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TALK about a comeback. Ten points down early in the second half, Corofin looked dead and _ buried. Snow, on a sun-drenched peach of an evening in Clareabbey, seemed more likely then a Corofin comeback. Or so we thought.

Corofin stormed back, drew level and even had a chance to win it. After John Keane palmed home the equalising goal, Colm Clancy almost nailed the winner but his shot drifted wide. Clondegad too spurned a great chance when Gary Brennan’s injury time free curled short and wide of the Corofin goal.

A draw will feel like a loss to Clon- degad. They let this one slip. Badly. After the pace and polish that char- acterised much of Clondegad’s first half display all but vanished, Corofin gained a foothold. It was gutsy stuff.

Colm Clancy worked with all the en- ergy of bantamweight boxer. Daragh Clancy won plenty of ball around the middle while Luke O’ Loughlin did a good job policing Gary Brennan.

But the biggest reason for the turnabout in Corofin’s fortunes was the contribution from John Keane. Keane was doing a decent job in midfield before he was relocated to full forward. The decision proved a masterstroke. Keane scored two quick points and hit 1-1 in the final two minutes to complete the come- ere .@

Keane was also centrally involved in the first great chance of the match. Barely 20 seconds had elapsed when he tore through the middle and off- loaded to Neil Killeen who pulled his shot just wide.

We didn’t have to wait long for a

goal though. Kieran Browne released Shane Brennan with a quick free in the third minute. The Clondegad wing forward raced towards goal and found the net with a low drive.

Colm Clancy responded with a point for Corofin but Clondegad pushed four points clear with scores from Paudge McMahon and Kenneth

Keath

The west Clare side had two more great goal chances but first McMa- hon and then Francie Neylon saw their efforts blocked on the line.

Colm Clancy pointed a free in the 18th minute but Clondegad ended the half with a devastating 1-3 burst.

McMahon converted a 45’, Eoin

Griffin lifted over a point before McMahon’s powerfully struck free sailed over the bar. Things were about to get worse for Corofin. On the stroke of half time, Brian Car- rig side-footed home a penalty after McMahon was fouled. At half time, Clondegad led 2-5 to 0-2.

Carrig’s fine point after the break

extended the Clondegad lead to ten points. Corofin released a torrent of substitutes and moved Keane to full forward. He hit two superb points on the turn before Dara Shannon roofed the ball to the back of the net in the 44th minute. Darren Malone and Gary Brennan traded points before Colm Clancy dropped over a free to leave the score 2-7 to 1-6.

Keane bagged his third point of the day before outjumping O’Connell and Kenneth Breen to tap in Daragh Clancy’s thump of a free kick.

That leveled matters at 2-7 apiece. Both sides missed chances to win. A priceless point for Corofin. A point dropped for Clondegad. It’s the only way to look at it.

A FRESH jobs blow was dealt to the mid-west region last week with the news that Arramount furniture has sought the appointment of an interim examiner.

In a statement the company said that it would continue to trade as normal.

The company said that the proc- ess of examinership will allow it to continue trading successfully and profitably in the future.

Arramount furniture employs 34 people at its stores nationwide in- cluding one at the Dock Road, Lim- 0a.e

Arramount Furniture was estab- lished in 1995 and operates seven Stores in Dublin, Limerick, Cork, Newbridge, Tullamore, Athlone and Mullingar. Arramount furniture is a subsidiary of Arramount Holdings Limited.

The company said its current dif- ficulties stem from the current eco- nomic downturn and reduced sum- mer demand.

Lane Bros Ltd, trading as Ar- ramount Furniture Tralee, which 1s a franchisee of Arramount Wood- craft (Holdings) Ltd, will not be af- fected by the examinership.

The company said it will negot- ate with potential investors and complete appropriate arrangements with creditors with the objective of putting in place long-term arrange- ments to secure its future.

The company explained that it had sought the protection of an interim examiner to allow it to put in place new re-financing arrangements with creditors and bankers.

“The company is confident that the process of examinership will enable a solution to be found that will ensures it is set up to continue trading successfully and profitably in the future. The process of exmin- ership in Ireland provides a stand- still period of time whereby credi- tors cannot pursue claims against the company,” a statement from the company said.

It continued, “The company has sought this protection to allow it to put in place re-financing arrange- ments for creditors and bankers.”

Kieran Wallace of KPMG has been appointed as interim examiner. The home furnishings market has been badly hit by the contraction in con- sumer spending.

According to the Central Statistics Office, the volume of sales of furni- ture and lighting products slumped by 38 per cent in one year.

Reports state that a potential in- vestor has already been identified and that the company has the sup- port of its principal backers in re- spect of the interim examinership.

News of Arramount’s difficulties came in the same weeks that Toy- ota Ireland confirmed that the Tom Hogan car dealership is to close with the loss of 190 jobs.

Tom Hogan Motors was one of the biggest Toyota dealerships in the country. It opened in Ennis over 30 years ago.

ALL-IRELAND football and hurl- ing winners are set to share the same stage as the Clare County Board and Munster Council join forces to celebrate GAA 125 in a four-day spectacular that will pay homage to the association’s founding father Michael Cusack.

GRAFFITI art and east African ac- robatics are just two aspects of an exciting programme of events an- nounced for the fourth annual Ennis Street Festival.

The two-day festival takes place at locations around Ennis from July 4-5. Music and dance feature promi- nently in a festival teeming with cultural influences. Local acts share the bill with performers from Spain, Brazil and Africa. O’Connell Square will be the setting for the festival gig rig, where musicians will perform from 1.30-5pm on Saturday.

Among the groups to look out for are Hakuna Matada. High-flying duo Michaela and Ali will be performing different styles of acrobatics, a com- bination of traditional East African acrobatics mixed with modern Euro- pean styles.

Kicking things off at the gig rig will be singer/songwriter Billy O’Brien. O’Brien’s music tells stories of his travels down through the years. He released his debut album to much ac- claim earlier this year.

Saturday’s also sees performances from groups representing the En- nis Band’s Project and Alele, a band who’s sound is a blend of traditional Irish, Spanish and oriental music.

Also on Saturday, Woodquay will rock to the sounds of blues, jazz and rock at a concert organised by the Crow’s Feather.

Art also plays an important role in this year’s festival. Graffitti Man- ners – a showcase of graffiti art – will go on display outsides the Arts and Craft Shop on Merchant’s Square.

The event is a joint initiative between Clare Youth Service, the drug educa- tion and prevention project and the Art and Craft Shop.

The aim is to show that instead of criminalizing young people who wish to express themselves in an ar- tistic fashion, it is possible to provide a space and listen to what they are SrA NTs

Depending on the weather, there are also plans for a live graffiti dem- onstration on the gig rig on Saturday morning.

Prizes will also be presented to the winners of the “Ennis of my Dreams’

art competition in the Clare Museum on July 4 at lpm. All entries for the competition are currently on display at the Clare Museum. The exhibition concludes on July 5. The competition invited students to submit paintings and drawings on the theme “Ennis of my Dreams’.

Elsewhere on the programme, an outdoor painting session will take place at Merchant’s square while members of the Working Actors Workshop of Theatre Makers will perform Aesop’s Fabulous Foibles and Fables at the Temple Gate hotel.

There will be an open air BBQ at

Brogan’s Bar at lpm on Sunday while Chef Pedro Garzon will prepare a g1- ant Spanish paella at Brandon’s Bar.

The Ennis Street Festival was estab- lished in 2006 to promote local and international artists and art forms.

The festival is run by a volunteer committee made up of Ana Bella Al- varez, (Chair Person and Treasurer), Sara Jay, Secretary, Ana Colomer, (Administrator) and Karin Wimmer, (Advisor).

WHEN it was announced that the Eigse Mrs Crotty Festival would not go ahead, it was thought that the fes- tival atmosphere during the August weekend would be lost to the west Clare capital for this year at best.

The festival has brought visitors from all over the world to Kilrush for the last 13 years and, just as impor- tantly, has brought a huge injection to the local economy.

While the festival that celebrated the talents of the concertina-player may not be going ahead, a new week- end of music and set dancing will take its place from August 14-16.

The weekend of craic and ceoil will provide not only entertainment for far-flung travellers who organise their summer holidays around this weekend, but will bring workshops and a festival feel to the town centre.

It was the local Inis Cathaigh Com- haltas Ceoltoiri Eireann Branch that decided to organise the music and set-dancing weekend to fill the Eigse gap.

Plans are already in place for an open-air céili in the Square, with bands such as Johnny Reidy, The Four Courts and the Five Counties.

Set dancing and sean nos workshops will be conducted by Mary Clancy and Aidrian Vaughan and there will

be traditional concerts with local and visiting artists in the Teach Cheoil on the Saturday night.

The new festival will not be con- fined to the town centre, however. On Sunday, the Vandeleur Walled Gardens will play host to Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eireann Inis Cathaigh Cill Ruis. There will also be traditional music in the pubs throughout the weekend.

Last year was the 13th Eigse Mrs Crotty Festival in Kilrush.

This festival was a five-day cel- ebration of Elizabeth Crotty who, at her death in 1960, was recognised as Ireland’s most famous concertina eNioe

Born Elizabeth Markham in 1885 near Cooraclare, Mrs Crotty, was the youngest of the large Markham VOOUE As

She married Miko Crotty and to- gether they established Crotty’s Pub- lic House in the Square, Kilrush.

It was from this House of Music that Elizabeth Crotty’s reputation quietly grew. Ciaran MacMathtna’s first excursion to rural Ireland in 1950’s with RTE’s mobile unit was to record her talent for the very first mbeelee

The festival celebrating her legacy has grown steadily since the first weekend of music in 1995.

TWO Killaloe students were the toast of Brussels last week when they addressed the European Committee of the Regions.

April Harty and Martin Kennedy from St Anne’s Community Col- lege, Killaloe, were in the European capital as part of a secondary schools competition 2009, organised by the UEN-EA group.

The students were the only Irish group to address the group of local authority members from all over the European Union.

Accompanied by their teacher Sa- rah Devane the teenagers told the Eu- ropean elected representatives about Clare, Killaloe and their school.

Outlining the many classes and eee Mave eu UID MrLOO ROIS CoKIBE IMO S(oR

Grenade attack men released

THREE men arrested in connection with a grenade attack on a home in Ennis over two weeks ago have been released without charge.

Christopher and Julie Ann McDon- agh and their six children were asleep upstairs in their home on Childers’

Road in Cloughleigh shortly after 4am on Saturday, June 13, when a live hand grenade was thrown through a glass panel at the front of the house. The army explosive ordnance dis- posal team was brought in to deal with the device. A controlled explo- sion was carried out on the device at a nearby quarry. The grenade was

live, but was faulty and did not deto- ateltep

Gardai say the incident was part of an ongoing feud in the town, but those living in the house say they are not involved in any feud.

The arrests were made as part of a major garda investigation into this incident. ‘Two men – aged 26 and 30

– were arrested in Ennis last Wednes- day morning, while the third – aged 35 – was arrested on Friday morning. All three were questioned at length, before being released without charge. A file will now be prepared by inves- tigators for the DPP, who will then decide if charges are to be brought.

The men were detained under Sec- tion 30 of the Offences Against The State Act, which gave gardai 48 hours to question them. Gardai were granted an extension of 24 hours in each case, by a district judge at two separate hearings – one on Thursday evening and the other on Sunday morning.

Gardai are also investigating a number of other incidents in the town in recent weeks. Windows of a house on John Paul Avenue and a car parked outside the house were bro- ken last Thursday evening.

The investigation into the grenade attack has been intense. Gardai have carried out house to house enquiries, while several statements have been taken, while examinations have been carried out.

Superintendent John Scanlan, who is heading up the enquiry, said, “The investigation 1s ongoing at pace.”

He told

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TONY Mulcahy was overjoyed at becoming the mayor of Clare, but the icing wasn’t put on the cake until his daughter Coleen scooped gold in the Munster finals of the Special Olym- pics two days later.

It was a particularly joyous week- end for the first citizen and his fami- ly. On Friday afternoon Mr Mulcahy (50) was elected mayor of the county, while his proud family sat in the gal- lery of the council chamber. A per- fect weekend was sealed on Sunday when Coleen (17) won gold in the 25 metres run in the Mardyke in Cork.

Coleen, who is Tony and Carmel’s youngest daughter, has global devel- opmental delay. She has won several medals in Special Olympics over the past few years. She was overjoyed to win the gold last week, with her club Shannon Flyers Special Olympics.

“We had a wedding on Sunday so we weren’t there. I met her coming off the bus and she threw the two arms around me. There was fierce excitement to see her win the gold. It was a fantastic achievement,’ said sXe

His own achievement was remark- able, but he was modest in his reflec- tion of it. “The greater success would be hers. A lot of work goes into it and they have a great club and are very professional at what they do,” he said.

The support between them is mu- tual as Coleen has a huge interest

in her father’s political career. She regularly attends functions with him and she stole the show by making a speech after Tony topped the poll in the Shannon Town Council election count – at St Tola’s National School – earlier this month.

‘She loves the occasion, the excite- ment and all that goes with it,” said Nour lanoe

“She is very special to us. There is huge commitment from those in- volved in the Special Olympics. The way it has worked out has been tre- mendous. They are out there every Saturday morning training and this is a great return for them. They work very hard,” he added.

The club won six gold, one silver and three bronze medals at the games

and the success means that Coleen and some of her team mates will compete in the national games next year. No doubt her proud daddy will support her every step of the way!