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THE innovations at Clare County Library _ services continue apace with the ad- vent of their new digitized maps service.

The 1842 Ordnance Sur- vey six-inch Maps of Clare were uploaded onto the li- braries website on Novem- ber 4. Since then the web- site has received more than 1,500 hits with researchers and historians keen to access MODEM. GO RoIOOLo) AAD DONT OLO METI MB Kor search tool.

The maps are the latest addition to the Library’s in- ternationally renowned Ge- nealogy and Local History Service and offer users the chance to take virtual tour of Clare in 1842.

They also provide a focal point for people to access a massive database of the

counties boundary markings and topographical features including over 7,000 pages including town lands, par- ishes, baronies, 7,OOO monu- ments and historical build- ings and 4,000 photographic images.

It provides a fascinating glimpse at the social and demographic makeup of the county in the pre-urbaniza- tion era and links census records with documents concerning land ownership and images from the librar- ies extensive photographic collection.

Clare County Library owns two original copies of the 1842 maps, but due to their fragile condition, the maps are only available for viewing at the Library’s Lo- cal Studies Centre in Ennis so public access to them is limited. In order to get the

maps onto the website’s In- ternet Geographical Infor- mation System (GIS), the library enlisted the services of Rainer Kosbi, a software developer and historical re- searcher whose *“Tracemaps SG” project provided the technical capacity for the maps to be uploaded and cross-referenced across the GIS.

An off-line solution for people who don’t have ac- cess to broadband has also been developed.

Anyone interested in ac- cessing the historical maps can send a blank CD to Clare Library Services who will upload the maps and return the CD with instructions on how to use the semi-offline application.

According to the head of Clare County Library Serv- ices, Noel Crowley the maps

were vital in collating the vast volume of information that has been accruing on the library’s busy website.

‘The whole idea was to get all the information and link it all together and the maps allow us to that.

“It can be mind boggling at times to try and get a com- plete picture of the entire project, it has been a huge undertaking and is an ongo- ing process.”

Such has been the popular- ity of the website that is now the County’s busiest branch. It attracts almost twice as many visitors as the de Valera Library in Ennis and in total has over 1.5 million visitors in total.

The praise for the service, which is the first of its kind in Ireland, has flowed in to the website’s message board from Washington to New

South Wales.

“This is a wonderful thing you are doing. It will be such a help to me as my early relatives and ancestors came from the Kilrush area in County Clare,’ writes Yvonne Murphy from Aus- tralia, while Pat Wood from Washington says: “outstand- ing website. Just discovered it today. Thanks so much for putting it together.”

Meanwhile, the library has also launched a new service allowing users to access the website using their voice.

By scrolling your mouse over the text that you want to read, the ‘Browsealoud’ system will read and speak what you require and help users to navigate the website more easily.

The easy-to-use service 1s free to download from the libraries website.

THE Irish Wheelchair Association (IWA) are encouraging people to be an Angel and buy an Angel this Oi tahsaenrty

The (IWA) has just launched its annual fundraising Angel pin cam- paign that is aimed at enhancing the lives of 20,000 [WA service us- ers. The aim is to encourage people to buy the pins which cost just €2 each. A nationwide campaign was launched in Dublin on November 15, and the mulinational staff from the Ennis branch will be out on the streets throughout Christmas urg- ing people to get involved in this worthy cause.

The fundraiser is a vital event for the Ennis branch of the IWA who have been helping to provide opp- portunities and avenues for people with disabilities to become more actively involved in the workforce along with participating more in the social aspects of their community. The resource centre in Hermitage Ennis is open four days a week and caters for up to 60 people with physical and sensory disabilities while there is also a simillar centre in Spanish Point which is open for one day during the week.

They offer a variety of different services for people with disability

including art and drama classes while also hosting workshops in computer and IT skills and provid- ing a door to door bus service. A personal assistant service is also available for people who might have difficulty getting around their homes. The IWA work in conjunc- tion with FAS and on Monday last 15 participants in the Ennis Pre- Employment Course graduated at a ceremony held in the Temple- Gate Hotel in Ennis. According to Colin McGrath, assistant living Service co-ordinator in Ennis, the Angel campaign is vital in ensur- ing the organization can continue to provide much needed services and hopes that this year’s fund- raising efforts can match last year efforts which saw the branch raise a OROL Oe?

“It’s massively important and it has been great so far this year, our staff have been out county wide from Kilrush to Killaloe.

“Without this sort of fundrais- ing we wouldn’t be able to provide fully wheelchair accessible buses or start new projects.”

Molly Buckley, CEO of IWA, said: “we are delighted to launch six Angel pins. Now it’s just down to the public to act like angels and show their generosity of spirit and pocket.”

MEMBERS of Clare County Council and Ennis Town Coun- cil have been warned not to put the financial interests of a small number of landowners ahead of the health of 30,000 people liv- ing in the greater Ennis area.

Last September, councillors from the two local authorities agreed to rezone two parcels of land on the outskirts of Ennis which have an area groundwater vulnerability rating.

These parcels of land are also situated in a zone of source pro- tection for the public water sup- ply for the Ennis area.

The Council’s planning de- partment warned that in the light of the boil notice issued in June, the rezonings “will increase the risk to human health.”

Since the councillors adopted the proposed changes, the Coun- cil has issued two further boil notices and the draft changes are

now on public display in order to receive submissions from the public.

In one decision, the councillors agreed that a cluster at Reskaun which contains 12 houses ac- commodate an additional seven homes and a cluster of 12 houses at Ballymaquiggan on the out- skirts of Ennis be extended to in- clude an additional three homes.

In his submission lodged with both councils, Cllr Brian Meaney described as reckless any decision to rezone the lands for housing

He states: “no rezonings in these two areas should take place pending the outcome of an investigation into the cause of the continuing water contamina- tion to the Ennis water supply.

“IT would urge the Council in the light of the two additional boil notices and the ongoing warnings to pre-school children and people in care to strengthen its reasons on why the rezonings

at Ballymaquiggan and Reskaun should not proceed.”

He added: “it also places an onus on the elected members to take a stance on the issue that would not undermine the Council’s case in seeking fund- ing from the Department of the Environment for remedial meas- ures to improve the Ennis water supply.”

“We cannot be seen on one hand to demand monies from Government to improve the sup- ply and endanger it on the other with reckless rezoning deci- sions.”

He added: “the ongoing con- tamination and threat of con- tamination of the Ennis Town Water Supply is a serious issue that the current review of the plan does not deal with.

“All land rezoning proposed in the review where a connection to the Ennis Town Water sup- ply is envisaged, be conditional that no development take place

until the upgrading of the En- nis Town Supply and connection and operation of the augmenta- tion scheme is complete.”

‘The proposed conditional re- zoning at Ballymaquiggan and Reskaun not take place.”

“Any further review or new plan include a plan objective requiring an appraisal of the de- sign capacity against the current use of the water and sewerage systems in the town.”

“This should include inform- ing members where flow capaci- ties are reaching their peak so that further development of the town is considered in a more in- formed manner.”

The rezonings and _ other changes to the Ennis and Envi- rons Plan will revert back to the council with a planner’s report before the Councils make their final decision. Both Councils are expected to debate the proposed rezonings at their monthly De- cember meetings.

ALMOST three quarters of all rapes committed in Co Clare are never reported to the Garda, information received by The Clare People would suggest.

In the first ever research of its kind, a group from the Law Faculty of NUI, Galway has been commis- sioned by the Rape Crisis Network of Ireland to put together concrete figures on how many rapes are not reported in Ireland each year. The

group also aim to discover the rea- sons why these rapes are not report- ed to the Gardai.

In their preliminary investiga- tion, the group discovered that 73 per cent of the calls received by the Limerick Rape Crisis Centre (LRCC) in 2004 were not reported to the Gardai. The LRCC deals with calls from Clare, Limerick and parts of Tipperary and runs a clinic in Ennis two days a week.

Miriam Duffy is the co-ordinator of the LRCC and believes that there

are a number of different reasons why people are unwilling to report incidents of rape.

“It has been shown that 90 to 92 per cent of rapist are known to their victims which can make it difficult,” said Ms Duffy. “As well as this, the investigations undertaken by the Gardai can often take a number of months and this can deter people from coming forward.”

One of the main goal of the re- search, which is being headed up by Ennis man Conor Hanley, is to

evaluate how the criminal justice system responds to sexual violence. When the study is completed in 2007 it will make recommenda- tions on possible changes to the De- partment of Justice.

The amount of people who don’t report rapes could be as high as 90 per cent according to Deirdre Hea- ly, who is the primary researcher for the project.

“Almost half of the people sur- veyed didn’t tell anyone at all and I would imagine that 90 per cent will

be a more likely figure than 73 per cent when our research 1s complet- ed,” said Ms Healy.

The group are appealing to peo- ple who have suffered sexual abuse since 2002 and were aged 18 or over at the time to contact them in con- fidence.

Participants can obtain more in- formation by contacting Deirdre Healy on 091-495374 or check out www.end-the-silence.com

The Limerick Rape Crisis Centre can be reached at 1800 311511.

POPULAR Cork singer/songwriter John Spillane will be in the Burren College of Art on December 10 as part of he college’s ongoing New- town Nights series of concerts.

This concert is part of efforts being made within the college to provide a venue for locals and tourist alike to enjoy all kinds of art in a unique Burren setting. With the opening of its new gallery earlier this year, the Burren College’s director Mary Greene hopes that the college now has a venue which can really open it up to the local community.

“We see all different kinds of art interwoven into what we do here,’ said Mrs Greene. “I want it to be alive. Now that we have the new gal- lery we will have much more of an opportunity to run events for the lo- cal community.”

John’s first solo album “The Wells of The World’ was described by Hot Press as ‘not only a striking and in- dividual musical statement, but one of the albums of this, or any other year’.

He has gained a reputation over the years for performances in the Irish language, collaborating with gaelic poet Louis de Paor and artists such as Sinead Lohan.

On April 1 of this year John re-

leased his third and most successful album to date “Hey Dreamer”. The album reached number 4 in the Irish album charts and included such well received songs as “‘Dunnes Stores Girl’ and title track “Hey Dreamer’.

Aside from the concert, four stu- dents from the college will put on a special exhibition of their work in the Newtown Castle before John Spillane takes the stage.

Each student has taken on a floor of the castle and will transform it using a variety of instillation pieces ZNO OLou Le) went-lilGom-bam

The Burren College of Art is an internationally recognised non profit independent college specialising in undergraduate and graduate fine art education.

They offer artists and art students from around the world time, space and inspiration within the uniquely creative environment of the Burren.

The Master of Fine Art programme is accredited by the National Univer- sity of Ireland, Galway and is operat- ed in association with the Royal Col- lege of Art, London and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.

Tickets for the concert are avail- able at €20 from the college on 065 7077200, or check out www.burren- college.ie for more information. The concert takes place on Saturday De- cember 10 at 8.30pm.

IRELAND’S first ever Euro- pean style outdoor Christmas market opens in Ballyvaughan this weekend with a host of activities, shopping and cheer which is sure to warm the hearts of locals and visitors alike.

The idea of an outdoor Christ- mas market has been popular in Germany and Austria for Several centuries, but the Bal- lyvaughan market is the first of it’s kind in this country.

The market will allow people to shop from a range of out- door stalls at a leisurely pace and enjoy an occasional glass of mulled wine and some local delicacies.

Last year the Ballyvaughan Christmas market started out aS a spontaneous idea born only two months before the Ste tiserheer here

This year however, the organ- isers have gone one step further with the purchase of traditional wooden huts which will be erected in St John’s Hall.

The stalls will sell a wide range of products and serve food and drink from _ these nutty

They will be decorated with fir garlands and chains of lights while inside the hall there will be a large array of crafts, gifts and food.

This year there will be 28 traders, the majority of which will be local craftsmen, as well as horse trap rides around he village and some traditional carol singing.

A number of stalls will also be filled by farmers from the Ballyvaughan farmer’s market which completed it’s second year of trading last weekend.

Aside from the market visi- tors to Ballyvaughan will be able to take in performances from Galway’s award-winning Cois Cladaigh Chamber Choir and John Spillane.

As-well-as_ these concerts there will also be a series of workshops on topics such as Christmas entertainments, and Christmas decorations using natural materials and floral decorations.

The Christmas market will run from 10am to 6pm on De- cember 3, 4, 8, 10, 17 and 18.

For more information: ballyvaughanireland.com

A JUDGE yesterday granted bail to a man who, it is claimed, threatened to burn his wife’s house Keyan

But Judge Joseph Mangan said he was giving the O’Callaghan’s Mills man bail on condition that he live in Limerick.

Denis Peppard of Keldara, O’Callaghan’s Mills, was before the court accused of criminal damage, and breaching a barring order.

Gardai gave evidence in Killaloe District court of having arrested Peppard after getting a call from his wife in the early hours of Monday morning.

Gardai had asked the court to remand him in custody until the case can be heard.

Garda Colin McGrath said that he responded to acall from Peppard’s wife and found her at her home “in a very distressed state. She alleged he told her that he would burn the house down.”

Garda McGrath said that he took the threat se- riously.

Sergeant Gerard Mulqueen said that at the house, he saw that a window had been broken by having stones thrown through it.

While he was there, Sgt Mulqueen said more large stones were thrown in.

The sergeant told Judge Mangan that the ac- cused man “lives in a caravan on his own land

about 100 feet away from his wife’s house.”

Peppard’s solicitor told the court that her client is contesting the charges and that he would abide by any bail conditions imposed.

After hearing that Peppard works in Castletroy, Judge Mangan said he would agree to bail, pro- vided Peppard lives in Limerick and that he would go there directly. The judge asked if the gardai would drive the defendant into the city in a squad car.

He also ordered that Peppard have no direct or indirect contact with his wife and that he sign on daily at Henry Street garda station.

He was remanded to appear again in Tulla Dis- trict Court on December 1.

y

‘There is no doubt that the car-park is necessary as the current situation can be dangerous and inconven- ient. The challenge will be to ensure it doesn’t dis-

turb the unique character of the site, where its beauty is its remoteness”.

Clare Tourist Council spokesman, Paddy Maher, said, “The site is so special that it has to be managed properly, but a carpark is absolutely needed because of the dangerous situation of people coming out of buses on the roadside and clambering over walls. I believe that they have also chosen the correct site as it is a greenfield site and doesn’t interfere with the karst landscape”.

Currently, a herd of eco-friendly Government cat- tle is grazing the site in order to improve conserva- tion, as recommended in a management plan.

Dr Lynch has already confirmed that the cattle grazing “has had a very significant impact on the ecology of the site”.

The excavation of the site in 1986 was prompted by one of the slabs of limestone pavement that made up the dolmen being cracked, necessitating its re- placement by a nearby slab of pavement.

Full-time rangers are now employed by the Gov- ernment at the site, after it purchased the dolmen, along with 16 acres of land, in 2002 from a local levutloe

Those wishing to make submissions on the council plan have until December 16.

this system is of concern to parents. ‘Nobody wants to be paying for teachers. We lost two teachers last July because the roll dropped in September 2004,” said Mr Mac Cor- maic. “Now the roll has come up again, but we

will have to wait until September 2006 to get out teachers back. Despite appeals to the De- partment of Education and lobbying our elected representatives for even a part-time extra teach- er our requests have fallen on deaf ears. All we are looking for is a part-time teachers, for fifth and sixth class students. This doesn’t make sense. The reason we are fundraising is that the children get an equal chance,” he added.

He said the Department told the Board of Management that if there were 187 students (just five more than is the case at present), the school would have been allocated two addition- al teachers. Mr Mac Cormaic said the problem could be overcome if the fifth and sixth classes were split up, but this would not be fair to the students and teachers concerned.

A number of fundraising initiatives have tak- en place in recent weeks, including a golf out- ing, while a sponsored walk and table quiz are also planned.

VANDALS and thugs who are causing late- night distress to residents in Kilrush council estates face eviction and exclusion if their anti-social behaviour continues.

Kilrush Town Council responded to ongoing problems in the town’s estates yesterday by launching the Tenancy Management Policy, including Combating Anti-Social behaviour. Ongoing problems in areas such as John Paul Estate, where people are leaving their homes in fear of vandalism and shootings, are to be addressed through the new policy.

A spokesperson said, ““While Kilrush Town Council recognises that the great majority of tenants and residents of council housing are aware of their obligations, a small number are involved in behaviour that causes their neigh- bours difficulty. Sanctions such as eviction or exclusion orders are available and the council is committed to using them.

County manager, Alec Fleming advised that the new policy sets out positive response pro- cedures for the management of tenancy and estate issues in the council’s housing stock. It encourages the establishment of residents’ as- sociations and aims to support them, and take measures against anti-social behaviour. The council has also vowed to record every com- plaint and respond within five working days. Town clerk, Fiona Mooney, stressed the confi- dentiality of the complaints procedure.

‘Kilrush Town Council is aware of the need for confidentiality, so this policy includes a confidential complaints system,” she said. “Senior staff will investigate all complaints and appropriate action will be taken where

breaches of tenancy are evident.”

The town council has also developed a two page brochure, “Together we can make it work’, incorporating a confidential com- plaints form. The Gardai and council will work together in the implementation of the complaints procedure. A series of open in-

formation sessions will be hosted by Kilrush Town Council and the Garda Superintendent to disseminate the procedures.

Meanwhile, John Paul Estate will feature in a