The Clare People Archive

FINE Gael leader, Enda Kenny admitted last Thursday that Deputy Pat Breen had not made him aware of the contents of the letter threatening libel action against The Irish Examiner .

The legal threat is based on critical comments made by Cllrs Madeleine Taylor Quinn and Joe Carey about Deputy Breen tabling a Dail question inquiring into the eligibility of an early release for a sex offender.

The Clare People reveals today that Deputy Breen has contacted two victims of convicted child rapist, Joseph Nugent (74) of Drumellihy Cree.

In a letter to one, Breen blames Justice Minister, Michael McDowell and sections of the media for the controversy over the Dail question.

There is no apology in the letter although the second victim reveals that Breen apologised to him for the offence caused by the question.

A BOOK to be released next week about slain Garda detective, Jerry McCabe, harks back to the East Clare post office raids and the shooting dead of Clarecastle IRA man, Hugh Hehir.

But as two of the McCabe killers begin High Court proceedings for early release, the author of the new book, Dermot Walsh, insists it is “a book about Jerry McCabe and not about his killers.”

The Clare connection concerns Kevin Walsh, one of the four man gang who were convicted of killing the detective garda in a botched postoffice raid in Adare in June 1966.

Journalist Walsh – who wrote the book in co-operation with McCabe’s widow, Ann – traces the possible seeds of the brutal killing back to an event in May of 1988.

That was when Kevin Walsh, the man widely believed to have been the one who opened fire with an automatic weapon on the Garda car in Adare, set out to rob the post office in Caher along with Hugh Hehir.

They hadn’t bargained on the pluck of the post mistress, Mary Kelly, who wrestled a gun from Walsh’s hands.

The raiders turned tail and ran while the postmistress alerted gardaí that they could be on their way to Feakle.

The two were indeed bound for Feakle, where they planned to raid the post office.

They were met en route by a Garda car and Hehir was shot in the head in an exchange of fire between the raiders and the gardaí.

Researching the book, Walsh spoke to many people who believed that the surviving IRA man was shamed at allowing an elderly woman to get his gun and make him run.

They also believe that Kevin Walsh felt responsible for Hehir’s death and that this was the event which spurred him on to being at the forefront of IRA activity.

“To The Honour Of Jerry McCabe” will be published next Monday and its author said he “could never have written this book without the McCabe family.”

Last week, two of the men convicted of the killing, Jeremiah Sheehy and Pearse McAuley began an application to the High Court for early release.

But Walsh stated that the timing of the publication is “a co-incidence, This book is not about them.,”said the author.

ENNIS based company Sellityourself.ie has been shortlisted for a Golden Spiders Award for Best Website Launched in 2006.

The prestigious Golden Spiders Awards recognise and rewards companies for excellence in the Irish Internet industry.

Sellityourself.ie is run by husband and wife team Anne Marie Doyle and Neil Doherty and employs 5 people.

Sellityourself.ie provides a dedicated service to property owners who wish to sell their property without using an estate agent. For a fixed fee of €195, property owners can place their property photos and details on Sellityourself.ie. They will then receive a For Sale signboard and pointer board for outside their property. Sellityourself.ie then advises on an advertising campaign in local and national newspapers, which includes booking, designing and placing the advertisements.

“The idea of selling a property without an estate agent is quite new in Ireland, but is common practice in many countries including the USA,” says Anne-Marie Doyle, director of Sellityourself.ie.

“The substantial cost saving of commission-free property sales, combined with the flexibility and convenience of managing your sale online, has meant that selling your home yourself has become an increasingly attractive option for many people

“This nomination reflects the hard work and dedication of the Sellityourself.ie team,” she said.

“Since we launched our service in May, the response from those buying and selling property has been phenomenal.”

This nomination is also a feather in the cap for Ennis Web design company Advanced Internet Marketing, (aimdesign.ie), who designed the Website.

AIM are also responsible for the marketing and promotion of the site. This is the second time a Website designed by AIM has been nominated for a Golden Spiders award.

The 2006 Golden Spiders Awards nominees have been chosen by a prestigious panel of leaders in the Irish Internet industry.

The panel includes Eamonn and Brian Fallon (Daft.ie), Jim Miley (CEO MyHome.ie), Rachel Harwood (eBay.ie), Gareth Lambe (Pigsback.com), Adele Cooper (Google Ireland) and Brendan Finucane (Enterprise Ireland).

The winners will be announced on November 23 at a gala event in the Burlington Hotel.

ONE of Clare’s most successful locally owned companies recorded a doubling in profits last year, according to the latest accounts filed to the Companies Office.

The accounts show that the profit of Data Display in Ennistymon after tax was €1.1 million last year, compared to €540,000 in 2004. Turnover at the company increased from €14 million in 2004 to €18 million.

Managing Director, Kevin Neville told The Clare People : “2005 was a good year. We are doing very well and we are continuing to increase profit and turnover this year with very strong orders.

“It is not getting easier with rising costs and we invest 8 per cent to 10 per cent of turnover in research and development.”

The accounts show that the company spent €853,553 on R&D last year and in 2004 spent €781,510.

The principal activity of the group is the manufacture and sale of electronic display products. It is currently working on a prestigious contract to provide electronic signs for the subway system in New York city.

Data Display also has contracts for high profile public transport projects in Seattle and Denver.

The contract for the New York city subway has resulted in Data Display establishing a manufacturing plant in New York.

Mr Neville said, “In order to secure federal contracts in the US, the government has a ‘made in America’ policy where 60 per cent of all contracts must have the produce made in the US.

Mr Neville said that the Irish Government should consider a similar policy to provide support for indigenous Irish firms.

Data Display was first established in 1979 employing 13 people. Mr Neville confirmed that a total of 270 are employed at the company with 168 based in Ennistymon.

The company has subsidiaries in the UK, Sweden, Portugal and France. It is now wholly-owned by the Neville family who bought out the remaining shares owned by a third party last year.

The accounts show that the company now has accumulated profits of €4.2 million. An analysis of its turnover shows that the €4.6 million was generated in the US, €5.1 million in the UK, €5.6 million in other EU countries and €3.2 million in Ireland. The importance of Data Display to the north Clare economy is shown with the staff costs at €6.5 million – an increase of €130,000 on the 2004 wage bill.

AER Arann has defended its safety record following the fire alert at Shannon Airport last week involving one of its commuter planes.

The emergency is the latest in a series of incidents involving the airline in recent years, four of which resulted in probes by the Air Accident Investigation Unit of the Department of Transport. This latest incident is also being investigated by the AAIU.

In February 2001, an Aer Arann plane carrying thirty passengers and three crew careered off the runway at Sheffield Airport after one of its tyres burst on landing. No one was injured in that incident.

Aircraft operated by the regional airline were involved in two further incidents that year. In May 2001, while approaching Cork Airport, the crew of an Aer Arann plane experienced severe airframe vibrations after a large panel at the fuselage/wing joint became detached along its trailing edge. No one was injured in the incident.

The following December, two passengers and a crew member on board a flight from Dublin to Donegal were slightly injured when the plane experienced difficulties a short distance from the airport. Bad weather conditions and severe turbulence were blamed for the incident.

On July 17, 2003, An Aer Arann fight from Dublin to Sligo was forced to divert and make an emergency landing at Shannon and the plane, which was carrying thirty one passengers and a crew of three, touched down safely with one engine functioning.

In August 2003, another Aer Arann plane flying from London to Galway with 51 passengers and crew on board was forced to land at Shannon on one of its two engines. The findings of an Air Accident Investigation Unit concluded that the engine shut down because the fuel tank feeding it was empty.

The investigation established that a faulty fuel gauge gave trouble on all flights during the day and investigators expressed concern the problem was not recorded in the aircraft’s technical log. When previous flight crews were contacted, investigators found the fuel gauge problems could have been going on for more than five weeks without being recorded.

The investigation also noted that “the crew was faced with considerable operational pressures and a lack of resources, including the simple non-availability of a set of steps to check the drip-stick indicators. These circumstances contributed to inadequate fuel management.”

In December 2004, an Aer Arann plane left the runway and became embedded in soft ground at Galway Airport. There were no injuries or damage to the aircraft reported.

Defending the company’s safety record, Managing Director Garry Cullen said they were fully compliant with all regulatory requirements and standards set by the Irish Aviation Authority.

“We operate in one of the most highly regulated and safety conscious industries in the world. Safety is afforded the highest priority over any operational or commercial considerations in our company.”

“Aer Arann operates over 600 flights a week and has won numerous awards over the years. This recognition coupled with our millions of satisfied customers is testament to the professionalism and level of service that Aer Arann offers”, he said.

THE Air Accident Investigation Unit of the Department of Transport has confirmed that it is investigating an incident last Wednesday in which an Aer Arann flight was forced to make an emergency landing at Shannon after a fire broke out in one of the plane’s two engines.

The ATR turboprop aircraft was travelling from Farranfore Airport in Kerry to Dublin with 37 passengers and crew when a warning light indicated a fire in the port side engine, forcing the captain to declare an emergency and seek permission to land at Shannon.

The plane touched down safely but was quickly escorted by a fleet of emergency vehicles off the main runway to a taxiway and evacuated. Passengers were taken by bus to the terminal building as fire crews and engineers inspected the aircraft.

Units of the fire brigade from Shannon Town were also mobilised as back up to the airport fire and rescue service, while two crews from Ennis stood by at Dromoland. Two ambulances from Ennis and Limerick were also deployed. Airport operations were not affected during the emergency.

An Aer Arann spokesman was unable to confirm whether there was a fire in the engine, as the airline was awaiting a report from their engineers who had carried out a detailed examination of the aircraft.

It is understood however that an internal automatic fire extinguisher was deployed and the fire was fully out by the time the plane landed.

Aer Arann said all passengers were transferred to Dublin by coach and the aircraft remained grounded as engineers continued their examination of the aircraft.

A spokesperson for the Air Accident Investigation Unit of the Department of Transport confirmed they were notified of the incident on Wednesday evening and initiated their own investigation.

This is the fifth official investigation by the AAIU of incidents involving Aer Arann aircraft in recent years.

MEMBERS of Clare County Council have expressed concern at the authority’s creation of a new job to accommodate a highly paid senior official returning early from a yearlong leave of absence.

In January of this year, County Manager, Alec Fleming signed an order allowing the council’s Director for Housing, David Timlin to take a year of unpaid leave, which is a frequent occurrence in local authorities.

However, the council has circulated councillors with a statement to state that Mr Timlin has now returned to the council and “has been assigned to a number of projects, cross-cutting in nature, which require special focus at a senior level over the next few months”.

Once he took the the year off, senior official, Josephine Cotter Coughlan was put in charge of housing. She will remain in place until early in the New Year when Mr Timlin will reassume responsibility for that area.

In the meantime, Mr Timlin’s responsibilities are to include “technical issues” relating to the council’s new €27 million HQ that is currently being constructed by Michael McNamara & Co. Mr Timlin will also be responsible for “the development and roll-out of risk management systems and processes as required by the council’s Insurers, IPBMI Ltd”.

However, senior council member, Cllr Patricia McCarthy (Ind) said yesterday: “The council is supposed to have five Directors of Service. Does it now have six Directors arising from Mr Timlin coming back early?”

The salary scale for Directors of Service range from €84,465 to €99,823.

On Mr Timlin being employed to oversee “technical issues” in relation to the council HQ, Cllr McCarthy said: “If the council did not have the capacity to deal with these projects at the outset, they shouldn’t have taken them on.

“Why was this appointment made at the start of the new civic offices building, rather than in the middle of it. This is very unusual.”

“Is there provision for allowing employees return early from a yearlong leave of absence and if so, is this a one off or will everyone be catered for? I would be worried about the precedent that this appointment will set.”

Cllr Brian Meaney (Green) said: “I would be concerned that it appears that a job has been created for Mr Timlin before his year is up. Where will the funding for this come from and will it impact on other areas as the council is finding it difficult to even partly meet requests for funding?”

ALTHOUGH the famous west Clare railway has been defunct for over 40 years, it is at the centre of Clare County Council’s refusal of planning permission for a holiday home development on the outskirts of Lahinch.

Two years ago, Tom O’Keeffe of Roslevan, Ennis lodged plans with the council to construct 20 holiday homes at Creg, Lahinch. This was later reduced to twelve.

However, the council has refused planning permission on three grounds , one of which is the number of the homes that would be built over the line of the west Clare railway. That would be in conflict with the North Clare Area Plan 2005.

The plan states that developments should only be allowed on or adjacent to the west Clare railway, which will not conflict with or restrict the recreational potential of the line.

However, developer, Tom O’Keeffe through his planning consultants, Corey Stevens and Associates has expressed incredulity at his plan being turned down due to the presence of the old west Clare railway line.

An appeal to An Bord Pleanala states: “It is hard to reason how this can occur as the railway line no longer exists from the bridge abutments at the subject into Lahinch.”

The appeal goes on: “ We also contend that it is meaningless to exclude the area of the railway line from the proposed development as the land cannot serve any other purpose.

Mr O’Keeffe has told the board that he is willing to forgo the development on one home that is located on the defunct railway line, if he is granted permission for the remainder of the development.

Folklorist and author of ‘Walking in the Tracks of the West Clare Railway’, Eddie Lenihan said: “A lot of damage has been done to the west Clare railway so why have anymore. It would be a disgrace to do so.

“I’m sure that ways will be found to overcome problems that seem insurmountable now in getting parts of the west Clare up and running again.

Mr Lenihan however expressed that the policy in the North Clare Area Plan to protect the west Clare has come too late. He said: “An awful lot of the line is gone already.”

The 27 mile line from Ennis to Miltown Malbay was closed in 1961, when it was making losses of £23,000 per annum.

A decision on the appeal is due next year.

CAMPAIGNERS are likely to seek an injunction preventing the ESB from pressing ahead with the construction of a controversial phone mast in Ennis.

The injunction was one course of action discussed at a public meeting held in the Eire Óg clubhouse last night. The meeting was organised by a group opposed to the siting of an 80 foot telecommunications mast at an ESB substation in Clonroadmore.

It now also seems likely that campaigners will have to compensate the ESB as a result of seeking a judicial review of An Bord Pleannala’s controversial decision to grant planning permission to the ESB.

According to campaigner Noel Mulhaire, the ESB had sought an agreement from residents that they would be compensated if the planning decision was found to be valid. The case is not expected to be heard before the High Court for another six months and the cost of pursuing the action is likely to cost residents upwards of €100,000

Last Wednesday the ESB served a seven day notice of its intention to commence construction work on the mast saying that concerns over the timescale of the legal action had forced them to move.

Speaking before last night’s meeting Mr Mulhaire said; “After what happened last week we’re going to up the ante”

THE Shannon Regional Fisheries Authority has called on Clare fishermen to diversify their catch in the wake of last week’s landmark ban on salmon drift netting in Irish waters. With local quotas standing at 6,000 and the average cost per salmon nearing €25, the industry is worth some €150,000 to local fisherman each year.

While a spokesperson for the fishing authority broadly welcomed last week’s decision, he noted that there was a long standing tradition of drift-netting in the county, especially on the banks of the Shannon and the Fergus.

“I don’t believe that with the numbers being caught in the region that any fishermen could have been surviving on drift-netting alone, so I don’t think that this move is going to put anyone out of business,” commented the spokesperson.

“Those who would have been in the coastal situation would be into different types of fishing and the hope is that they will diversify further into these areas. Some fisherman’s groups have called for a licence to be put in place to allow a limited amount of drift netting to take place. We hope that it is gone for good, we are virtually the only country in the EU which allows it. Drift-netting was at its peak in the 1970s and 80s and that’s when the real damage was done. In those days, there were anywhere from 10,000 to 20,000 salmon caught in the region each year. The quota was brought down to 6,000 for this year and while people might say that 6,000 is not a massive amount of fish, it is still 6,000 more who will reach the spawning grounds each year.”