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EUROPEAN Ombudsman, Niki- foros Diamandouros, looks set to spend a lot of time in Ireland over the next few months, as it was revealed last week that at least three Irish Farming Organisation have lodged official complaints with his office. The ICMSA and Farmers for Fair- ness in Europe (FFE), lodged a join complaint with the Ombudsman, tar- geting both the European Commis- sion and the Council of the European Union on grounds of maladministra- tion by failing to ban Brazilian beef imports. The complaint, which was drawn up in ICMSA Head Office, centres on what ICMSA President, Jackie Cahill, has described as ‘the

incontrovertible evidence’ that the failure to ban beef imports from Bra- Zil is in breach of EC law.

“We think we have identified the Commission’s vulnerable spot on this issue, which infuriates us all. The European Ombudsman _ func- tions in a similar way to the ombuds- men in member states – he must now undertake a full investigation of all the trails and reports drawn up by the Commission — including any that are as yet unpublished. He must then present his report with recommenda- tions to the European Parliament”, said Mr. Cahill.

The complaint is to be issued in the name of FFE and the presidents of the 12 associated farm organiza- tions, and according to Mr. Cahill the

‘wriggle-room’ that the Commission have been using on the issue of Bra- Zilian beef will be severely circum- scribed by the formal complaint.”

The formal complaint is a double- Whammy in that the ICMSA/FFE complaint will also argue that the maladministration on the question of Brazilian imports coupled with the onerous regulations imposed on na- tive European beef farmers amounts to an infringement of the rights of those farmers as European citizens as established and guaranteed by the European Court of Justice under the Treaty that established the European Community.

As a part of the FFE, the ICSA has also echoed the dissatisfaction of the ICMSA with the situation surround-

ing Brazilian beef. “The Commis- sion 1s failing in its legal duty to EU citizens by continuing to allow beef imports from Brazil,’ said ICSA President Malcolm Thompson.

“The combined efforts of the or- ganisations within the FFE are tar- geted at forcing the Commission to act on the clear veterinary evidence and other information collected by the Food and Veterinary Office of the European Union arising from nu- merous official missions undertaken by that office.

In addition, FFE is confident that the Ombudsman will have to factor- in to his deliberations the complete ban on Brazilian beef imports oper- ated by both the US and Australia,” stated Mr. Thompson.

ALLEGATIONS over the disappear- ance of three old fireplaces and the discovery of animal carcasses at the farm of the late Michael O’ Halloran underlined the bitter divide between the two sides in the land dispute at Ennis Circuit Court last Friday.

In evidence, sister of the late Stanley and Michael O’Halloran, Ida Rohan told the court that three fire-

places and an antique dining room table disappeared from the home after Michael was taken into care at Our Lady’s psychiatric hospital in Ennis. Before Judge Harvey Kenny, Ms Rohan said, “Everyone was ques- tioning who took them.”

Asked did she know who took the tables, Ms Rohan said that her late brother, Stanley was seen at an antique dealer’s shop in Limerick around that time.

However, this provoked an angry response from Stanley’s wife, Marie O’Halloran when she took the stand to give evidence.

She said, “Stanley didn’t touch one thing. Under no circumstances did we take anything that belonged to Michael. The fireplaces were prob- ably taken by ‘Travellers. For Ida Rohan to say 1n any way that Stanley took anything is a downright lie. Stanley O’Halloran never stole that

much (holding up and pressing her thumb and forefinger together) in his life.”

Mrs Rohan also alleged that Michael’s lands that were taken over by Stanley “are deplorable. It doesn’t do me any good to go back there”.

Mrs Rohan said that in May 2005 When she returned to the farm with auctioneer, John de Courcy, she spotted two animal carcasses on the lands. She said, “One ewe was left to

rot. It was disgusting.”

Asked to respond, in evidence, Mrs O’Halloran said, “That is being said to blacken me. In the summer of 2005, I spent five to six weeks at the regional hospital. I was sick.”

She added, “Ida Rohan claimed that Stanley didn’t pay for his mother’s funeral as well. She has caused a lot of hurt and trouble.” Mrs O’Halloran said, “My husband, Stanley didn’t trust his sisters not one iota.”

ENNIS based estate agency O’ Do- lan & Partners is lending its support to anew campaign for better services for children with Down’s syndrome. The firm, which has offices in Gal- way and Ennis, has joined the Mak- ing Galway Proud Initiative’s 2007 campaign for speech and occupa- tional therapy for Voices For Galway (Down Syndrome Galway Branch). O’Dolan & Partners will host a fund-

raising walk and swim called *Cario- sa’s Walk and Swim’, in an effort to raise awareness and much needed funds to help shorten the four and a half year waiting list for speech and occupational therapy in Galway. Cariosa Williams, who gives her name to this fundraising event, is a four month-old girl with Down’s Syndrome. O’Dolan & Partners in- spired by the little girl and her family are also using this walk to celebrate Cariosa. As Barry Kelly of O’ Dolan

& Partners explained “for the past four years O’ Dolan & Partners have watched the great work that Making Galway Proud has done for the local community. The concept for the in1- tiative is quite unique in that it con- centrates on low profile causes each year in Galway, and yet again they have chosen a cause that has other- wise been totally ignored. We are delighted to be able to do something for speech and occupational therapy in Galway.” Voices For Galway is

an inspirational group of parents who have come together to do some- thing themselves about the wait- ing list for speech and occupational therapy. The Making Galway Proud Initiative, now in its fourth year, is currently preparing for the Making Galway Proud Ball, which will take place on Saturday, October 6. To reg- ister for Cariosa’s Walk or for further information, contact O’Dolan and Partners in Ennis on 065 6864957 or Galway 091 865000.

MACRA na Feirme National Presi- dent, Catherine Buckley, is pushing for an annual increase of 5 per cent in Ireland’s national quota, to be al- located to new and recent entrants to dairying.

Buckley, who has become the first ever female president of the Young Farmers Organisation, feels that a radical shake up in the system is needed to attract more young farm- ers into the sector. “If we are to at-

tract young people into the industry we need radical changes.

“The targeting of an increased quota to new and recent entrants is required to allow the farmers who are the future of the dairy industry to rapidly expand their businesses in the years ahead and to prepare for an environment where we will no longer have milk quotas,” she said.

“This additional quota would be purely a license to produce rather than an asset and the quota should be allocated nationally and completely

separately from the milk quota ex- change.”

Ireland currently has a competitive advantage in dairying and Buck- ley has called on the Department of Agriculture to effect change and restructure the dairy industry before the abolition of milk quotas.

“Dairy farming is a very labour intensive and tying occupation and young people must see the prospect of proper rewards for their time if they are to commit themselves to the Sector,” she said.

“Under Social Partnership, the Government is committed to fa- cilitating and promoting farm part- nerships. In this context, the Gov- ernment must ensure that, where practicable, schemes and rules shall act to encourage and promote farm- ing in partnership in the interests of efficiency and competitiveness.”

Macra believe more steps to en- courage partnerships, including the introduction of an individual limit for young farmers in New Entrant Parent Partnerships are required.

An east Clare widow is refusing to give-up lands valued at €1.4 million to allow the lands be sold on, a court hearing into a family land dispute has been told.

At Ennis Circuit Court last Friday, Marie O’Halloran contested an ac- tion by her sister-in-law, Josephine Barry (72) to have her vacate 66 acres of farmland two and half miles from Tulla.

Mrs O’Halloran told the court that her late husband, Stanley O’ Halloran, reached a deal in the late 1970s with the owner of the farm, his late broth- er, Michael to purchase the lands for £65,000.

Mrs O’Halloran also told the court that Stanley paid different sums of

cash over the years to Michael, who was a bachelor farmer.

However, counsel for Mrs O’Halloran, Leonard Parker BL, acknowledged that no record of the agreement existed, nor had Mrs O’Halloran been able to recover any record of cheques paid by Stanley to Michael due to the time that had elapsed.

In evidence, Josephine Barry dis- missed the monies paid by Stanley O’Halloran to Michael as “pocket money’ and said that she had no knowledge of the alleged deal be- tween the two to sell the farm to NEDA

Mrs Barry’s sister, Ida Rohan told the court, “If there was a deal, it wouldn’t hold water.”

Counsel for Mrs Barry, Gerry Kie-

ly BL, said that Michael O’Halloran died aged 64 in May 2004 intestate and that without a will being made, his farm was divided three ways, be- tween his two sisters, Mrs Barry and Ida Rohan and Stanley O’Halloran.

Stanley died four months later aged 68 and his share passed onto his wife, Marie O’Halloran.

Mr Kiely said that Michael O’Halloran was diagnosed a chronic schizophrenic in the 1970s and evi- dence would be given from a con- sultant psychiatrist that he wouldn’t be capable of entering any agreement to sell his lands.

A retired school teacher and admin- istrator of the estate, Mrs Barry told the court that her brother, Michael was first admitted to psychiatric care in the winter of 1973-74.

He was admitted again in 1985 and stayed in institutional care until his death in 2004.

Mrs Barry said that Stanley “com- mandeered Michael’s lands after he was admitted in 1985 and moved his animals onto the lands without consulting anyone’ and that Mrs O’Halloran was now refusing to re- move the animals from the lands.

Mrs Barry said that at Michael’s ‘month’s mind’ Mass in June 2004, Stanley approached her, said “what about Mike’s land?” and offered €100,000 to each of his sisters for his brother’s farm.

Mrs Barry said that she was sur- prised that Marie O’Halloran was now laying claim to all the lands. She said: “Everyone was due to get their fair share and I was surprised that

someone was being greedy in look- ing for more than their one-third.”

She said, “I don’t accept that there was any agreement between Stanley and Michael over the lands. Michael only had €1,100 in his account when he died and €300 of that was put through by my eldest son days before he died.”

Mr Parker told Mrs Barry, “Mrs O’Halloran wants to keep the lands for her two sons and waive any right she has to the lands”’.

Mrs Barry said, “We can’t all do what we like. I have four sons too.”

Mr Parker said that Mrs O’ Halloran had made an offer of €400,000 to the two sisters to purchase the lands in April 2006, but this was rejected.

Evidence in the case is in the au- tumn.

EXACTLY 160 years after he ar- rived in Kilrush dedicating his life to saving the poor of west Clare, Cap- tain Arthur Edward Kennedy was honoured by the local people.

At a ceremony on Sunday a bust of the late poor law inspector was un- veiled in the Vandeleur Garden, the home place of the family believed to have him removed from the town in Keel 0p

Fr John O’Shea donated the bust to Kilrush Town Council from Western aUUee tere

Captain Kennedy is regarded as a hero of the famine years in Kilrush.

Born in Down in 1809 he studied at Trinity College, Dublin, and after- wards, his military career saw him posted to Corfu and Canada as a

captain in the 68th Regiment. He re- turned to Ireland and took up an ap- pointment with the Poor Law Com- mission, arriving in Kilrush in 1847.

When he arrived in the west Clare capital he was made aware of 6,000 notices to quit served and is quoted as saying the “whole district seemed swept of food” and he believed “a third of the population would be without food at Christmas, two thirds starving before February and by May 1848, there would be a total starvation.”

His first task was to deal with the overcrowding in the workhouse. There was room for 800 inmates in the workhouse but demand had swelled as evictions continued dur- ing the summer and autumn of 1847.

By November, 1,100 people were inmates at the workhouse, many of

these weakened by disease. Kennedy set about providing additional houses to deal with the influx and for a fin- ish he had opened six extra units.

Paying tribute to the local hero mayor of Kilrush Cllr Tom Clyne (Ind) said, “Kennedy was a profes- sional, a government official carry- ing out his instruction to the letter of the law. But he did not conform to the non-caring officialdom of the era. He was deeply upset by the events he witnessed every day, and he involved himself in all aspects of the fight to combat the hunger, disease, and (CFA Mm A ercLemWe: om ec Dee lor-UiLMmOLONM ENTS NA le eVee bss one

“Kennedy loathed the landlords in the area, and made some power- ful enemies, most notably Colonel Crofton Moore Vandeleur. He was involved in an incident with Vande-

leur in which he challenged him to duel.”

It is thought that Kennedy’s ene- mies in Kilrush may have influences his transfer from Kilrush to Kilken- ny in September 1850.

In a last gesture of humanitarian- ism he and his family donated clothes and other items to the local clergy for distribution to the poor.

After he left Kilrush, he had a long and international diplomatic career serving as governor of Gambia, Si- erra Leone, Western Australia, Van- couver Island, West Africa and Hong Kong. Kennedy returned to Aus- tralia in 1877 as governor of Queens- land. He never forgot his time in west Clare and is known to have sent money from Western Australia to Fr Moran CC for the poor of Kilrush in Keeley

THE findings of a major new study looking at the experiences of ethnic minorities living in Ennis will be published in September.

The study is a joint project car- ried out between the Department of Politics and Public Administration at University of Limerick and Ennis Community Development Project (CDP). It is the first time that such extensive research has been conduct- ed outside of Dublin.

The study will focus on the expe- riences of members of the Traveller community and asylum seekers. It looks at the issue of discrimination and the experiences both groups have had when dealing with the pub- lic services.

The study is now in the final stages and the findings are due to be pub- lished in September.

Professor Tom Lodge and Dr Mau- ra Adshed of the University of Lim- erick are spearheading the project.

Professor Lodge is a_ professor

of peace and conflict studies in the Department of Politics and Public Administration at the University of Limerick. Dr Maura Adshed 1s a lec- turer at the same department.

As well as contributing to broader international and comparative re- search mapping rights and discrimi- nation across Europe, it is intended the project will pilot partnership ap- proaches to public policy research that actively seeks out the participa- tion and involvement of community groups and individuals.

Members of both communities eulded by UL and Ennis CDP com- piled the data.

From the communities perspective the project will seek to enable full participation in policy analysis of services that affect them and provide a record of the communities’ present experiences of public services. It will also identify barriers to people’s ac- cess to public services.

The type of formal and informal supports the communities receive will also be identified.

A FLOPPY ham sandwich in one hand, half a bottle of Lucozade gripped tightly in the other. It was a slightly perplexed Tony Considine that faced the thicket of reporters outside the Clare dressing room af- ter his side had gone down by seven points to Limerick.

His mood was quickly explained. Missed chances. Clare had too many of them.

The Clare manager said his side’s failure to score at critical junctures in the game was the main reason for their exit from the All-Ireland se- ries.

He was also full of praise for Lim- erick, a side he said were better pre- pared for the contest by virtue of their rigorous four-game Munster campaign.

He said, “you can’t afford to miss the chances we missed and expect to win a match, especially in the first half. We missed goals that we should have got. Look it we came up, as un- derdogs and I knew that. People were building up Limerick and things like that. This is a god Limerick team make no mistake about it. They will put it up to anyone left in the cham- pionship. Jesus lads, you can’t af- ford to miss the chances we missed. Whatever you do whether you do it wrong in training, it’s just maybe fel- las don’t see the posts when they get out there. At the end of the day when you miss those chance you’re not en- titled to win those matches, you’re not entitled to win the match.

“We died and we came back again and we brought it back to three points. Of course we gave away a very soit goal as well. In Croke Park you get mistakes like that, you get mistakes. The one thing that you have to do is get over them. Everyone can make a mistake; I can make them myself as well. At the end of the day, I think Limerick deserved to win. They were the better team and I wish them the best.”

Considine also revealed that Gerry Quinn’s selection was in doubt right up until he took the field in Croke Park.

Quinn, who lined out at centre back, wasn’t expected to start due to a knee

ligament injury. However, a late fit- ness test at the team hotel and the pre-match warm up, convinced Con- sidine and his selectors that Quinn was fit to play.

With three players making their Croke Park debut — Philip Brennan, Brendan Bugler and Bernard Gaff- ney — Considine said inexperience played its part.

“There was inexperience as well. We made silly mistakes as well. They came back they got the fourth

point and the fifth and the sixth. That kind of kills a team as well. I thought our lads gave everything as well. I can’t fault any of them lads for the effort they gave out there. Lynch has been a superb man for years, I think he has been superb for the last thirty years. He gives it everything. You can’t fault anyone. Everyone goes out there to do they’re best. I done my best for the team as well same as Pat O’Connor, Ciaran O’Neill and Tim Crowe. We did our best and it wasn’t

good enough today.”

The sandwich now gone, Consid- ine drained the last of the Lucozade before taking questions on his own JaUUHUNRon

After a stormy year at the helm, the Cratloe man gave no indication whether or not he would like to con- tinue in the role.

‘Well I have been shot so may times this year that a few more bullets won’t do me any harm at this stage. That’s for another day, maybe that’s

for other people, maybe that’s for an- other day. You don’t think about that now.

“We all know what sport is and we all know what tragedy is as well. Sport is only part of our life. We give or best everyday we do it, whether that’s at club, county or any other level.”

THE upcoming August bank holiday weekend is renowned for its festivi- ties and fun in west Clare.

The two west Clare villages of Kilmihil and Kildysart are already putting the last minute preparations together for two of the most popular festivals of the summer.

In Kildysart, as always all proceeds will go towards the playground. Af- ter five years of fundraising the play- ground was opened this year but the committee say that there is still a lot

more work to do.

Funds raised this year will go to- wards landscaping the play area, a perimeter fence for the safety of the children and a car park to make the playground accessible to all.

The newly opened playground is already attracting families from all over west Clare.

Plans are also in place to add an all- weather pitch to the grounds, dress- ing rooms and toilet facilities.

Meanwhile in Kilmihil the Festival of Fun will begin on Saturday and run until the Monday.

In its seventh year it promises to be bigger and better than ever.

Among the highlights on Saturday are the set-dancing workshop in the community centre; the soccer tour- nament for over 16’s; the treasure hunts; the Under-12 football blitz and open-air Irish music and danc- ing on the street from 8.30pm with the Four Courts Céili Band.

Sunday it’s down to Knockalough Lake for an afternoon of events in- cluding the ever popular raft racing; the Knockalough knockout and a new bath racing event for the Tommy

Murray Memorial Trophy. Sunday evening it’s the now legendary Bon- ham racing at 8.30pm in the GAA field followed by a spectacular fire- works display.

The festival concludes on Monday with a parade at lpm and a monster field day, which includes the fifth An- nual Vintage Rally. New this year is the Clare Craft Fair in the commu- nity centre from 12pm-6pm.

CLARE is quickly becoming one of the most cosmopolitan counties in Ireland with the latest figures show- ing that 44 per cent of people living in Clare have been born outside the county.

The latest census figures show that out of the 2006 population of 108,760, 47,339 people were born

outside Clare with 16,102 of that fig- ure born outside Ireland.

The trend of people born outside Clare living in the county is also an upward one.

The 1991 census recorded 36 per cent of the population coming from outside Clare. In 2002 that increased to 39 per cent. In four years this in- creased by five per cent.

The Clare figure is well ahead of

statistics for the same group in Mun- ster counties. The figures show that only 29 per cent of Limerick resi- dents have been born outside Limer- ick, 32 per cent of Kerry residents, 24 per cent of Cork residents and 36 per cent of Tipperary North residents. Underlining the changing face of Clare, there are now more Poles in the county than Africans, with 1,381 Polish-born people compared to

1,155 African born.

The figures also show that there are more than double the number of residents from the EU accession countries in Clare than citizens from the original EU 15. Accession state citizens in the county number 2,421 while those of the EU 15 total 1,204.

The highest proportion of non-Irish nationals in Clare remains people from England and Wales who ac- count for 6,889 of the population. There are 582 people from the United States, 667 from Asia and 603 who are included in the “other category”. Within the Asian category there are 211 Chinese.

The census shows that there was net migration of 4,169 into Clare during the 2002-06 period.

Underlining the growing cosmo- politan nature of Ennis and Shannon, the figures show that of the 23,101 population in Ennis, 10,456 of the residents have been born outside of ET

The figures show that there are 1,128 residents in Ennis born in the EU accession countries. In Shannon, the figures show that the town has a population of 8,942 with 5,765 not born in Clare.

The figures for Ennis and Shannon are in contrast to Kilrush. The figures show that of the 2,569 population of the west Clare town, 1,804 have been born in Clare.