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AFTER three long years away, Sr Mary Neylon has graced Inagh with a short visit home. Having worked for the past 18 years in some of the poor- est parts of Peru, Sr Mary is hoping that this year’s Clare Mayoral Ball will raise much needed funds for two very worthy charities.

The ball hopes to benefit Caher- calla Hospice by providing an exten- sion from seven rooms to 10 rooms, all ensuite. This will help ensure that the hospice can continue to provide invaluable comfort for the terminally UU TeLe mM elobmB KS ELBA oKe

The other deserving charity to ben- efit from the funds raised is the cen- tre for young mothers currently being developed by Sr Mary in Peru.

“It’s a centre for the personal de-

velopment of women, where we have workshops in personal development, which includes self-esteem, aware- ness and communication and also workshops in arts and crafts,’ ex- plained Sr. Mary.

‘Psychological attention is given to the victims of violence, something which a lot of the women have suf- fered.”

She hopes that the money raised will benefit the work she has dedi- cated her life to.

‘‘T have been renting a place. I would hope that if we get enough money we could build a centre that the women would have for themselves,” contin- ued Sr Mary.

‘‘A new centre would allow for more possibilities for the women; more workshops, more therapy sessions, more therapy of healing, vocational

therapy, more space for skills train- ing and leadership trainings towards the future, empowering us women.”

The exceptional work of Sr Mary has greatly affected the lives of young mothers in Peru, providing them with precious training that helps them to earn their own money and improve their living standards.

‘A number of the women who take part in the workshops have expressed self-confidence, are able to commu- nicate better, are able to stand up for their rights and have also learned certain skills that they didn’t previ- ously have which gives them possi- bilities for income,” she said.

aVidaCelUtcd emmy EDM Yas et- Ree )Il eM LeLUI Kare! So much to this area of Peru, she still feels that it has been a group effort more than anything else.

“It’s not me doing everything. It’s

other people’s help and getting locals and trained professional people such as psychologists and teachers to get involved in the problems.”

The inaugural Clare Mayoral Ball will take place in the West County Hotel, Ennis on Friday, June 15. Cor- porate tables to seat 10 people are available at a cost of €100 per person or £1,000 per table and can be booked by contacting Mairin Hill, Corporate Services, Clare County Council at 065-6821616/ mhill@clarecoco.ie or Mary Moroney, Cahercalla Hospice at 065-6824388.

RECENTLY published CSO figures show the average population density in Clare is 32 people per square kilo- metre, with Dublin City having over 4,300 people per square kilometre. And, according to Western Devel- opment Commission CEO Gillian Buckley, this could be one of the rea- sons why over 8,000 people a month, or nearly 100,000 a year, are logging on to the www.lookwest.ie website.

Ms. Buckley, who was speaking at the launch of the WDC’s latest Look- West.ie campaign, aimed at attract- ing people to relocate to the coun- try’s Western Region, also pointed out that according to the census over 4,000 people have moved to Clare over the past four years.

‘There has been a lot of talk recent- ly about lifestyle issues and there’s no doubt that it is the hot topic. Our message is simple — the western re- gion offers relocators an excellent work/life balance,’ she said.

“Nearly everyone living in the re- gion has family and friends who have moved away. By encouraging them

to consider moving back to avail of the opportunities here, everyone can help to further develop the region

and Clare. That’s one of the reasons why LookWest.ie advertising will also target local media — to prompt

local people to persuade friends and family to consider moving back. “And interest 1s not just coming

from Dublin. Our analysis of the website traffic shows that, though the bulk of inquiries are coming from Ireland, there’s interest from as far away as Australia. Website visits from the US are particularly high, which may be due to the WDC’s participation in a Fas employment exhibition that was held in New York late last year. Many of those who attended the US event had no con- nection with Ireland but yet were at- tracted by the lifestyle that the west of Ireland had to offer.”

“The latest advertising campaign is also aimed at a national and interna- tional audience. The campaign posi- tions the region and Clare as an at- tractive location to live, work and set up a business. Investment in infra- structure in the region is continuing. Recently, the Ennis bypass has been opened and this should open the way for the next phase of the county’s de- velopment,” Ms Buckley added.

AFTER years of careful preparation and research, the Burren Beef and Lamb Producers Group (BBLPG) and BurrenLife are now ready to take orders for Ireland’s first ever batch of conservation-grade lamb.

The lamb, which is produced and slaughtered using old-fashioned methods, offers a limited number of local restaurants and butchers, as well as members of the public, the chance to sample the flavour of true Burren lamb.

The second and most important el- ement of this lamb is that each of the 15 farmers taking part in the BBLPG

farms using methods that are fully organic and help to maintain the eco- logical integrity of the Burren.

“We are aware that there is a huge interest in the lamb from the general public, people who are cooking at home and have an interest in qual- ity food. We are very confident that there is a marker there for that,” said Ruairi O Conchuir of BurrenLife.

“We are working with an organi- cally-certified, owner-operated abat- toir in Peterswell, who is also a craft butcher. Only the very highest qual- ity of lamb is getting in there. He is hanging that in the traditional, which gets the best taste and the tenderest meat and preserves all of the nutri-

ent value.

“It is then cut in accordance with how the restaurant want it or, if it’s a member of the public, exactly in the way that they want it and it is in- dividually labeled, vacuum-packed and boxed.”

The BBLPG are now taking orders from members of the public for Bur- ren lamb with a live-weight varying from 38kg to 44 Kg, for an initial marketing period, half lambs are be- ing sold for €70 and full lambs for €125.

BurrenLife farmer and BBLPG chairperson, Mr Thomas Holmes, has welcomed the initiative by stat- ing the commitment of the group is

“to our members and stakeholders who are working to develop long- term relationships with quality-con- scious consumers and customers via farmers markets, craft butchers and quality restaurants.”

Each *Life’ farmer has signed up to a code of practice and pledge which ensures that their farms are operated to the very highest standards, both in terms of the quality of the animals produced and the environmentally friendly manner in which they are produced. Further information and order forms can be had from the Burren Producers Group, Old School House in Carron at 065 7089000 or e-mail burrenproducers @eircom.net

IRONY is lost on the ill. Joe Carey, Clare’s youngest deputy, sits up in his hospital bed in Ennis on Monday morning and takes another phone call. The mobile has been buzz- ing away these past few hours and a sharp dose of chicken pox isn’t an adequate excuse to turn his back to the world.

Last Tuesday, he woke with a hint of pain and it stole up on him through- out the day.

By evening, he was feeding himself with medicine and creams but neither seemed to work and, on Friday, his doctor referred him to Ennis General Hospital.

By now, he knows those three words like he knows his own breathing rhythms. And this week he knows a little more — the nuances of hospital life and the internal ward workings that can only be garnered from ac- tual experience.

One of the last motions Carey put forward as a Clare councillor was re- lated to the hospital. He looked for the protected status on the current building to be lifted and it received unanimous backing.

When he lands in Dublin on Thurs- day, for his first sitting as a Clare deputy, he reckons it won’t be too long until he brings the issue to the national stage.

He’s now recognised around Clare as the fresh-faced new deputy who could change the future of health services in Clare. Those photographs of him in a hospital bed surrounded by a bevvy of nurses and that one of him in a hard hat and a sledgeham- mer have struck their own chords.

In its own strange, gothic way, this

little stint in hospital completes the cycle. Provides the last ounce of background.

But by Thursday and the debut in the Dail, he should have regained most of his strength.

“In an ideal world, I’d be flying fit for the first day, but Il be going on a lot on adrenaline anyway, so it

shouldn’t be a problem. I’m looking forward to it and I’m planning to drive up on Thursday morning.” He’ll take the hopes of the county with him. Carey campaigned vigor- ously on the hospital issue and, over the course of his term in Dublin, he hopes to secure some concrete plans. Others who climbed that health bull

during their campaign were bucked off shortly after. Carey knows as much and is set to hit the ground uUbauenberee

A review of the Ennis and Environs plan is set to be completed in the coming months and he’s planning to make contact with councillors in a bid to prove that re-zoning the present site would create a potential cash cow for a new hospital.

“T’ve been saying it for a while but I really believe a greenfield site is the best way forward. I plan to push this all the way when I get to Dublin. If the hospital is re-zoned for houses, then we’re talking about a piece of eround that would increase dramati- cally in value. This would self-fi- nance a greenfield site. Then we’d have the space to develop and expand into a modern hospital with great ac- cess. That’s the target.”

From his hospital bed on Monday, he could see that bullseye down the line. In his dream world, a housing estate would occupy the space where his head rests. Five years to make it happen. The clock starts ticking on Thursday.

HEINZ has discovered a new and exciting 58th variety. This new fla- vour comes in the shape of promis- ing Dublin artist Orla Walsh, whose latest sole exhibition, “The Ketchup Collection’, is currently on show at Lahinch’s Kenny Gallery.

Walsh’s pop-art still-life collec- tion proudly features the deep crim- son Heinz ketchup bottle in a range which is both striking and instantly recognizable.

Her work examines a range of old and new objects, with food the com- mon thread that joins the collec- tion. She strives to capture the very essence of her subject matter while always treating it with great warmth

and humour.

Indeed, Orla’s unique work could very easily have never made it as far as Lahinch. During one of her early exhibitions in Dublin, a representa- tive of Heinz approached her, stating that she was in breach of copyright and should take down the exhibition.

After studying the quality of the work, however, the employee changed his mind and returned later in the week to purchase six pieces. Indeed, four of Walsh’s pieces now hang in the boardroom of the HJ Heinz Company in Pittsburgh.

Kenny’s is Clare’s oldest art gallery and hosts a wide variety of exhibi- tions all-year round.

The exhibition was opened by May- or of Clare, Flan Garvey, last week-

end and will run until June 23. A representative selection of the work is available to view on www.lahin- chartgallery.com or by calling 065 OLOrdKeterer

Meanwhile, down the road in En- nistymon Courthouse Gallery, more than 50 artists from all over the county have contributed to the Art on the Wall exhibition. The exhibition, which opened last Thursday and runs until June 16, features one work from a wide range of local, national and international talent.

“Tt really is a very interesting exhi- bition. We are talking about 50 artists who have each submitted one piece of work for this exhibition,’ said Catherine Comber of the gallery.

“Essentially, one of our exhibitors

postponed an exhibition, leaving us with two free weeks in the calendar. We put out the call for pieces of work and had a fantastic response.

“We will have work from renowned artists like Fionnuala Graham, Der- mot Tuohy and Sarah Foust to more local artists and a number of com- pletely amateur artists.

“We have pieces on show ranging in price from €2,000 to €100.”

A SHANNON-based | pharmacist has warned Leaving and Junior Cer- tificate students of the health risks posed by exam stress.

Feidhlim Hillery of the Irish Phar- maceutical Union (IPU) said that stress could cause an increase in a number of minor ailments among students including headaches, stom- ach upsets, diarrhoea or constipation and a flare up of certain conditions Such as eczema, asthma and acne.

Long hours spent revising or cram- ming for exams can lead to insomnia as students find it difficult to switch off from exam preparation. Muscular and joint pain can result from exces- Sive time spent writing or typing on a computer. Pharmacists have issued a safe code to help students minimise some of the symptoms that can be as- sociated with minor ailments result- ing from exam stress.

“Students can be under great pres- sure at exam time and stress mani- fests itself in the body in a number of

ways, both mentally and physically. We would encourage students and/ or their parents to talk to their local pharmacist 1f they have any concerns or want to take precautions in ad- vance of the exams starting. Coping with the exams is stressful enough without the added pressure of deal- ing with uncomfortable symptoms that can be distracting and upset- ting,’ said Mr Hillery.

The code encourages students to drink plenty of water to avoid dehy- dration and to study in a well-venti-

lated room. When eating, students should take small amounts regularly and avoid eating spicy foods.

Asthma sufferers are urged to be extra vigilant and to carry an inhaler Alar V OBB BOL ehe

Those who suffer from hay fever should take steps to ensure that the condition does not flare up during their exams. The safe code advises simple precautionary measures such as keeping doors and windows closed in mid-morning and early evening when pollen levels peak. It also sug-

gests that sufferers apply Vaseline inside the nose to help reduce symp- Ke sene

Mr Hillery added that if stress re- sulted in ongoing problems, students should consult with their local phar- macist.

“Obviously these are just guide- lines and we would recommend a face-to-face consultation with a local pharmacist who can assess whether a student needs further medical inter- vention depending on the nature and severity of a condition.”

THE council came with two lorries and left with each filled to overflow- ing and a sparkling clean beach in Fanore behind them. Over the last number of months, local man Wil- liam Verhulst has been walking the shoreline and coast, gathering rub- ten

Since February, William has col- lected more than 120 bags of rubbish and greatly improved the view from one of Clare’s most scenic villages.

“I covered the area from Creggagh up as far as the beach, fields as well as coastline. After every storm, it keeps coming in. It 1s a global prob- lem. It is inevitable that fishing boats

would lose some of their material during storms or whenever, but in terms of the bottles and rubbish, I think that they should be stored in appropriate places until they get back to harbour,” he said.

“IT started in February. My doctor advised me to take a lot of exercise. So I asked Patsy Corrucan for per- mission to walk across his fields and I thought to myself, ‘this doesn’t look right’.

“So I started collecting the rubbish. I then spoke to the area office of the county council in Ennistymon and they said that they would come out and take the rubbish away. But they said that they wouldn’t come out for 20 or 30 bags. I contacted them in

April to say that there were over 100 bags now.”

Originally from Holland, William retired to north Clare four years ago. A keen traditional music fan, he had been coming to Ireland for years to the Fleadh Nua and other festivals.

“IT found large plastic contain- ers that had come in from all over. One was from Norway, I discovered from reading the writing on the con- tainer. There were some from Spain and Portugal and some with Chinese characters, they probably came from passing ships,” he said.

“There is no telling where the rub- bish comes from, but I would imag- ine that a lot would come from ships, being thrown overboard.

‘From the way that it had been dis- integrated, I would guess that some of it has been away for up to four or five years.”

William continues his work clean- ing the shoreline and hopes that oth- ers will join him in the task.

‘I do hope that this will inspire oth- er people to help clean up the beaches in their own area,” he continued.

“Now I have started working my way towards Dorreen and so far I have collected another eight bags with Bernie Conway who looks after the beach here 1n Fanore.”

CLARE jockey Kieren Fallon takes his fight for racing justice to the Brit- ish High Court this Tuesday in a bid to have fixing allegations levelled against him by City of London Police thrown out.

Lawyers representing the Ballinru- an legend, who is six times champion jockey in England and a three-time Epsom Derby winner, are confident OE DE AAU NTSANO LemOd OT-DuUcXoiMO DRANK oLem

This would clear the way for Fal- lon’s return to the saddle on the Brit- ish circuit for the Aidan O’Brien sta- ble. It comes in the same week that he’s due to return to action in Ireland at this Thursday’s seven-race card in

Tipperary after serving a six-month ban for failing a drugs test.

In July 2006, Fallon, along with seven others, was charged with con- spiring to defraud the internet bet- ting exchange, Betfair. They were charged with “offences relating to allegations of fixing the outcome of horse races between December l, 2002, and September 2, 2004, and money laundering”.

Fallon’s license to ride was sus- pended by the British Jockey Club who imposed a ban on riding on Brit- ish tracks until his trial for “allega- tions of race fixing” is over. This trial is due to take place in September.

However, Fallon’s exile from racing was extended to a worldwide ban last

November when the French racing authority, France Galop, suspended him after testing positive for a pro- hibited substance.

Throughout this turbulent period, the Coolmore Stud operation – who retained Fallon’s services to ride for the Aidan O’Brien stable in Bally- doyle – have remained loyal, backing his fight against British injustice.

“We remain very supportive of K1- eren,’ said Coolmore’s Michael Ta- bor. ““We always have been, and we still are. Obviously people are talk- ing, everyone seems to have a point of view, but I can assure you we are unanimous. Nothing has changed.

“When things go wrong, that’s when you have to show strength, to

keep on the straight and narrow. He’s over 21, like all of us. We all have to take responsibility for our ac- tions. We are all still with him. We feel very sympathetic. If we didn’t, it would be over,’ he added.

Fallon himself says he has plenty of reason to look forward. “I have really good people around me and I can’t wait to get back,” he says.

The comeback happens this week — in Ireland, then Britain he hopes, then the world. The greatest jockey of his generation is raring to go.

A MAN has appeared in court, charged with robbery at knifepoint in Ennis.

Frank Hassett, of Clancy Park, En- nis, was arrested last week, and 1s charged with the alleged offence.

Ennis District Court was told that Hassett was found in possession of a knife last Monday, May 28.

Garda Stephen Hession said that a

file was being prepared for the DPP and further charges are likely.

The court was told it was alleged that the accused threatened and robbed €400 from a man at knitfe- point.

Inspector Michael Gallagher said, “I think the people of Ennis need some kind of protection.”

Defending solicitor Daragh Has- sett said it was accepted that his cli- ent had a problem with alcohol and

orae reas

“Up to quite recently he was on the wagon and he fell off the wagon in spectacular fashion,” he said.

He said his client had a very bad skin disease which deteriorated when he went to jail and also had psychiatric difficulties.

“Orders made in the Circuit Court as to what attention he should get were more neglected than adhered to.

“He does need help. He will not get the help in Limerick prison,” he rH lee

“Td ask that the court to allow him to be released, to get the treatment that he needs,” said the solicitor.

Judge Joseph Mangan said the al- legation was serious.

He remanded the accused in cus- tody with consent to bail, on the accused’s own bond of €5,000, along with an independent surety of

€5,000 and cash of €5,000.

He imposed bail conditions, in- cluding that the accused abide by a curfew, reside at home, sign on daily at Ennis Garda Station, abstain from alcohol and stay out of pubs.

Regarding the bond of €5,000, Mr Hassett pointed out that his client came from a low income family.

The judge replied, “This is a very serious offence. This is as far as I can go to meet you.”

that the latest test taken from the drink- ing water supplied to the west Clare village and surrounding areas came back clear, but the local authority will not be removing the warnings until the next test shows a similar KeUO Le The “Miltown Malbay Public Wa- ter Supply” taken from Rockmount Treatment Works was found to have

aluminium levels above those rec- ommended.

Users were experiencing a strong taste from the water when the alert was issued.

According to the council and the local Health Service Executive in the short term there is no “evidence of increased ill-health due to drinking water containing levels of alumin- ium which are higher than recom- mended”’.

However, people with poor kid- ney or renal function are advised to source alternative drinking water until advised that the aluminium lev- els have reduced.

This includes water used in the preparation of hot beverages and soft Clann ecp

A spokesperson for the council ex- plained that boiling the water has no effect on aluminium, and is effective only if bacteria were found in a water supply.

Aluminium is added to the water at the treatment plant to clean the water, but more than is required was found in the water in the past weeks.

Clare County Council has since rectified the situation at the plant and altered the dosage of aluminium as required.

The local authority plans to carry

out another test on the affected water next week. The test will be sent for independent testing as well as being analysed in its own lab.

The council must then meet with the HSE before the water warning is lifted.

The notice also applies to the Bal- lard, Dunsallagh/Killeran, Glendine, Leagard South and Dough (Spanish Point) group water schemes.

Local County Councillor Christy Curtin said he was delighted that the water tests were beginning to prove positive. He said there was a lot of uncertainty about the water supply, but that was “being cleared up”.