The Clare People Archive

THE Garda file into the death of a man outside a pub in Kildysart three months ago has been completed and sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Vincent Hehir (32), a father of five, was attacked as he socialised in the village of Kildysart on Sunday night, September 6. He sustained serious injuries.

He remained critically ill in hospital, where his family remained by his bedside. He lost his battle for life three days later.

Gardai say they believe he was subjected to a number of blows, before falling to the ground and hitting the back of his head in the impact. They say they understand he was kicked a number of times to the body, whilst on the ground.

A major garda investigation was launched and more than 100 statements have been made, by people who were in Kildysart on the night Mr Hehir sustained his injuries.

Three local men, aged 21, 23 and 33, were later arrested and questioned at Kilrush Garda Station, before being released without charge.

A post mortem examination was carried out on Mr Hehir’s remains at the Mid Western Regional Hospital, Limerick, which showed that he died as a result of head injuries. At the request of one of the men questioned in connection with the death, an independent autopsy was carried out by Belfast Pathologist Dr Carson.

The Clare People has now learned that the substantial file has now been completed and has just been sent to the DPP’s office for direction. The DPP will decide what charges, if any, are to be brought in the case. This direction is expected to be delivered to Kilrush gardaí within weeks. According to garda sources, a decision may not be made by the DPP until after Christmas.

Mr Hehir had grown up at Glencanane, Kildysart and moved to London some years ago, where he managed a bar in Ilford. He had been home visiting his family for the weekend when the incident occurred.

Meanwhile, the community of Kildysart is continuing to rally around the heartbroken Hehir family.

The local pastoral council have set up a benefit fund for Vincent’s wife Mairead and their five children, Katie (9), Sinead (7), Patricia (6), Molly (3) and baby Margaret, who was baptised in a private ceremony at Vincent’s bedside at Ennis General Hospital. The council hopes to give the money raised to the family in the run-up to Christmas.

There are more children with special needs per head of population awaiting speech therapy services in Clare than anywhere else in the HSE western area.

As many as 453 Clare children are still waiting assessment for the service where early intervention is vital, just one child less than in Galway city and county together.

There are currently 13 speech therapists employed in the county, to cater not just for children but all aged groups including adults and elderly.

Therefore the waiting time for children with special needs is estimated at four months.

Just one therapist is in situ to cater for all children with special needs aged from six to 18.

It emerged this week that there were 4.5 posts vacant for this muchneeded service in the county, despite earlier information published by the HSE West that there were 15 posts filled and 15 vacant.

Three of the 4.5 vacant positions are in the services for children over five years old.

The vacancies are for senior positions to supervise basic service. There are very few senior therapists available to the HSE however.

“A major recruitment drive has been undertaken as part of the development of the primary care service to recruit additional speech and language therapists. It is also proposed to have an international recruitment campaign for speech and language therapists, with a view to filling all vacant positions within the Health Service Executive areas,” the HSE said.

While the HSE is trying to recruit, however, frustrated parents in Clare have taken on the responsibility themselves and have raised money to employ a Canadian therapist to begin a new clinic in Ennis for children with Cerebral Palsey.

Meanwhile, Green Party County Councillor Brian Meaney has described the incorrect, information relating to speech therapy statistics released earlier in the week at the HSE Regional Forum as “an example of an ever increasing lack of accountability.”

The councillor who is one of four Clare representatives on the forum said that after the information was disclosed, he tried to ascertain the accuracy of the information but the system did not allow him to do so.

“This total absence of a good information system means it is impossible to determine an accurate assessment of performance, or lack of, and the significance and scale of shortfalls, problems and difficulties.”

“What measures are being taken to encourage trained therapists back into the service?” he asked.

A CHRISTMAS party turned to tragedy when a mother of two boys died from hypothermia, after she tragically fell and lost consciousness on her way home from a night out in Ennis.

Maria Talbot (42) was returning from her Christmas night out with her colleagues when she lost her footing, a mile from her home at Claremount, Clarecastle, in the early hours of Sunday morning.

She had socialised with her colleagues from Liam Cleary’s garage on Saturday evening. The group of 14 enjoyed a meal at Season’s 52 restaurant, over Charlie Stewart’s pub on Parnell Street. This was followed by drinks in the pub.

Maria, who had looked forward to the night out for several weeks, went to the Queen’s nightclub with some of the group to continue with the Christmas celebrations.

She was seen on CCTV footage, leaving the premises at 1.40am. She made her way up to O’Connell Square in Ennis where she got a taxi, along with two other women.

She was later dropped off and was found by a passer-by, unconscious, on open ground outside a truck testing centre at Lissane, a mile from her home, after 11.30am on Sunday, amid treacherous weather conditions.

She was taken to Ennis General Hospital where she died from hypothermia shortly after 5pm.

Gardaí initially treated the death as suspicious, but ruled out foul play, after Deputy State Pathologist, Dr Michael Curtis, carried out a post mortem examination at Limerick Regional Hospital yesterday.

Maria’s American-born partner Stephen, who works in Shannon, was in the States on a training course and her distraught sons Ryan (18) and Nathan (14) were being comforted by relatives and friends yesterday.

She was separated and her Portlaoise-based husband travelled to Ennis. He and Ryan formally identified her body.

Maria, who is from Dublin, moved to Clare five years ago. She recently celebrated her 42nd birthday and enjoyed her son Ryan’s 18th birthday just last week.

Maria worked at Cleary’s garage for the past six months.

ALMOST four thousand children attended events around the county during last month’s Children’s Book Festival 2006, according to Clare County Library.

Fifteen branch libraries hosted 73 events during the month-long festival which featured author visits, storytelling, children’s puppet theatre, animal road shows as well as history, science and art workshops. Participating authors included Darren Shan, novelist and short-story writer Ré Ó Laighléis, Bisto Book of the Year winner author Aubrey Flegg and Mary Murphy – author of numerous best-selling children’s books.

There was no shortage of variety during this year’s festival with sessions ranging from song writing workshops for small groups to events aimed at large audiences of over 250 children, such as author Darren Shan’s visit to Ennis and Shannon.

Popular events included the Magic of India puppet shows by Pignut Productions and Arran Towers, Billy Teare’s storytelling sessions, magic shows by Paul Beattie, Michael Moylan’s presentations on history and science, ‘The Animal Roadshow’ with Marie Lennon and the everpopular Rap workshops.

During the workshops, participants were invited to discuss a variety of personal, social and cultural issues and to decide what positive message they wanted to convey in their rap.

Meanwhile, the ‘Design a Bookmark Competition’ – run by Clare County Library in association with Children’s Books Ireland – was held for the fourth year in a row during Children’s Book Festival 2006. Ellen Brogan from Clarecastle National School was the Junior Category winner while Ellen Roche of Kilmurry National School came first in the Senior Category. The runnersup in the Senior Category were Colm McNamara, Corofin; Daire Crowe, Lahinch; Eleanor Collins, Lisdoonvarna; Eve Quinn, Sixmilebridge; Hannah Murray, Miltown Malbay; Niamh Moloney, Crusheen; Nicole O’Riordan, Quin; Nora Casey, Lisdoonvarna; and Ronan Gardiner, Lisdoonvarna.

This year’s Junior Category runners-up were Eimear Carroll, Ennis; Hannah Casey, Lisdoonvarna; Khiva O’Dwyer, Miltown Malbay; Madeleine Jarocka, Kilrush; Orlaith Lyons, Toonagh; Máire Garry, Ballynacally; Orla Mulchrone, Ennis; Rebecca Davies, Cratloe; and Silvia Koistinen, Kilmaley. All entries were judged by Siobhan Mulcahy, Clare County Arts Officer; Carrie Stafford, Executive Librarian, Clare County Library; Patricia Fitzgerald, Assistant Librarian, Children’s Services, Clare County Library; and Sinead Nestor and Fiona Woods from the Clare County Arts Office.

“The Design a Bookmark Competition continues to gain popularity among schoolchildren each year indicated by the ever-increasing volume of entries”, stated Patricia Fitzgerald, Assistant Librarian, Children’s Services, Clare County Library.

This year’s winning designs will become Clare County Library’s official bookmarks for 2006/2007 and will be distributed through all of its branches. The winning designers will also receive a €50 book token and an award certificate compliments of Clare County Library and The Youth Library Group of The Library Association of Ireland. They will be presented with their prizes in their schools on Friday next December 1. All runners up, meanwhile, will receive €20 book tokens from Clare County Library.

Ms. Fitzgerald thanked the numerous local sponsors of events and the participating schools for their support as well as the teachers who arranged for classes to attend events during school hours.

Clare County Library regularly hosts initiatives aimed at encouraging more children to read. Earlier this year, the Library launched the Children’s Summer Reading Scheme with the aim of promoting reading during the summer months. Children aged between 7 and 12 were invited to read books by at least ten recommended authors. Other library initiatives for children are World Book Day, Children’s Book Clubs and the library also runs a very popular Schools Service.

Meanwhile, the Clare Library Service continues to regularly renew and update its stock of children’s books in all of its fifteen public libraries. Each library has a reliable and modern collection of fiction, non-fiction and reference books for children for whom membership is free.

Children’s fiction is divided into picture books, junior fiction for 6-9 year olds and senior fiction for 9-12 year olds. Reference, non-fiction, and Irish language books constitute the remainder of the children’s stock in all branches. Members may borrow a total of four books from any library branch in the county.

BOOK lovers from Ireland and the UK have been invited to take part in the inaugural Ennis Book Club Festival next March.

The event, which is being supported by Clare County Library, will be a social and literary gathering to bring together some of the 150 Library Book Clubs and 300 Private Book Clubs that exist nationwide. The Festival programme which will run from March 2-4 will also feature author visits, readings, lectures, music, workshops, exhibitions and cookery demonstrations in various venues around Ennis.

Mayor of Ennis, Cllr. Joe Reidy said the event – one of the largest of its kind in either the UK or Ireland – will provide a welcome boost to tourism while presenting a unique opportunity for book club members to meet and exchange ideas about all aspects of literature.

Throughout the three-day festival, events will be held in such venues as Glór Irish Music Centre and the De Valera Library as well as in various hotels, cafes, bookshops and restaurants around Ennis. According to Festival Chairperson, Frances O’Gorman, the programme is not confined to any one form of literature and will include poetry, drama, food, travel, and political writing as well as fiction.

“We are keen to give the book clubs an eclectic mix that won’t be found at any other literary festival and that reflects the reading passions of many in the country. There will also be a section for Irish language book clubs.”

“We are delighted that over twenty writers and a number of Book Clubs have already agreed to take part”, said Festival Committee member, Ciana Campbell. “It will offer an ideal opportunity for comparing notes and chatting with other Book Club members from all over the country. Non-Book Club readers are also invited to come along and to find out how to go about setting up a club in their own area.”

An official website providing information on various festival events has been launched. www.ennisbookclubfestival.com also provides links to other County Clare sites.

OVER the next month, passers-by will notice a change at Lillis Travel in Kilrush. The long established travel agency will become a Falcon Travel partner and will be rebranded over the coming weeks to reflect this.

One of the longest established agents in the country, Lillis Travel was founded in 1917. Directors Brian Comerford and Marie Nolan lead a team of six experienced staff and will combine with the strength of Falcon Travel’s outstanding brand to continue to provide excellent quality of service and value for money.

Award-winning Lillis Travel has featured in the Travel Agent of the Year Awards and its co-Manager Lisa Walsh has also won a Travel Consultant of the Year Award. Affiliating with Falcon Travel increases the range of holiday destinations Lillis can offer from Shannon, and other Irish and UK airports.

Commenting on the link-up, Brian Comerford of Lillis Travel said they were delighted with the affiliation to Falcon and were proud to have the Falcon Travel sign at their premises.

“We feel that this move will consolidate our position and look forward to welcoming many more potential customers over the years.”

Falcon Managing Director Damien Mooney said they were delighted to sign up Lillis Travel as a Falcon affiliate and he looked forward to working with the Lillis team in delivering a top quality service to the Clare travelling public.

There are now 38 travel outlets around the country under the Falcon umbrella.

TRIGGS got her 15 minutes of fame in June of 2002. It was during that time that the golden retriever became the world’s most photographed dog as she walked beside her master, Roy Keane, himself recently returned from the World Cup in Japan.

Roy Keane’s long-standing commitment to the Irish Guidedogs for the Blind (IGDB) was continued on Monday when he featured in the launch of a new book alongside Ballyvaughan woman Emma StewartLiberty.

Written by Irish Examiner journalist, Caroline O’Doherty, Independence features 100 pen pictures of people involved in every aspect of the organisation.

From famous volunteers such as Keane, Sonia O’Sullivan and Ministers Mary Harney and Micheal Martin, to staff and volunteers such as Emma, Independence marks IGDB’s thirtieth anniversary with a unique insight into how the organisation works at every level.

After starting out breeding dogs for IGDB, Emma and her husband now help prepare young dogs through the process of dog walking.

“It is such a huge operation. There is so much more in it than most people would realise. The book has taken all aspects of guide dogs and written a small piece on each of these people,” she said.

“It is a huge thing. For the six weeks that we have the puppies, they are your life – end of story. You are with them 24/7.”

The dog-walking stage allows the dog to acclimatise to every possible situation that a seeing impaired or blind person might encounter. It helps to give the dog confidence before they start their intensive training in Cork.

“It’s a way of socialising the dogs, so that nothing surprises them,” continued Emma. “They need to be used to traffic, trains, public transport, everything. It is only when you start walking the dogs that you realise the breadth of what you have to do.”

Having lived in Ballyvaughan for the last nine years, Emma has adopted the tradition of naming one puppy in every litter after a place in Clare.

“In 2000, I got my puppy, who was a lovely dog called Quin, and he passed with flying colours. Each litter is assigned a letter of the alphabet and all the dogs names begin with that letter,” said Emma. “Normally I like to name one pup of the litter after a place in Clare, like Quin and Quilty, and another after a place in Donegal.

“You are totally heartbroken when they go but all you have to see is one working guide dog in action and it is all worth it.”

Independence is the central part of the IGDB’s fundraising efforts this Christmas and is available to buy online at www.guidedogs.ie or in bookshops nationwide.

SHANNON-based company Avocent International last year recorded a 20 per cent increase in profits according to its latest returns to the Companies Office.

According to the accounts, the US-owned company recorded an increase in profits from $29 million in 2004 to $35 million in 2005.

This is based on a turnover of $150 million, compared to $139 million in 2004 – an increase of 8.3 per cent.

Last year, the company paid a dividend of $92 million from accumulated profits with the dividend now leaving retained profits at $29 million.

The company stated that a further dividend of $4.9 million for 2005, “will be paid in September 2006”.

The company occupies the flagship Shannon Free Zone property formerly occupied by Tellabs.

The accounts show that a total of 210 Avocent employees were paid $13.16 million in wages in 2005. Eighty 80 are employed in sales, 55 in manufacturing, 36 to general and administration and 39 in research and development (R&D).

The accounts show that $19 million was spent on R&D – an increase of $5 million on the 2004 figure.

According to a statement with the company accounts, “the group’s performance during the year was very strong compared to the previous year.

“The group is principally engaged in the manufacture, distribution, sales and marketing and research and development of IT Solution products for the European, Middle/East, African and Asian markets.

“In 2005, the group continued to focus on research and development and to this end, it centralised the European R&D function in Shannon. The group’s function continues to concentrate on high growth opportunities, continually investing in product enhancement and improving manufacturing efficiencies.

According to Senior Vice-President Avocent Corporation and Managing Director of Avocent International, Kieran McSweeney, “Our reported revenue and profits for 2005 reflect the continuing success of our international business out of Shannon, which we are very pleased with. Avocent International employs 160 people in R&D, finance, HR, customer care, technical support, supply chain and sales and marketing functions.

AS PART of the celebrations to mark the 250th anniversary of Mozart’s birth, the North Clare-based Lismorahaun singers will create their own piece of musical history this month when they release the first ever live recording of Mozart’s Requiem by an Irish choir and orchestra.

Founded in 1999 by musical director Archie Simpson in the village of Fanore, the profile of the Lismorahaun Singers rose to national prominence with their 2005 RDS Concert Hall performance of Requiem which forms the basis for this live recording.

A key to the Lismorahaun Singers’ distinctive sound is the inter-generational aspect of the choir: the youngest member of the choir being aged seven and the senior members nearly seventy. The celebrated quality of the Lismorahaun Singers’ singularly open sound produces an emotive, even passionate interpretation that distinguishes it from many international recordings.

The recording features in the solo roles three of Ireland’s up-and coming young vocalists: Naomi O’Connell (soprano and overall winner of the Feis Ceoil 2006); Peter O’Donohue, (tenor, winner of the main Tenor Cup 2006), and Kate Daly (alto).

Remarkably, each of the singers were under 20 at the time of the recording. By contrast, the gravitas and solemnity of the veteran bass Micheál Mulqueeney provides a rich foundation to the ensemble. The resulting blend of youth and experience is nothing less than magical.

The story of how this diverse, nonaudition choir came to perform this masterwork, and the impact that this production has had on a rural community won the hearts of many across the country in the popular documentary ‘Sing and You Win’ [Wildfire 2005]. This was broadcast as part of the RTE Townland’s series and was a finalist for the national Irish Radharc Award for Documentary Film.

The CD is beautifully illustrated with stark photography of the Burren landscape by American photographer, W.P. Thayer. His evocative, black-and-white photographs provide a meditative backdrop to this deeply spiritual work.

The CD will be launched in Glór, Ennis, on Thursday, November 30, at 7.30pm, when selections from the Requiem will be performed. Author and poet, John O’Donohue, will be the host for the evening, which is being held in conjunction with Glór’s fifth-year anniversary celebrations. All are welcome to this free event.

THE standoff between the Clare Plasterers Union and a Galway-based construction company has come to an end. The situation was resolved over the weekend as the Portumna subcontractors gave in to the union demands to stop using a plastering machine and employing non-union workers.

The resolution followed two days of union picketing at the construction site, which is located on the outskirts of Ennis.

“We are very happy with the outcome of this one,” said Paddy Kenneally, Secretary of the Clare Plasterers Union. “They have said that they will stop using plastering machines and that they would even look at employing local labour. Plastering machines are not reputable pieces of equipment and we know from speaking to construction companies all around Clare, the work is not good quality and tends to crack.”

Members of the Clare Plasters Union staged a two-day protest at the Tulla Road site on Tuesday and Wednesday last. According to the union, the builders working at the site were being paid by cheque and with no provision for pensions.

Gardaí were called to observe the protest on at least one occasion, but no arrests were made.

As well as Irish plasterers, the protest was joined by a number of locally-based Polish workers.

“Our members cannot afford a plastering machine, they cost up on €40,000 and the work is just not to the same standard as the traditional methods of doing it,” continued Mr Kenneally.

“We are the only construction union operating in Clare at the moment and hardly a day goes by that we don’t have some sort of trouble with one builder or another.”

The Clare Plasterers Union boasts more than 600 members in Clare with some 14,000 registered members nationwide. The union is a section of the Operative Plasterers and Allied Trades Society of Ireland (OPATSI) and is the only fully independent union in the 26 counties.

It represents its members at the Labour Relations Commission, the Labour Court, Joint Labour Committees, Joint Industrial Committees and Employment Appeals Tribunals.