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FOR the first time ever the Ellen (Nell) Galvin Traditional Music Weekend will feature music classes.

OW sem Y COE Me Co OR DM Tmm DOB LACES OD AO S| year and takes place from August 31 to September 2.

The festival will officially open on Friday night at 9pm with a mu- sic session by John Kelly, Peter O’ Loughlin, Maeve Donnelly, Frank Custy, Patrick O’Loughlin, Paul Smith and John Everist and friends from Missouri USA. A Ceili with music provided by Four Courts Céili

band will follow.

On Saturday for the first time ever tin whistle and bodhran with Karen McInerney, fiddle classes with Vin- cent Griffin, flute classes with Paddy O’Donoghue and set dancing classes with Mary Murrihy will take place, all free of charge.

Music sessions will continue as al- ways on Saturday with Ann Hayes and her group, Mick Crehan, Ira Crehan, Angela Crotty, Paul Smith, Kitty Hayes, Peter Laban Frank Whelan and Cois na hAbhna Group, Michael Falsey and Lissycasey Jnr set dancers.

On Sunday Mass in Lisdeen Church begins at 9.30am followed by a visit to Nell Galvin’s grave. Music ses- sions will continue all day until late in Clancy’s Bar.

Local Legend Ellen “Nell” Galvin was born in Ballydinneen Knocka- lough on March 1, 1887.

She learned to play the fiddle un- der the watchful eye of blind Piper Garret Barry. She could also play the concertina but concentrated on the fiddle. Nell was the first Clare woman to broadcast traditional Irish Music from Radio Eireann known at the time as 2 RN.

In 2003 the residents of Moyasta got together and a committee was set up to organise the weekend.

“The intention was to give some recognition and pay homage to one of our own,’ said Mary Haugh secre- tary of the committee.

The event takes place each year on the first weekend in September to co- incide with the anniversary of Nell’s death on September 5, 1961.

“The committee would like to thank Clare County Council, the Arts Council, CCE and our loyal sponsors for their assistance,’ said Ms Haugh.

ALLEGATIONS that a 17-year-old Kilrush woman was the victim of a gang rape in the town last week are being investigated by local gardai.

The young woman alleges she was attacked by two or three men, at around 2.45am last Thursday, in the Moore Street area of the town – just hours after she had been out socialis- ing to celebrate her friend’s Leaving Certificate results.

The young woman has claimed that she was set upon and attacked by up to three men – who were unknown to her – and sexually assaulted, on the Street.

She had been socialising in Kilkee earlier that night and had just re- turned to her home town, when the alleged incident took place.

The complainant was alone at the time. She alerted her brother, who phoned Kilrush Garda Station.

An investigation was immediately mounted and the area of the alleged incident was sealed off for a number of hours on Thursday.

The woman was later interviewed by investigating gardai and she made a full statement in relation to the matter. She was treated at the sexual assault unit at the Mid Western Re-

gional Hospital, Limerick, while her clothes were sent away to Dublin for forensic analysis.

Although she was deeply trau- matised, the young woman was not physically injured.

Gardai were due to interview the young woman for a second time yes- terday (Monday) evening.

They have also obtained CCTV footage of the area in question and have viewed this, as part of the in- vestigation.

They say they know little about the alleged perpetrators at this stage.

Kilrush Superintendent Declan Brogan said that no witnesses have yet come forward. However, he is appealing to anyone who may have seen any suspicious activity in the town between 2am and 3am that night tocome forward.

‘There was a festival on (Eigse Mrs Crotty traditional musical festival) over the last week and a lot of people were on the streets that hour of the morning,” said Supt Brogan.

“As of yet, no-one seems to have seen anything. We are appealing for anyone who was in the town that night and who may have informa- tion to contact us,’ he added. Kil- rush gardai can be contacted on 065 9051017.

THE developers of a proposed hous- ing development in the north Clare resort of Lahinch have argued that it is not viable to retain the route of the West Clare Railway that lies close to the development.

A decision is expected this week on plans by Patricia Stackpoole for 10 homes on Station Road in Lahinch.

However, the council has already expressed concerns over the scheme’s impact on the West Clare Railway.

Last year, the impact a housing de- velopment in Lahinch could have on the defunct railway line was one of the reasons the council refused plan- ning permission for the development.

However, the decision was over- turned by An Bord Pleanala. In its request for further information from Ms Stackepoole, the council pointed out that it is policy to only permit de- velopment on or adjacent to the west Clare plan that will not conflict with the policy.

The council states, “The proposed

plan includes a number of building units and their rear gardens to be built over the line of the West Clare Railway. Please address this matter by way of revised proposals.”

In response, consultants for Ms Stackepoole state, “The line of the railway to the east and west of the site..has been fully obscured and built over by numerous different ownerships for an extensive period of time. The rationale of maintaining the area of that line traversing the site does not therefore appear to be

viable.”

Already, the proposal has attracted a lot of local opposition and the ul- timate arbiters of the merits of the application look set to be An Bord Pleanala. The developers will be en- couraged that the board cast aside the reason to refuse on the basis of the impact on the West Clare Rail- way in a recent decision.

In one of the objections that reflects local feeling over the plan, Marie O’Donoghue states, “Lahinch is a seaside village and haphazard back-

land development of this nature and size…1S not in keeping with the char- acter of the village and detrimental to the life of the elderly residents ad- jacent to it.

“The proposed development will cause serious disruption to the eld- erly residents adjacent to it and, in particular, during the construction as it is proposed that all site machinery and construction works access will be through the proposed walkway which is between two houses of long- term residents of Station Road.”

KILKEE Parish Church is getting a makeover, the aim of which is to open up the imposing building to the community.

As well as dressing up the aesthet- ics of the 1960s building, practical work is also being undertaken.

Leaks in the facade and window are being sealed, the car park is being made more users friendly, and the church is being made more Wheelchair accessible.

Kilkee Parish Council Finance Committee are over seeing the project, with local artist Paddy Mur- ray declared the brainchild of the new design.

Parish Priest Donagh O’Meara said

that the church was originally built in 1963 with a summer congregation bomeeneeren

As aresult it can hold 1,200 people. During four to five weeks during the summer the church 1s filled to capac- ity as 10,000 people make Kilkee their summer home.

Come the winter however, when the local population reaches approx1- mately 1,500 people the church can be quiet empty.

Work has already began in the €200,000 renovation project but Mass and ceremonies are continuing as usual.

“The church needs to be opened and made more friendly and acces- sible,’ said Fr O’Meara.

“We need to make it part of the

community rather than having it en- closed.”

The grounds of the church have been the scene of numerous organ- ised community gatherings such as barbeques.

By lowering the walls so the peo- ple can sit on them and merging the three entrances into two it is expected that the grounds will be more easily available for community gatherings.

While the building is very “func- tional” it is not the most aesthetically pleasing church in the county, so trees are to be added to its surrounds for a less imposing and warm effect.

The leak in its brick walls is caus- ing dampness in the church especial- ly in the sanctuary and the front of Weom@slerKeee

“The problem is the salt air does damage,’ said Fr O’Meara. “The bricks get porous from the air.”

While the bad weather has ham- pered some of the work to date it 1s hoped that it will all be completed in October.

Fundraising is continuing in the area for the project.

MUCH like his brief tenure in charge, Tony Considine’s dismissal as Clare manager was charged, fraught with tension and at times extraordinary.

A heated debate that ran for almost two and a half hours culminated in clubs overwhelmingly voting in fa- vor of a motion put forward by the Executive to change the management team. 45 voted for Considine to be sacked and only six voted against.

After the business of appointing a five-man committee to lead the search for Paidi O Sé’s successor as Clare senior football manager, County Board Chairman Michael McDonagh dropped the bomb that many were expecting.

“I am making a proposal that we change the senior management team for next year” said McDonagh.

“I have to accept mistakes were made,’ he said before stating “he wouldn’t recommend this job to his worst enemy’.

The executive, said McDonagh, were all in agreement that Tony Con- sidine was no longer the right man to lead Clare hurling. A few key reasons emerged for this.

The fact that sponsor Pat O’ Donnell and County Secretary Pat Fitzgerald were asked, along with others not directly involved with the team, to leave the Clare dressing room before a match in Meelick, was one.

The circumstances surrounding the withdrawals of physical fitness coach Dave Mahedy, goalkeeper David Fit- zgerald and selector Ger Ward.

It was revealed that another selec- tor, Pat O’Connor, told McDonagh that he would not be taking part in the county set up.

And then there was Considine’s close friendship with Ger Loughn- anne, a man viewed by many in the room as the de facto spokesperson for the Clare team.

Kilmurry Ibrickane delegate TJ O’Loughlin, who seconded the Board’s motion, raised Loughnanne’s

comments when he unfavorably com- pared club delegates to “mushrooms” and “village idiots”. *“Tony Considine only listens to what Ger Loughnanne tells him” said O’Loughlin. Loughn- anne’s words were clearly unhelpful KOM SNR (ONCE

The mercury burst the glass when the row over the availability of play- ers for club fixtures was aired.

Inflammatory newspaper com- ments by selector Tim Crowe where he robustly challenged anyone who couldn’t stand the heat to get out of the kitchen, were mentioned by Clarecastle’s Paschal Russell, raising the temperature further.

As the debate swayed back and forth and McDonagh vowed this would be one of the last speeches he would ever make, there was barely a mention of the team’s performances on the pitch.

It was as if personal grudges out- weighed any analysis of how Clare under Considine actually played.

In the middle of this, fighting a

losing battle was selector Ciaran O’Neill. With Tony Considine and Tim Crowe both away on holidays it fell to O’Neill to put forward the management’s side. He appealed for the trio to be allowed the opportunity to have their say. McDonagh chal- lenged him to do it on the night, but O’ Neill, declined saying it would not be right to talk without Considine or Seem tion

His appeal won support from some quarters. Kilmaley delegate Eugene McMahon said everyone should have the right of reply.

Noel Welsh said, “it is a very seri- ous matter to terminate someone’s contract, maybe we should hold back and allow a little breathing room”’.

Dan O’Connor from Doora Bare- field and Tony O’Connell from Wolfe Tones also advocated the right of re- ply. A proposal for delegates to re- convene at a special meeting to hear from Considine, Crowe and O’Neill was also shot down. As was a motion for clubs to consult with their mem-

bers before casting their vote.

Considine clearly didn’t help his own cause. He was evasive with the board and the media and refused to entertain accusations that the res- ignations of selectors and the with- drawal of players were impacting on the team’s preparation.

The ill-fated closed doors friendly in Thurles also caused unnecessary tensions between board and manage- ment.

But still, as stormy as it might have been, Considine should have been given the right of reply.

He was sacked without getting an Opportunity to explain or defend himself. By Friday, three days after the event, he had not been officially informed that he was no longer the manager of the Clare senior hurling team.

No matter what way you cut it, that’s just wrong. There was a lot of talk on the night about not repeating the mis- takes of the past year, but the board haven’t made the best of starts.

THE services at Ennis General Hos- pital need not only to be retained in the county but, in many cases, 1m- proved.

That was the message from the chairman of the Clare branch of the Irish College of General Practition- ers, Dr Michael Harty, who addressed last Monday’s public meeting at the Auburn Lodge Hotel, Ennis.

The Kilmihil GP pointed to a number of failings in services at the county hospital, due to lack of invest- ment and a staffing situation he de- scribed as ‘appalling’.

“As a GP, I can’t get an ultrasound in Ennis. There is a service but it is for in-patients only. I can get them in Limerick or Cahercalla for €100,” he said.

He said the CAT scan commis- sioned for the hospital is the worst money can buy and the hospital laboratory is “overwhelmed” by the samples being sent to it by GPs.

“Will it get extra staff?” he asked. “If this is the Government support- ing Ennis General Hospital, it is an oxymoron,’ said the frustrated GP.

The doctor reminded the 600-

strong audience he was addressing that 20 years ago the hospital had 128 beds, a number that was reduced to 88. The new development is add- ing just six.

‘There are 17 per cent more people in the hospital than there should be,” he said. Dr Harty warned that most hospitals “manage well” at 75 per cent capacity, or 80 per cent at most. Ennis operates at 117 per cent.

The campaigning GP told the group that it must work to change Govern- ment policy if it 1s going to improve services at the hospital and retain the service it has.

“Government policy says people are staying in hospital too long and the wrong people are in it.”

“It is Government policy to central- ise services; it is Government policy to privatise everything,” he said.

“You have to change all Govern- ment policy, we can’t just change it for Ennis. You may be told the hos- pital will not close but that does not mean it will continue as it is.

“You will be told that €40 million will improve facilities at the hospi- tal. Of course it will but that does not mean it will be a 24-hour service,’ he warned.

THERE was a feel of little France about Killaloe at the weekend when cycle star, Sean Kelly, led a team of cyclists out of the town for the Tour de Munster.

The team of cyclists were starting the second day of the seventh annual Tour de Munster, where a team of ‘leisure’ cyclists take on a demand- ing and challenging four-day 600km charity cycle.

The ride took the peddlers through all the counties of Munster with all funds raised going directly to the

Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ire- land (CFAI) which will benefit spe- cific Cystic Fibrosis (CF) projects throughout Munster including “Build4Life’, a major fund-raising drive to build a new dedicated CF unit at Cork University Hospital.

The first stage of the tour took the eroup from Cork into County Water- ford for a big climb at the Vee and through Tipperary and Limerick to Killaloe.

They spent the night at the Lakeside Hotel, before renowned international cyclist Sean Kelly will officially lead them off again.

The aim of the 2007 Tour de Mun- Ster 1s to raise €80,000 towards the Cystic Fibrosis Association of Ire- land. The association is a voluntary, non-profitable, charitable organisa- tion, set up to increase knowledge and awareness of Cystic Fibrosis and to give advice and support to people with CF and their families. Martin Cahill of CFA Ireland said, “At present there are over 1,100 CF sufferers in Ireland and while there has been a welcome increase in the life expectancy of people with CF over the years, the demand for the services of our association has also

increased dramatically during this time. As we are totally dependent on voluntary donations and fundraising to provide services, we were delight- ed to be asked by Tour de Munster to be the beneficiary of this year’s fund- raising cycle.”

Taking part from Clare were cy- clists John Casey from Quin and John McDonnell of Wine Australia in Ballyvaughan.

IT ALL finally came to a head on Tuesday evening. After postponing the decision about the future of the Clare senior hurling management in May, once Clare exited the champi- onship three weeks ago it was clear that this issue would be revisited at the August monthly meeting.

Such was the anticipation that there wasn’t a seat to be had in the West County Hotel. Everyone who attend- ed could sense that something was going to happen and while there was certain debate over the initial topics such as the future of Clare football, girls playing in boys teams past un- der 14 level and the ratification of the under 21 football management, it was nothing like the heated discus- sion which greeted the executive’s proposal to change the Clare senior hurling management.

It was county chairman Michael McDonagh who broached the sub- ject first. In an emotive speech he outlined the harsh media intrusion which even affected his family and how much progress has been made under his tenure with regard to GAA property and its increasing value. Then he then touched on the sensitive topic of the management itself.

He detailed each controversy in turn. He began by announcing the resignation of selector Pat O’Connor before the meeting. He also dis- cussed the media frenzy which ac- companied every aspect of the year so far, the incident in Mellick, the Davy Fitzgerald saga, Dave Mahedy, Ger Ward and the club champion- ships fixtures in June.

McDonagh then got more specific. He mentioned that a Clare selector had called him a “weak chairman” during the year, that he had backed

the management to the hilt and in fact kept the management team to- gether by persuading a selector (Pat O’Connor) to stay before the Antrim game in July before stating that this was probably one of the last speeches

he would make in his role as Chair- man. And because of all the rea- sons he outlined, the executive had weighed up the season and had come to a decision to propose a change of the Clare senior hurling manage-

ment.

The Miltown man then opened the discussion to the floor. Clare selec- tor Ciaran O’Neill, on behalf of the management, asked that seeing as Tony Considine and Tim Crowe

were on holidays, that they be given a chance at the next meeting to rep- resent themselves and tell their side of the story.

This request proved to be the cen- tre of the debate for the next hour. Shannon delegate Tony O’Connell agreed with O’Neill, stating that the management shouldn’t be held up as scapegoats and were entitled to show their case because everyone had ques- tions to ask. Eugene McGirr of The Banner club pledged his allegiance to the executive and suggested a line be drawn in the sand. Scariff’s Jim Jones also disagreed with bringing the management to the Carron meet- ing citing that it would only end up as an inquisition.

Heated debate continued down the same lines and at one stage the chairman threatened to leave the meeting, emotionally walking to the back of the boardroom before being coaxed back to the chair. McDonagh outlined that if the three remaining mentors were allowed to speak that it was only right that Ger Ward, Dave Mahedy and Pat O’Connor be given their chance to defend themselves and at this stage, it seemed like a vote would never actually take place.

However, after Clarecastle chair- man Paschal Russell made a stir- ring speech backing his clubman Ger Ward whom he declared was an “honest man” and who had been “done a foul deed’, debate subsided, common sense prevailed and the vote was finally taken. It led to the dismissal of the Clare senior hurling management by 45 to 6 with 14 ab- stentions.

THE west is awake and the people of Clare are in protest mode.

Just days before the campaign march to save the Aer Lingus flights from Heathrow to Shannon Airport, more than 600 people met in the Au- burn Lodge Hotel in Ennis to organ- ise a campaign to save acute services at Ennis General Hospital and de- mand proper medical services for the county.

Organised by the Ennis General Hospital Committee and its sub- eroup Clare Cancer Concern, the meeting saw a number of medical experts, leaders in the community and members of the public raise con- cerns about the failures of the coun- ty’s health service.

A march, similar to that organised shortly after the Hanley report was published, is being organised with all present vowing to support it.

Leaks from the Review of Acute

Services in the mid-west (leam- work Report) has pointed to the re- placement of the 24-hour accident and emergency department at Ennis General Hospital with a nurse-led minor injuries department open for 12 hours a day.

The protest group is demanding the retention of 24-hour accident and emergency services and the reopen- ing of the mammography unit at the hospital, paid for by the people of OE

Adding the support of the Bishop of Killaloe, Dr Willie Walsh, and the priests of the diocese, Fr Hogan said that Ennis General Hospital had a sense of community and the services were patient centred.

“It (the hospital) is ours, we need the best. We demand the best.”

Tom Brooks from the Clare IFA was assuring the campaign the sup- port of the county’s farmers.

“If it comes to the crunch we will be there again in support,’ he told the meeting.

The ICA, Irish Kidney Association, the mayor of Clare Patricia McCa- rthy and Shannon town mayor Sean McLaughlin also spoke in support of the hospital retaining its services, and in some cases improving them.

Nuala Slattery from Clare Cancer Concern said that the group had al- ready collected 5,000 signatures in support of the campaign to return mammography service to the hospital.

“Don’t lose momentum now. We will succeed. We can and we will. This 1s our hospital,’ she said.

As well as the enthusiasm for the campaign, there was an element of anger among the crowd, particularly in relation to slippage of medical services in the county.

“We can march all we want but what we need to do 1s get our two F1- anna Fail TDs to stand down,” John Lernehan from the Irish Drivers As- sociation said.

“It is a simple solution. We put them in we can take them out.”

SIX years of hard voluntary work, responding to call-outs in every kind of foul weather at every hour of the night and day, reaped rewards in Kil- laloe last week when the local rescue team officially became operational as Irelands first inland waterways coast guard unit.

The former Killaloe/Ballina Search and Rescue unit became the Killaloe Coast Guard, when Director Des- ignate of the coast guard, Mr Chris Reynolds formally launched — the service on Wednesday.

A spokesman for the IRCG said the decision was taken to set up its first inland waterways unit in Killa- loe due to the level of traffic and risk on Lough Derg which has 17 public

marinas, four ferry companies, two major water leisure activity centres and 3,500 cruiser hires in 2006. In 2004 10,000 boats passed through Portumna bridge and the estimated total carrying capacity on Lough Derg is 6,437 persons.

The new unit continues to be housed in the ESB site in Killaloe.

To prepare the team for going fully operation, the coast guard replaced their original boats with ‘D’ class in- flatable boat with 40 HP engines for use on local rivers and shallow lakes and a new 7.5m rigid inflatable boat with twin 90 HP 4 stroke engines, GPS, radio, chart plotter, self right- ing system and automated identifica- tion system. This craft can do 30 plus knots, operate in all weathers and rescue up to nine people at a time. To

launch these boats the team has also been given a 4×4 jeep fitted with blue lights and sirens.

Training was also given in first aid, pyrotechnics, radio procedures, search training and advanced boat skills. Additional equipment consist- ing of personal protective equipment, generators, lights, radios, medical stock, stretchers and spinal boards have also been issued to the unit to assist them in their search and rescue work.

The area officer of the team is Michael Quigley. Its deputy area Of- ficer 1s Denis Dillon.

Launching the service, Chris Rey- nolds said the former search and res- cue service was “run on a voluntary basis by the local community doing sterling work in raising public aware-

ness of water safety and in respond- ing to those in peril in the waters”’.

He added that as volunteers of the coast guard units “you are only too well aware of the dangers of the wa- ter. You serve your community in a most hazardous environment per- forming tasks that often take their toll on you emotionally and physi- or Nh ae

“IT wish to thank all 19 volun- teer members of the Killaloe team for their dedication and hard work in training and operations led by Michael Quigley, Area Officer, with the assistance of Dennis Dillon, Deputy Area Officer.”