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AN TAOISEACH Brian Cowen will make his first trip to the county town as leader of the country on Monday next.

The Fianna Fail leader was criti- cised during the local election cam- paign for not stopping in Ennis as part of his tour of the county, favour- ing Shannon and Kilmaley instead.

He denied at the time that he avoid- ed the county town as he did not want to engage lobby groups on the closure of 24-accident and emergen- cy services at the hospital.

“The schedule has been fixed and there is no problem meeting people as I go around. And I think it is im- portant to point out, regarding Ennis Hospital, the ward block construc- tion is going to take place (later in the year) we hope. I would be ex- pecting that it would be taking place then,” he said at the time.

More than three months on and Mr Cowen has agreed to a walk around in Ennis.

The Taoiseach will begin his sec- ond official visit to Clare in Shannon, where he has accepted an invitation from Shannon Chamber President, Jan Barrett, to speak at his annual lunch for the business community.

Announcing the event, Chamber President Jan Barrett said, “The chamber is delighted to get an op- portunity to directly represent its members’ interests in these chal- lenging times to An Taoiseach, and

to support the case for the passing of the second referendum on the Lisbon sbi iAee

After lunch, Mr Cowen will begin his visit to Ennis by launching the CCTV (Close Circuit Television) service at Ennis Garda Station. With “big brother” watching over him he will then walk through the winding streets of the town from 2.45pm be- fore meeting the party faithful in a local hotel.

Mr Cowen will then travel west to Lissycasey to the new water plant.

Derma deta oD NNTca CoM AOU Beh ( ome Kirush for the official opening of a community creche.

The childcare facility, Cuan Samh, serves the Adult and Community Learning Centre on Cooraclare Road. The ceremony is timed for 5pm. The purpose-built unit replaces earlier childcare facilities housed in a pre- fabricated building at the centre.

Big stink over Quin odour

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.

MORE than three hundred people took part in a street protest in En- nis in opposition to a proposal by An Bord Snip Nua to end the Rural Transport Programme.

Members and supporters of Clare Accessible Transport (CAT), who were participating in a nation-wide day of action against the proposal, claim that any funding cuts would have a detrimental impact on rural communities throughout Clare.

Addressing a crowd in Ennis town centre on Friday, Mayor of Clare, Councillor Tony Mulcahy under- lined the valuable contribution made by CAT to communities across the County.

He said: “The McCarthy report advocates the total abolition of the rural transport programme. This rec- ommendation has been made with- out due consideration being given to the considerable effect that such a cut would have on the lives of many thousands of people. CAT has a net- work of routes that facilitate people in remote areas who wish to avail of local services.

These communities will be denied access to such vital services if CAT is denied funding.”

Mayor Mulcahy noted that helping disabled persons and the elderly re- tain their independence was only one aspect of rural transport.

“It is very much a part of the fab- ric of the community, enabling com- munity groups, after school projects,

family resource centres, and the Health Service Executive to provide access to their programmes. I would appeal to Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Minister Eamon O Cuiv to carefully consider this fact before making any decision regard- ing the Rural Transport Programme,’ he concluded.

The Feakle-based CAT service makes 3,000 passenger trips a month all across Clare, employs 21 people and now caters for a broader range of

people than ever.

30 per cent of our passengers are under 25 years of age and we cater for tourists as well,’ a spokeswoman for the service said.

“We get emails from Japan and Italy, lots of places, booking trips. We want to support tourism through sustainable transport.”

On the road for seven years, CAT provides flexible transport for any- one who wishes to join. The service is free to travel pass holders and is

reduced for under 16s.

For many living in isolated parts of the county with no car, the service is their only way of getting to and from doctors appointments, doing their shopping, attending to business and having some social contact in their day.

COSTELLOE Estate Agents has an attractive family home on its books, located at Abbeyville off the Limer- ick Road (opposite the West County Hotel), which has just been further reduced in price to €215,000.

No. 50 Abbeyville is a four bedroom semi-detached property offering 1,292 sq. ft. of internal accommoda- tion. This appealing house comprises an entrance hall, living room, kitch- en/dining room, utility and en suite bedroom all on the ground floor. Up-

Stairs, there are three bedrooms, in- cluding the en-suite master bedroom, together with the family bathroom.

Finishes include a mix of timber, tiled and carpeted floors, a qual- ity fitted kitchen with integrated electrics, fitted wardrobes in the bedrooms, quality tiling in the bath- rooms, painted doors, skirting and architraves and quality coving in the reception and living rooms.

Externally the property features a walled lawn and parking area to the front, with an enclosed south facing rear garden with garden shed.

The house was recently redecorat- ed and is on the market in ‘walk-in’ condition. It will appeal to a family as it offers plenty of space and is very close to all key amenities, including schools, in Ennis town centre. It is also just a few hundred metres from the by-pass interchange on the Lim- erick Road.

For full details, contact Costelloe Estate Agents on 065 6821299.

Gormley being led into water fight

SHERRY Fitzgerald McMahon has a stunning Georgian two-storey house, centrally located in Kilkee’s West End, on its books at a reduced ask- ing price of €575,000. This property, called Bayview House, originally went on the market priced at over €800,000, so the reduction is very significant.

The five-bedroom property offers 246 sq metres (2,652 sq. feet) of ac- commodation including five bed- rooms. It has some very elegant pe- riod features including a fn light over the solid main entrance door, and in-

side there are lofty high ceilings.

On the ground floor is the main liv- ing room, which has a feature fire- place and a bright sunroom to the side. The spacious kitchen is well fitted and off this room is the dining room. There’s a further family room PLM N Oval od e

The high sash windows ensure that lots of natural sunlight filters through the house, making it very bright.

The selling agent said that the prop- erty “could do with some modernisa- tion, but 1s a most attractive house, very well priced, not to be missed”.

THERE was further bad news for Shannon Airport this week with revelations that the airport services provider, Servisair, 1s looking to put staff on short time.

Servisair workers received a letter from the company’s human resources manager in Ireland to say that hours were being reduced “in order to re- main competitive and viable in an ever-challenging environment”’.

Full-time staff are being reduced to a three-day week, while part-time staff will go on a 20-hour week.

Servisair could not be reached for comment on the matter, but a SIPTU representative confirmed that “cer- tain proposals” are being made by management which the union and esexO MELB D OTSA

Servisair staff look after most of the baggage handling operations at Shannon Airport but a spokeswoman for the airport authority said that the

matter is not affecting any operations at the airport.

Meanwhile, the Aer Lingus deci- sion not to use the US Customs Pre- Clearance Facility at Shannon until 2010 for operation reasons has again attracted criticism.

Clare Fine Gael TD Joe Carey has said that management at Aer Lingus “have questions to answer”.

He said: “It beggars belief that any company operating at a loss in the current climate would not avail of

opportunities to increase revenue and add value to its business. I cannot un- derstand the Aer Lingus decision to snub the US Pre Clearance Facility at Shannon, particularly when other major airlines have jumped at the chance to use the service.”

His party colleague Pat Breen has blasted Aer Lingus for having al- legedly sacked staff over the phone, with a text followed by a phone call and called on the company to im- mediately review its communication

procedures.

The airline sent text messages to telling around 60 staff that a sig- nificant jobs announcement was due, before informing them by telephone that their positions were being termi- nated.

A spokeswoman for the airline said the situation has been taken out of context.

She said the contracts do not affect any Shannon staff and applied only to Dublin and Cork crews.

VISITING Minister, Eamon O Cuiv would not be drawn on whether he has been given any indication as to the future of his department.

During last week’s visit to New- market on Fergus, he said that he is “confident” community and volun- tary groups will still be facilitated by whichever body is given responsibil- LAAs Koma elo 00

But he was giving no guarantees as to what funding will be there for these groups once the recommenda- tions of An Bord Snip Nua have been Tbenetorneronicoee

The Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs minister was in the Banner County to officially open the extension to the Obair community facility.

Being quizzed by reporters on what will happen to community groups such as Obair if his Department gets the chop under Bord Snip, the Min- ister said it is “not who delivers the service that matters but that the serv- ices are delivered”.

“IT don’t get over-exercised about the construction of Government de- partments…it’s business as usual for us. We have to make the budget fit. But if my Department is gone then the new departments will continue to run the functions for groups such as

this as long as there is money there for it.”

But the Minister could not com- ment on how many jobs might be lost or which areas of funding cut in his

Department. “It is too early for that”, |aTemcy- HOR

Louis Creaven, chairman of Obair thanked the minister for performing the official opening but said there is

‘‘a dark cloud behind the silver lining and I have to tell you that the board of Obair is seriously concerned about the future. It is not an exaggeration to say that our services may have to

shut down if the Government imple- ments a recommendation…to abolish the Department.”

Obair’s manager, Pat Cronin, said that the organisation “has come too far to be abolished at one stroke of an economist’s pen’.

Before the official ceremony took place, Obair clients told

A CLUB that reaches out and lends a hand to newcomers arriving in Shannon has just regrouped for its third year in existence.

New research shows that there are almost 1,500 people who are not from Ireland living in Shannon town alone, with others living in the sur- rounding area.

With the non-native population erowing steadily in recent times, Le Chéile international club in Shannon was set up two years ago. Its aim is to cater for the needs of the foreign population living in the town.

There have been many changes since its inception. While some new people have come to the town from a

range of countries worldwide, many others have left Shannon and trav- elled home.

Co-ordinator of Le Chéile, Trish Fallon-Barry has put a lot into the organisation and is keen to ensure that integration plays an important role. “We are just trying to grow the club and reach more people. There are plenty more people we can reach. I feel having Le Chéile in the town just shows there is a welcome,’ she said.

She said that a meeting between Garda representatives and people from several countries, held last week, was very positive and gardai are keen to help those not familiar with issues in the town as much as they can.

“Some communities may be cau- tious of somebody in the uniform. They (gardai) want to show they are here to help. Community policing is a great idea,” she said.

The meeting followed a meeting between community gardai in Shan- non and Le Chéile in recent weeks.

“It is good to network. On one hand we are celebrating people’s ethnic origins and the other is in- tegration. It is two sides to a coin really. Integration is much better than assimilation. It is important to celebrate a person’s ethnicity. We all have things to learn from each other,’ said Ms Fallon-Barry.

Polish-native Anna Kulikowska moved to Shannon five years ago and has joined Le Chéile. She very

much believes in the need for such a group, which reaches out to every nationality. “It is very positive. It is important to have meetings. I think it is good we spoke to the gardai. It presents them as human beings,” she SE AOe

Dipali Singpurwala, a native of In- dia, also lives in Shannon. Through her work as a yoga instructor, she meets many people every week and believes that a strong sense of com- munity is important. “Community effort 1s very important, as some people may have nothing to do and may not have a focus,” she said.

Le Chéile meets at the Respond Building, Rineanna View, Shannon, on the first Tuesday evening of the month.