Category: Uncategorized

THE Shannon Airport Authority is seeking a significant cash injection from the Dublin Airport Authority to upgrade the airport.

In an interview with Shannon Com- munity Radio Jet-FM this week, Ex- ecutive Chairman Pat Shanahan ad- mitted that the airport has suffered from under-investment in recent years.

“Shannon needs some equity now. Up until fairly recently, it was loss- making but with the restructuring we have made it profitable and it will be able to sustain its capital programme

into the future.”

“We have catch-up investment to put into the airport and it is impor- tant we consolidate that and Shannon gets a significant equity injection and moves into an environment where it is profitable and can pay for its own capital programme.

“We are now talking to the DAA about that. It is about putting the company on a good financial footing So it can invest in infrastructure,” he added

Mr Shanahan said the airport has offered discount deals for airlines operating transatlantic services over the winter.

“We are doing our bit from a com- petitive point of view so that these airlines are making money year round in Shannon and if they are making money year round, they will continue to serve Shannon.”

Mr Shanahan also revealed that a customs and borders protection fa- cility will be in place in Shannon by April 2008, when the ending of the Shannon stop-over will be complete.

Explaining the significance of the move, he said airlines could fly into any domestic terminal in the US, without going through international hubs. Shannon would be the first air- port in Europe to have that facility.

ILLEGAL parking outside SkyCourt in Shannon is being addressed and offenders are being hit with fines.

This was revealed to councillors last week, during a meeting with lo- cal garda representatives.

Inspector Tom Kennedy and Ser- geant Dermot O’Connor met with Shannon-based county councillors, Where the issue of unauthorised parking was top of the agenda.

Councillors expressed concern about cars being parked on double yellow lines, close to Xtra Vision and the pass machine, outside SkyCourt.

The mayor of Shannon, Cllr Tony McMahon said the traffic situation is becoming “hazardous” outside the shopping centre.

‘There seems to be a difficulty with applying the law to the problems that arise here. I fear there is going to be a serious accident in that area,’ he Sr AKOE

Cllr Patricia McCarthy (Independ- ent) said the issue of unauthorised parking is of huge concern.

‘There are Road Traffic Acts there. If they are being broken, they should be enforced,’ she said.

Inspector Kennedy said, “It would seem to me that there is a danger by people parking there. We will con- tinue to enforce the Road Traffic Act.”

Sergeant O’Connor said the issue had been discussed previously.

‘“T understood there were plans in place to put in parking bays. The gardai are issuing several tickets

there in relation to illegal parking. If people continue to park there, they will continue to be fined,’ he said.

Councillors rose a number of other issues with the gardai, at the meet- ing.

Councillor Gerry Flynn (Independ- ent) said there was a need for Shan- non Garda Station to be upgraded, Where a Superintendent would be located, permanently.

Currently, Superintendent John Scanlan, who is based in Ennis, is responsible for the running of Shan- neve

Cllr Flynn said the addition of the garda bicycles in Shannon has been welcome, adding, “You might see fit to get a motorbike too.”

He also expressed concern that the majority of gardai who are attached

to Shannon garda station live outside the area.

“The percentage of gardai liv- ing locally has changed and that is a backward step. There have been a few forward steps, but there also have been backward steps,” said Cllr ahaa

SC NINe mo. qo) Keniore CONC UI UTR te tion to drinking in public in Drum- geely. This, he said, stopped one family from walking in the area.

Cllr Tony Mulcahy (FG) said there is a problem in relation to speeding between Clonmoney and Sixmilebri- dge and between Sixmilebridge and Cratloe.

“It is unbelievable. The speed go- ing down that road is phenomenal . . well in excess of 120kph,” said Cllr WZ TUN Core N ahve

can reveal.

Folklore, which is being developed by Sony Computer Entertainment, is scheduled for a worldwide release in October of this year and is set in a fantasy version of the north Clare AUN ETSXon

Little is presently known about the game but it 1s believed to be a “dark fantasy” inspired by fairy tales and ancient adventure stories.

The game’s version of Doolin is de- scribed as a “mysterious town” where it is said that the living can speak to the dead. It follows the story of two strangers, Keats and Ellen, who are drawn together to uncover a myster1- ous legend of the town, which serves as a gateway between Earth and a number of fantastic other worlds in- habited by creatures, fairies, spirits

and monsters.

“Doolin is a worldwide tourist at- traction and it doesn’t surprise me that Playstation would decide to model a game on the town,” said lo- cal councillor, Martin Conway (FG).

“It is a unique spot, there is a magi- cal feel about the place. I think that Doolin itself is the best attraction for tourists but this could also be a help, not just for Doolin but for the whole north Clare region.

“With Fine Gael going into Gov- ernment, I would be fighting to see supports put in place for more projects like this as well as films and TV to be promoted in the area. Look at the boost that Fr Ted had for the area when it was shot here. It was a brilliant boost, especially as it came in off season times of the year.”

Folklore is due for release on the PS3 later this year.

A COMPANY which did not allow a 17-year-old employee adequate rest periods between shifts has been prosecuted.

Clare Brook Properties Ltd, trad- ing as The Oakwood Arms Hotel, Mount Kennett Place, Henry Street, Limerick, was accused of offences relating to dates last August.

Defending solicitor Louis Kerin told Shannon District Court that his chent was pleading guilty, relating to six Summonses.

Caroline Hayes, of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employ- ment, told the court that a 17-year- old boy worked between 12.06pm and 12.09am, on August 5 last year.

This was 12 hours and three min- utes and was longer than should have

been allowed.

On August 10, he worked between 5.30pm and 11.5l1pm, when he should not have worked after 10pm.

Ms Hayes pointed out that a person aged between 16 and 18 was entitled to a minimum rest of 12 hours be- tween shifts and this was not given.

On one occasion, the boy had a rest period of less than eight hours.

She said when she visited the

premises, the employer wasn’t there and she met the payroll clerk.

‘Legislation in relation to the pro- tection of young persons wasn’t be- ThOrcmreKOl ates us10 KO MMMESJOLoMCT-BLOE

Mr Kerin said the case arose from a “routine inspection’.

“My client co-operated fully. You have assisted them with instructions, to ensure it won’t happen again,” said Mr Kerin.

He said the 17-year-old boy has sought weekend work and his super- visor didn’t realise he was under the age of 18.

‘He was given as many hours as he wanted,’ said the solicitor.

Mr Hayes said this occurred during the summer holidays and the boy was going back to school after the break.

Judge Aneas McCarthy imposed fines totalling €1,600.

THE water in Shannon is being moni- tored on an ongoing basis, to ensure chlorine levels do not reach an unsat- isfactory or unsafe level.

That was the message delivered by Clare County Council last week, in the wake of complaints regarding chlorine levels in the town’s water supply.

The issue was raised by Independ- ent councillor Gerry Flynn, who said he has received complaints regarding chlorine levels in the water.

“There is quite a distinct smell of chlorine in the water in Shannon from

time to time,” he said.

Clare County Council senior engi- neer Walter Walsh said the issue arose in Smithstown a few years ago, when the council took over the running of the town. As a result, there was “quite intensive’ monitoring of water in the area. He said the current chlorine lev- els in the water are acceptable and it Thee ae LOyeH KO) Kerem ucscaUNE-NU RVs

“Ultimately we have to be satisfied that the water we are supplying is safe. The water in Shannon 1s perfect- ly safe to drink, currently,” he pointed out.

In reply, Cllr Flynn said, “We are delighted in Shannon that we are one

of the few areas we can drink water from our taps.”

Councillor Patricia McCarthy (In- dependent) said it appeared that there were high levels of chlorine in some areas and not others.

S)itomeeD om oLe)PelCole Melt MnO eT LMU SOMA Cols pressure was lower at night-time than during day-time. She said many peo- ple living in Shannon work on shifts during the night and need the use of water prior to leaving for work at 3am or 4am.

Mr Walsh replied, “As a matter of policy we would see it as a proper thing to do to reduce the pressure at night, when the water isn’t used,” he

said. He added however that ensuring the people of the town had enough water was a priority.

“There was excessive pressure on the system and it was resulting in the bursting of the mains. We have people looking at that all the time,” he said.

The mayor of Shannon, Council- lor Tony McMahon asked were there many complaints made to the council about an odour emanating from the water in Shannon.

Mr Walsh said he was not aware of odour-related issues with the water supply and said there was no prob- lems regarding quality with the Shan- non water supply.

A TOTAL of 578 patients from County Clare have been treated un- der the National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) since 2002.

The NTPF has arranged treat- ment for more than 75,000 people nationwide since it was established, including just over 115 people from OA a aero

According to its annual report launched this week, the average waiting times for the most common surgical procedures are two to five months, in comparison with waiting times of two to five years in 2002.

Since its establishment, the NTPF has provided operations in every specialty area, with the largest number of 9,536 in the ear, nose and throat category.

This is followed by ophthalmology

with 8,481 operations and general surgery with 8,064 operations.

The most common procedures in 2006 included hip and knee replace- ments, cataract surgery and tonsil extraction.

The number of patients calling the NTPF’s lo-call number 1890 720820 more than doubled to 20,000 en- quiries in 2006, showing a growing awareness of the fund’s work and greater empowerment of patients to self-refer.

Speaking at the report launch, NTPF Chief Executive Pat O’Byrne said, “Our message to patients is simple — there really is no reason to wait a long time for an operation.

“Anyone who has been waiting longer than three months for an in- patient operation can contact us d1- rectly and in most cases treatment can be arranged within weeks.”

SOME 50 experts from 22 coun- tries descended on Clare last week to celebrate the life of one of Ire- land’s leading forestry pioneers.

Robert Tottenham, who spent the majority of his 82 years developing the grounds of his 400-hectare for- est in Mount Callan, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly in his home on April 12.

A group from international forest- ry organisation, Pro Silva Europe, visited Mount Callan this week to pay tribute to Tottenham and view the ongoing reforestation work.

Born in 1925, Robert served in Europe during World War II and in India and Burma following the ie

At the age of 24, in 1949, he re- turned to Ireland to run the family farm in west Clare.

The land was rough and moun- tainy and he faced many challenges to simply eek out a living at a time with no farming subsidies.

In the late 1960s, he met with Tom Clear, a forestry professor from UCD, who showed him the possibilities of forestry.

Using his background in engineer- ing, Robert was able to use simple agricultural machinery to help him

plant the majority of his land over the next 20 years.

He adapted an old Massey Fergur- son 135 tractor and a single mole- bore plough to plant the saplings.

The trees grew strong and tall and before long Robert was travel- ling the world learning more about modern forestry techniques.

Following one such trip to Swit- zerland in 1999, he came across the Pro Silva organisation and was so impressed that he established Pro Silva Ireland at the Armada Hotel at Spanish Point in 2000.

Pro Silva advocated a ‘close-to- nature’ forestry technique, where forests are managed in perpetuity with mixed species of all ages.

Robert invited Pro Silva to host its international annual general meeting in Clare this year and was finalising preparations for the trip when he died.

The four-day tour, planned by Robert and sponsored by Pro Sil- va and COFORD, took place last week.

The event saw the international group visit Mount Callan as well as parts of the Burren and forests in Clare, Limerick and Kerry.

Robert Tottenham is survived by his wife Jan and sons Robin, Fred and George.

THE first part of a major €250,000 project to upgrade pitch facilities at Wolfe Tones GAA club is due to be completed within the next fortnight.

The irrigation system for the main pitch is currently taking place and will be finished before the end of the peareyelnen

As part of the club’s major devel- opment plans, floodlights are to be installed on the main pitch. This part of the scheme is due to be finished by

the end of July. Drainage work on the second pitch is also due to commence Them ee Cece lbe aya

Last year, the club launched its 300 Club draw. Several people in the town have got on board and are contributing to the scheme. However, Wolfe ‘Tones PRO Colman Garrihy is continuing to appeal to those who have not yet signed up, to dig deep.

‘Club members and other supporters who have not yet joined the 300 Club draw in aid of this vital project for the town are urged to sign up straight

away, said Mr Garrihy.

The club is stressing that the new facilities are part of the plan for the future and it is the young people of the town who will benefit most from the work being undertaken this year. Wolfe Tones is also appealing for former players to get involved in coaching the underage teams.

“Between all three projects, there will be in the region of €250,000 in- vested in additional and improved fa- cilities at Wolfe Tones over the com- ing months,’ said Mr Garrihy.

“While there are very welcome Lotto grants approved for the develop- ments, there is still a very significant investment required from the club and the local community,” he said.

“The club is greatly appreciative of the support received from the mem- bers and from the wider community, including businesses, for their overall activities to date,” added Mr Garrihy.

Forms for the club can be download- ed from Wwww.wolfetonesshannon. clare.gaa.ie or by contacting Gerry McIntyre on 086 8283751.

A JUDGE has said he intends to put an end to a feud between two En- nis families and has advised two of those involved to stay away from each other.

Before Ennis District Court were Mike Molloy (18), of Gordon Drive, Cloughleigh, Ennis, and Anne Mon- gans (43), of Shalee Drive, Ennis, accused of criminal damage, arising out of an incident in Cloughleigh, on September 27 last year.

Molloy told the court he was driv- ing along and the accused and her daughters stood in the middle of the road. He said the accused was carry- ing a baseball bat, while her daugh- ters carried hurleys.

He said something was thrown

through his windscreen and a young child, who was in the car, was cov- ered in glass as a result.

He said he stopped and the accused and her daughters then set upon his mother’s car, which had been travel- ling behind him. He admitted break- ing two windows in Mongans’ car.

Mongans said she was driving along When Molloy got out of his car and started throwing bricks at her car. One of the bricks hit the front wind- screen. She admitted, under cross- examination, breaking a window on Molloy’s car. She denied carrying a baseball bat and denied “standing waiting” for the Molloys.

Solicitor for Molloy, William Ca- hir, said, “This was an orchestrated attack on Mr Molloy and his vehi- cle.”

Mongans’ solicitor Tara Godfrey said, “It certainly looks as if my cli- ent came under attack.”

Garda Declan Keavey, who attend- ed the scene of the incident, said the windscreen and some windows were broken on Mongans’ car, while a window was broken on Molloy’s car. He said he saw bricks on the road at the roundabout.

Judge Aneas McCarthy said he did not believe Mongans was “waiting in ambush” for Molloy.

He convicted both accused, but pointed out that Mongans’ actions were not as serious as Molloy’s.

He asked was there a feud between both families. Inspector Kevin Moynihan replied, “The garda con- tention is that there is. One would hope this would be the end of the

matter.”

Judge McCarthy said, “The State has indicated there are difficulties between those two families. I intend to put an end to those difficulties.”

He imposed a nine-month sentence on Molloy and suspended it. He fixed a bond in the event of an appeal. He bound Mongans to the peace for two years.

“IT am warning both parties if they appear before this court again relat- ing to any matter involving their dis- putes, the suspended sentence will be incurred,” he said.

Mr Cahir asked the judge to suggest that both parties stay away from each other. The judge replied, “It would be in both of their interests to stay away from each other. If they don’t, they will face the consequences.”

AFTER 34 years as principal of St Anne’s School in Ennis, Mary Han- rahan is retiring from her post.

She has marked her departure by raising €5,000 for Cahercalla Hos- pice and a nursery in Rio de Janeiro.

Mary raised the money at an event she organised shortly before Christ- mas 2006. As a teacher Mary has al- ways encouraged her students to take a keen interest in humanitarian issues affecting third world countries.

Every year students raise money for different aid projects in countries around the world.

St Anne’s has also played host to a number of renowned speakers in- cluding Fergal Keane. The respected

Irish journalist talked to the students about his experiences reporting for the BBC.

Mary’s own interest in aid work stemmed from meeting Terrence Gallagher, an assessor with the UN who has worked with the organiza- tion in some of the world’s poorest areas.

Mary says “I’ve been lucky. I’ve been able to travel to places like Peru and Chile. The children have helped raise money for some of the projects Terrence has worked on”.

A vastly experienced teacher, Mary has worked in schools in Ireland, England and Canada.

For a time Mary taught at Hollies comprehensive school in Manchester where she counted among her pupils

the children of football legends Matt Busby and Bobby Charlton.

She says she enjoyed immensely working in St Anne’s and is happy at how the school has continued to develop as a centre of learning.

Located on St Senans road St Anne’s School is a_ progressively modern primary and_ secondary School that specialises in providing programmes designed to cater for students with learning difficulties ranging in ages from 4 to 18.

The school emphasizes that each student should have a well-balanced education along with an appreciation of self and others. The school’s motto is “To Be All That You Can Be”.

Mary says, “I’d say I’ve missed about five days in around 40 years.

I’m looking forward to the rest of my life. There are a lot of things I would have liked to have done bet- ter, but you can’t roll back the clock. I have always believed that school should be about continuous learning. It gives students dignity and purpose hebben