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THE Rape Crisis Centre in the mid- west has said it is only fair that con- victed rapist Adam Keane will serve time in jail. Its co-ordinator, Miriam Duffy, asked, however, what role the media played in the judge’s decision to lift the suspension of his three- year sentence.

“We are delighted that the judge imposed a sentence. The question 1s, would he have done that without all the furore in the press?” she asked.

“We are delighted for Mary and her family. The fact that she had the cour- age to go public with it has helped

all the rape crisis centres. There is a need for consistency in sentencing,’ added Ms Duffy.

“She has so widely publicised the inconsistencies in the sentencing by going public. She has done an amount for the rape and sexual abuse agendas in Ireland,” she said.

She said the Rape Crisis Network would continue to fight for sentenc- ing guidelines in rape and sexual of- fence cases.

“Without a doubt, the fact that she has had the courage to stand up and highlight it will hopefully lead to more work being done on this. It will hopefully have moved it up the

Justice department’s agenda. We ap- plaud her courage,” she said.

She pointed out that Keane had not gone to jail for raping the victim, but for “contempt of court.”

Earlier this month, the Rape Crisis Centre warned that this particular case may lead to a reduction in the number of rape victims coming for- ward. Figures published by the CSO showed that the number of reported sexual offences dropped by 44.5 per cent during the first quarter, when compared with the same three-month period last year.

Ms Duffy said that last Friday’s court ruling might encourage vic-

tims to come forward.

“IT would hope it would encourage people to report more. The March sentence (suspended) would have had a hugely negative impact. Now that the people see it changed, they may have more hope,” she said.

Meanwhile, Fine Gael Council- lor and general election candidate Madeleine Taylor-Quinn (FG) has welcomed last Friday’s decision.

“Some attempt was made for justice to be seen to be done,” she said.

She said that the victim had gone through a huge amount of suffering, pain and trauma throughout her or- Ol F

A CONTRACTOR has been chosen and a deal is due to be signed in the coming days for a complete overhaul of the John Paul Estate in Kilrush.

Kilrush Town Council members were told that Martin Fitzgibbon Builders Ltd have been awarded the contract, which is worth €3.7 mil- lion.

The work will include the demoli- tion of 28 houses in one block and the infill development of seven hous- es. Back gardens will be lengthened

and made more secure with bounda- ry walls, while back lanes which had become the site of anti-social behav- iour are to be done away with.

Twenty local authority homes will be completely refurbished and cen- tral heating installed and a new com- munal amenity space will be created at the centre of Willow Green.

Members were told that to facilitate the project, some tenants would have to be temporarily relocated.

In a report on the move, town clerk Fiona Mooney said she wanted to “praise the families for their co-op-

eration in the temporary accommo- dation arrangements and for their support for the development.

“The level of positive engagement by these residents has been very hearten- ing and we are looking forward to continuing this positive momentum throughout the pilot phase.”

She described the upcoming sign- ing of contracts as “a red letter day” for the future of the local authority estate.

Cllr Tom Prendeville (FF) said that he wanted to compliment the clerk and the councillors “for champion-

ing this project. It is very satisfying that the people who live there have become empowered and they are fully behind this project.”

Council members were told that a project manager for the estate had also been appointed and was due to take up his office in the last week in May.

Earlier this year, Kilrush Town Council completed the installation of a street CCTV system in the estate.

The cameras are in situ at various points around the estate keeping a close watch on potential offenders

and bringing peace of mind to its many residents.

The cameras are distributed within the six areas that make up the estate and there is a link with the local Garda station, from where the cam- eras can be monitored.

Town clerk Fiona Mooney said that the CCTV installation was part of a multi-agency action plan of initia- tives that contributed to the overall regeneration programme for the John Paul Estate area.

She added that the vast majority of the community wanted the CCTV.

INCREASING fears for the safety of mothers and unborn children in Clare have prompted the establishment of a new group to campaign for the crea- tion of a standalone maternity facility in Clare.

Birth Choice Clare have already collected some 4,000 signatures sup- porting their plans to create a mid- wife-led, community-based, women- orientated new facility in Ennis.

The proposed facility is a reac- tion to the growing number of births

which take place at the side of the road because Clare mothers cannot reach hospitals in Limerick and Gal- NAB UID OS lon

“We cannot get proper statistics for side-of-the-road births, they are all documented as giving birth at their destination hospital, but we do know that they are happening in Clare,” said Lesley-Anne Hill of Birth Choice Clare. ““We have heard an- ecdotal stories of babies being born by the road in Bunratty. It is a major problem, especially for people in the west and north of the county.”

The proposed facility would not employ any doctors, with midwives overseeing all deliveries and compli- cated pregnancies being referred to an obstetrician. It would also contain staff to assist with home births and domino scheme pregnancies.

“Between 80 and 90 per cent of women have perfectly normal healthy pregnancies. The World Health Or- ganisation has said that midwives are the best and most qualified people to deal with normal pregnancies,” con- tinued Ms Hill.

“This is about the effective use of

resources. If a woman is likely to have a problem pregnancy, they can be referred to an obstetrician.

“Our next step is to produce a more detailed submission where we will outline issues such as cost, location and size. It may or may not be on the site of Ennis General Hospital.”

A survey conducted last year found that babies born in Munster had an increased chance of being born on the way to hospital with Clare and Cork singled out as the worst counties.

“You get a lot of babies born at the side of the road in Clare,” said Krysia

Lynch of the Homebirth Association of Ireland. “It can be a very dangerous situation for both mother and baby. They don’t have any scissors to cut cord and no rope to tie it up with.

“It can cause a situation when fa- thers end up speeding to get to the hospital. They’re breaking the speed limits and their wife is beside them, usually not able to wear a seat belt.

“I have heard of situations where women are literally crossing their legs, sitting on the baby trying to keep them from coming before they get to the hospital.”

AN ENNIS man taking a High Court case against Clare County Council over a contentious planning decision has secured planning permission for a €7.5 million housing development near Inagh.

Last year, Bernard Madigan in- stituted High Court judicial review proceedings against the council af- ter it refused planning permission to Mr Madigan and Mary Keane for 31 homes outside Inagh in April.

The case has been adjourned a number of times and 1s due back be- fore the High Court next week. The estimated cost to the council of the proceedings is €30,000.

Last April, the council refused the planning application on three erounds: that the proposed develop- ment would be premature due to the existing deficiency in the provision of sewage facilities; that the location of the site on the edge of Inagh failed to integrate and respect the existing character of the surrounding area and the proposal would endanger public safety by reason of traffic hazard.

The pair re-lodged plans for 31 homes on the same site after institut- ing the legal proceedings.

A letter lodged by consultants for

the two, states that the revised ap- plication was submitted following a pre-planning meeting with the coun- cil on July 27, 2006.

The consultants stated: “The scheme has been modified to take into account the council’s recom- mendations.

“This application is being made on consideration of the recent an- nouncement by the Department of the Environment approving the Serv- iced Land Initiative (SLI) for the ex- pansion of the Inagh Main Sewerage Scheme.

“My clients are showing good faith to the area by developing a site with consequential benefit to the townland of Ballyduffbeg where the council operates its central waste facility.”

The lands are zoned for housing and the couple has secured plan- ning permission for eight detached homes, 14 semi-detached homes and nine terraced homes.

The council has granted for the plan having regard to the zoning of the land, the intended use of the pro- posed land, the pattern of develop- ment in the area, concluding that it would not seriously injure the ameni- ties of the area and be in accordance with the proper planning and devel- opment of the area.

THE bilateral agreement on air serv- ices concluded by the Irish Govern- ment with the Canadian Government on April 30 last is the “total sell out” of Shannon Airport according to Fine Gael election candidate, Coun- cillor Madeleine Taylor-Quinn (FG).

CUlr Taylor-Quinn labelled the de- cision “the final act of sabotage on Shannon by Minister Cullen and the Creuse ae

“Not satisfied with undermining Shannon on US routes, Minister Cul- len and his Fianna Fail colleagues quietly concluded an agreement with Laurence Carmon, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Com- munities, and David Emerson Min- ister for International Trade of the Canadian Government on April 30,” she said.

This agreement replaces the 1947 agreement that made Shannon the gateway into Ireland for Canadian airlines. Now that the Shannon stop- over is gone, flights from Canada can land in any airport in Ireland.

The new agreement has taken ef- fect immediately.

Cllr Taylor-Quinn added that “in- terestingly the new agreement came into place just as the election was called, with no public statements or announcements from the minister. Did he think the people of Clare could be kept in the dark until after the election? Has he any idea of the

damage he 1s doing to the airport and the region?” she asked.

The councillor said that the deal was “unnecessary” and poorly nego- tiated. “There was no push for this at all. The Government has diluted the significance of Shannon as an inter- national airport.”

She accused the Government of “total disregard” in relation to a similar agreement made with US ZNDU EDEL

‘The decision in relation to the US was reckless as well. There was no study on the impact these decisions would have on the economic fallout for the region. Shannon is the only airport which will be adversely af- fected by these deals.”

Cllr Taylor-Quinn expressed con- cern for the morale of airport staff and the wider community as mainte- nance workers are “fearful” for their jobs in the short term.

“While canvassing in the past few days I have met a lot of people who are upset and disturbed at the state of affairs with Shannon Airport. I also spoke to a number of service staff who are concerned about the future. If these flights go directly to Dublin there will be less need for services in Shannon. She added that “there is a complete lack of concern with the potential loss of jobs”.

She urged the people of Clare to take the opportunity on May 24 “to register their disgust with the current Government”.

A FOCAL point for the village of Newmarket-on-Fergus has been erected, in the shape of a piece of sculpture.

Sculptor Michael McTigue was commissioned to assemble a piece of black granite, featuring a statue of a woman – Caitlin of the Weir, who lived in the area in the past – sitting on a wall.

The seven-sided piece, which cost €18,000, represents the seven par- ishes in Newmarket-on-Fergus, with a fountain in the middle. The entire cost of the project is €34,000. It has been made with the name Cora Caitlin, the Irish for Newmarket-on- Fergus, in mind.

Part of the piece of art has been put

in place and the remainder will be in situ by the end of the month. Stand- ing over seven feet tall, it 1s located in the carpark in front of the church.

‘This has been in the pipeline for the best part of a year. When com- pleted, it will feature a fountain and lighting,” said Mr McTigue.

The seven parishes represented in the piece are Kilnasoolagh, Clon- loghan, Bunratty, Fenloe, Kilconry, Drumline and Kilmaleery.

The project was funded by Obair in Newmarket-on-Fergus. Buddy Mc- Mahon, who was involved in the or- ganisation of the project, is delighted with its success.

“The aim was to get a focal point for Newmarket-on-Fergus and to give a little bit of history to the local people. It should be looking good for

the tidy towns,” he said.

Local resident John O’Brien has researched each of the seven areas represented in the sculpture. He has written a short piece of history on each one and his inscriptions will be cut into stone.

‘The most important of the ancient parishes would be Bunratty. There was a medieval town there in 1200 or 1300, run by the Normans. The Nor- mans introduced a lot of reform and organised the church into a parish system. Bunratty would have been one of the first parishes formed,’ said Mr O’Brien.

He said that Fenloe (Tuaim Fionnloch) would be another of the more important parishes, histori- cally.

‘“Fenloe originated in a monastic

site. Reputedly, it was a big school or college in the 700s/800s. Most of the ruins of Fenloe church collapsed about three months ago,” he said.

He said the exact history of Caitlin is unknown, but various theories have been mentioned locally.

“It is believed she lived in the vi- cinity of a crossing place where two streams flowed through the village, but we don’t know. That is folk his- tory, which has been passed down orally. Common folklore would have placed her in the early Christian times,” added Mr O’Brien.

A REPORT published last week has highlighted the importance of local community action in responding to the challenges of social exclusion in today’s fast-changing rural Ireland.

The report, entitled “Making a Dif- ference: Social Inclusion in a Chang- ing Rural Ireland’, was published by Pobal and suggests that success- fully promoting social inclusion in rural Ireland will require engaging in joined-up thinking, in policy and planning as well as in implementa- tion.

As part of the National Develop- ment Plan, Pobal manages a number

of Government programmes that Support communities and commu- nity initiatives across Ireland.

“While rural areas have shared in the boom, they continue to experi- ence many deficits in economic and social infrastructure,” said ‘Tony Crooks, CEO of Pobal. “They are also facing new challenges, with the continuing decline in agriculture, new forms of social exclusion and a more diverse society,” he continued. “Community-based initiatives play an essential role in the promotion of social inclusion, complementing the work of statutory agencies.”

These community-based pro- grammes include the Rural Transport

Programme, the Rural Social Scheme, the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010, the Peace and Interreg programmes in the border counties, the Dormant Accounts Fund and the Local Development Social In- clusion Programme, which funds the local partnership companies.

“Many forms of social exclusion are complex and hard to address. Bottom-up approaches that are driv- en by community organisations allow the involvement of disadvantaged groups in the design and delivery of initiatives, and enable initiatives to reach the most socially excluded individuals and the most remote ar- eas, he continued.

The report states that more joined- up thinking is needed, at both national and local levels, if we are to address social exclusion in rural Ireland to- day, “Greater coordination between service providers, whether statutory, community-based or both, is needed in both planning and implementa- tion”, and says that coordination can help ensure that a full range of sup- ports is available to individuals and groups in need of assistance.

The report presents the key mes- sages from a conference, organised by Pobal, which brought together 220 participants, including policy makers as well as beneficiaries of the Pobal managed programmes.

, by Martin Luther Stites He pleaded “not guilty” at the out- set, after the charge of murder was put to him and also indicated his guilty plea to six other charges. Each day, as he was led in to the courtroom, the book protruded from his pocket. That book remained on the bench in front of him during the were During the majority of the evidence in the case, Kelly looked straight ahead. On the third day of the trial, he turned to the left and gave his full attention as videotapes showing his

interviews by gardai were played to elem LUD MYA

As his barrister Brendan Grehan asked the jury to return a verdict of guilty of manslaughter and not mur- der, he looked straight ahead at him.

He also gazed at the trial judge, Mr Justice Paul Carney, as he presented the charge to the jury and recapped the evidence, occasionally rubbing his face with his hand.

He listened intently throughout the trial and did not show any facial expressions as prosecuting counsel Tom O’Connell described the killing as “meticulously planned, ruthlessly executed and followed by a cover- eee Kelly also showed no major ex- pression of emotion as conflicting evidence of his mental state were presented to the jury. The prosecu-

tion argued that he was not suffering from a mental disorder when he mur- dered his victim, while the defence argued he was and that this dimin- ished his responsibility.

Kelly’s lack of visible emotion throughout the trial continued as the verdict was read out.

As Kelly murdered his victim, his dress sense resembled that of a young man, notably the presence of a baseball cap. One witness who saw him standing near Liam Moloney’s taxi immediately prior to the killing told gardai she believed he was in his BOs

His demeanour during the trial, dressed in a suit, shirt and tie, were more akin to a man in his 50s.

In the body of the courtroom, the family of Liam Moloney sat togeth- er.

Liam’s brothers Fintan and Derry, three of his sons — David, Peter and Shane — and his former wife Eileen listened to the horrific details of how he met his death. Each family mem- ber attended part of the trial, while Fintan, who delivered a harrowing victim impact statement at the end of the trial, did not miss a minute of the evidence.

Fintan and Derry sat behind the media and could have been mistaken for journalists, such was their regular note-taking throughout the trial.

Each morning, the Moloney fam- ily converged outside Courtroom Number One in the Round Hall of the Four Courts. They supported each other, in contrast to the accused who cut a sad, lonely figure, with no family support in evidence.

THE artistic imagination of 11 young children in Shannon has been recognised by the local Duchas na Sionna branch.

The group organised an art com- petition for primary schools, in con- junction with Seachtain na Gaeilge. 11 of the entrants were lucky to be chosen as the winners and were pre- sented with €20 book tokens, at a function at the Sean Lemass library in Shannon last week.

The theme of the competition was ‘logainmneacha’, (placenames) and the children were given the oppor-

tunity to describe their view of this topic, in art-form.

Greg Duff, who is involved with Duchas na Sionna, said the subject was particularly suitable in Shan- LO) eF

“Shannon would be unique, with the placenames. All of the new pla- cenames are up around Shannon, as Gaeilge. There would be a link to some history going back and we are trying to get the children to go back in history,” said Mr Duff.

Another member of Duchas na Sionna, Labhras O Donnghaile said the Irish language was the main idea behind the decision to run the

competition.

“It was all to do with the language and seanfhocail. The standard was excellent,” said Mr O Donnghaile.

Four schools were represented among the winners. St Tola’s win- ners were Rystis Chihunovas and Eric Mac Mathuna. The Gaelscoil’s winners were Hannah Nic Taidhg and Michelle Nic Amhlai. Ben- jamin O Maolchaithaigh and Lisa Ni Ailpin represented St Senan’s. St Conaire’s had five winners. They were Iskra Marvoka, Prionsias O Maol Dhomhnaigh, Frederika Ve- salenakova, Janella Leedasico and Aichah Ahmed.

Duchas na Sionna was set up a year and a half ago. It is a commu- nity-based local heritage commit- tee, made up of representatives of eroups such as The Shannon Ar- chaeological and Historical Soci- ety, Birdwatch Ireland, The County Clare Biodiversity Group and Club na Sionna, among others.

Since its establishment, members of Duchas na Sionna have carried out a major survey of archaeolog!- cal and historical sites in the area of Shannon town and its environs. This project is continuing and will take some time to bring to full frui- tion.

CLARE farmers have nothing to fear from the Green Party in Gov- ernment. This was the message from Green Party leader, Trevor Sargent, who was in Clare on Thursday meet- ing Clare farming leaders.

Speaking in Ennis, Deputy Sar- gent said that Greens in Government would be good for farming and rural communities with CAP and GATT reforms creating a real danger of massive job losses in the future.

‘This happened under the watch of those parties that demonise Green Party policy clearly without actually reading it,’ said Cllr Brian Meaney,

the Green Party General Election candidate in Clare.

“Finding a convenient scapegoat for the present and previous govern- ment parties’ failures detracts atten- tion from their own failings.”

The Greens have placed emphasis on the importance of enhancing the flexibility and diversity of agricul- ture and sustaining the family farm and the importance of safeguard- ing the land for future generations and encouraging young people into evweeperee

SU tom Orcctorme- toilet Meese MO KealeNe ise farming by creating opportunities for fuel crops, green waste manage- ment and a new local focus on food

supply.

The Green Party claim that they will lobby for changes in the World Trade Organisation to protect do- mestic agriculture from being under- cut by imports that are not subject to the same quality, health and envi- ronmental standards and streamline the payment of money under grant schemes so that farmers do not have to pay all the costs up front before being refunded 40 per cent by the Department of Agriculture at a later stage, which often necessitates ex- pensive bridging loans.

They have also listed creating re- search strategies to maximise the economic value of agricultural pro-

duce through value-added food prod- ucts as well as the promotion of a clean green image of Ireland abroad, creating a ‘green Ireland’ brand for food products.

They have also given a commit- ment to fund the Irish Seed Savers Association in Scariff, ensure Ire- land becomes a GM-free zone and ban farming of cloned animals, pro- vide more direct sale from farmer to consumer through farmers’ mar- kets, require planning authorities to designate “market spaces’ within all towns, reduce the dependence on chemical inputs by the majority of farmers and support sustainable farming by favouring small farms.