The Clare People Archive

MANAGEMENT at Dromoland Castle have laughed off suggestions that the Australian International Rules Team’s partying got out of control during the early hours of yesterday morning (Monday).

The team stayed in the five-star County Clare hotel on Sunday and Monday night following their defeat to Ireland on Saturday.

Australian media had reported that the professional Aussie Rules players were reprimanded by team management following a drunken night out and follow-up party in one of the rooms of the castle.

Fiona Gielty, Group Sales Manager with Dromoland Castle, laughed off any suggestions that the players had caused a serious disturbance the night before.

“It was nothing, not even worth commenting on,” she said.

Australian website and newspaper, ‘The Age’, reported that the drunken night out at a Limerick night club was followed by players retiring to one of the players room to party.

“Hotel staff asked the hard-partying players to turn down their music about 5am, before having to return 15 minutes later to again insist they desist from making noise. A vase was heard smashing, with others in the building woken up,” according to the report.

The Australian players were then hauled before team management after breakfast on Monday and “reminded of their responsibilities to an International rules series”.

The Australian Football League have also insisted the incident was not a major one.

The Australian team members had made the long bus journey from Cavan to Dromoland Castle on Sunday, following their 57-35 defeat to Ireland in the first test of the 2013 International Rules Series at Breffni Park, Cavan.

THE HSE has paid tribute to the staff at Ennis Hospital following the hospital’s most successful HIQA report to date.

Dr Con Cronin, Clinical Director for Medicine at the University Hospitals, said the hospital would also be addressing any of the deficits highlighted in the overall positive report.

“I would like to thank the staff of Ennis for their commitment to the hand hygiene programme and welcome the positive report from HIQA. We are committed to improving patient safety and the environment for patients and the report identified evidence of good practice in Ennis Hospital. We are implementing our action plan to address the deficits identified and build on the areas where we have demonstrated good practice,” he said.

“The Hospital Group recognises the importance of hand hygiene and its significant role in infection control prevention and has been working to improve hand hygiene compliance.

“Ennis Hospital provides hand hygiene training to all staff, this is mandatory training and repeated frequently. Unannounced hand hygiene audits by senior clinical staff within the UL hospitals are carried out to ensure that compliance and training is prioritised. The hospital is implementing an action plan to address any deficits identified and to build on the areas where good practice has been demonstrated,” he concluded.

ENNIS Hospital has finally received a clean bill of health from the health watchdog HIQA.

Following years of reports outly ing dangers to patients health and indeed life, the County Clare hospital was hailed the cleanest and safest in the country on Thursday when the Health Information and Quality Authority.

The unannounced inspection was refined to the new hospital extension, with its two wards the Burren Ward and Fergus Ward, inspected.

“Overall, both areas assessed in Ennis Hospital were very clean with very few exceptions,” the report said of the state of the art single-room wards officially opened by Minister for Health James Reilly in April.

“The risk of the spread of Healthcare Associated Infections (HCAIs) is reduced when the physical environment and equipment can be readily cleaned and decontaminated. It is therefore important that the physical environment and equipment is planned, provided and maintained to maximise patient safety.”

The inspectors found this to be the case in the multi-million euro building it demanded in a previous damming report.

When it visited the hospital on September 4 for the most recent report it found that it was one of the cleanest in the country although there were a few minor issues relating to the standards set to control hospital infections. These included one finding of dirt on a door joint but mostly related to inadequate signage in certain parts of the wards.

Hand hygiene was criticized in the region’s maternity hospital in the last set of hospital reports, but Ennis Hospital was found to be following HIQA protocol.

“Hand hygiene is recognised internationally as the single most important preventative measure in the transmission of HCAIs in healthcare services. It is essential that a culture of hand hygiene practice is embedded in every service at all levels,” the inspector said.

“Ennis Hospital must now develop a quality improvement plan (QIP) that prioritises the improvements necessary to fully comply with the National Standards for the Prevention and Control of Healthcare Associated Infections.

“This QIP must be approved by the service provider’s identified individual who has overall executive accountability, responsibility and authority for the delivery of high quality, safe and reliable services. The QIP must be published by the hospital on its website within six weeks of the date of publication of this report.”

However, the good news at Ennis wasn’t replicated in four other hospitals including Nenagh, which is also in the University Limerick Hospital Group.

A litany of problems at the Tipperary hospital means a follow-up inspection is required within six months, while the Mater Hospital was told that “many improvements were required” within the same time frame.

There were also risks to patients from infections discovered at St Vincent’s and Tallaght hospitals in Dublin because of unclean environments in wards.

SEVENTEEN Clare tourism hotspots are to benefit from a share of the € 8 million which was allocated for the development of the Wild Atlantic Way.

These coastal locations, which stretch from Black Head and Fanore in North Clare to Carrigaholt and Scattary Island in West Clare, are all destinations on the new driving route, which will be officially launched next year.

It is unclear how the € 8 million will be allocated but a portion of the funding has been earmarked for the construction of new signage and other small infrastructure projects.

This funding, which is being made available from the sale of the National Lottery, has been welcomed by Lahinch hotelier and head of the Irish Hotel Federation, Michael Vaughan. Mr Vaughan also welcomed the maintenance of the 9 per cent VAT rate in the hospitality trade.

“There was widespread belief that the VAT rate was going to go up and that would have created a lot of difficulty in the industry, especially for the majority of companies who have already signed tourism contracts for next year. They would have been forced to absorb the cost of a VAT increase and a lot of them would not have been able to go it,” he said.

“This VAT rate has a wide impact on the industry. Golf is one area that it effects greatly and is key here in Clare. There are a lot of gold clubs out there who feel that they cannot charge any more for their green fees and to absorb the increase would cost them into the hundreds of thousands.

“The Wild Atlantic Funding is to be welcomed and I certainly hope that Clare will receive a big chuck of that money. This is certainly good news for tourism in the county,” said Mr Vaughan.

“Overall I think it was a generally pro-tourism budget. There were some negatives, like the additional duty on wine and beer and cuts to the tourism bodies, which come to about 5 per cent. But overall, we are hopeful for next year.”

MORE than € 4 million will be leaked out of the Clare economy in 2014 because of a drastic cut in the number of Clare farmers eligible for Agri-Environment Options Scheme (AEOS) – formally knows as REPS.

In excess of 750 Clare farmers will come to the end of their current AEOS deal over the next 12 months, with no fresh scheme coming in 2014 following last week’s budget. The scheme, which compensated farmers for conducting environmental improvement on their land, has been dramatically cut since the start of the recession in 2007.

The lion’s share of the money allocated under AEOS payments is spent almost immediately by farmers, either on building materials or labour, meaning that this € 4 million cut will have a massive knock-on impact on the wider rural community.

“The loss of the environment scheme [AEOS] is a major blow for the county. These 750 farmers in Clare will now be spending € 4 million less in the local economy next year and that is going to effect the entire rural community. We are not talking about farmers alone here,” said Andrew Dundas, Clare IFA chairperson.

“Farmers are in a situation now where they are sending every bit of money that is coming in. You have to spend the money to be in these environment schemes and this loss will be felt by the whole comunity.”

There was some good news for Clare suckler farmers in the budget with the introduction of a € 60 calf grant. The payment will come in part from a new Beef Genomics Scheme and the Beef Data Programme and will effectively replace the old suckler scheme.

Beef or suckler farms are by far the most common form of agriculture practiced in Clare but the county’s sucker herd has fallen from a high of 76,000 in 2011 to an estimated 60,000 today.

FINANCIAL issues, debt and the 2014 Budget announced on Wednesday are seriously impacting on the mental health of the county.

According to those on the coal face, including Clare MABS co-ordinator Denis Corbett and psychiatrist Dr Moosajee Bhamjee, more and more people are presenting at their offices with anxiety and depression directly associated with financial worries.

“It has been the cause of a number of suicides as well. It is a major issue. We are now getting people in families, wives and husbands – who are worried. People think it is only contractors and builders or business people who owe a lot to the bank that are coming,” said Dr Bhamjee who reported mental health issues related to financial worries are increasing in the county year on year.

“We are seeing people with anxiety and that anxiety is turning into depressive symptoms.”

He said there is also a resulting increase in alcoholism and marriage disharmony.

“People are accustomed to a certain standard of living and now find it difficult to adjust. A lot of people need tranquillisers to calm down and maybe sleeping tablets at night. Other people are using yoga and doing some light exercise to help,” he said.

“The whole society is stressed at the moment. This budget has put more stress on mental health, more so on the elderly,” said the psychiatrist and former Labour TD.

“Counselling does give people help, support and reassurance. It might not be able to solve their financial issues but it can provide a way of coping with stress.”

Mr Corbett agreed that MABS in Clare is also seeing an increase in people with financially related anxiety and depression seeking help.

“When your basic needs are threatened then you are in trouble,” he said.

MABS is calling for a working group to be established to develop and agree mental health guidelines for banks and lending institutes so that people in debt with mental health issues are treated appropriately.

“It is about support. It is not that people don’t want to act, it is that they can’t and need support,” he said.

On Friday at a special seminar on Budget 2014 in Ennis chairperson Dermot Hayes said, “This is the seventh year of budgets cuts on welfare recipients and low income families. Pushing people further into to cutting essentials. That enable them to live a quality of life and to sustain reasonable health and lifestyle.”

AS MANY as 5,770 children from Clare are to benefit from a free GP service next year according to the Minister for Finance, but local doctors said that as yet no one has spoken to them.

At the Budget 2014 forum, supported by Citizen Information Services and Alliance of Social Protection of Recipients, participants welcomed the initiative but with an element of caution.

Those speaking on behalf people with disabilities and people reliant on social welfare maintained that means testing should be introduced with the under five free GP service.

However Clare members of the National College of General Practitioners said that no direct contact has been made with GPs.

Doctors have said the free GP care scheme for five year olds and under, as proposed by the Government, will not be a “high-end” service because it will not be properly funded.

The GP organisation also warned yesterday (Monday) that some GPs might not sign-up to the plan.

Meanwhile Government representatives are adamant that the initiative, which has had a very mixed reaction, will go ahead.

Labour TD Michael McNamara said, “This is a historic and significant initiative which means that local families with children aged five and under no longer have to give a second’s thought about visiting the doctor when their child gets sick.

“There is clear evidence that people delay or avoid visiting their GP where a fee is required. Removing this cost barrier will mean that local families will be far more likely to address medical problems at an earlier stage, leading to better outcomes and treatment that is of less cost to the State.”

RYANAIR has been challenged to deliver on a promise to grow traffic out of Shannon Airport on the back of the Government decision to scrap the controversial travel tax in last Tuesday’s Budget.

The abolition of the tax, which was originally introduced by the Fianna Fáil-led government in 2009 and fixed at € 10 only to be scaled down to € 3 in subsequent years, was seen as a major stumbling block to Ryanair passenger growth out of Shannon.

Now, on the back of its abolition and Ryanair’s commitment to grow its traffic at its Irish airports by at least 1m passengers per annum from April 2014 has led to renewed hopes that Shannon can created into a lowcost hub for the budget airline.

To this end Shannon Airport executives, along with those from Dublin, Cork Kerry and Knock, were represented at meetings with Ryanair to make their pitch for enhance flights and destinations out of the airport.

“The repeal of the air travel tax helps restore Ireland’s competitiveness and attractiveness to overseas visitors from the UK and Continental Europe in particular,” says Ryanair’s Michael Cawley.

He said the meetings with airport executives were about exploring “where we can add new routes or additional frequencies on existing routes, and deliver at least 1m new passengers which will create over 1,000 new jobs as a direct result of the Government’s decision to scrap the visitor tax”.

The chief executive of Shannon Airport says the abolition of the tax represents “a very timely and proactive move by Government to support air travel as it effectively amounts to a stimulant for both our airline customers and the airport”.

“We have already begun, in this our first year as an independent airport, a recovery in passenger numbers at Shannon so this decision by Government will boost our chances of continuing in that vein and achieving the targets we have set over a five-year period as an independent entity.

“For international airports like Shannon, this initiative may help tip the balance in our favour when it comes to convincing airline customers to enhance existing and put on new services.

“We ultimately hope that this will increase our chances of growing passenger numbers and it will have a positive knock on effect for not just ourselves but for the wider business and tourism sectors in the region we serve,” he added.

WHAT exactly happened behind the scenes of Clare’s thrilling All-Ireland senior hurling title win?

If you want to find out then you’re in luck, The Clare Hurling Supporters Club as part of their fundraising efforts for the upcoming team holiday, are releasing a behind the scenes DVD of their remarkable season.

The DVD, which will be available to buy in shops in November, features exclusive behind the scenes footage that includes peeks inside the Clare dressing room during championship matches, training sessions, team talks and players personal recollections of an incredible summer’s hurling.

The squad allowed a camera access to the dressing room, as well as team meetings and training sessions throughout the season and countless hours of footage are now being edited into ninety minutes of previously unseen history.

The hurlers are expected to travel for a team holiday towards the end of December and as part of the fundraising efforts for the All-Ireland champions, the supporters fund are releasing the historic DVD, an official team calendar, official Clare team Christmas cards and the official team photograph.

A FATHER of 10 whose reckless behaviour sparked a violent disturbance at a roundabout in Ennis last year has claimed he is ready to make peace.

Bernie McDonagh Snr (46) has said he bears no ill feeling to the Doherty family after tensions between the former friends and neighbours spilled onto the streets of Ennis last October.

Mr McDonagh, with addresses at Ashline, Ennis, and Nashes Boreen, Cork City, told gardaí, “I’ve no illfeeling towards the Dohertys but they’d want to sort themselves out.”

Earlier this month Ennis Circuit Criminal Court heard Mr McDonagh told gardaí that he would be willing to sit down and talk with the Dohertys.

“Peace is the only way forward,” said Mr McDonagh, who is related to the Doherty family through mar- riage.

Bernie McDonagh Snr last week received a four-year prison sentence for his role in the incident at the Maid of Erin roundabout on October 14, 2012. He pleaded guilty to driving recklessly against the flow of traffic in a manner likely to cause harm. He also pleaded guilty to three counts of criminal damage.

Mr McDonagh Snr drove his car the wrong way around a roundabout nine times in pursuit of a Hiace van containing members of the Doherty family.

His son Bernie McDonagh Jnr (21), with address at Ashline, Ennis, and Nashes Boreen, Cork City, also received sentences totalling four years at Ennis Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday.

Father of one Bernie McDonagh Jnr, with an address at Nashes Boreen, Cork, pleaded guilty to the production of a Stanley knife during the course of a dispute; violent disorder and assault causing harm to John Doherty.

Olympic boxer Kieran Joyce gave evidence on Bernie McDonagh Jnr’s behalf earlier this month. Mr Joyce, who competed for Ireland at the 1984 and 1988 Olympics, told the court Bernie Jnr was a “very respectful young fella” and talented boxer. He said Mr McDonagh Jnr coached kids at the Sunnyside boxing club in Cork City and had hopes of competing at the next Olympic games.