The Clare People Archive

IMELDA King Kennedy believes we all have a purpose in life and for her that means giving help to those who need it most.

Imelda has just released a CD entitled “Amazing Grace” in aid of the Alzeihmers society of Ireland.

Imelda has lived in Ennis for over 20 years and from her work with the Soroptimists International Society has worked closely with people providing care for people suffering from Alzeihmers.

Through providing quality dementia-specific care and supporting carers and families, the Alzeihmers Society of Ireland raises public awareness about the condition

Today, more than 35,000 people in Ireland have dementia, of which Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common form. The risk of developing Alzheimer’s Disease increases with age with its prevalence rising from approximately 1% in people under 65 years old to more than 25% for those over 80 years. Although rare and more commonly associated with older age, Alzheimer’s Disease can also occur in people in their 40’s and 50’s.

A voluntary worker for 28 years, Imelda says she received the inspiration for recording the album after observing first hand the dedication of staff and of families dealing with Alzeihmers.

“I was motivated and inspired to record the album by people I know and those who care for those with Alzeihmers. My purpose in life is to serve for the betterment of others. I have a purpose in life, a special talent to sing, a unique gift to give to others. When I channel this gift for the service of others, I experience the joy and exultation of my own spirit”

It was always inevitable that Imelda would be involved in music. As a young girl in Newmarket, music played an important role in the family home. At the age of six she was already performing for school and church choirs.

Imelda trained as a singer under the tutelage of Dr Veronica Dunne in Dublin and also with Mary Fulham and Olive Cowper. She attended the Ursuline Convent in Thurles and went on to graduate from the Royal Irish Academy.

Imelda has also enjoyed success on the festival circuit, winning awards at Feile Luimni and Feis Cheoil.

Apart from performing regularly with the Cathedral Choir in Ennis and the Clare Music Circle in Newmarket-on-Fergus Imelda practices a form of musical therapy known as Spirit of the Voice.

Spirit if the Voice deals with a concept known as microtonal healing, a process where the tone of the voice is used for therapeutic purposes.

“The sacredness of the voice has long been recognised in prayerful utterance, song and word and breadth convey the power of the creator and can be used as a transformer and healer” says Imelda.

Sales of Amazing Grace have been going well and Imelda now plans to record a second album in aid of the Alzeihmers Unit in the Clarecastle Day Care Centre. Amazing Grace is on sale at the offices of the Alzeihmers society at the Clonroad Business Park. Copies can be purchased Price: €10 including lunch

by contacting Imelda 087 278 6717.

childhood care and education.

CLARE County Council has been strongly criticised over the non-disclosure of the details of two planning applications at the centre of legal actions.

The council, acting on the basis of legal advice, opted to keep details of the cases secret amid claims that it acted against legislation set out in the Local Government Act.

According to Councillor PJ Kelly (FF), the confidentiality agreement entered into by the council was contrary to Section 136 of the Local Government Act, which precludes any local authority from entering into such agreement.

In response to a motion tabled by Cllr Kelly in which he requested the number of planning applications not decided upon within the statutory period between January 1, 2005 to September 9, 2006, it was revealed that legal steps had been initiated in two instances.

One case has been rejected by the High Court and is currently being appealed to the Supreme Court, while in the second, the applicant’s case has been “adjourned pending steps being taken subject to a confidential agreement”.

At last week’s meeting of Clare County Council, Cllr Kelly (FF) expressed surprise at the fact the County Manager had not taken into account Section 136 and that the legal advisor was not present to brief the council.

“At least I expected the legal advisor to be here. We are told that planning today is a mystery that we don’t understand but are meant to believe in . . . we are dealing here with the ethics of confidentiality.”

Cllr Kelly also accused Mr Fleming of acting in a “de-facto” fashion in agreeing to the confidentiality agreement and said that case law prohibited such agreements. Cllr Kelly added he had a “rough idea of the geographic location of one of the cases” due to the talk he had overheard in local “watering holes”

Mr Fleming defended his actions, saying he always acted in the council’s best interest and assumed the legal advisor was well aware of any existing legislation.

However, there was sharp criticism from others in the chamber at the lack of a written response to the motion. There were calls from Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind) and Cllr Martin Lafferty (Ind) to make more information on the relevant cases available.

“I ask whether you can get access to the file, if those files aren’t available to the public, I want them to be identified. We are going down the wrong road . . . this is a sad day for the planning authority in Clare,” said Cllr Lafferty.

Clr Richard Nagle (FF) said it was naive to think the file numbers would be released.

PROBLEMS with planning are one of the main factors which make people in Clare less happy than those in neighbouring counties, according to a new survey produced by UCD.

The survey, which was presented at the “Towards Sustainability in the National Development Plan 20072013” earlier this month, rated each county and region of Dublin on a five point happiness scale.

People in Clare were rated as the fourth most unhappy in the country with only Dublin City, Dublin South and Waterford receiving a worse rating. Clare was grouped in the second tier on the unhappiness scale along with eight other counties. Galway and South Tipperary were group among the most happy counties while Tipperary North, Limerick and Kerry were group in the second most happy category.

Dr Mary Kelly, director of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) called for a strategic environmental assessment to be carried out before the introduction of the National Development Plan 2007 to 2013.

“It will be too late in 2013 to look at it and say ‘I wish we had done this some other way’ so the time to try to determine the impact is before the plan gets underway,” said Dr Kelly. The survey was conducted by Professor Peter Clinch and Dr Susana Ferreira of UCD.

AN TAISCE has been forced to withdraw an objection against a planning application for the second time in three months in Clare after concerns were expressed over the accuracy of the objection by a developer.

Last July, An Taisce withdrew its objection against a planned extension by journalist, Fintan O’Toole to his holiday home in Ballyvaughan after labelling his proposal ‘criminal’.

Now, the Director of An Taisce, Gavin Harte has informed Kilkee architect, Tom Byrne that the association is withdrawing its objection against Mr Byrne’s planned development for the erection of a single terrace of six, two storey holiday homes in Kilkee, because An Taisce’s Head Office found its submission by the Clare Association “not of a necessary standard”.

In a letter to the secretary of the Clare Association of An Taisce, Anny Wise, Mr Byrne a former member of the Dublin City Association of An Taisce, described the An Taisce submission as “wild and illconsidered”.

In the submission, An Taisce stated that it was objecting under a number of headings, pointing out that large estates of holiday homes needed good access and services.

In response, Mr Byrne wrote: “What exactly do you mean by this bland statement?

“The density proposed here is well within the guidelines set out in the West Clare Local Area Plan and the Clare County Development Plan. How does a scheme of six terraced houses constitute ‘a large development’?”

Arising from An Taisce’s decision to withdraw the application, Mr Byrne told Mr Harte: “I have no problem with observations/objections to any development, but when such an inaccurate submission is made on behalf of An Taisce then the process becomes farcical and potentially costly to the applicant.

“I trust the ongoing ill-informed submissions by the ‘local association’ will cease . . .

“I also trust that the ‘cut and paste’ and ill-judged mentality of such submissions will soon be a thing of the past. Such submissions needlessly add to the growing disregard which some have for An Taisce and their efforts.”

The Byrne plan is facing opposition from a number of local residents.

Advising that An Tasice withdraw its submission, Mr Harte said: “However we intend to monitor this application and in the unlikely event that the local authority decide to approve planning, it may be appropriate for An Taisce to make an observation on an appeal to such approval.”

THE NEW formalised pre-planning service has come in for a hammering with calls for the county council to either set up a dedicated department for it or scrap it altogether.

Conflicting information, changes in restrictions and even reversals of advice given have dogged the process, leaving applicants frustrated, out of pocket and without permission, Councillor Martin Conway (FG) said. Pre-planning is a service which the council offered in an informal way before. But early this year, it became formalised with the service being offered on the council’s web site.

Cllr Conway has now called for a dedicated department to be set up within the local authority to deal with pre-planning.

“A house is the biggest outlay people are ever going to undertake and with the huge expense involved, it can save couples up to a hundred thousand euros if a parent can give them a bit of land. But that’s no good if they can’t get permission to build.”

The Fine Gael councillor said that he had been called on after couples were given advice in the pre-planning meeting only to find “that a very different view may be taken when they go ahead to apply for permission. Most pre-planning meetings are based on looking at site maps but, when planning is in and a planning officer goes out to look at a site, it can be a very different story. What a planner says about a map and what might be said about a physical site can be two very different things. This service needs to be provided properly if it is to be provided at all,” said Cllr Conway.

According to the council’s planning department, the number of preplanning enquiries received up to September 30, 2006 was 696. This compares with 483 for the full year 2005 and shows an increase of 52 per cent for the comparable January to September period.

These enquiries are responded to by way of written replies, telephone calls and meetings with the area planners. To date this year, 164 meetings have been recorded.

A spokesman for the council said that “new procedures were put in place this year to facilitate pre-planning enquiries and meetings. The procedure provides for submission of a site map and clear details so that they can be plotted on map info and linked to any subsequent planning application.”

He added that it was “planned to extend the use of the internal office system to agents, who account for the vast majority of planning applications. This will allow direct access by them to a self service pre-planning system.”

CLARE County Council has given the go-ahead for a new €25 million housing development on the outskirts of Ennis, in spite of concerns expressed over the development by the recently appointed editor of The Clare Champion.

The council has granted planning permission to developer Martin Casey to build 131 houses, a crèche and a shop at Shanaway Road on the western fringes of Ennis.

Austin Hobbs’s objection to the development focused on the impact the proposed development and its entrance would have on his family’s property.

The objection, which was made in a personal capacity, predated his appointment as ‘Champion’ editor and was made with his wife and another couple living in the area.

They also had the support of An Taisce who described the development as premature pending the provision of public services.

Another local resident, Ennis Town Engineer, Tom Tiernan facilitated the development in a personal capacity by entering an arrangement with Mr Casey to allow the housing development be part-accessed through his property.

A previous application for 131 houses by Mr Casey was refused because the entrance was not wide enough. However, the planner’s report on the latest application says the applicant has acquired land from the adjacent landowner to widen the entrance and a letter of consent has been submitted. In that letter, Mr Tiernan said he has no objection to Mr Casey’s application “even though a small portion of the site is located within our property”.

“As the proposed development is adjacent to my home, it would be inappropriate from me to contribute to the adjudication process in relation to the application and therefore I will not be doing so.”

Mr Tiernan declined to comment on any dealings he has with Mr Casey to widen the entrance to the development, telling The Clare People : “It is a private matter.”

Mr Tiernan and Mr Hobbs are neighbours and in the objection lodged on behalf of Mr Hobbs and the other residents, consulting engineer, Paddy Coleman states that the application should be refused on the basis “that the entrance and its location is totally inadequate, unacceptable and unsafe”.

Mr Hobbs stated that he has no further comment to make on the matter.

CLARE Council should focus on securing additional Government funding for the €31.5 million Cliffs of Moher visitor centre so the site can be enjoyed as a National Treasure and not as a rip-off location.

That is the view of Fine Gael councillor, Joe Carey, who expressed his concern over the charges in a letter to the visitor centre’s project leader, Ger Dollard in August.

In a letter released to The Clare People through the Freedom of Information Act, Cllr Carey said, “These charges will drive people away rather than encourage them into our county.”

The council is proposing to double parking charge for motorists from €4 to €8 and increase the fee for coaches to €60 though it has offered two separate discount schemes to coach operators.

In a response to a previous letter by Cllr Carey, which also expressed concern over the charges, council official, Ger Dollard justified the charges.

He said: “We have done a price comparison with other attractions in this country and abroad and the charge rate per individual in many cases far exceeds those proposed for the Cliffs of Moher.

“It has been pointed out that the added benefits for County Clare in introducing these new charges has been completely lost in the debate over whether new charges should be implemented.

“The new charges will lead to the proper tourism and environmental management of the Cliffs and other tourist sites around Clare, which the tourist industry in Clare has been seeking for many years.

“I have no doubt that when the completed project is in place, value for money will clearly be demonstrated and visitors will appreciate the extent of what the council has implemented and that the charges will be very reasonable for what will be a world class visitor experience at a world class site.

The level of charges also came under fire from Eamon McKeon, chief executive of the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation, prior to the council revising its charges to coach operators.

In a letter last August, Mr McKeon said, “The Cliffs are located in Clare, but they belong to the people of Ireland. It is noted that a sizeable loan has to be serviced, but it also the case that a very sizeable grant has been approved for the project. We are very pleased with the development and anxious for its success, but the proposed level of charges is unreasonable.”

KINVARA received a timely boost last week when the village was awarded the second largest grant ever made available by the state for the provision of childcare services.

Last Friday’s announcement by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform of almost €1.5 million in funding for the Kinvara Community Childcare Committee to provide a new community crèche comes on the back of years of fundraising work in the locality.

“We are absolutely delighted with the announcement,” said a spokesperson for the Kinvara Community Childcare Committee.

“It has taken two and a half years of hard work to bring this about. Given the developments at Seamount it is a timely boost for the village. It will be of great benefit to the town.”

The Childcare Committee has already secured planning permission for the community crèche, which is to be located beside the Community Centre.

The crèche will cater for children between the ages of 0 and 12 and the committee believes that there could be as many as 40 children attending the centre within the first year.

The committee have also been allocated funding to provide an after-school children’s club for Kinvara.

The news was welcomed by general election candidate Ciaran Cannon (PD).

“The people of Kinvara could be forgiven for thinking that they had been forgotten about. Just this week, the only solution offered by the Minister for Education to the Seamount crisis was to farm the students off to other schools,” said Cannon.

DOONBEG Golf Club confirmed yesterday that it had secured €41 million through the sales of luxury suites at the ‘Lodge’, its €150 million golf resort at Doonbeg.

Accounts for the venture returned to the Companies Office show that in 2005, the club recorded a loss of €1.2 million, with a spokesman ascribing the loss “to the development and preparation costs associated with entered 32 sales contracts totaling the pending opening of the five star €27.6 million for these properties. lodging, golf, and hospitality faciliThe remaining 15 suites totaling ties”. €13.4 million were sold during the

The accounts also show that the early part of 2006. US investors behind the project have injected €48 million into the golf by next month,” he said. resort, while there were 270 people employed at the golf club over the mained at about the same levels as summer months in 2006. 2004, but with the opening of the

A spokesman said yesterday, “DurLodge, the spokesman said, “golf ing 2005, The Lodge at Doonbeg rounds have dramatically increased

“Almost all sales will have closed Last year, golf rounds for 2005 reTHE west Clare peninsula is in danger of losing its only remaining post office, with the people of Carrigaholt accusing An Post of using underhand means to close down the service vital to the small village and rural community.

An Post maintains however that it wants to keep the service in the small village and is hoping someone will apply for the contract. It said it is offering the same terms as other offices by 40 per cent for the current year to over 20,000 rounds”.

With green fees pitched at €185 during week days and €195 at weekends, the golf club has accumulated €3.7 million in green fees last year.

The spokesman said, “Club membership sales continue to be strong with 2005 being 39 per cent ahead of the sales levels achieved in 2004. That trend has continued in 2006 with membership sales levels beare working under – that the salary is directly related to the volume of business.

“We want to have an office there but it is dependent on someone coming forward to run it as a singular business or as part of a retail business,” a spokesperson said.

But, local people believe they are loosing their post office by stealth. Concerned parish priest Fr Patrick Culligan said that no one could be expected to work a six-day week for the sum offered. He said the person ing another 44 per cent ahead of the 2005 levels.

“There are now 430 Irish and international members. Approximately 40 per cent of members are Irish.

“Doonbeg Golf Course has now moved from number 58 in Golf World rankings in 2005 to number 47.

“Making this a banner year, the course was voted the IGTOA (Irish Golf Tour Operators Association) Golf Course of the Year in 2005.” would have to provide a premises if they were to take on the job.

Fr Culligan said that the loss of the post office dimished the social and business life of the village and affected tourists and visitors to the famous Irish College, Coláiste Uí Chomhraidhe.

General Election Candidate, Cllr Madeleine Taylor Quinn (FG) said, “Older people should not be forced to travel long distances to do their banking, not to speak of pensions and social assistance payments. Local businesses will be adversely affected.”

For almost seven months the people of Carrigaholt and the peninsula have been without the services of the local post office. Postmistress Mary Ginnane retired last July following an illness. She had hoped the position in the automated office would be filled. Four other post offices have already closed on the peninsula – Kilbaha, Cross, Doonaha and Querrin. The nearest post office is now in Kilkee, over 10 km away.

This Sunday RTÉ’s new regional and community affairs programme, Pobal will feature the plight in Carrigaholt at 5.25pm.

THE achievements of Clare’s all conquering handballers along with the career of the county’s best-known journalist are to be jointly celebrated by Clare County Council.

A civic reception is to be held in honor of Clare’s handballers, who swept all before them at the World Handball Championships in Edmonton, Canada, last August.

Tuamgraney duo Diarmuid Nash and Niall Malone captured the under 15 doubles title while Clarecastle man Declan Frawley and Fermoy’s Colm Jordan teamed up to win the Men’s A Doubles title.

Others who performed with distinction included Sara and Lisa Loughnane, Ann Marie Fitzgerald along with Fergal and Gerard Coughlan.Also to be honored on the night is former Clare Champion journalist, Tony Mulvey. Mr. Mulvey who recently retired from his post, spent 47 years as a reporter chronicling life Clare. The joint-reception is expected to take place on Monday, November 20.

Councillor Richard Nagle (FF) proposed that Mr Mulvey be honoured, at last week’s monthly meeting of Clare County Council. He said Mr Mulvey along with photographer Michael John Glynne, documented countless events of local importance. Seconding the motion, Cllr PJ Kelly (FF) praised work he called a great source of history.