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AN assertion by Patrick O’Dwyer’s mother that he had no control over his actions when he killed his sister was disputed by the trial judge.

Mr Justice Paul Carney reflected on Claire O’Dwyer’s Victim Impact Statement, at the sentence hearing in the Central Criminal Court in Dub- lin yesterday.

“Mrs O’Dwyer has said that Patrick had no control over the events that

happened that night. If that were the Situation, he’d be entitled to an ac- quittal on the grounds of insanity,” said Mr Justice Carney.

“Diminished responsibility is ex- actly what it says. It reduces your responsibility. It doesn’t extinguish it,’ he said.

“In my view you still bear respon- sibility for this savage killing,” said the judge, in reference to a case in the UK, where the defence of diminished responsibility was utilised.

“It is obviously a particularly tragic case. It’s something that happened within a family but it’s not a family law case. There is very live public in- terest in it,” he said.

“If people go out and behave as this man did one morning they wake up facing either a rape or a homicide tbe exen

“Everybody must have great sym- pathy for the family in this case,” he rae

He said he was taking into account

the remorse expressed by O’Dwyer and that he had no previous convic- tions.

“IT am ruling out a suspended sen- tence. It’s far too grave and serious for that,” said the judge.

He imposed a six-year jail term, backdated to November 30, 2004, when the accused went into custody.

“In view of the fact that this is the first case arising from diminished re- sponsibility, I am granting a certifi- cate of leave to appeal,’ he said.

He refused a request to suspend a portion of the sentence.

Earlier, O’Dwyer’s defence barris- ter Patrick Gageby, SC, said the kill- ing was “not a premeditated crime.”

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Paul O’Connell — who gave evidence dur- ing the trial – told the court yester- day there was a noted improvement in O’Dwyer’s mental health since he started taking Lamotrigine, a mood regulating medication last year.

He said O’Dwyer had participat- ed in group therapy and a cookery course in Wheatfield prison.

‘He is making progress, better than I anticipated,” he said.

He said, however, that his disorders would require “a lifetime manage- ment”.

He said the absence of intoxicant use would be an “absolute require- ment” in the future reintegration of O’ Dwyer into the community.

ONE season may have only just finished but clubs in Clare face a quick turnaround for the beginning of a new one. The last action of the 2006/07 season took place on May 27 when Fern Celtic defeated Avenue United in the replay of the under 14

cup final.

A month on and a new season of Summer soccer is just around the corner. The first league out of the blocks is the under 11s which is due to get underway on June 28.

The Clare schoolboys soccer league made the decision to switch to sum- mer soccer following positive discus-

sions with Bord na nOg Iomant, Bord na nOg Peil, A formal meeting be- tween then took place in March be- tween all parties at the West County Hotel, Ennis.

A schedule was agreed with no days of the week being used by any more than one competition. It was noted that the re-scheduling of fix-

tures, for genuine reasons can some- times prove necessary, but that where this occurs, the re-arranged fixture will not impinge on the other sports’ designated fixture days. The matter of training and challenge games was discussed. It was agreed that clubs would need to liaise at a local level. The respective committees would

not be involved with this, other than to encourage the officers of clubs to meet to discuss such arrangements. In order to ensure the continued smooth running of fixtures it was agreed that the fixtures secretaries would be in regular contact and fu- ture meetings would take place to re- view how the schedules operates.

A NEW policy has gone before mem- bers of Clare Council County aimed at channelling investment across se- lected towns in the county.

In the paper put before the council’s Special Policy Committee on Eco- nomic Development by Liam Con- neally last Friday, he revealed that the council is currently liaising with Shannon Development in relation to the potential for additional economic development on Shannon Develop-

ment owned lands at Kildysart, En- nis, Kilkee and Miltown Malbay.

The SPC is under the chairman- ship of Clir Richard Nagle (FF).

Mr Conneally said, “It has been Clare County Council policy not to duplicate the process of acquiring lands for economic development in towns where Shannon Development already have a significant land bank. Shannon Development is in posses- sion of 750 acres of industrial lands in the county and four million sq ft of floor space. The council is con-

scious that its work must provide ad- ditionality instead of duplication in the area of economic development promotion.

‘The towns considered most suit- able for this type of approach are Ennis, Shannon, Kilrush, Killaloe, Scariff and Ennistymon owing to particular to their size, their poten- tial for population growth and the requirement in these areas for prop- erty solutions for growing small and medium indigenous enterprises.

He added, “In those instances

where large tracts of land have been zoned, the acquisition of smaller sections of the land holding with maximum road frontage are being advanced.

“The acquisition of the lands will require the availability of a seed fund to acquire the land bank essential to further the model set out.”

Mr Conneally also revealed that in order to kick start the initiative in Ennis, a site located to the south of the town currently zoned ‘other set- tlement land’ was been considered

in regard to its suitability to cater for small growing enterprises requiring property solutions.

In relation to Kilrush the council confirmed that it was in possession of two acres of industrial land at Kil- ubtsee

Mr Conneally said, “The coun- cil has recently partnered Kilrush Town Council, Shannon Develop- ment, Leader, Eiri Corca Bascinn in a feasibility study funded by Leader to audit community facilities 1n west OE ikne

THE future of an ambulance base for Shannon must be clarified as a matter of urgency, according to the mayor of Shannon.

Councillor Tony McMahon (La- bour) is seeking clarification on the issue, which has been on the cards for a long time.

A letter, sent by Acting Chief Am- bulance Officer Pat Daly to Shannon Town Clerk Tomas McCormaic last month, said that a spatial analysis will be carried out on the service in the Mid west area in the near fu- REN Ken

Mr Daly stated that future capital infrastructural developments will

be reviewed and prioritised on a na- tional basis.

He said that a review was commis- sioned in December 2003 and com- pleted in September 2004. Propos- als included in the review included an ambulance station for Shannon.

‘However, this was prior to the es- tablishment of a national ambulance service,’ said Mr Daly, in his letter.

Councillor McMahon said Shan- non has been identified as needing an ambulance base, but progress has not been forthcoming.

“Just because the responsibility for the service has been moved to an- other body doesn’t mean our needs have changed,’ said Cllr McMahon.

He said that a spatial analysis was

“nonsense”.

“What has a spatial analysis got to do with a service of that nature in Shannon?” he asked.

“It 1s another example of the typi- cal kind of thing that is done to Shannon. There are a lot of reasons why there should be an ambulance in Shannon. What I am talking about is a service to get people from A to B. I don’t care what they call it, an ambulance car or a helicopter,’ he added.

Last year, the Shannon Ambulance Action Group collected signatures for a petition, demanding that plans for an ambulance base be situated in the town. They are concerned that no major progress has been made,

since then.

Green Party councillor Brian Meaney said he will raise the issue at a meeting of the Health Service Executive later this month.

He pointed out that the key issue is quick response times, rather than the location of the ambulance bases.

“IT would be very concerned if there are issues in relation to response times,” said Cllr Meaney.

“Essentially it doesn’t matter where the ambulance station is. If there is a disparity between response times across the county, then there 1s an 1s- Sue,’ he said.

“There is an ongoing review of the ambulance services in the region,’ he added.

GLEANN Bhreandain, a develop- ment of three and four-bedroom homes in Lisdoonvarna, comes to the market with the benefit of Section 23 relief and rental guarantee for five- years for investors.

The development is of a high qual- ity design and layout and is divided into two clusters of 14 and 15 houses. SOTA eMC LUr-VOUR Yam eer-I cou rcDicMECLbCe) omc K MN OTL ce ural slate, timber windows, cedar timber and stone cladding have been UEoxO

The scheme represents good value for money with the first phase of Sec-

tion 23 type holiday houses being re- leased at €345,000 excluding VAT. These homes come fully furnished and include five-years guaranteed rent of €9,500 per annum.

A second house type targeted at owner occupiers will also be re- leased, with prices starting from €235,000 inclusive of VAT.

Throughout Gleann Bhreandain a high standard of landscaping can be found and there is direct access to green roads for walking and cycling, safe from disturbance by vehicular traffic in the town environs.

The development is located in the very popular town of Lisdoonvarna

– Ireland’s only Spa Town. The town prides itself in the amenities it offers to residents and tourists alike, includ- ing 100 acres of public amenity lands with facilities such as a town park for walking, playgrounds and creche fa- cilities together with the famous Spa and Health Centre.

The new houses at Gleann Bhrean- dain were launched at the beginning of the month jointly by Toureen Es- tates and Costelloe Estate Agents.

THE CLARE roads will play home to bigtime international cycling later this year during the Tour of Ireland Stage Race that takes place from Au- gust 22 to 26.

Stage three of the flagship cycling event in Ireland will take in the 35 miles from Killaloe to Ennis giving cycling enthusiasts an opportunity to see some leading professionals 1n ac- nen

Ciaran Power and David O’ Loughlin have been named in the Navigators Insurance cycle team. The Irish duo will ride the UCI 2.1 ranked inaugu- ral event sponsored by Failte Ireland in the team announced by Director Sportif Ed Beamon this week. The other riders named in the seven-man U.S based outfit are Kristian House, Hilton Clarke, Valeriy Kobzarenko, Sergey Lagutin and Phil Zayicek.

Mayoman O’Loughlin has won the Irish championships’ triple-crown by winning senior time-trial, crite-

rium and road race titles. He has is a regular on the Irish national team at major events including the world championships. Ciaran Power, from Waterford is a double Olympian from the Sydney and Athens Olympics. The 31-year-old roadman sprinter is a former overall champion and mul- triple stage winner of the FBD Milk Ras.

FORTY eight per cent more men in Clare die by suicide each year than the national average.

Death by suicide is the number one cause of death among young Irish men with 12.4 men per 100,000 dy- ing this way every year. In Clare the figure is as high as 18.4 men per 100,000.

The death among women in Clare by suicide is half that of the national average with 6.2 women per 100,000 OND Eom HOBIE WE

The earliest figures from the cen- tral statistics office show that just two people of Clare residence died from suicide in 1980.

In 1985 this number had multiplied by more than five bringing the total number of deaths to 11. In 2005 15 people died from suicide in Clare.

Ireland has an alarmingly high rate of suicide – the fifth highest suicide rate in Europe among 15 to 25 year olds.

The highest rate of suicide is found among young men aged under 35 years – accounting for approximately

40 per cent of all Irish suicides. In general, men are reluctant to seek professional advice to help them cope with difficulties.

The often taboo subject of suicide 1s now being tackled by a new national mental health promotion campaign called “Tough Times”.

This campaign aims to reduce the large number of deaths by suicide by raising awareness of the alternative options available to young people in crisis. It will use a combination of television advertising, poster cam- paign, online marketing and pres- ence at festivals and concerts, radio, newspaper and magazine features to communicate its key message; that everyone goes through tough times and answers are out there.

“Tough Times” encourages young people to realise that it’s normal to experience difficult times and that, however small or big the problem, there are help and support options available. It points young people to- wards www.spunout.ie, which pro- vides fact sheets on a range of health and lifestyle issues, signposts users to relevant help services.

STRESSED out exam students in Shannon have had the opportunity to relax in a friendly environment over the past few weeks, in their very own café!

The Kick Back café opened in Feb- ruary, specifically geared towards those between the ages of 16 and 21. It has been a hive of activity during weekends, over the past few months.

Students sitting the Junior and Leaving Certificates this year have taken the opportunity to reflect on their various exams, in the café.

Exam students mingled with volun- teers and other non-exam students, in a friendly and relaxed environment.

The café is run by Shannon Youth Office and the organisers were very happy with its success.

Shannon Youth Worker Cathal Dil- lon said the café has been running very well.

“We had an average of 18 people attending, which is good, and they seemed to really like having the chance to unwind with their pals af- ter the exams were over,” said Cathal DIU eye

All of those who attended the café over the past few weeks paid glowing tributes.

‘This cafe 1s just what we need, a place to chill and relax after the ex- ams, it’s so cool,” said Junior Cert student Hayley.

Another Junior Cert student, Si- mon, pointed out that the refresh- ments were particularly nice!

“IT love the cafe as its really relax- ing, I love the hot chocolate especial- ly,” he said.

His classmate Estelle said, ““The cafe is a fun place to hang with friends, its a place where teens can relax, its great.”

“I love coming here, the youth information boards here are very helpful,’ said another exam student, Lindsay.

Aine, who a fourth year student and a volunteer at the café, was delighted with her chance to help out.

“LT enjoy working at the exam cafe! I get on great with the customers and I

think its a relaxing place for students to come after exams. I hope it will still be around when I’m doing my leaving,” she said.

Grainne, who was a volunteer with the group over the past few weeks, enjoyed her role.

“Volunteering in the cafe was a great experience, and I will definitely do it again. I thinks it’s great for the exam students to have such an outlet to unwind after important exams and relieve the pressure,” she said.

LOCATION ~~ Location Carrig Maleady, Ennis, have a modern three bedroom semi-detached house on their books, at Ard Caoin off the Galway Road, guiding at €269,000. Ard Caoin 1s an attractive new de- velopment located adjacent to the Auburn Lodge Leisure Centre, and is only a short distance from Ennis town centre and all of it amenities. This three bed semi-detached prop- erty is presented for sale in impec- cable condition and would make an ideal buy-to-let property, as all of the contents are included in the sale. Features include, modern décor throughout, gas fired central heating, fully fitted contemporary ivory col- oured kitchen units, three bedrooms, one of which is en-suite, a south fac-

ing landscaped rear garden, with a patio area and there’s a Barna shed included in the sale.

The accommodation on the ground floor comprises an entrance hall with understairs storage, a guest WC, a good sized sitting room with bay window and attractive pine surround fireplace with black granite insert. The kitchen dining area is bright and very smart, with integrated applianc- es and attractive wall and base units.

Upstairs, the landing incorporates a hot press with immersion and shelving. Also on this level are three bedrooms, including the master bed- room which is en-suite and the fam- ily bathroom is also on this level.

THE 2007 U-12 A Championship fi- nal will take place this Tuesday, June 19th in Clarecastle GAA grounds with a 7.00pm throw in. Contesting this year’s final will be the holders The Banner Ladies from Ennis and last year’s Clare B champions the Newmarket Ladies.

This should be a great game of foot- ball as both teams are sprinkled with an array of up and coming young stars. When both teams met earlier

in the championship Newmarket-on- Fergus won with a decisive 2-6 to 2-1 scoreline in what was a thrilling game. County U-12 stars Orlaith Lynch (The Banner) and Niki Kaiser (Newmarket) are expected to play major roles in this eagerly awaited contest.

The game will be refereed by Or- laith Griffin of Fergus Rovers and parents and supporters of both teams are urged to turn out in great num- bers to give support to two excellent teams.