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THE recession is stifling Irish third world charity Bothar’s ability to send Irish cattle to some of the world’s poorest rural communities. The char- ity currently has more than 500 fam- ilies awaiting animals in Rwanda, Albania and Kosovo but, because of a downturn in cattle donations, they do not have enough cattle in stock to meet the demand.

The international development agency normally flies between 400 and 600 cattle out of Shannon Air- port each year. The receiving fami- lies have each qualified for the Both-

ar programme by growing enough fodder to feed the animals over the last nine months.

They are also required to build an appropriate cow house and undergo a training course in cow husbandry.

“This drop-off is probably because of the economic recession. We have noticed in recent months that the flow of heifers has been slowing down. We would like to urge farm- ers to consider donating a heifer to a poor family in the developing world as however bad our circum- stances might be, these people are much worse off altogether,” said Al- lison Mc Namara, Marketing and PR

Manager of Bothar.

“One dairy cow would not change the lives and indeed the future of an entire family here in Ireland. Howev- er, in Our project countries, one good dairy cow can be better than winning the Lotto.

“In fact, receiving a dairy cow does a lot more for our recipient families than providing them with food and income. It goes on to give them a great sense of pride in their work and restores their dignity as human be- ings. It gives them great hope for the future as it will enable them to send their children to school and pay for day to day family necessities.”

The next Bothar airlift 1s scheduled to take place at the end of March and the organisation is asking farm- ers to donate an in-calf dairy heifer. The are also asking the non-farming public to donate the cost of an in-calf dairy heifer or to donate what you can towards this airlift.

Anyone who wishes to donate should contact Maria McCormack at maria@bothar.ie or freephone 1800 PA eee

Councillors get hit in the pocket

Expert warned of major flooding

Ennis Movieplex back in profit

OVER a thousand workers lost their jobs on the Shannon Free Zone last year, according to figures released by Shannon Development yesterday.

At the Shannon agency’s end of year briefing in Limerick, chief ex- ecutive Dr Vincent Cunnane said that net job losses on the Free Zone amounted to 787 after the creation of 260 new jobs was factored in.

The 11 per cent drop reduces the number of people employed on the Free Zone to 6,320 with job losses at Element Six and Molex accounting for much of the decline.

Dr Cunnane defended Shannon De- velopment’s record on the Free Zone, stating that the figures were “on a par with what happened nationally with the IDA last year”.

West Clare tackles legal aid bill

A TOURNAMENT featuring clubs from Clare and across Europe may form part of the schedule for the Football Association’s of Ireland (FAT) 2011 annual general meeting.

Outlining details of the event, which will comprise a weeklong festival of football events and the association’s AGM, FAI Director of Football Services; Gerry McDermott urged club’s to submit their own ideas for the event.

He said the tournament, which would involve local teams and clubs from towns twinned with towns in Clare, could help boost tourism in the County

“It’s an idea that Jim Madden (CDSL Chairman) put forward and it’s the kind of things we are looking to do for the week. I would love to see it extended to a bigger competi- tion to be played during the week. I think something like would really benefit the tourism connection in the county”, he said.

McDermott was addressing mem- bers of Clare’s soccer fraternity as well as representatives from the busi- ness and tourism sectors at the AGM launch in the West County Hotel, En- nis, last Thursday.

Outlining details of the event, which is due to be held in Ennis from June 27 to July 2, FAI events manag-

er Siobhan McKenna said that a local organising committee would meet once a month prior to the event, to draw up a festival of football sched- Wa on

The AGM will be co-coordinated between a number of agencies in- cluding the FAI, local authorities; lo- cal sports partnerships, Shannon De- velopment and other tourism bodies.

“We want to get and meet as many people as possible and see as many clubs as possible and to raise the pro- file of soccer in Clare’, she said.

McKenna added that the FAI hoped

to “takeover” large areas of towns for football activities including tour- naments, coaching clinics and work- shops.

Clubs, said McDermott, would be critical to the event’s success. He urged local teams to apply for fund- ing through the FAI’s club support eyuescau:besbesles

He said that grants totaling €100,000 would be available to clubs to improve facilities and the purchase of equipment.

Cheques will be presented to suc- cessful applicants during the week- long series of events. The meeting also heard that since 2007, the FAI has invested €218,342 in developing facilities and programmes in Clare.

“T would encourage clubs to think and plan out their applications. Hope- fully the festival of football will help concentrate minds and get people fo- cused to apply”, said Mr McDermott. He added, “We see it as a celebration of football in the wider community”’.

travel programme

came here last year and they are

coming again in a few weeks times,” he told the gathering.

Mr Ryan said that the development

agency 1s expecting “some very good

news’ as a result of talks which they

have been having with the Go Voy- age charter people.

The region can also expect some positive feedback from a planned visit by journalists from six radio Stations in Northern Ireland, Mr Ryan said.

In addition, Shannon Development will be building on links with its American Connection committee.

Shannon Development will also be selling the region for its many events and festivals and pushing the area with the domestic market in conjunc- tion with Failte Ireland through the Discover Ireland online campaign.

“The indications for the next two years are that there won’t be mas- sive growth. Numbers of overseas visitors will grow, but it’s predicted that their spend will be down,” said Mr Ryan.

THE €1 million cost of refurbishing a community centre, described as “one of the best” in Clare, means En- nis Town Council is unlikely to take over the running of the building, a meeting has heard.

The future of the CYMS Commtu- nity Hall in Ennis was discussed at the February meeting of Ennis Town Council, following a motion submit- ted by Mayor of Ennis, Clir Frankie Neylon (Ind).

Cllr Neylon’s motion called on the council to state whether or not they intended to accept the offer of the CYMS Community Hall, Chapel Lane, Ennis, made to them by the Bishop of Killaloe, Dr Willie Walsh.

Cllr Neylon told the meeting that he believed the council should take over a building he said was “owned” by the people of Ennis. Highlighting the

building’s town centre location, Cllr Neylon described it as “one of the best facilities in the county”.

Responding to Cllr Neylon’s mo- tion, Town Clerk, Eddie Power stated, “As you are aware, Bishop William Walsh met with the council in relation to the Ennis Community Centre. Consultations subsequently took place between officials of the council and representatives of the Diocese in 2008. The members were subsequently briefed on these dis- cussions. The building is used for a multiplicity of purposes involving a number of different tenants.

“The council is not in a position having regard to the availability of finance to assume responsibility, for the management, maintenance or the future development of this building. It is understood that the refurbish- ment of the building would require significant capital investment in the

order of €1 million, which is not cur- rently available to the council.”

Cllr Paul O’Shea (Lab) supported the proposed takeover of the build- ing. He said, “You couldn’t ask for a better location. The youth centre has been running a very successful youth OF Nem ORONO MNS Koma

Cllr O’Shea also requested that the council provide a full report on the costs associated with running the building.

Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind) said the council should not take over the building unless it is assured of “va- cant possession”.

“T don’t believe that we could run it given the way finances are at the moment. There are three or four dif- ferent organisations using it at the moment. We were told in the meet- ing with the bishop that we couldn’t get vacant possession,” he said.

Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) agreed

that the council would first have to be ensured vacant possession of the building before it could take owner- ship. He said money collected from development levies could be used for refurbishment. Cllr Flynn later pro- posed that the council purchase the building.

Town Manager, Ger Dollard told the meeting that it was costing the Diocese of Killaloe an estimated €150,000 a year to staff and run the building. “It’s not just a simple mat- ter of taking over the building. There are a number of complex issues as- sociated with it.”

Cllr Peter Considine (FF) warned that members should be “wary of what you wish for’, stating that itis a lot more expensive to repair a listed building than a standard one.

The proposal to purchase the build- ing was later withdrawn, pending a full report on costs.

THE NUMBER of people sign- ing on the live register in Clare last month is up a massive 2,336 on this time last year.

The latest breakdown of figures on a county-by-county basis from the Central Statistics Office shows that the numbers signing on jumped to 10,818 in Clare during January.

This is an increase of 414 on the numbers who were claiming dole in December.

The biggest increase was in Ennis, where the number signing on jumped from 10,404 in December to 10,818 in January.

The latest figures come as business agencies warn that action is needed if more jobs are not to go in the mid- west region.

New jobs in the mid-west will come from the existing base of mul- tinational companies in the region according to Bill Doherty, Chairman of the American Chamber Mid West Keres (OE

The focus of agencies such as Shannon Development and IDA Ire- land and local government should be on creating the environment which will allow companies in the region to flourish, he said.

‘The mid-west region has a higher proportion of its workforce employed in the manufacturing and industrial sector than any other region. The IDA Ireland client base in the mid- west employs in the region of 8,000 people. While it is absolutely true that Ireland must seek to become a smart economy and support knowl- edge based businesses, it must be acknowledged that core manufactur- ing is the foundation stone on which many additional investments are built,” said Mr Doherty.