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A MUSIC project, open to young people in the Shannon area, has been launched, for the fourth year in suc- ISSO) F

The project, which is run by Clare Youth Service, has been a huge suc- cess over the past three years. Run by local youth workers and a committee of young people, it provides various workshops for those interested in music.

As the project returns this week, its organisers have announced plans for free guitar workshops.

The committee has put together an information brochure about the

workings of the project and the fa- cilities available to young people in the Shannon area.

The project is open to all young people aged between 13 and 21 years, who are interested in learning musi- cal instruments and participating in music workshops. The committee also hopes to begin music apprecia- tion workshops and a listening club in the near future.

The workshops takes place on Fri- days from 6pm to 7pm, in The Re- spond Community Building, Rine- anna View. The workshop is being run by a local guitar teacher Paul O’ Donoghue.

The workshops will begin with

acoustic guitar for the first four to five weeks and then electric guitar will be introduced.

“The only catch that Paul insists on is that people be on time. Partici- pants are invited to be ready to learn at 6pm sharp. Also, if you don’t have a guitar its still ok to show up as ar- rangements have been made to pro- vide additional guitars for use at the workshop only,” said Shannon youth worker, Cathal Dillon.

The committee is in the process of recruiting other performers from the area to do workshops in drums and vocals also. This should be made available at a later stage.

Meanwhile, the Shannon Youth

Club has re-opened, following the summer break.

The club runs at The Respond Com- munity Building, Rineanna View, every Tuesday night, from 7pm to whet

The club is open to all secondary school students aged between 13 and 16 in Shannon but places are restrict- ed to 40, due to limited hall space.

The club is currently recruiting volunteers for the posts of assistant leader and activity leaders within the club. Clare Youth Service provides training and full support is given to all leaders by the leader in charge. The posts are open to those over the age of 18.

THE scramble to build business parks around Ennis continues with new plans for a €10 million park near the 12th century Clareabbey.

Plans have been lodged by David Costelloe to develop 74 light indus- trial units.

The proposed development has a total floor area of 25,876 sq metres and is located in the townland of Clonroadmore.

An application by Michael Lynch Ltd for a new road to open up the lands in the area is currently before Ennis Town Council and has encoun- tered local opposition.

The planner’s report lodged with the Clareabbey Business Park states that the proposed development will

be in excess of 103 metres from the Clareabbey structure and that “the buffer will afford adequate protec- tion to the abbey and protect its his- torical setting”’.

The report states that “the proposed development effectively seeks to pro- vide an extension to the Clonroad- more industrial estate”.

The report states, “The proposed development has been carefully de- signed from the project concept tak- ing account of all relevant factors including market demand, planning policy and site constraints and op- portunities.

“It 1s considered that the proposed development will make a positive contribution to the community of Ennis, providing for much needed employment and industry, in ac-

cordance with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.”

It continues, ““The exact intended users of the units have not been yet decided. However, it is anticipated that such units would attract users such as carpenters, electricians, till- ers, building contractors or car re- OND ESe

“Traditionally, these users would have operated in uncontrolled en- vironments to the rear of houses in the countryside or in converted ga- rages/sheds as there were no suitable or appropriate alternatives available. The proposed development seeks to address this deficiency and provide for small light industrial units in a planned and controlled environ- ment.”

The site is zoned “other settlement land’. The planner’s report states that “the proposed development of light industrial use at this location will provide additional employment for this rapidly growing and expanding residential area and will also directly compliment the existing Clonroad- more industrial estate which is now fully occupied”.

In relation to the archaeological impact of the development, the de- veloper’s consultants state that the proposed site “has very little or no direct archaeological consequence and taking into account the com- bined results of various research and tests, no further archaeological work is required at this location”’.

A decision is due on the application later this year.

NOSTALGIA was in the air for a Shannon woman last week, when she took up a teaching post in the school she attended 22 years ago.

Joanne O’Sullivan (nee Meehan) was a first year student at St Caimin’s Community School, when it first opened its doors in 1985. Now, 22 years on, she returns to the school as a special needs teacher.

The 34-year-old has now joined a number of her own former teachers Omen om even

Joanne is thrilled with her new job, in somewhat familiar surroundings.

“T’ve had plenty of jobs, but this is the most welcoming place I have ever worked. It is brilliant,” she said.

“11 or 12 of the teachers that taught me are still on the staff. They are still exactly the same,’ she added.

“*T have never felt so comfortable in any place,’ she said.

“When I was in school, I had never had a desire to have a career. The principal Mary Hanley wanted me to be a teacher,’ she laughed.

Nine of her relations are students in the school, so there is something of a family feeling at work.

Joanne left school at 17 and later married her childhood sweetheart Don O’Sullivan. The couple have since had three boys – DJ (9), Adam (7) and Cian (5) – and Joanne decided to take up a full-time job this year. Cian also started primary school last week.

Joanne substituted in St Conaire’s primary school for the past few years and 1s now re-adjusting to the sur-

roundings at St Caimin’s.

There is one key difference how- ever. The old St Caimin’s school building has since been replaced and Joanne is getting used to the new loleunKebuetss

She also plans to assist in training the school’s camogie team, having starred in the sport when she was in school. One familiar face on the staff for Joanne is Deborah Dalgarno. She was in Joanne’s class and is the school’s secretary.

Three other teachers – Dara Dunne (Metalwork), Niamh McDonnell

(Religion) and Patricia Maguire (English and History) – are also past pupils of the school. Current deputy principal John Cleary has been a member of the teaching staff since the school first opened.

Mary Hanley, who has worked at the school since it opened – she was appointed principal five years ago – is delighted to have the former pupils Om aomE-UEe

“Joanne is like as if she never left the place. We are delighted she is going to help out with the camogie,” she said.

She also pointed out that the parents of 23 of the school’s current students also attended St Caimin’s.

“T was shocked to realise that the parents of so many students attended the school,’ she said.

THE Department of the Environment has claimed that awarding planning permission for a €50 million retail park on the outskirts of Ennis would be contrary to the aims of the EU Habitats Directive.

In its strongest statement yet against the plan by Stephen Harris to construct the retail park, the de- partment stated that if the plan was to receive the green light, “it would result in significant adverse impacts on habitats and species of ecological importance at a regional to national level”.

Clare County Council is to decide on the application later this month. However, 1n its latest submission the National Parks and Wildlife Section (NPWS) of the department raises fresh concerns over the fate of the Marsh Fritillary butterfly at the site.

The butterfly is the only butterfly that is afforded protection under the EU Habitats Directive.

The department state, “Permitting the development in its current form would be contrary to the aims of the Habitats Directive in relation to maintaining the range and distribu- tion of species listed on Annex II and protecting sites or stepping stones of importance for biodiversity.

The department also claim that “the proposed development will re- sult in significant biodiversity losses in terms of wetland habitats of eco- logical value and the loss of a sig- nificant proportion of the remaining Marsh Fritillary population in the Skehanagh/Bunnow area’.

The department also point out that the information submitted by the ap- plicants “is deficient in respect of in- formation on the presence of Marsh Fritillary in the application area and the assessment of the likely signifi- cant impacts of the development on this species and the habitat.

“In line with the precautionary principle, the development should not be permitted in the absence of the necessary information and flood risk assessment. This major defi- ciency cannot be dealt with by way of planning conditions.”

The late intervention by the depart- ment represents a blow to the pros- pects of Mr Harris securing planning permission for the ambitious propos- al. It also signals the intention of the department to appeal any decision to grant to An Bord Pleanala.

The council has already carried out a report on the viability of retail parks around the Ennis area and has designated the Harris proposal as the best suited for development.

IRISH history’s most important painters will feature in an exhibition at the Courthouse Gallery in En- nistymon.

Beginning chronologically with a work by Paul Henry, the exhibition “Not What You’d Expect; Irish paint- ing 1919-2007” includes works from such legendary painters as Gerard Dillon, Jack B. Yeats, Mainie Jellet, Mary Swanzy and Norah McGuin- ness. The selection of exhibited works represents a broad survey of painting practice in Ireland.

Curator Fiona Woods of the Clare Arts Office said, “We are delighted to welcome works from some of Ire- land’s best-known painters, as part

of one of the most high profile art exhibitions ever held in this county. Many of the featured works have been sourced from the collection of the Arts Council of Ireland and Lim- erick City Gallery of Art’s perma- nent collection.”

“The work reaches right up to contemporary times, incorporating a number of genres such as Land- scape, Interior/Still-life, Portraiture, Abstract and Narrative approaches,’ she explained.

To coincide with the exhibition, the Clare Arts Office is organising a se- ries of guided gallery tours, public talks and workshops for artists.

Catherine Marshall, Chief Cura- tor with The Irish Museum of Mod- ern Art, currently on secondment as

Visual Arts touring and Collections Advisor with the Arts Council, will provide the opening talk on Irish Painting.

On Saturday, September 15 En- nis-born artist Mick O’Dea RHA will talk about his work, followed by a closed workshop for artists. The former National College of Art and Design tutor has won numerous awards at national and international Aon

On September 22, Micky Donnelly, a leading contemporary Irish artist and member of Aosdana will give a talk about his work, followed by a closed workshop for artists. Don- nelly has exhibited in many countries around the world.

His work is represented in most of

the important public art collections in Ireland. Every Wednesday, Marie Connole MFA will give tours for school groups, complete with educa- tional material at 1.30 pm. A guided tour for the public will be available at 3pm each Wednesday, or at another time by appointment.

The Fine Art Graduate of The Burren College of Art received the Spiresart Outstanding Student in Art, an accommodation and studio residency award in 2005 and tuition fees bursary in 2006/07 from The Clare Arts Office, and recently The Burren College of Arts Presidents Award.

The exhibition will run until Sep- tember 23, 2007 at The Courthouse Gallery, Ennistymon.

SINN FEIN national chairwoman, Mary Lou McDonald has refuted the allegation that the Aer Lingus deci- sion to relocate its Shannon-Heath- row slots to Belfast was a form of “peace dividend” negotiated between both Governments and the parties. North Kerry deputy Martin Ferris, Clare representative Pat Talty and Maurice Quinlivan from Limerick, accompanied the MEP to Shannon to meet the various concerns opposing

the moving of the slots.

At the airport they met with mem- bers of the Shannon Action Group to offer Sinn Feéin’s full support to help overturn the Aer Lingus decision.

Ms McDonald added that Sinn Féin had agreed to write to the leaders of all the opposition parties in a bid to form a political alliance to have the Aer Lingus decision reversed.

“As far as Sinn Féin is concerned, the origins of the present difficulties can be traced back to the privatisa- tion of Aer Lingus. What I want to

make very clear is that we are aware of speculation locally that the move- ment of these slots was some form of ‘peace dividend’. As someone who has been involved in detailed nego- tiations for two years or more, I can categorically say that at no stage was any such thing discussed as part of a peace package.

‘Sinn Fein would never have agreed to pitching the Belfast region against the mid-west. This isn’t a zero-sum game. It isn’t about pitching Shannon against Belfast,” she said.

Speaking on behalf of Clare Sinn Fein, Cathy McCafferty said that some of the ideas being floated as alternatives to Aer Lingus retaining its Heathrow slots for Shannon are nothing more than “smokescreens ZWOOMRceCd NUM TITSa ee

“T don’t see anything realistic com- ing from proposals that Belfast or Charles De Gaulle could provide alternative hubs for Shannon. As re- gards the news of BMI coming in, there’s nothing concrete about that either.

“In any case these alternatives do not address the core issue of whether Aer Lingus workers at Shannon, es- pecially those employed on ground support roles, will have a future.”

Martin Ferris commended the Aer Lingus workers on their campaign to save the Heathrow slots for Shannon and promised the support of his par- ty’s Dail deputies.

Deputy Ferris said Sinn Féin had campaigned during the recent elec- tion for the re-nationalisation of Aer Bars teat ine

A DAY IN THE LIFE – 6am and the dawn is peeping through the banana leaves. The ceiling fan drones lazily above the mosquito net but our neigh- bours are already out and about.

A group of barefoot teenagers are training for soccer, children are on their way to school and the goats and hens are foraging for breakfast in the dump behind our house.

There is something stimulating about the trot across the yard for a cold shower followed quickly by breakfast of passion fruit and banan- as on toast.

Then it’s on the bikes and it’s off down Kilimandege (Bird Hill) to the teacher training College a mile eae

No two days in college are the same So one 1s ‘winging it’ a lot of the time. Yes, there is lots of team teaching in English, Maths and Science but that’s the easy bit! Often we are called on to fix the computer or research some- thing on the internet.

We have been put on the spot to solve complicated problems in Maths or questions in English Literature by students who are resitting their Form 4 exams or correct essays written on

scraps of paper! Staff need help to write proposals or letters of applica- tion for further studies and teachers who are doing Open University some- times discuss their assignments.

We hear stories of the struggle for

education, of infant death, of the harsh choices some people have to make and tales of abject poverty. It is a humbling experience to share our life with these wonderful, resilient people.

Evenings are varied but most eve- nings we teach English or computers at the Catholic Mission or students call to the house. Just before dark there is the race to the ‘kidala’ for fresh bread and at exactly 7 o’clock a shrill voice is heard.

‘Neeeenas, no school au yes?’ as ten year old Hiradi, outside on the veranda pleads with Neilus to come and teach reading to herself and her friends by torch light.

It has been a good day with the add- ed luxury of uninterrupted water and electricity. At last it’s time for rest, reading, relaxation and a sound sleep under the lazy drone of the ceiling e0F

ONE of Clare’s newest traditional music festivals came of age this weekend as music classes were added to the ever-expanding programme.

For the first time in its five-year his- tory, the Ellen (Nell) Galvin Trad1- tional Music Weekend hosted classes in tin whistle and bodhran with Karen McInerney, fiddle classes with Vincent Griffin, flute classes with Paddy O’Donoghue and set dancing classes with Mary Murrihy.

The festival to honour the talented Moyasta woman opened on Friday night.

The local legend that was Nell Galvin was born in Ballydinneen,

Knockalough on March 1, 1887.

She learned to play the fiddle un- der the blind piper Garret Barry. Nell was the first Clare woman to broad- cast traditional Irish music from RTE radio, known at the time as 2 RN.

ENNIS Town Council may formulate its own housing strategy after refus- ing to adopt a document prepared by Clare County Council.

The draft policy, Housing For Sus- tainable Communities, was presented to members at Monday’s meeting of Ennis Town Council. Using data from the latest census, it sets out projected housing requirements for Ennis from 2007-11. The document also incorpo- rates new legislative and national pol- icles in respect of housing standards

and delivery requirements.

Councillors are angry, though, at the lack of input Ennis Town Council has had 1n the process.

Addressing John Bradley, Senior Executive Planner with Clare Coun- cil, Mayor of Ennis Tommy Brennan said, “I don’t believe anyone from this council has had any involvement in this plan. Do you call this consul- tation? This is not consultation. In- stead we get a document.”

Members backed a proposal to ex- plore the possibility of drafting its own housing strategy.

Town Manager, Tom Coughlan said the prepared housing strategy would form part of the Ennis and Environs Development Plan and that another document could result in three sepa- rate housing policies for Ennis.

The strategy predicted, that in a high growth scenario, Ennis would require 2,086 extra houses by 2011. It also showed that 13 per cent of houses in the Ennis and environs area were vacant in 2006.

The strategy predicted that Ennis could need an extra 290 social houses and 260 affordable houses by 2011.

Countywide figures for local au- thority land requirements to meet so- cial and affordable housing demands revealed a shortfall of 11 hectares.

But Cllr Brennan cast doubt over the figures by saying Ennis lacks the infrastructural requirements to meet new housing developments.

“The figures don’t stack up. I have seen a planning document that says we are almost at full capacity sew- age. How are we going to build these houses, with buckets?”

The town engineer admitted the wastewater scheme in the Ennis and

environs area was approaching ca- pacity. ““We are monitoring the situa- tion. In the intervening period, while we wait for a permanent treatment plant at Clareabbey, there is scope to improve or even expanding existing facilities and install a temporary fa- cility if the need required.”

Fine Gael councillor, Johnny Flynn said, “This council has been put through the hoops by the depart- ment…It is a dangerous situation. En- nis is a recognised hub town, but it has not received quick approval for major infrastructural projects.”

BREAST cancer diagnosis and care in the mid-west was in crisis last week as a Limerick private hospital was asked by the State to cease pro- viding breast cancer services.

The unprecedented move came as the care and treatment of 10 women attending Barrington’s private hospi- tal came under scrutiny.

Breast cancer services are in disar- ray, the investigation following close- ly on the high-profile case of a Killa- loe mother who was diagnosed with

advanced breast cancer 14 months after she was given the all-clear and the case just weeks ago of a Tipper- ary woman who was also incorrectly given the all-clear.

The 51-year-old Tipperary woman attended Barrington’s Hospital for the first time in September 2005 with a breast lump.

The following day, she underwent a mammogram which confirmed a “poorly” defined “mass” highly sug- gestive of malignancy.

The lump was removed the same day and the specimen sent to the Pa-

thology Laboratory at the University College Hospital in Galway, which reported no evidence of malignancy.

She returned again to Barrington’s in June 2006 with continuing con- cerns regarding her breast.

A mammogram was_ performed which, she was informed, was nor- mal.

In March this year, she returned to the Limerick private hospital and a biopsy showed evidence of cancer.

She went through a mastectomy and removal of glands and referred to the regional director of cancer serv-

ices in the west, Professor Rajnish K Gumpta, in April and is currently un- dergoing intensive chemotherapy.

The case of 10 patients at the hos- pital between 2003 and August 2007 are now being vetted. One of the women has since died.

The investigation began following concerns raised in a report commis- sioned by the Health Information and Quality Authority.

Professor Gumpta also raised a series of concerns about diagnoisis treatment at the hospital.

The cancer specialist has repeated

his belief on many occasions that breast cancer patients should be treat- ed in specialist triple assent units.

Management from _ Barrington’s Hospital were last night meeting with the Minister for Health, Mary Harney, to discuss the establishment of an independent review of patients who attended the breast cancer serv- ice at the hospital between Septem- ber 2003 and August 2007.

“The department has also asked Barrington’s Hospital to assess how many patients may be involved,” said Minister Harney.