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ENNISTYMON will play host to a very special musical event next week as America’s foremost high school orchestra pay an historic visit to north Clare to perform a one-off concert.

Muinnesota’s Moorhead High School will offer young and old the unique chance to experience the very best of classical and contemporary music when it’s 50 piece wind ensemble takes to the stage at the Falls Hotel next Monday, April 16.

This is one of only two Irish con- certs for the touring orchestra,

with all proceeds going to Ennisty- mon’s Mol an Oige Steiner Primary School.

“A few months ago I was contacted by a person from Hibernia Ireland organisation who had heard about the school and wanted to help. She mentioned that the ensemble were coming and offered them to play in Ennistymon free of charge,” said Roisin Garvey of Mol an Oige.

“Tt will be really great for young people to be able to come along and experience this concert. Adults get to go and see concerts all the time and this is organised to take place at seven to allow young people to come

along.

“We have contacted all the national schools in the area and hopefully as lot of children will come along. It would be a real thrill for them to see this live music, especially when it is being played by other young people. It is a real coup to get them here, be- sides Ennistymon they are only play- ing in Dublin.

“Fundraising is so important for the future of the school. At the moment it is paying three full time teachers without any support for the Depart- ment of Education. We began last year with 11 students and now it is up to 41. The school caters for everyone,

we have children in every class and are fully compliant with the new pri- mary school curriculum. The wind ensemble has toured and competed in music festivals all over the United States, Canada and attended music schools throughout Austria and Ger- many. The ensemble will perform under the direction of Douglas C Engstrom who has been Musical Di- rected at Moorhead since 1976.

Tickets, at a cost of €12 are avail- able from The Falls Hotel, Unglerts Bakery, Sergeant Pepper’s Sandwich Bar and Custy’s Music Shop in Ennis or call 086 1043528 for more infor- mation.

THE Doonbeg Drama Group has made it to the finals of the All-Ire- land Drama competition.

The group will take to the boards on Monday next, April 16, in New Ross for the final showdown. Their performance of ‘Atta’ Boy Mr Syng’ has already earned them numerous plaudits.

The group has competed in five fes- tivals in Doonbeg, Charleville, Ross- more, Scariff and Claregalway, with one win, three second placings and one third placing.

Mark May took best actor and Ann Marie Doyle best actress at two fes- tivals. Mary J Egan was best actress at another. Mort McInerney got best producer at two festivals while the production also picked up awards for best presentation, best lighting, best sound and most entertaining play.

Remaining cast members, Rita McInerney and Declan Hayes were nominated at festivals in the best supporting actress and actor catego- ries.

“Everyone is very excited about getting to the finals and we will be putting everything into the show,” a spokesman for the drama group Sr HOn

Audiences in Clare will have an- other chance to see the performance this week when it is staged in Doon- beg hall on Thursday night. Doors open at 7.30pm and curtain up is at 8.30pm. There will be tickets at the door.

The festival, which is run under the auspices of the Amateur Drama Council of Ireland, is one of the pre- mier events of its kind in Europe. 1953, it is one of the most enduring festivals in Ireland and is a major cultural event.

A KILLALOE-BASED – architect looks set to join the general election race in Clare to highlight shortcom- ings in the planning system.

Garry Miley said yesterday: “The time has come I believe, to make a stand. The planning system at the moment is not democratic.”

Some of the faults that Mr Miley pointed out were long delays, inaccu- rate recording of issues discussed at pre-planning consultations, planning applications being invalidated for trivial reasons and inconsistencies in eleLortSloyem eared enerce

In his online blog, Mr Miley said that he was approached by a Dublin based group, including an independ- ent councillor and some of his col-

leagues, that wondered “if I might be interested in running for Dail Eire- ann on a ‘planning’ ticket in the up- coming election”.

Mr Miley said that Clare was an obvious place to run because it was a “four seat constituency with no star performers”.

“It’s my experience that the average people of Clare are more motivated by planning matters than anywhere else in the country, which means there’s a ready-made market for the message,” he said.

He added that it was “doable” to gain a Clare seat because Fine Gael had gained a seat in the last election with just 4,500 first preference votes and some transfers.

“The quota in Clare is, I think, around ten thousand but Fine Gael

managed to pick up their single seat in the last election with only 4,500 first preference votes and a bunch of transfers.

“Now, I can think of at least 4,500 people living in County Clare with a grievance about the planning system. Some decent transfers is all 1t would take.

“Manageable, I think, if you con- sider all the architects, engineers, planners (in private practice) build- ers, homeowners and developers across the county who’d easily pro- vide a match for the big party organi- See B (OD eon

Mr Miley said that he hoped some- one would run on the planning issue.

“If push does come to shove and no one else comes forward I will stand.”

A MAN who bought replicas of ri- fles in a toyshop in Ennis has been convicted of two charges, relating to their possession.

John Hehir (28), of Davit Terrace, Cloughleigh, Ennis, pleaded guilty to two offences, arising out of an in- cident on May 4 last year.

Garda Michelle Holian told Ennis District Court that she received con- fidential information that the accused was in possession of unlicenced air rifles, air guns and ammunition.

She obtained a warrant and went to his house. She found two air rifles, two air handguns and two different types of ammunition.

“They are replicas of rifles. They

are air rifles and are illegal under the Firearms Act. Mr Hehir told me he purchased them in a shop in town,” Sr HCO MO elommee- KOE: B

The accused told the garda he would go to Dromore Woods with friends and would shoot at static tar- gets, like drink cans.

Defending solicitor Tara Godfrey said her client fully co-operated with ee KOrNE

She said he bought the items in a toy shop and that he used the guns for sport.

“Technically, it is illegal but my cli- ent didn’t mean any harm by it,” she SrHKOE

Judge Joseph Mangan imposed a fine of €100. He refused a request to apply the Probation Act.

TWO east Clare organisations have been awarded cash from the De- partment of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs under the Pro- gramme of Grants for Locally Based Community and Voluntary Organi- sations 2006.

The grants of €5,100 for the Scar- iff-based Alpha Project and €1,812 for the East Clare Community Co-op were announced by Minister Tony Kileen, who said that “it 1s impor-

tant that the voluntary effort of lo- cal community groups throughout County Clare is recognised.”

The Alpha Project aims to provide education for adolescents whose needs are not best met by the conven- tional exam-based system.

The 15 participants in the pro- gramme take part in hands-on learn- ing with projects such as building a Yurt – a traditional hut-style shelter – for use as a chemistry lab as there wasn’t room in the project’s accom- modation to practice chemistry.

By doing so, they not only got to study chemistry but learned the nec- essary physics to construct the dwell- ing properly.

A spokeswoman for the project said they are “delighted to get the grant. We don’t as yet get funding from the department so this will be important for buying equipment and training.”

On the list of things likely to be bought with the grant money are sewing machines, and equipment for physics and chemistry.

The project has 15 students and

next year, it’s hoped that 15 younger adolescents will come on board.

Of the first intake of students to eraduate from the alternative learn- ing system, all have gone on to some further form of education or training, including Leaving Cert studies and FETAC courses.

The other east Clare grant went to the East Clare Community Co-op, an umbrella organisation for communi- ty groups based in Scariff. The co-op could not be contacted for comment PLO OUI B DO Blom

THE pupils from Kilmihil National School gathered in the playground on Monday evening last to welcome back their victorious rugby team.

The 15-person squad had taken part in the Munster Coca Cola Tag Rugby Extravaganza and received first prize for their participation in the pre matches parade.

The extravaganza includes more than 30 teams from around the coun- try and is referred to as an “extrava- ganza’ rather than a competition be- cause nobody keeps scores.

The aim of the event is for young children to display the rugby skills they have learnt and to show how they can “play fair’.

The emphasis on this day of rugby

was fair play, participation, team- work and skill, for once leaving aside the element of competition. Children were encouraged to show respect for the players, referees, and officials and to show good sportsmanship at PMB bO Noe

Prior to the rugby games a “Nations Parade” was held.

Each school had been given a na- tion to represent. Kilmihil National School paraded as South Africa.

After a hectic few days of effort and co-operation by the entire staff and pupils, costumes were designed and created and the team was trans- formed into “The Springbok” Rugby Team and traditional South Afri- ore

On the day of the extravaganza Kilmihil pupils were awarded first

prize – a trophy – and were compli- mented for their exceptional cos- tumes and tribal dance.

Fifteen pupils from fifth and sixth class made up the Kilmihil Tag Rug- by Team, which took on a team from Limerick, a team from Cork and a uaa rer-beee

This was the school’s first time in the competition, although it has been part of the tag rugby-coaching course organised by Munster Rugby Development Association for the past three years under the watchful eye of coach George Guilfoyle.

The school team participated in the local tournament held in Lees Road Sports Complex before being invited to join in the “Munster Coca Cola Tag Rugby Extravaganza” in Mus- grave Park, Cork.

The 34 children from fifth and sixth class travelled to Cork for the event at 6.30 am on Monday with principal Carmel Coughlan, fifth class teacher Michael King and Eva Keane who looks after the school’s sports pro- eau-eabentee

“We got a great reception when we arrived back at 5.30pm on Monday. The children and other teachers pre- pared a welcome banner,” said Ms Orato

Speaking about the extravaganza she said, “After learning the skills this was the chance for the children to display them.”

KILRUSH farmer, Jackie Whelan, yesterday challenged claims made by the IFFPG that farm plastic was being imported illegally into Ireland.

The IFFPG secured millions of euro in funding from the Department of the Environment to collect illegally imported plastic last year.

Mr Whelan, who operates a glass

recycling company, is planning to set up a farm plastic recycling company to compete with the IFFPG in Clare this year.

‘The farmer was charged for the col- lection of this plastic and the excuse given by the IFFPG was that there was illegal plastic being imported that was not subject to the usual levy. This sim- ply does not hold water. Who do they think is importing it? Who is selling

it? I can’t see it,’ said Mr Whelan.

“T intend to put in place my own plastic recycling company to deal with this plastic and not have to send it to Scotland. If there were two or three recycling plants around Ireland we could recycle all of our plastic over here and not be paying €50 a tonne to have it recycled in Scotland.

“Or we wouldn’t have to be burning up fuel driving it all over the country

to get it recycled.”

Whelan’s claims were yesterday re- futed by Sean Campbell of the IFF- PG.

‘He was telling me about that two years ago and if he was ever going to do something like that he would have done it already. Jackie Whelan might think that he knows something about it but he hasn’t got a clue,” said Camp- ode

SEVENTEEN teenagers from Kilkee went Dutch this week.

The second year students from St Joseph’s Community College, Kilkee travelled to Vlaardingen in the Neth- erlands on Sunday, March 25 as part of a student exchange. They arrived back on Friday.

The exchange was part of the Comenius Project.

A European initiative – in existence since the foundation of the European Economic Community, the Comen- ius endeavours to facilitate exchange of ideas, personnel, and students be- tween member states of the EU and

indeed between all countries in the continent of Europe.

Phase two of the project is Comen- ius 1.3, which began in 2004. Kilkee Community College was a co-ordi- nating school for the project.

It hosted the first meeting of the partner schools in October 2004. Each meeting was a three to four day gets together by teachers (only) to exchange ideas, compare and share strategies developed to ensure that all the school is an inclusive place of Kee Nesnneree

The other countries involved include Scotland, Denmark, Czech Republic, Spain, and Norway the project will end where it began in Kilkee later this

month.

In the meantime the students are making the most of the European ey sbaterernleyer

The Kilkee students lived with the Dutch students’ families for just un- der a week.

The highlights of the week included a tour of Vlaardingen, a visit to Rotter- dam that included a boat tour through the harbours of the city and a visit to Neeltje Jans, the polders on Noord Beveland and the Veersegatdam.

On Thursday the Kilkee students and their Dutch hosts attended a lec- ture on polder water management at the Kinderdijk pump and windmills. Later that day they spent some time

in the city of Delft.

In late May the Dutch students will make the return visit to Kilkee as cuests of the Irish students.

The schools selected each other as exchange partners as they are located in a region that is physically/geo- graphically quite different. The Kil- kee students were introduced to the physical features of deposition 1.e. the Polders of Holland and a flat land- scape. When the Dutch students visit Kilkee they will study coastal erosion and karst landscape.

The exchange programme was or- ganised by Geography teachers Jean Lorigan and Deirdre Kennedy who accompanied the students on the trip.

FEAKLE is to have its own hotel again after almost 10 years with the KOusNMnyeeh analy

A planning application has been lodged to build a €3 million hotel development as well as a retirement village and holiday homes on the site of the old hotel in the village.

The project will create six full-time and up to 30 part-time jobs in the area aS well as generating revenue for local organic suppliers, who will be providing for the restaurant. The development will be able to offer

conference and function facilities, a leisure centre, a café bar/restaurant facility and a maximum of 48 hotel rooms.

The new hotel is the brainchild of brother and sister team, Rory Smyth and Ann Moloney, together with their design team, Annalise Van Harden and Miles Samson.

‘“We’re very pleased with the design and the various uses of the develop- ment and we’re looking forward to getting going with the project,” said Rory Smyth.

SM alompccnencenonlMM SUI L- Rom oeBlO)ImmO)E the new development will allow over-

55s avail of cleaning and firelighting Services, meals in the hotel or deliv- ered to their door, and the use of a communal facilities and the leisure centre at the hotel.

The development will feature a 225sq m café bar/restaurant as well as a 300sq m function room/confer- ence facility and a number of smaller conference/syndicate rooms from 100sq m to 30sq m. The leisure facil- ity includes a gym with sauna, jacuz- Z1 and a number of treatment rooms.

There will be 10 bedroom suites in the main body of the hotel, and it is proposed to build nine holiday homes

attached to the hotel. Each will have four en-suite bedrooms which can be let as individual rooms, giving the hotel a total of 48 rooms.

Feakle native Fr Harry Bohan said, “The loss of the old hotel resulted in many events and functions not only being moved from the area, but in many instances being cancelled al- together. East Clare is recognised as one of the most scenic and unspoiled destinations in the country but it is also accepted as being seriously under-developed, so I welcome the news of the hotel and holiday village re-development.”

GARDA resources during the Wil- lie Clancy music festival last year were “grossly inadequate” as just six gardai were on duty on a night when 1,700 people were in the town.

That was the view expressed by a judge, who heard details of an assault case in court last week.

Judge Joseph Mangan made the comments at Kilrush District Court, in the case of three men who were

charged with assault, arising out of a series of incidents in Miltown Mal- bay on a night in July last year.

Two of the three were convicted, while a charge against the third ac- cused was dismissed. Brian Sexton (18), of Spanish Point, Miltown Malbay, was convicted of three as- sault charges. David Halley (22), of Woodfield, Ballynote, Kilrush, was convicted of a charge of assault, causing harm. A charge of assault against David Kelly, of High Street,

Kilrush, was dismissed.

Sergeant Joe Hehir told the court the incident happened during Willie Clancy week. Judge Joseph Mangan asked how many patrons were in the town that night and was told there were between 1,000 and 1,700.

He then asked, “How many gardai?” and was told there were six.

The judge said, “Sergeant Hehir has stated there were up to 1,700 patrons in Miltown Malbay on this night. S1x gardai on patrol in that situation

is grossly inadequate. It’s not fair to the people of Miltown Malbay and it’s not fair to the majority of patrons who went there to enjoy themselves and, above all, it is not fair to the six members of the gardai,” he said.

He imposed a three-month deten- tion sentence on Sexton and fined Halley €500. He fixed recognisances in the event of an appeal, for both young men. Halley’s solicitor Eu- gene O’Kelly told the court his cli- ent thought his friend was in trouble

on the night and went to rescue him. “He didn’t go to Miltown to cause trouble,” said Mr O’ Kelly.

Sexton’s solicitor Joe Moloney said his client came from a decent family and his mother was in court with him. Judge Mangan said, “Mr Sexton instigated and initiated all of the trouble on the night. If it weren’t for him, there wouldn’t have been any trouble. His words and his ac- tions led to mayhem on the night and he has to face the consequences.”