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FUN – hopefully in the sun – is on the agenda for Feakle people this weekend with the second summer Family Fun Day all organised, de- spite the weather.

The day is designed to have people come out and enjoy spending time as a family and with neighbours.

Whether you think your forte is welly-throwing or tug-of-war, there’s bound to be something eve- ryone excels at. Or at worst enjoy the

hilarity of being soundly trounced by a more Serious welly-slinger. Among the fun competitions being staged from 2pm at the hurling field are the bungee run, sheaf throwing, sponge throwing, the aforemen- tioned tug-of-war and welly throw- ing, a limbo competition, an assault course a penalty shoot and a clothes hanging competition, of all things. ‘The men are welcome to try their hand at this if they are confident in their abilities – this is an equal op- portunities event,’ a spokeswoman

for the organisers said.

The day is the brainchild of the pastoral group and the youth group and is the second after a very suc- cessful debut last year.

Also on the day, there will be a prize for fancy dress and everyone is welcome to try their hand by coming dressed up.

There will also be a Feakle ver- sion of “odd one out” as well as a mini-treasure hunt.

To slake the thirst of all that sheaf, welly and sponge throwing, there

will be tea and coffee and a shop on site.

There will be a canopied area and a sheltered toddlers play area as well.

“What we are saying to people is to come out, bring a picnic and spend the day. There’ll be music and great fun and it’s a chance for people just to relax, enjoy the day and have fun. Hopefully, we’ll get a couple of dry days this week for the pitch to dry out,’ the spokeswoman said.

ALMOST 60 students at Ennisty- mon’s Mol an Oige Steiner School will be going ‘to school through the falls’ from September following the eranting of planning permission for four prefabs at last weeks meeting of Clare County Council.

Parents, teachers and_ students were in council chambers for the announcement last week which re- ceived the unanimous support of all county councilors present.

The planning will allow the school to erect four prefab buildings on a site beside the Falls Hotel. It is an important step for the school which is involved in a long running battle to secure official state recognition from the Department of Education.

“We are delighted with the unani- mous cross party support received from Clare County Council in fa- vour of the temporary re-zoning of a site in Ennistymon for Mol an Oige school,” said Mary Fahy, secretary of Mol an Oige.

“This honoured a previous guar- antee made by the April ’06 council meeting when a unanimous motion was passed in support of Steiner multi-denominational schools in north Clare.

“We would like to sincerely thank the 25 county councillors present. Their lOO per cent support reflects the broad support in the local com- munity for diversity in education. Sincere thanks to the planning au- thorities for furthering our applica- tion for temporary planning.”

Hopes are now high that the schools new premises will help in the schools aim of getting official state recogni- tion. To date the school has received no support from the Department of Education and has survived through an ongoing series of fund raising events.

“Our understanding is that a posi- tive recommendation went from the New School’s Advisory Committee to the Department of Education,” she continued.

“With 56 pupils pre-enrolled in Mol an Oige for September ’07, we are confident that Minister Hanafin will respect the growing trend in multi-denominational education and respond to the need for choice in education in rural Ireland.

Steiner schools approach learning

in childhood through a process of imitation and example. For exam- ple, language development in Steiner Schools is addressed through songs, poems and movement games.

Extensive time is given for children to play freely, under the guidance of adult(s), in a home-like classroom environment that includes natural materials. The school emphasises the importance of children experiencing the rhythms of the year and seasons, including seasonal festivals drawn from a variety of traditions.

A JUDGE has warned a young man who was “half asleep” in a jury box after being sworn in to hear a crimi- em eer-de

The 19-year-old west Clare man was sworn in last Tuesday morning for the trial of four young men who were accused of violent disorder.

He took his place in the jury box but later told the judge that he was half asleep and was not in a position to take his place on the jury for the

were ;

Judge Sean O Donnabhain told the young man to remain on in court and he would deal with him later.

“Your behaviour was quite simply appalling. There are three solicitors here. | am thinking of holding you in contempt. You got into the witness box, you tried to fall asleep, you sud- denly woke up and connected with it. It’s simply not acceptable,’ said the judge.

“TI will grant you legal aid because your liberty is at risk. Your behaviour

is contemptuous of the court and is a disgrace to yourself,’ he added.

Solicitor Daragh Hassett, repre- senting the young man, told the court that his client who was from west Clare, was up at 4am that morning to collect his brother from the Willie Clancy Music Festival.

He said he was not out himself but had worked long hours during the previous days.

The judge replied, “What I saw in the box doesn’t smell of bed, rest or sobriety.”

Mr Hassett said his client was very apologetic for his behaviour.

“My particular concern is this man performed in a very contemptuous way to the court.

‘He took the oath, he went into the jury box and threw down the head,” said the judge.

“You are a lucky man Mr Hassett spoke up on your behalf, I think I’ve said enough. You know my view. Please don’t come up any other day for jury service,’ he told the young jnarenee

A 300 kilometre bike ride to raise money for Belarussian children started at the weekend — with a game of golf.

Anthony Foley and Ger O’ Loughlin were among the players on 36 teams of three who took a swing at help- ing to raise money for the East Clare Chernobyl! Project in the golf classic at Clonlara Golf and Leisure on Sat- WaKOE: WA

The day was organised by Johnny Murphy and his five Clonlara com- panions who will be cycling from Minsk to Malech, starting on Sep- tember 21.

Johnny and fellow Clonlara cy- clists, Daithi O’Shanahan and Denis McKeown did the cycle last year and raised €18,000 for the cause.

This year, they are being joined by two more Clonlara residents, Trish O’Shea and Eoin Begley, with 23 cy- clists from Clare and Limerick join- ing in the ride.

“I think I can retire from it after this year — the whole thing is getting so big they won’t need me,’ joked Johnny.

Much of the money is spent on im- proving life in orphanages in Bela- rus, where children live in appalling conditions.

The project spent more than 60,000

there last year, with some of the fund- raising being used to bring young- sters to Clare for a little r ‘n r from the radiation which they live with on POE DEWAN Oye FSS ESe

The golf classic, barbecue and night of music and fun served to raise money to get the cyclists out there as well as kick-starting their fund.

On a serious note, Even if he takes a break from organising, Johnny says he will still be involved in the ride. “When you see the terrible condi- tions the little children have to cope with, you couldn’t but go back.”

The gruelling ride will take two and a half days and the riders will stay in the orphanages and meet the

children along the way.

Johnny is training by cycling to and from Shannon while other members of the team have taken on challenges such as the Limerick to Kilkee and Ring of Kerry rides.

“We’ll have great craic and most importantly we’ll make some money for the projects. We’re delighted that sO many people have decided to get involved this year and we’re hoping there will be even more next year,” said Johnny.

MUSIC lover in north Clare are in have a real treat in store next month with the arrival of the Munich Boys and Girls Choir to Ennistymon.

The 40 strong German choir have gained renown over the years through a series of international appearance and now spends most of each sum- mer touring across Europe and North America.

The choir, which contains members from between the ages of 10 and 20, will perform in Ennistymon Church on Wednesday, August 22.

The concert itself is free, but organ-

isers are appealing to the local peo- ple to pitch in by offering the mem- bers of the choir a place to stay on the evening of the concert.

‘The choir contains about 40 mem- bers, 20 boys and 20 girls. They travel all around Europe during the summer months playing concerts as they go to pay their way,” said Can- non Richard Thorpy.

“The concerts themselves are free but the people who attend are asked to make a small donation and they also sell CD’s after the performance to help pay for the journey. To save on the costs they also ask local people to put them up for the night and save on

the cost of accommodation.”

Ennistymon Church has hosted a number of high profile performances in recent years, most notably the Irish National Orchestra last year.

“We are looking for people to host some of the children, there are about 40 in total and about six or seven adults who travel with them. We al- ready have a good few people signed to help put the children up for the night, some are taking two children but there have been others who say they can take four or five,’ continued Cannon Thorpy.

“They have been touring in various countries and have had a number of

concerts in Ireland before this. It is how they spend their summers. They sing a great variety of music, from the classical to the more religious songs, so there should be something for everyone’s taste.”

The group will arrive in the early afternoon of August 22, and have a short rehearsal before the perform- ance that evening. After spending the evening in Ennistymon they will be leaving the area early on August 23.

Anyone interested in taking in members of the choir for the evening should contact 065 7071346. The concert will take place in Ennisty- mon Church on August 22 at 8pm.

A MAN who was punched to the face has lost 50 per cent of his hear- ing in one ear when the eardrum was perforated, a court has heard.

Ennis Circuit Court heard yesterday Patrick Murray was punched by Paw- el Kubiciel (28), Ennis Road, Kilm- hil, in Kilmihil in August 2006.

Polish native Kubiciel was jailed for 10 months for assault, in the Dis- trict Court. He was also handed a six month sentence for possession of a Gt Kor

Kubiciel’s solicitor Eugene O’ Kelly, in his appeal to the Circuit Court, said his client had considerably changed his ways since the incident and the two now get on well together.

He said that his client had since moved to Ennis and no longer “moves in the circles he was moving in.” He said he would “suffer very consider-

ably” if sent to prison.

Sergeant John Ryan told the court that Mr Murray still had loss of hear- ing of 50 per cent to one ear.

Judge Carroll Moran said the con- sequences of the assault were very Serious.

‘The victim lost 50 per cent of his hearing. Mr O’Kelly, shouldn’t your client pay some compensation?” said the judge.

Mr O’Kelly said his client might have some difficulty coming up with a large sum of money. The judge sug- gested a sum of €6,000.

“This man lost half of his hearing in one ear. I have to tailor it to the means of the accused,’ said Judge Moran.

Mr O’Kelly suggested a sum in the region of €2,000 or €2,500. The judge then agreed on €3,000 and said he would revisit the matter in October.

A CLOCK tower, water feature or specially commissioned piece of sculpture should form the central fo- cal point of Shannon town, when it is overhauled.

That’s according to the local Cham- ber of Commerce, which has submit- ted its proposals on the development of the town.

The chamber’s detailed submission on the development of Shannon also suggests the provision of a skate- boarding park or an ice skating rink.

It also stated that “it is crucial that mistakes made in the development of the existing [Cl (current town cen- tre) are learned from, while working to integrate each of the three town

centres with each other.”

The architects behind the project plan to create a new ‘urban retail en- vironment’ and a ‘living centre’, on a site across the road from SkyCourt, while the inclusion of a traditional streetscape 1s also expected to be a priority.

The chamber suggests the estab- lishment of a commercially-orientat- ed theatre, a multi-functional social amenity and an outlet facility, which would consist of medium-sized units, that would attract vendors of design- er goods at discount prices.

Its submission also suggests a “unique attraction” in the shape of a “state-of-the-art skate boarding park or an all-year ice skating rink”.

The submission was compiled by

the chamber’s interim chief execu- tive Laurie O’Connor, in consul- tation with its board of directors, which represents 150 companies in the Shannon region.

It has also addressed access routes into the proposed development.

“The proposed Shannon Light Rail Scheme needs to be integrated, with a centrally located station in place. In tandem with this, public transport links from this centrally located sta- tion need to be provided for,” stated the submission.

“Provision and design of foot- bridges and road links over the cur- rent airport road must be central to the masterplan. The people of Shan- non need to be central to the design behind these modes of crossing be-

tween the two development areas,’ it AYOCe(oxen

The chamber has also advocated maximising current routeways.

“Approach roads to and from Shannon town centre and Shannon Airport must be maintained to the highest of standards. Current levels of landscaping, grass cutting and hedge maintenance is below stand- ard and there is a considerable lack of floral displays located in strategic locations such as roundabouts, town entry points and at the entrance and exit points of Shannon Airport,” said Ms O’Connor.

Murray O’Laoire architects hope to have a draft plan completed by Sep- tember, before final plans are drawn

vee

A 17-YEAR-OLD youth was in Garda custody in Kilrush yesterday, amid allegations that a 14-year-old girl was raped in the town at the weekend.

A woman made a complaint to gardai on Saturday that her daugh- ter had been raped by a young man,

who was known to her, the previous night.

The 17-year-old was arrested yes- terday afternoon. He can be held for up to 24 hours. The young girl was treated at the Sexual Assault Unit at Limerick regional hospital and inter- viewed by gardai. Gardai say they are not looking for anyone else in relation to the incident.

Elsewhere in west Clare, gardai are investigating the theft of a shotgun during a break-in to a house near Cranny, on Sunday.

The house, located on the Cranny/ Ballynacally road, was ransacked between Ipm and midnight. A sin- gle-barrelled licensed shotgun and a portable television were taken in the incident.

A WEST Clare man who viciously attacked his girlfriend was spared a spell behind bars when his victim asked that he not be jailed.

Senan Downes (31), of Westwood, Golf Links Road, Ennis pleaded cullty to assaulting his then girl- friend, causing her harm, on May 18 2006.

Garda Declan Keavey told Ennis Circuit Court on Thursday that the pair had been living together at the wbealee

He said that Downes “viciously” assaulted the woman at their home. As aresult she lost consciousness.

‘He put his hand around her throat, banged her head off the wall and said ‘I’m going to kill you’,” said the garda.

The young woman spent five days in hospital recovering from the as- sault. She sustained bruising to the side of her face and bleeding to the ear but made a full recovery.

Judge Sean O Donnnabhain noted an allegation that during the assault there were threats made that the ac-

cused would “get her.” Garda Keavey agreed that this was the case.

He said that under bail conditions the accused had been ordered not to contact the woman. However, he had phoned her and sent her text mes- sages prior to Christmas.

The garda said he believed the young woman was in fear of the ac- Iota

The young woman told the court that the accused had stopped sending her text messages. “He has been stay- ing away from me. If he continued, I’d be happy with that,” she said.

The judge told her, “The most I can do is send him to jail. He will get out and I’ve no control over it then.”

She replied, “I’d prefer if he could not go to jail. We were together for five years. I know he needs psychi- atric help.”

Defence Counsel Michael Fitzgib- bon said his client – who now lives in west Clare – was involved in a road accident when he was a child and re- ceived counselling on and off since then. Downes addressed the court and said, “All I can say is I’m sorry.”

The judge told him he would have

“no hesitation in sending you to jail if you go near her.

“T accept it was a nasty assault on his then partner,” said the judge.

He said he must take into account the seriousness of the case coupled with the protection of the victim.

He imposed a two year jail term suspended on conditions. These in- clude that the accused does not come within 100 yards of the young wom- an and does not phone or text her for two years. He also imposed a curfew and ordered him to continue with his treatment.

HERITAGE group, Duchas na Sion- na, has outlined a number of concerns regarding the proposed major over- haul of Shannon town centre.

In its submission regarding the pro- posed development, Duchas na Sion- na has referred to archaeological and wildlife concerns, while it has also made recommendations relating to pedestrianisation.

“A primary site of archaeological concern would be the old roadway that joins the Sli na Mara boreen. This is the oldest existing roadway in the entire Shannon area, featuring on the Ordnance Survey map of 1841

and also dating back to an appearance on Henry Pelhams map of 1787. We strongly feel that it must be a matter of the highest priority that the remain- ing sections of this road should be preserved and maintained so, that no further sections of the existing road are lost or destroyed,” stated the sub- mission.

Duchas na Sionna has suggested that the road and boreen be incorporated into any new development, “in an im- aginative way.

“Tt could be a unique aspect of a new town if surrounded by a parkland or nature reserve, thereby incorporating the ancient and modern as part of a new development,’ stated the submis-

sion.

It is also calling for the placename ‘Slina Mara’ to be preserved and used as an integral name of central signifi- cance in any new development.

“The archaeological group on our committee also strongly suggest that a full archaeological audit and survey be carried out, prior to the commence- ment of any preliminary works on the Site,” it stated.

The group is also calling for the provision of a number of areas of parkland, shrubbery and indigenous hedgerow, which would “be conducive to and harmonious with the wildlife which currently inhabits the site”’.

Among the other issues raised in-

clude a recommendation on pedestria- WURS-1B COEF

“We submit that the current main road running past the Oakwood Arms Hotel and between SkyCourt Town Centre and the proposed site should be largely pedestrianised, with only very limited vehicular access, which should be subject to a very low speed restriction. This would effectively link the existing shopping area to the new development,” it stated.

Duchas na Sionna is also proposing that the proposed arts and cultural centre be located within the area of the proposed development, as it would be central to the existing housing ar- SHIDO) OFT ON ALO)OF