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ERA Leyden Auctioneers, Lahinch, has just taken on a four bedroom de- tached bungalow with sunroom and attached garage, at Poulawillin, Mil- town Malbay, with an asking price of €317,500.

This property occupies a half acre site and is situated on the Mullagh Road, only l1km from the centre of Miltown Malbay and all of its ameni- ties. The house enjoys sea views and is less than two miles from Spanish Point Beach.

The bungalow extends to 1,570 sq ft of floor space, plus the attached

garage offers scope for conversion to additional living space, if required.

This property has the added benefit of a recent extension to the rear to include a bright, spacious sun room and kitchen cum dining room over- looking the rolling countryside and the coastline.

Other features include a second reception room, double glazed win- dows, oil fired central heating, stone feature facade to the front of the property and tarmacadam driveway. And the grounds have been neatly maintained

For full details contact 065 7081088.

A YOUNG man had his ear bitten in a row on a Street in the early hours of the morning, a court has heard.

John Paul Keane (27), of Scan- lan Park, Castleconnell, Limerick, pleaded guilty to assault, arising out of an incident outside Molly’s bar, Ballina, Killaloe, in the early hours

of the morning in August 2005.

Sergeant Deborah Marsh told En- nis Circuit Court yesterday that the accused and another man, Niall Col- lins, were involved in a row. They were fighting on the ground.

“The accused was on top of the other man. He had the other man’s ear between his teeth and was biting down on it. There was blood gushing

from the ear,” she said.

She said she warned the accused to desist but he “continued with the as- ele

After he was arrested, the accused continued to be violent and lashed Oo) iar limee Heer N

The assault has “left a permanent scar down the centre of the ear’, she Said.

Counsel for the accused, Michael Collins, said that a large number of people were involved in various rows outside the bar.

He said the accused told gardai that he feared he was going to die as he was been kicked.

Judge Carroll Moran adjourned sentencing, to allow the injured par- ty to attend court.

THE Kilrush Parish Finance Com- mittee is hoping to tee off the next stage in fundraising for the refur- bishment of St Senan’s Church with a golf classic on May 4.

It 1s hoped that the tournament, which will be held at Kilrush Golf Club, will raise £10,000 towards the massive €5.2 million renovation of the church.

Pat Shannon, chairman of the fi- nance committee, listed out the extensive work that must be done before the church is finished in late Summer.

“A new roof is needed, the stained glass windows have been removed for repair and storm glazing and

the stone around the Rose Window has been re-cut. New central heat- ing is needed, the altar has been re- positioned and there is a new front entrance, boiler house and toilet fa- cilities. It is a complete upgrade,” he Sr AKOe

Mr Shannon added that the project has been several years in the making with a two year planning delay and appeals to An Bord Pleanala slowing down the building but not the fund- enh b Ores

He said that the continuing local contribution to the project has been excellent.

“We have raised nearly €2 million in the last few years. The house to house collections and general appeal raised €200,000 alone. We have a

parish draw and lotto as well. Dif- ferent organisations in the parish have also had their own money-rais- ing activities. We got some private donations and bequests in wills too. There has been a big drive in the lo- cal community.”

The committee has borrowed the remaining €3 million and has ap- pealed to the Government for fund- ing to make up the shortfall.

“We applied to the Department of the Environment for grants. We met with the Taoiseach and Ministers Cowen and O Cuiv. We already re- ceived verbal support from them but as yet there has been no financial as- sistance,’ he added.

Parish services have been held in the community hall since Septem-

ber, but Mr Shannon said that the church’s structure already shows an rboah ey en{er0 slo 01

‘The interior has dried out tremen- dously. From what we’ve seen so far St Senan’s will be one of the finest church buildings in the diocese, if not in the country.”

It costs €500 to enter a team in the golf classic and anyone interested can contact Denis Nagle on 065 9051138. Donations can also be sent to Father Michael Sheedy, The Paro- chial House, Toler Street in Kilrush.

CLARE fire services have advised people carrying out controlled burn- ing to always notify the service.

This follows a spate of gorse fires in the county, including ones which occurred in the Connolly-Lissycasey area.

Fire services were called out to at- tend two gorse fires in the area on April 19. Five units of the Fire Bri- gade — two from Ennis, two from Ennistymon and one from Kilrush — were called to the scene.

A large area of open ground was on fire but was brought under control by the fire brigade, who were assisted by members of Coullte along with a number of local volunteers. The long spell of dry weather meant the fire spread quickly and this, combined with changing wind directions, made working conditions extremely dif- ficult.

“If people are carrying out con- trolled burning, then it should be in a controlled manner and the Fire Control Centre (999/112) should be notified with the details,” said Tom Burke, Senior Assistant Chief Fire Officer, adding that just a few items could be burnt.

“While Coillte personnel and our- selves generally work in groups, both to be more effective and also for safety, especially during dusk hours,

members of the public that assist may yao lms KO) UCOdWAB OBESE

“If members of the public and land- owners are assisting Coillte and the fire service, they should be accom- panying these personnel at all times to ensure proper co-ordination of re- sources to deal with these incidents,” he said.

Meanwhile, environmentalists are counting the costs of more than 20 bog fires that broke out in Gort and Surrounding areas last week. The fires, which fire services described as the most serious in memory, are be- lieved to have been started by land- owners burning gorse on their land.

The worst of the fires took place in Peterswell, between Gort and Loughrea, with every available unit from Gort, Loughrea, Portumna, Athenry and Tuam called in to battle the blaze.

Ecologists are this week begin- ning to assess the level of damage sustained by the bogland areas as a result of the fire. Depending on the severity of the blaze, fire can have a mixed effect on a bogland habitat.

A sustained heavy blaze can cause irreversible damage to the living peat layer of a bog, essentially destroying the entire bog ecosystem.

However, a less serious fire can ac- tually promote new growth on bog land and prevent trees from encroach- ing and taking over bog areas.

GARDAI are entitled to protection from the courts, according to a judge who spoke out after hearing that a garda was kicked to the ground in Kilkee. Judge Carroll Moran was speaking at Ennis Circuit Court yes- terday in the case of two men who as- saulted a garda.

Daniel Lyons (24), of Carrigaholt, pleaded guilty, while Thomas Shee- han (20), of Luislahahan, Kilkee, pleaded not guilty, but was found guilty by a jury in March.

Sergeant John Ryan told the court that there was a disturbance at Strand Line, Kilkee, on August 22, 2004. Garda John Reidy found himself on the ground, where he was kicked and punched.

He said that Mr Lyons punched Garda Reidy into the face, while Mr Sheehan then kicked the garda a couple of times. Mr Lyons’ barrister Mark Nicholas said the incident was “quite frightening for gardai”. He said his client saw his brother was being arrested and tried to intervene.

Mr Sheehan’s barrister Pat Whyms

said his client had a very good job as a sales executive. His employer told the court he was “certainly surprised” to hear of the young man’s involvement in the incident.

Judge Carroll Moran said, “This is a serious case where Garda Reidy was kicked when he was on the ground.

“Members of An Garda Siochana are entitled to expect some protection from the courts. Fortunately their job is not always dangerous but it some- times is. Society expects that they be given some protection,” said the piece reren

“It is pretty cowardly to kick some- one on the ground,” he said. He said the “disgraceful offence” should mer- it jail, but accepted both accused had kept out of trouble since the incident. ‘Punishment can take many forms. It would do more harm than good to im- pose a custodial sentence.”

He imposed a two-year jail term on Sheehan, substituted with 240 hours community service. He adjourned the case for two months, to ascertain if he would be found suitable for the work. He also adjourned sentencing Mr Ly- ons until then.

in the Quilty Tavern at 9pm on May 5 will go towards a commemorative weekend for the last week in Sep-

tember.

PJ, who plays and tours with Séa- mus Shannon, said that the heroic rescue of the crew of French ship Leon XIII in October 1907 had in- spired generations.

“In a huge storm, the ship got stuck in a reef off the coast of Quilty and all rescue attempts failed. So the fishermen of Quilty had a go at it and they rescued them. It was the talk of the world and people came from everywhere to see and meet

them. Money donated at the time was later used to build the Star of the Sea Church.”

He added that reaction to the song, which has been played on Clare FM and is on sale locally and in Ennis, has been very positive.

“I did a lot of research when I wrote the song last January and it tells the proper story of what happened. It was very much a local job and we re- corded it in Malbay Studios. People seem to like it anyway. The launch

will have well-known guests like Kitty Hayes and David Culligan and maybe a surprise or two.”

PJ, originally from Mullagh, said that plans for the commemoration weekend and possibly a dedicatory plaque have not been finalised but there is already some interest in the event.

“Lots of the ancestors of the fish- ermen are still around. We are even expecting people to come home from abroad for it,” he said.

A CLARE motorcyclist is threat- ening to take the county council to court over what he describes as “wil- fully dangerous roadworks”.

Mountshannon resident Ciaran Ma- cAodh came close to serious injury at the weekend when his motorbike skidded out of control after he drove across gravel which had been thrown up on the road surface from road- works on the opposite side.

The accident happened at Cloon- tymweenagh on the road between Scariff and Mountshannon.

“I saw the roadwork warning signs and slowed right down but the gravel dressing that the council put on the other side where the works are go- ing on wasn’t rolled into the road. Cars driving over it threw up stones, which went all over the road on the side I was driving. There was noth- ing for the bike to grip on — it was just sliding,” he said.

MacAodh was thrown from his bike and the bike went spiralling away.

He was treated in the accident and emergency department for injuries to his wrist and said that he was still unsure what damage was done to the bike.

“There was a car coming in the other direction and it was just as well that I wasn’t going any faster because

I could have ended up under that car. This happens all the time with road- works. The council never considers what happens to a bike when it hits loose gravel.

“Cars can cope but not bikes. I’m sick of it and I’m going to court this time,’ he added.

A spokesman for Clare County Council’s roadworks section said that surface dressings like this were “always rolled”’.

He added that there was “always signs imposing a temporary speed limit and warning about roadworks. Nowadays, health and safety issues are all important and every precau- tion is taken to warn motorists and prevent accidents”.

A spokesman for the Tulla area of- fice of the local authority confirmed that the work at Cloontymweenagh are part of a major roadworks pro- gramme, which will be ongoing in the favourable weather conditions.

The spokesman said that the council tooks certain measures when putting down the temporary surface.

The procedure was a “normal part of the construction process.

“The stones are there to form a base for the final surface. There’s not much can be done, aS some stones are thrown up by car wheels as the temporary surface is driven on,’ he explained.

THE €36 million deal to restructure Shannon Airport looks set to be rati- fied with over 180 workers express- ing an interest in exiting the Shannon Airport Authority (SAA).

An airport source said that around 182 were exiting with still a small number to make up their mind.

Prior to the package being put on offer, the Shannon Airport Authority (SAA) stated that 200 voluntary re- dundancies were needed in order for the Shannon deal to be viable.

While the SAA might not reach the 200 target, it is believed that the high number will be enough for the deal

to go through.

However, workers retiring at the airport are understood to be angry that their cut-price travel will be lost. Traditionally, workers at the SAA have been entitled to concession travel with Aer Lingus.

The Labour Relations Commission (LRC) agreement delivered to both sides in March makes no mention of the concession travel for people who retire.

It is understood that the matter is being referred back to the LRC for clarification.

“The encouraging take-up of the severance package is a tribute to the unions that have obtained an excel-

lent outcome for the workers who wish to avail of the package and those who will remain directly em- ployed by the Airport Authority.

Itis also a clear indication of LRC’s productive and professional input to the facilitation process,’ said junior Minister Tony Killeen.

‘In many of these cases, issues arise which may not have been foreseen or PUNE DBRSoxOn

“I am confident that the process is sufficiently robust to resolve any outstanding issues in a fashion fa- vourable to all parties involved.”

As part of the deal with the air- port’s 550 workers, the SAA is to exit completely from catering. In the

new revamped Shannon airport, in- ternational retail and catering organ- isation, HMS Host has secured the contract to operate five retail outlets at Shannon and they are expected to become operational this coming summer.

It is believed that the rates offered by the two catering firms that will provide ground catering and in-flight catering have disappointed workers.

Those workers with 24 years expe- rience or more who opt to leave the SAA will receive over €100,000, while the 350 who do remain are to receive a payment of €16,000.

The deal is expected to save the SAA €10 million per annum.

RUGBY has broken into the GAA stronghold of west Clare.

Munster’s newest rugby club West Clare Warriors RFC was formed in February to give boys and girls from Miltown Malbay and Mullagh areas an opportunity to play rugby. Al- ready over 70 children are attending training sessions.

The club was officially launched in Spanish Point by Bob McConkey,

Senior Vice-President of Munster Rugby and present were representa- tives of other Clare clubs. As part of the celebrations the Heineken Cup won by Munster last year visited lo- cal schools in the area and was re- ceived with great enthusiasm.

President of the Warriors is local Miltown Malbay publican David Hillery cousin of another famous President, Dr Paddy Hillery former President of Ireland. His wife Ca- triona is club treasurer.

The officers are all delighted with the support the new club has received from the public.

“Its fantastic to see the huge num- bers turning up for training and its great to see the youth of west Clare getting the opportunity to play rug- by,” said David Hillery.

Former Shannon RFC player Paddy Hayes who is Club Youth Officer said: “our club is enabling the young boys and girls to participate in a game that has never been as popular

as now with the success of Munster and our Irish rugby team.”

Other high profile Munster rugby officials present at the launch cel- ebrations were John Noonan, John King and Gerry Quaid.

has learned.

Their action could include day-long work stoppages, if a resolution can- not be reached by this Friday, May ay

In a joint statement released late

last night, the Irish Nurses Organi- sation (INO) and the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) ex- pressed their “deep disappointment and frustration” at the progress be- ing made at talks between the un- ions and the National Implementa- tion Body (NIB).

“In view of this lack of progress… we have decided to advise all local co-ordinating committees that in the absence of meaningful propos-

als capable of resolving this dispute, to prepare for escalation of the cam- paign before the end of this week,” read the joint statement.

It was also agreed that executive committees of both unions would meet at 11 am on Thursday morning next to review the existing situation.

An INO spokesperson confirmed that this review would involve con- sidering daily work stoppages na- tionwide.