigs for her band Marble Chips since she took them on in August and not in any shabby old venues, but settings in- cluding Glor and the Half Moon Theatre in Cork.

And now a second band have ap- proached her to manage them, Schism and that’s while she is still studying with the Steiner-based Alpha Project and taking FETAC exams.

But the first hurdle she has to tackle

to put on the Blastbase gigs in Clare is to find venues.

“These are no-alcohol events, and a lot of places are not willing to close their bars for the night so we need other venues like halls or clubs if this is to happen.”

Anyone who might have a venue on offer for Hannah’s new project should call her on 085 1589498.

UNIVERSITY College Dublin was the venue for the 58th Annual Meet- ing of the European Association for Animal Production held on Sunday, August 26 which was opened by the Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food, Mr John Browne, ID.

Addressing the more than 800 Eu- ropean delegates, the Minister stated that “investment in research is piv- otal in ensuring that we meet future challenges facing the agriculture and food sector”’.

He congratulated the Scientific Committee for capturing such a noteworthy theme as “Sustainable Animal Production – Meeting the

Challenges for Quality Food. Sus- tainability presents a challenge for all concerned.” The Minister continued: “A challenge for researchers to pro- vide the best science based knowl- edge for cost effective sustainable and animal welfare friendly animal production, a challenge for farmers to deliver quality produce at com- petitive prices in an environmentally sustainable way, and, most of all, a challenge to all involved along the whole food chain from the farm to the fork to have a unified approach to ensuring the highest food safety and quality standards are achieved.”

The minister told delegates that the Irish Government has greatly increased its funding for research in recent years. Last year Strategy

for Science Technology and Innova- tion, which will run until 2013, was launched. “This Strategy,’ he said, “sets out the roadmap whereby Ire- land can develop as a knowledge based economy, and it explicitly recognises that the development of a sustainable agriculture and food sec- tor and bio economy is vital to our national economic well-being.” The Strategy foresees a doubling of both research funding and in the number of PhD’s produced.

‘This 1s not a doubling for the sake of it,’ said the minister, “but rather a vision of building a capability among the best young people to fuel the knowledge economy.”

Continuing the minister said that the Department of Agriculture and

Food is the primary funding agency for agricultural and food research in Ireland.

It provides core funding to Teagasc, the National Institute for Research, Advice and Education in Agriculture and Food, as well as funding through competitive programmes for which Teagasc and the third level institutes compete. The minister pointed out that these programmes provide sig- nificant funding for research in the animal bio-sciences.

In conclusion, the Minister hoped that the delegates would not only get a flavour of what is happening in re- search in Ireland, but that they would also have an opportunity to capture some of the sights, sounds and tastes of Ireland during their stay.

CLARE’S connections with the Shell to Sea organisation were strength- ened over the weekend with a large crowd turning out in Doolin for the second traditional concert in support of the organisation. The concert took place in the Russell Cultural Centre in Doolin and was the main fundraising for the organisation in Clare this year. A number of high profile local musi- cians including Davy Spillane, Jackie Daly, Ado Morris, Michael Hynes, Peter Griffin, Terry Bingham and Yvonne Casey, all offered their services for the evening. A similarly success- ful fundraising concert took place in Doolin in the summer of 2005. Clare has one of the strongest local branches of the Shell to Sea organi- sation, with membership in the coun- ty now fourth highest in the country

after Galway, Dublin and Mayo.

Other local traditional musicians who entertained the crowd in Doolin included Kevin Griffin, Danny Burke, Ogie Doyle, Ted Mc Cormack, Peadar O’Reilly, Eimer Howley, Gerry Shan- non, Ger Hoyne, Tess Mc Govern, Geraldine and Shane Mc Gowan, Ian Lambe, Niall Sheedy

and Paul Stafford. Meanwhile, a good number of Clare people will travel to Bellanaboy this Fri- day, September 12, to take part in a sit- down protest outside the gates of the Shell

facility. According to local spokesperson, Sean

Harrington, the pur-

pose of this demon-

stration is to highlight,

“the natural resources

of Ireland which have

been given away to Shell, Statoil and

others in a deal that means we pay the

market rate to the multi-nationals for what should be ours.”

THERE is anger and frustration among the rank and file of the sol- diers of destiny in Clare and along the west coast, with some long serv- ing members of the Fianna Fail party proposing to resign if “things do not change”.

A motion of no confidence in the Taoiseach was unanimously passed by the Ennis No | Cumman last week, by members who just months before canvassed for the party lead- er.

Now with the Aer Lingus crisis pointing to an uncertain future for the economy of the future and the death knell sounding in the distance for A and E services at Ennis Gen- eral Hospital, the grass roots of the main Government party are begin- ning to revolt.

Former Ennis Town Councillor Michael Guilfoyle, who proposed the motion of no confidence, said, “If things don’t sort themselves out I’ll be gone.”

The Ennis man, who has been a member of the party for 35 years,

said, “I defended Bertie at the doors before the election and when we needed Bertie he wasn’t to be found.

‘There was no one reason (for the motion), just years of frustration for people like myself who feel we are no longer being listened to.”

Ennis Town Councillor Tom Glynn (FF) said most people felt there was now a Sell out of the west but he did not feel resigning from the party was the way forward for him despite his erowing frustration.

“I think you are better off fighting from within than without. They can

ignore me even more from without,’ he said.

Meanwhile “angry and frustrated” Fianna Fail councillors from Burton Port in Donegal to Caherciveen in Kerry gathered in Oranmore to dis- cuss how they would ensure that the Aer Lingus crisis remained on the Government’s agenda.

Organised by Clare councillors Pat Daly, Peter Considine and Bernard Hanrahan, the 60 to 70 councillors in attendance set up the Fianna Fail Western Councillors’ Alliance.

“We believe that the Programme

for Government is not being rolled out in an even manner,’ Cllr Consti- dine told