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WHEN Adam Coleman, director of Lahinch-based business _ solutions company, Interventions took the helm at A Clare Industry Service Tourism (ACIST) skillnet, the aim was to provide training for 435 peo- ple in the first two years.

Six months short of that target they have trained 536 with more courses in the pipeline.

Interventions is the training bro- kerage for ACIST and has organ- ised all kinds of training for the 70 companies which are now on board and now Limerick and Galway based businesses are also joining.

The organisation has become so succesfull that it has been decided to hold open recruitment days with plans being laid to apply for addi- tional funding from Skillsnet Ltd, through the Department of Enter- prise and Employment.

ACIST, which is a not for profit organisation, set up with a training and business networking grant of €300,000 from the Skillsnet parent body.

Member companies pay a small joining fee but the returns are worth every penny, says Interventions D1- rector, Coleman.

“What we provide is training and development across the board, tai- lored to the individual company’s needs. It’s training that small compa- nies, particularly, could never access with this kind of subsidisation.”

An example of that access was the

arranged two day visit last year of French cheese making guru, Jamal Kebchaoui, who gave instruction to two cheesmaking companies which are members of Acist. And a follow- up tarining visit is planned for later this year.

A keystone of the ACIST mindset is that they “engage expert trainers – people who been there and done that, actually worked and suceeded

in thier field’, said Coleman.

Companies involved vary from the huge multi-nationals such as Gen- worth to the three surf schools in Clare and companies which make chocolate, market goods, provide lifting machinery or hotels, pubs and restaurants.

ACIST tailors training to the needs of each member company as well as organising networking events and

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Two major courses run by ACIST are the Applied Management and Applied Marketing courses, which can be done in modules and one of the latest initiatives from the organi- sation is the Loyalty Programme, with which companies and services give discounts to other members, en- couraging members to do business with each other and network.

ACIST has even also organised English language courses for polish workers and are planning to organ- ise Polish classes for members in September. “It’s a training need and we re meeting it”, said Coleman.

The bottom line, Coleman stresses, is that membership is a win/win situ- ation for businesses. “Our brief is to see how we can work with compa- nies to improve their situation. They can take advantage of training and development opportunities which are organised to to suit their needs, in their time and conducted locally.”

The ACIST expose days are being held in Genworth Financial Offices in Shannon on July 25 between 4pm and 8pm and in the Temple Gate Ho- tel in Ennis, also from 4pm to 8pm.

Everyone is welcome and Coleman predicts a large rise 1n companies wanting to join.

“Training can start at any time that the members want after joining but it would be important that new mem- bers sign up soon, because we need to do a trainig needs analysis with each new company very soon, as we will be reapplying for funding.”

Further information available at www.skillsacist.com.

THE HSE has this week announced that a 15-station satellite dialysis unit for the Midwest will be up and run- ning within the next six months.

The unit is a response to what the Irish Kidney Association has de- scribed as a crisis in the dialysis Service.

The Haemodialysis Unit at the Mid Western Regional Hospital Limerick has been unable to take any new pa- tients for the last number of months due to overcrowding.

Renal patients were instead sent to Tullamore, Tralee and Galway.

This week the HSE said that it had been working to provide the addi- tional capacity needed to enable pa- tients receive their dialysis as near as possible to their homes.

As part of that work a short term, 15-station satellite dialysis unit has been commissioned for Limerick.

A tender competition was held for the provision of the unit and the suc- cessful company has been notified within the last week.

The new facility is expected to

be operational within the next six months, according to the HSE.

Patients treated in the satellite unit will remain under the care of the referring consultant and multidisci- plinary team from the regional hos- pital.

SU ilem eR Sa seme slepeeComKen one Busnr-)| patients to Galway in the interim.

‘As a further measure and because of the urgent needs of this area in the Short term, the HSE has entered into a further contract with a dialysis pro- vider in Galway which will be able to accept mid-west patients imme-

diately and will help to avoid more protracted travel times for mid-west patients to Dublin and elsewhere,” a HSE spokespersons said.

“While we regret the inconven- lence that this travel imposes on some patients in the short term, we are confident that it will provide sig- nificant relief for the particular pa- tients affected while we are working on achieving self-sufficiency for the region over the next six months.”

‘Because of the urgent need for ad- ditional capacity the HSE has also funded a home dialysis programme

for medically suitable patients in the Limerick area as an alternative to hospital dialysis.”

As part of its long term plan the Mid Western Regional Hospital Limerick is currently developing a capital plan for an extension, which will expand the existing dialysis unit in Doora- doyle to 25 stations.

Each year in Ireland about 170 peo- ple reach the “end-stage” of renal failure and need treatment to replace their non-functioning kidneys. Ap- proximately 30 Clare people require dialysis three times a week.

IF you have ever wanted to prove just how strong you really are, then the Gort Show is the place for you this SUT Ter Naa Urea bk Oe

Strong men and women will be de- scending on Community Centre and Community School Grounds to take part in the first ever Carry the Guin- ness Barrel Competition ever held in Ireland.

The competition, as you might ex- pect, involves carrying the barrel of Guinness as far possible and was the brainchild of Gort man Noel Cor- less. This year show will also feature a Senior and Novice Sheaf Throw-

ing competition, which will test the strength of anyone who survives the barrel challenge.

Entries in the indoor show classes are now closed but last minute entries will be taken at the show from llam for horses, ponies and donkeys, lpm for the dog show and from 1.30pm for the cat show.

Entries will also be taken at 2pm for the new Pet Corner. The classes are Cutest Pet and The Pet, Show Queen would like to take home. The Pet Corner is confined to small pets, such as rabbits and guinea pigs.

One of the highlights of this year’s Show will be the final of the new All-Ireland Amateur Painting Cham-

pionship. Finalists in this Champion- ship have already qualified at twen- ty-three shows held throughout the 32 counties.

This will be the first time for Gort to hold a final of an All-Ireland com- petition. The qualifying paintings will be displayed on the stage in the Community Centre. The champion- ship was devised by Amanda Nor- ton, new secretary of Gort Show and is being held in conjunction with the Irish Shows Association of which Gort Show is a member.

The Poultry section has expanded greatly over the years and is one of the most interesting parts of the show. In addition to the competi-

tive classes, Derek and Tracey Pul- lein, Gortavoher, Tubber will display a sample of their unusual poultry and ducks, including such breeds as Rhode Island Reds, Light Sussex, Orpingtons, Wyandottes, Leghorns, Anconas and Pekens. Tracey is the National Secretary of the Irish Poul- try Society.

All attending will be able to re-live times olden times by viewing the dis- play of vintage cars, tractors, farm and static machinery. The vintage display is always well supported by members of the Western Veteran and Vintage Motor Club, based in Gal- way, and by members of the Clare Classic and Vintage Club.

THE Dermot Power and Kildysart Cultural Festival four mile open road race and fun walk sponsored by Clare Oil Co Ltd will take place this Friday evening, August 3, around the roads of Kildysart starting with the walk at 7pm and the road race at 7.30pm.

Entries will be taken at the Com- munity Centre in Kildysart and their will be t-shirts to all competitors.

This will be the fifth annual road race around the roads of Kildysart and many of the well known stars will be taking part.

John Downes, Donore Harriers, Brian Maher, Kilkenny City Harri- ers, Gerry Ryan, Galway City Harri- ers, Dermot Galvin, St John’s (runner up three years ago) will take part.

Former Inter Club Cross Country Champion and nine times All-Ire- land Inter Counties Cross Country Champion and defending his title and going for five straight wins in a row will be Seamus Power, Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare.

He will be looking to big local sup- port to retain his crown from his former training partner Peter Mat- thews and Cormac Smith, both Dun-

drum South Dublin.

Also in contention will be James Liddane, Tulla, who finished second in the Dundrum 10k Road Race a few weeks ago. Other leading contend- ers will be Brian Murphy, Marian,

Rory Chesser, Michael Maher, Dav- id Quinn, all Ennis Track, Eugene Moynihan, Marian, Michael Harvey, James Kenny, Donal Howley, Kil- murry I[brickane/North Clare, Ger- ard Mullane, Tom Blackburn, both

of Bilboa AC, Limerick, Mick Rice Athenry, and the Clare hill running champion, James McIntyre, Tulla.

In the team contest Galway City Harriers will start as favourites from the host club Kilmurry Ibrickane/ North Clare, Tulla, Bilboa, West Limerick, St Mary’s, Ennis Track Club, and Marian.

The ladies race will be a very com- petitive race with many fine athletes in contention. The girls to watch will be the Cork Marathon champion Tracy Guilfoyle, Kilnaboy, and her training partner Veronica Colleran, Ennis Track Club, the 2005 cham- pion. Also in contention will be Sue Garrahy, Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare, the road specialist Loretta Duggan, St Mary’s, who has pro- duced outstanding performances re- cently in Dundrum, along with Mar1i- an Burke, St Mary’s, Cushla Murphy Hehir, Marian, Maura Falsey, Sile O’Loughlin, both Kilmurry Ibrick- ane/North Clare, Margaret Ryan and Frances Guilfoyle, Kilnaboy, Mar- ion O’Loughlin, Ennis Track Club, Bernie Kelly, Galway City Harriers, and Ciara Hassett, Marian.

The ladies team award will be well contested between Ennis Track Club,

Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare, St Mary’s, Marian, and West Limerick.

AN EAST Clare-based company has lodged plans for a wind farm which would supply up to half of the com- pany’s energy costs.

Its planning application to Clare County Council states that Olympus Diagnostica is “seeking a solution which would meet a portion 40-50 per cent of our electrical base load using alternative energy”.

The height of the proposed turbine is 200 ft high. The company points out that this is “half the size of the industry norm”.

The company states that it will con- sume all the energy from the wind turbine and that “there is no need for a grid connection”. It points out that “the proposal doesn’t lie within any recognised flight path of the Whoop- er Swan and the Greenland White Fronted Goose”’.

The company based near O’Callaghan’s Mills covers a broad spectrum of needs ranging from mi- croscope systems for life and mate- rial science, to high-performance analytical systems and reagents for clinical laboratories. It serves most- ly large and medium size hospitals, commercial clinical laboratories and blood banks.

In a submission lodged with the plan, the company states: “The ra- tionale for this project has its roots

in spiralling energy costs which are set by international markets and impact severely for two reasons: the wide fluctuation in energy costs which make financial planning more difficult and the underlying trend is upwards.”

Stressing its adherence to “Corpo- rate Social Responsibility”, Olympus points out that it has already reduced its greenhouse emissions by putting in place a wood chip burner instead of oil, so also creating a locally-based market for wood-chip.

The company states that the noise emissions from the wind-turbine would be lower than similar sized turbines. It suggests that the Clare County Development Plan has deemed the location “a suitable area for wind energy’ and doesn’t have any scenic or environmentally sensi- tive designations.”

The company also states that it has held a number of local meetings and has relocated the wind-turbine from its original location in response to lo- cal concerns. A second public meet- ing was held, although residents to the north east of the site stated that the new option would have a greater visual impact on them. However, the submission points out that this site 1s the last option open to Olympus that would allow the company comply fully with all the planning regula- tions.

KINVARA is gearing itself up for the highlight of it’s busy tourist sea- son as the Crinniu na mBad prepares to take over next week. The festival, which runs this year from August 9 to 12, attracts thousands of boat lov- ers from across Ireland as well as a number of European countries.

The Crinnia celebrated Kinvara’s long and proud boating history. In years gone by the village was a trad- ing centre where food stuff, turf and other goods could be traded with the people of the Aran Islands.

Each summer a fleet of Galway Hookers and Currachs would ferry

supplies back and forth from the Is- lands to the mainland at Kinvara.

“At this stage the Crinniu has grown into one of Ireland’s biggest and most important festivals. It had become part of our heritage,” said organiser Michael Brogan.

“Itis very important to continue it to make sure that the tradition does not die out. It gives the people who own these boats something to have their boats ready for. This year we should have boats from the UK and France and we are hoping to get some trad1- tional boats from Spain, Norway and Denmark over for next year.”

Michael made history himself last year as he was part of a crew who

conquered both the icy North West and North East passages aboard the yacht the Northabout.

The first race of this year’s Crin- niu will see a fleet of boats sail from the docks in Galway city and down the coast to Kinvara on Friday after- noon. Formally known as the Cladd- agh Cup, this race has been renamed the Mikey Lynskey Memorial Cup to mark his tragic passing earlier this year.

In it’s 29 year history, the Crinniu has developed a reputation for it’s commemorative posters. This years posters features one of Galways old boatman, Pat Jennings, who is now 90 years old and still involved in

keeping the boating tradition alive.

An exhibition of photography fea- turing the last three decades of the Crinniu also takes place at the Gal- way museum throughout the festi- val.

The first Crinnid na mBad took place in 1979 and has been growing steadily ever since. The original con- cept for the festival came from local man Tony Moylan, who organised the Crinniu as a means of maintain- ing Kinvara’s connection with it’s baiting heritage.

This years festival is once again sponsored by Irish owned company Cityjet. For more check out www. kinvara.com/cnb.

CLARE volleyball team CbPhoto.ie will feature in RTE2’s coverage of the Coca Cola Beach Volleyball Fes- tival on Monday, August 6.

CbPhoto.ie won the tournament which was played earlier this sum- mer in Bray.

This was the biggest beach tour- nament held in Ireland to date and is proving to be very important, at- tracting international players from the USA and Australia.

Daniel Apanowicz and Slawek Wrzesniak represented CbPhoto.ie volleyball club in the mens tourna- ment, while Lina Klim took part in the womens tournament.

The mens pair are currently ranked in the top three in the beach circuit

with Lina is actually the leading wo- mens player in the country.

These players are concentrating on the beach circuit at present until the indoor competition restarts in Octo- ber. It is a fantastic result for the club to win this prestigious tournament in Bray which has now become a ma- jor attraction and part of the Annual Bray Festival.

OB Sport (RTE2) on Bank Holiday Monday at 8.30pm will show the lo- cal side 1n action as well as some in- ternational players in this fast grow- ing sport of volleyball.

CbPhoto.ie volleyball club is also welcoming new players at all levels for indoor volleyball or beach volley- ball at present and for information check out cbphoto.ie/volleyball or send a text to 085 7681838.

THE HSE is training advanced para- medics ahead of the expected closure of accident and emergency depart- ments across the country.

The former mid-western health board region of Clare, Limerick and north Tipperary will be used on a pilot basis for the deployment of the highly trained medics from this September.

It is understood that the HSE plans to deploy the advanced paramedics in Clare and Tipperary, effectively tak- ing A&E on the road. This will allow them to administer critical life-sav- ing treatment before taking patients

directly to the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick, bypassing local hospitals.

The HSE is preparing to announce the results of a review of acute hos- pitals in the mid-west carried out by Teamwork, a British-based company of consultants. The same group has already recommended the closure of accident and emergency departments in the north east of the country.

While not commenting on what the report will contain, the HSE has said that the review of hospital services in the Mid West is expected in the autumn at the earliest. However, it is believed locally that an announcement

will come in the next few weeks.

It is expected to recommend the clo- sure of the accident and emergency departments at Ennis and Nenagh gen- eral hospitals, as well as at St John’s in Limerick, and be replaced by nurse- led minor injuries clinics.

The HSE has confirmed that seven advanced paramedics are already based in Limerick, with one each in Roscrea and Ennis and seven more CUTS KoOLO AEN mbe-BoNpbOron

Asked how advanced paramedics will be deployed in the Mid West, the HSE said they are currently deployed as part of operational crews and this will be reviewed for the future.

Ambulance personnel, previously known as emergency medical techni- cians, are now referred to as paramed- ics, having completed a conversion course, and are permitted to admin- ister better live-saving treatment than before.

Before qualifying as advanced para- medics, staff undergo further, more intensive training lasting almost 12 months, at a cost of over €120,000 per person. They will then be allowed un- dertake “advanced interventions” in- cluding the administration of a range of live-saving drugs. Staff will also be able to put up drips, a task only under- taken by doctors in the past.

PREPARATIONS have begun for one of west Clare’s longest running OME Ie

The ever popular Rose of Clare Festival will begin Sunday, August 5, and will run until the following Fri- day, bringing craic, ceoil and lots of lovely ladies to the villages of Cree and Cooraclare.

In its 28th year the festival contin- ues to attract young women from all over the county to compete for the coveted title of Rose of Clare.

This year, as always, a dozen new roses will be introduced to the crowd

at the Sunday afternoon Fancy Dress parade in Cree.

This will be followed by the family fun day in the GAA grounds. The fun and activities will include stack the turf, sheaf throwing, the dog show, tug-o-war and lots more.

Sunday and Monday will see well- known DJ and local man John Carey at the mixing desk for the first two discos of the week, but Monday night’s event is for children only.

The sound of the music will change on Wednesday night with Céili tak- NOTA OKoI NB KOMI EEL od

On Wednesday there is likely to be standing room only as the 12

roses will be interviewed by Colm O’Connor in the community centre, followed by music by Larry McEvoy.

Supporters will have to wait until Friday night to see if their favourite Rose was successful and will take over from last year’s winner Elma Griffin from Kilmihil as the 2007 Rose of Clare.

This will be followed by a disco by DJ Ger Sweeney.

People can also look forward to a race night on Thursday night and plenty of music and song in both vil- lages.

There will also be underage foot- ball competitions running in con-

junction with the festival and an art competition.

‘A lot of work has gone into organis- ing this year’s Rose of Clare Festival and we are fortunate to have a very dedicated hard working committee,” said Ruth Callinan, joint PRO of the OMe B

“Our community owes them a great debt and parishioners can indeed show their gratitude by supporting the various events during the week. We look forward to seeing our friends from neighbouring parishes and oth- er areas of the county supporting the Roses and hope that everyone has a very enjoyable week in Cooraclare.”

THE Ennis General Hospital De- velopment Committee has vowed to regroup and mount a campaign to maintain 24-hour accident and emer- gency care at the hospital.

A special meeting was held last evening after leaks from a review of acute services in the mid-west sound- ed the death knell for 24-hour con- sultant-led accident and emergency services at the county hospital.

Leaks from the review carried out by Horwarth Consulting Ireland, in association with British-based Team- work Management Services, points to the closure of the 24-hour depart- ments in Ennis, Nenagh and St John’s Hospital in Limerick.

A spokesperson for the HSE said at the weekend that the controversial review was “still underway and ex- pected in early autumn.”

Chairman of the Ennis General Hospital Development Committee, Peadar McNamara, said that the eroup were planning mass demon- strations and would begin an intense political lobby.

He said the committee intend to send representations to all the gov- ernment party leaders and the inde- pendent members of the government, as well as to the CEO of the HSE, the Mid West Network Manager and En- nis General Hospital Manager.

Just two of Clare’s candidates in last May’s General Election said they would resign from government if the

accident and emergency facilities at the hospital were downgraded.

The only female candidates, Fine Gael Cllr Madeleine Taylor Quinn and Sinn Féin’s Anna Prior, both said that if their parties were in gov- ernment, they would insist that full services were retained at the hospi- tal. Neither of the candidates were elected despite their commitment.

Likewise, veteran politician Brendan Daly said he would not run for Fianna Fail in the election without a guaran- tee that services at the hospital were retained. He lost out on a seat, despite reassurances from the minister for health and the Taoiseach that accident and emergency would be retained.

However, CEO of the HSE, Profes- sor Brendan Drumm, has never come

out in favour of 24-hour accident and emergency in Ennis.

“Speaking on a personal level, what flabbergasts me about the election is that nine out of 10 people voted for those who planned the implementa- tion of Hanley and the closure, and most of those who voted for them were people in the periphery or the county and at the highest risk,’ said Mr McNamara, chairman of the En- nis General Hospital Development Committee.

“Eleven out of 20 people did not vote for the closure of accident and emergency and Hanley and their wishes are being undemocratically ignored by the outgoing government parties and the new allies in govern- ment,” he said.