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IT all went according to form in Bodyke on Friday evening as the home side got back to winning ways ahead of their quarter-final clash this weekend whereas winless Meelick are doomed to the relegation fight.

Already qualified for the last eight despite an inconsistent start, Bodyke needed a positive showing here and did so thanks to defensive anchor Sean Doyle who mopped up any breaks as well as their attacking quartet of PJ Kelleher, Johnny Howard, Keith Qui- gley and newly crowned All-Ireland Under 21 champion Colm Madden whose latent understanding allowed them to accumulate 2-16 of Bodyke’s total between them.

In saying that, despite the com- prehenisve scoreline, the Bodyke management still won’t be wholly satisfied approaching this weekend’s knock-out stages. They were totally in control of this tie from start to fin- ish but lapses in concentration that hampered them against both Feakle and Clarecastle again resurfaced here as they never ruthlessly put con- fidence shy Meelick to the sword at any stage. Allied to that was a poor conversion rate of 16 wides over the hour that in the business end of the season against the bigger sides could

prove very costly.

Meelick, for their part, ravaged by emmigration, injuries and suspen- sions, epitomised a side who just wanted to get the game over with and put this season behind them after three opening defeats but with a win here ensuring a play-off with Wolfe Tones to avoid relegation, the carrot was still dangling for them to muster up one last battling display.

For that to happen, they needed a positive start but their gameplan was in the shredder as early as the fourth minute after two soft goals had them firmly on the backfoot. Meelick did get the opening score through Ken- neth Keane but from the puck-out, their defence were immediately diso- rientated by Bodyke’s movement and it allowed Tom McNamara to kick through to the unmarked Colm Mad- den who was clear to rattle James Duffy’s net. From the puck-out, PJ Kelleher fed Keith Quigley for a point and only two minutes later, the writing was on the wall for Meelick as a Sean Doyle free from his own 65 was added to by Patsy O’Donnell to open up a 2-1 to 0-1 lead.

From that juncture on, it was a firefighting exercise for Meelick but with Johnny Howard, Colm Mad- den and Keith Quigley causing ma- jor headaches, Meelick just had too

many fires to put out and not enough manpower to stop the flames.

Eanna Mulvihill’s frees were the only reliable source of comfort for the south east Clare side but down to the bare bones, they hadn’t the firepower to trouble Bodyke who had enough chances to put Meelick away by half-time but only took fifty per cent of them. By half-time, they led by 2-11 to 0-07 and went about finishing the job early in the second period with Quigley and Madden adding points before a 36th minute goal from Johnny Howard had them cruising at 3-13 to 0-08.

However, although the result was now beyond doubt, they never con- vincingly built on that advantage, misfiring with hopeful efforts and it allowed Meelick to stage a mini- revolt.

The introduction of Ger Markham immediately caused Bodyke prob- lems, earning a 20 metre free with his first touch that Alan Markham slammed to the net in the 42nd minute before the substitute got one himself three minutes later when an Eoin Daly ball dropped behind the full-back line for the full-forward to pull to the net.

With the lead now sliced to eight, the loss of midfielder Barry O’Dwyer to injury was now felt by Bodyke but

it was his partner PJ Kelleher who steadied the ship once more with two successive points along with a Qui- aD keer

The brief crisis averted, Bodyke regained control to ease up to vic- tory and provide the perfect launch- ing pad for a concerted drive at the knock-out stages. Some fine tuning is still necessary though if they have a realistic chance of toppling the big boys in the grade.

Wheelchair bus vandalised

FEAKLE claimed the top spot in Group two as they held off previous- ly unbeaten Clarecastle with a bat- tling second half fightback. In truth, they were full value for the win and would have been kicking themselves had they not secured all the points after a bucketful of poor wides over the hour.

For forty minutes, in similar mis- firing fashion to their Junior B side earlier that afternoon, Feakle were woeful in front of the posts. Miss

after miss frustrated the east Clare side and with the Magpies dogged throughout the field, they grabbed a crucial goal after 20 minutes when full-forward Eoin Brennan collected a pass from Dean Power and soloed at the heart of the Feakle defence be- fore offloading to John Reidy to hit to the net on their way to a 1-5 to 0-4 half-time advantage.

Feakle shuffled the pack at the break bringing on Colm Naughton to full-forward and it was to prove an inspired change as Feakle began to turn the screw. The wides continued

to mount up but they finally found their range to slice the lead to the minimum before Naughton blocked down a Kieran Lynch clearance, gathered possession and slammed to the net to give Feakle a 1-7 to 1-5 advantage.

Gathering momentum and with Henry Hayes in inspired form at centre-back, Feakle pummeled the Clarecastle rearguard in search of further scores and they were re- warded in the 50th minute when Stevie Moloney kicked their second goal to push five points clear. Clare-

castle tried valliantly to pull back a goal but their efforts were in vain as Feakle held out for all the points and more importantly maintained their unbeaten record ahead of this week- end’s quarter-finals.

CLARE County Council has con- firmed it was awaiting approval from the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government to carry out a wide range of accessibil- ity works in 17 towns and villages throughout the county.

Finance totalling €371,000 has been allocated for the proposed works under the Disability Strategy Funding for 2009.

The prioritised works awaiting ap- proval were identified as part of a countywide accessibility audit of all

public buildings, facilities and amen- ities owned or controlled by Clare Local Authorities.

An integral part of the audit proc- ess was the consultation through workshops and at local level with the various stakeholders – people with disabilities, disability groups, carers of people with disabilities and the elderly.

According to Mayor of Clare, Councillor Tony Mulcahy, “I warmly welcome the fact that the proposed works are spread throughout the county and include the provision of drop kerbing and tactile paving in

seventeen different towns and vil- lages.

‘Elsewhere, improvements will be made to disabled car parking facili- ties at Drumcliffe Graveyard, and at Lahinch and Killaloe where the works will be carried out by Clare County Council staff,”

Mayor Mulcahy added, “I also wel- come proposals to expand the audio stock, DVDs and number of large print books for use through the lh- brary service, which continues to be a vital resource to the people of CET rome

Commenting on the scheduled

works, Mr Tom King, Chairman of Disabled People of Clare, Chairper- son of the National Policy for the Centre of Independent Living, and National Director of People With Disabilities in Ireland said, “It is reassuring to learn that despite the current economic climate all fund- ing allocated to Clare under the Dis- ability Strategy Funding in 2009 will be spent on accessibility measures in the county.

“T am also delighted that the works included in the proposals awaiting Government approval have been ex- tracted from priority measures iden-

tified in the access audit.”

Mr King continued, “Especially in view of the difficult economic circumstances, I fully support and welcome the use of the council’s own staff to execute the proposed works.

Mr King said, “In addition to assist- ing with maintaining local employ- ment, the execution of these works will also provide training in terms of accessibility works and serve to in- crease awareness of the principal of universal accessibility and the obliga- tion on service providers to meet the needs of those living and visiting our feta ae

that classes will be

commencing at the end of this week at the new gym.

In recent times, pole dancing has

been synonymous with strip bars and gentlemen’s clubs.

However, Mr O’Malley said that “pole dance fitness is huge on the continent but has taken a while to spread to us here. It is a great fitness class with a huge emphasis on fun. We have clients of all ages signed up and there is a great buzz about the class.”

He pointed out that “pole danc- ing is now regarded as a recognised form of exercise and can be used as both an aerobic and anaerobic work- out. Recognised schools and qualifi- cations are being developed as pole

dancing increases in popularity.”

He confirmed that the poles have been ordered to specification and that each pole will cater for four participants at the classes.

“We have a policy here of offering the very best service to our clients and this includes keeping up with current fitness trends.”

Mr O’Malley said that partici- pants are advised to dress in short pants, with no creams on the legs or Web hcaatce

According to Mr O’Malley, the pole dancing fitness “involves danc- ing sensually with a vertical pole

and is now a leading way of getting PUMA OD ome Ma DOcas REN Dla

“Advanced pole dancing requires strength, flexibility and endurance. The dancer may simply hold the pole, or use it to perform more ath- letic moves such as climbs, spins, and body inversions. Upper body and core strength are targeted and vastly improved during training Sessions,’ he said.

A NEW< satellite District Veterinary Office could be established in Ennis at a fraction of the cost of providing centralised services in Limerick. According to Clare IFA, serious questions have also to be answered concerning the Department of Ag- riculture’s handling of the situation - with the department-owned Ennis offices to be closed in favour of the office at the Raheen Business Park in Limerick which costs the taxpayer almost €33,000 in rent and charges rele spaslevelaee Followings revelations last week that it would cost between €6.5m and €1l0m for the department to get out of their arrangement in rela- tion to the Limerick offices, it has emerged this week that they have paid €1,556,703 in rent and a further €147,319 in service charges since the lease on commenced in May of PAU Oey It has also emerged that the depart- ment had first intended to close the Limerick offices but changed their mind when the prohibitive rental ar- rangement became clear. “This will be a huge inconvenience to Clare farmers and will be a mas- sive drain, both in time and money. This raises serious questions over the procedure for procuring proper- ties being used by the Government. It seems obvious that the Government was weak in their management of this and it raises some serious ques- tions,’ said Michael Lynch, Clare President of the IFA. “There will have to be some sort of facility in Ennis. In the current cli- mate a limited number of services to be maintained in Ennis would be very cost effective. If we could retains some facilities, especially in relation to questions about the differ- ent government schemes and disease irradiation it would make a huge dif- ference.” In all, 42 offices are to be closed by the department and services cen- tralised to 16 upgraded facilities in a restructuring move which will see a saving €30m but the loss of 400 jobs. According to Agriculture Minister Brendan Smith, this is on the basis of several criteria including ownership of buildings. “If this was one of the criteria used and it was applied to the Ennis of- fice, it would be remaining open,” said Clare TD, Pat Breen (FG). ‘The Ennis office is not costing the department anything in terms of rent or leases. Also, the argument that centralising the service will provide better value for money does not wash either. Where are the cost savings in this proposal?”

THE Government has turned a blind eye to An Garda Siochana’s policy of increased urbanization.

That’s the view of Clare Fine Gael TD, Pat Breen who has called on Justice Minister Dermot Ahern to review the strategy and to put gardai back into the rural areas.

“The only 24-hour Garda stations in Clare are in Ennis, Shannon, Kil- rush, Killaloe and Ennistymon. The

other Garda stations open for just a few hours each day,” Deputy Breen Sr nLe

‘In recent months, I have received a number of calls from people who live in isolated parts of the county and are worried about the increased inci- dence of burglaries in their areas.

“They are concerned that the short opening hours of their local Garda stations are resulting in gardai having to travel long distances to respond to incidents.”

Deputy Breen’s concerns were ech- oed by party colleague, Joe Carey.

He said, “There is something not quite right when almost the only in- teraction of people with the Garda is on meeting the traffic corps. There has been a conscious decision to develop elements such as the traf- fic corps, leaving rural stations and community policing to wither and die.

“Over the past number of weeks there has been a marked increase in

burglaries throughout the county.

“If you take a line from Coose in Galway through to Whitegate, Scar- riff, Broadford and Quin, roughly the R352 regional road, I can recount four individual incidents.

“Many homeowners in the east Clare to south-east Galway artery find themselves having to put more elaborate security systems in place. Sheds and storage areas resemble an Irish version of Fort Knox.

‘East Clare is a massive geographi-

cal area which has been further in- creased with the redrawing of the operational areas. This is an area served by the part-time Garda station in Scariff with just one patrol car and a maximum of five gardai.

“T am convinced that one can link what is happening to the economy with the increase in crime towards property and belongings of the per- son. No doubt this phenomenon will increase steadily if we do not do something,” he said.

PREVENTING crimes such as bur- glary and theft across the county will be one of the priorities for Garda Community Safety Week, which takes place throughout this week.

The theme of the week’s nation- wide campaign is ‘Older Adults in the Community’. The purpose of the theme is to focus on the positive con- tributions of older adults in the com- munity, particularly through their involvement in various community partnerships and crime prevention initiatives, operated in partnership ede mee:NuOreNB

“It is recognised that older people can be targeted. However, the impact can be reduced if crime prevention advice is actioned,’ said the crime prevention officer in Clare, Sergeant Joe Downey.

“Every effort should be made by all to take all necessary precautions to secure their property and protect themselves from any form of attack. The main focus of this week is on burglary, theft from cars and theft from shops,” said Sgt Downey.

He pointed to advice in helping to prevent burglaries, thefts from cars and thefts from shops. These in- clude fitting quality security locks, installing intruder alarms and mark- ing valuable property so that it can be positively identified if stolen and later located.

“Form Neighbourhood Watch, Community Alert or Business Watch

eroups for your area. Be a good neighbour and report any suspicious behaviour to the gardai,’ advised Sgt Dre atlas

A number of specific points should be remembered in an effort to prevent thefts from cars, he said. These in- clude locking all doors and windows, fitting an immobiliser or alarm and avoiding parking in isolated places.

Thefts from shops can also be pre- vented, by taking various measures. “Making it difficult for customers or professional thieves to take goods can greatly reduce the incidents of theft,” said Sgt Downey.

“Installing CCTV systems will

help to deter thieves. The cameras should be highly visible, with warn- ing signs on display. A camera should be placed to record all who enter the shop. Access to the recorder should be strictly controlled.

‘“High-value goods should be in di- rect sight of the counter staff, while staff should always be encouraged to be observant.”

Garda Community Safety Week runs through until next Sunday, Sep- tember 27.

CRICKET is a game that doesn’t hold up much comparison to the game of hurling. In fact, it’s not even a distant relation of the national game at full tilt but there was some- thing very cricketlike about the man- ner in which Smith O’Brien’s – after taking the game to the group leaders in the opening quarter to lead by I- 5 to 0-3 – seemed happy to declare and let Kilmaley do the batting for the remainder.

That was the most bizarre turna- round in a match that had only mi- nor relevance to the overall champi- onship as Kilmaley looked to keep their unbeaten run ticking along and possibly even top the group while a positive result of any kind for the Killaloe side would ensure their sen- ior status for another year.

However, after a fire and brimstone Opening quarter that seemed to rattle Kilmaley, Smith O’Brien’s held a five point lead but somehow were not to

score for a further 34 minutes and by the time they took up their innings once more, Kilmaley were practi- cally out of sight.

Kilmaley could even afford to pre- vail without the vast influence of Colin Lynch and it was one of those changes Conor Clancy that provided the perfect target up front. Producing the type of performance that earned him two All-Ireland titles, Clancy’s paw was seemingly a ball magnet, repeatedly set up scores for others and slow to start, Kilmaley will be thankful to Clancy who was a con- stant thorn in Smith O’Brien’s side. Still, the Killaloe side were up for this game and after pushing into a 0-4 to 0-2 lead by the 12th minute, two from Liam Walsh, a stroke of fortune earned them a crucial goal only two minutes later. It came after goalkeeper Seamus Hurley fumbled a handpass whilst burstting out from goal and Shane O’Brien stole pos- session to hit to an empty net via the stick of John Clohessy.

Ken Kennedy and Pat Aherne Swapped points soon afterwards to give Smith O’Brien’s a 1-5 to O-3 advantage but that was a good as it would get for Smith O’Briens who began to fade and it allowed Kilma- ley to gain a foothold in the game. Alan Markham upped his game at centre-back, midfielders Conor Mc- Mahon and Stephen McNamara be- gan to dominate their sector while up front Conor Clancy, Diarmuid McMahon and Kenneth Kennedy got some much needed supply and they slowly turned the screw through Kennedy, McNamara and Conor McMahon to trail by only two at the break at 1-5 to 0-6.

The second half only reaffirmed their control as four successive points put them in front by 0-10 to 1-O5 by the 4lst minute. However, what sealed the victory was Kenneth Kennedy’s 43rd minute goal, inevi- tably broke by Clancy to Diarmuid McMahon who pulled through for the full-forward to turn and kick

past the onrushing Mark McInerney. Kilmaley were now rampant and de- spite further points from Diarmuid McMahon and Alan Markham, the damage could have been far greater only for a pelthora of wides.

Smith O’Brien’s finally broke their scoring duck in the 5lst minute through a Liam Walsh ’65 but Kil- maley were not about to let their ad- vantage slip at this stage and tacked on late points through Kennedy, Clancy and John Clohessy to lead by 1-16 to 1-07 by the 58th minute.

Shane O’Brien finished strongly with a brace for Killaloe and Pat Vaughan earned a late penalty after being stopped by substitute Sean Hehir but before the effort could be taken, Liam Walsh saw red for a needless stroke on John Clohessy. O’Brien’s penalty was saved, Kilma- ley prevailed and now approach the quarter-finals in bouyant mood as group winners as well as being the only side outside of Newmarket to remain unbeaten in the championship

so far. Even their frustrating cricket- score of wides had been halved.

CCTV in Ennis is set to be expanded after members of Ennis Town Coun- cil recommended that a new bank of cameras be installed in several areas of the town.

The cameras will be installed at Drumbiggle Road green area, Clancy Park, Cornmarket car park, Hermit- age, Pearse Avenue/ Childers Road, Shallee Drive, John Paul Avenue, Considine Road and Island car park.

A report on CCTV was presented to members at the September meet- ing of Ennis Town Council.

The aim of the report was to deter- mine whether or not the “proposed development was consistent with the proper planning and sustainable de- velopment of the area having regard to the provisions of the development plan and giving the reason and con- siderations for the evaluation”’.

The council’s report found that “most of the locations of proposed cameras are zoned other settlement land where the objective is to con- serve and enhance the quality and character of the area, to protect resi- dential amenity and to allow for de- velopment appropriate to the sustain-

able growth of the settlement”.

No submissions were received by the council on the matter.

“Tt 1s not considered that the pro- posal contravenes the zoning objec- tive for the area. There is no objec- tion in principle to the proposed development. I recommend that the development proceed,” concluded Ellen Carey, Executive Planner with Ennis Town Council. CCTV cam- eras are already in place in 13 other locations around Ennis.

Meanwhile, the next meeting of the Ennis town Joint Policing Commit- tee (JPC) will take place at Water-

park House on October 5.

Cllr Paul O’Shea (Lab) told Sep- tember’s meeting of Ennis Town Council that he had concerns about the timing of the meeting.

Cllr O’Shea called for the meeting to be held in September saying it was of “paramount importance” that it take place as soon as possible. Cllr O’Shea added that serious issues re- lating to crime had arisen in the town over the last number of months.

Town Clerk Eddie Power stated that several meetings had taken place be- tween councillors, council officials and the Gardai, as issues had arisen.