The Clare People Archive

CLARE people living in America are being urged to return home and help fuel the local economy. The Western Development Commission (WDC) is hosting a conference in New York later this week where they are hoping to attract hundreds of ex-pats to return to the Banner.

The conference, which takes place this Friday and Saturday, is organised jointly by the WDC and FÁS Jobs Ireland and is aimed specifically at Clare people and people from the western region in general, who have immigrated to the US and may be thinking of a return.

“We are asking that people throughout Clare who have friends and families in the US, tell them about the event where we can inform them about the opportunities available,” said Gillian Buckley, CEO of the WDC.

“Many of those Irish living in the States may not realise that the West of Ireland has changed dramatically in recent years. Over 40,000 people have moved into the seven western county region over the past four years.”

One of the main aspects of the conference will be the American launch of the www. lookwest.ie which has had received more than 100,000 hits in the short time since its creation.

“LookWest can show them how much more towns like Ennis has to offer,” continued Ms Buckley.

The FÁS Jobs Ireland event will takes place on October 20 and 21 at the Affinia Manhattan Hotel in New York.

THE ESB have addressed issues raised in a controversial consultants’ report with the Oireachtas committee responsible for powerpricing. The company was challenging parts of the Deloitte report, which had an airing in the media last week.

A spokesman for the ESB said that it had been pointed out that while Deloitte had priced power costs as been more than 50 per cent higher than the European average, this was only the case in relation to a small number of customers, while for 95 per cent of power-users, costs were on a par with Europe. The figures given for the Poolbeg station were incorrect, the committee heard.

Claims that power-station staff were being paid up to €100,000 per annum, “are not outside the norm for the industry,” the spokesman said. “The average wage in the power-generating operation would be €92,000. This is for a round the clock service and includes shift rates and other payments. In other sectors, people have a very different rate. This would be normal for the industry,” the spokesman added.

The report comes at a time when the power company have been given the go-ahead for a January price-hike.

Meanwhile, ATGWU regional secretary, Mick O’ Reilly, said that“Deloitte did not show that ESB labour costs were higher than the rest of Europe. They specifically stated in their report, ‘We believe that payroll costs are higher…’”

He added that a considerable amount of money had been paid for “a report based on beliefs and maybes.”

CRITICISMS of the promotion of the annual Fleadh Nua festival have been accepted as reasonable.

Donal O’Loingsigh, Fleadh Nua PRO said he accepted comments made last week by John Madden, President of Ennis Chamber of Commerce.

In calling for the establishment of major international cultural festival for Ennis, Mr Madden was also critical of the methods used to promote previous Fleadhanna.

Mr Madden said that the Fleadh would have to play a major role in any proposed venture, but that the event would have to embrace new methods of promotion in order to make it more relevant to modern audiences.

“It requires a new and contemporary vision of how the music and culture is presented. Better organisational and promotional skills are needed to implement a new and enriched programme of events” said the chamber president.

Close to 5,000 people descended on Ennis for this year’s Fleadh Nua, but according to Mr O’Loingsigh, a greater promotional effort is definitely needed and a lack of resources has restricted efforts in recent years.

“In one way, I would agree with what was said, but the question is, if you were to invest more effort in it, where would you stop. At a local level we wouldn’t have a huge budget and neither would we have much personnel. A more vigorous approach is needed. To go beyond local advertising then you would have to go national and that would require a bigger budget. It is reasonable to comment that more could be done”.

In supporting Mr Madden’s proposal for an international festival, Mr O’Loingsigh also called for greater integration between community and promotional groups.

“We were working on a shoestring budget and a small voluntary committee. As I say resources are thin on the ground and both public and private groups would have to come on board. Neither Fáilte Ireland or the Arts Council have supported the Fleadh despite numerous submissions”

He continued; “If Wexford, Cork and Kilkenny can have major festivals then why not Clare”.

Mr Madden had last week deemed it remarkable that a town of the size of Ennis did not have an annual festival of national and international importance.

According to Mr Madden events like the Fleadh Nua, Ennis Trad Festival and Glór and the planned construction of a new GAA stadium, meant Ennis had the infrastructure to stage such and event.

THE Clare Shell-to-Sea group has stepped up its campaign against the construction of the Corrib gas pipeline with a series of protests in the county. The organisation hosted its largest protest in Clare last Friday outside Shell’s depot on the Limerick road in Ennis and are planning a number of events this weekend.

Members of the organisation have been travelling to Mayo to take part in the ongoing blockade of the €200 million project while Clare members were also involved in the sitdown protest last Monday.

This protest was significant as it was the first occasion that members of the Shell-toSea protest defied the law and also the first time that Gardaí physically removed protesters from the site.

“Monday marked a new departure for the situation up there,” said Tony Kirby of Clare Shell-to-Sea. “There were a couple of unsavory incidents. It was complete chaos for three hours or so. Some of the guards were being very heavy-handed but that was a minority of them.”

The organisation has also dismissed media reports that Sinn Fein is now orchestrating the Mayo protests.

“Of the 150 to 200 people that are protesting every day, maybe two or three are from Sinn Fein,” Mr Kirby said. “The people who are saying this are trying to undermine the real debate, to discredit the health and safety concerns and to distract the people from the real issue.”

Clare Shell-to-Sea are planning another protest this Friday while a number of their members will travel to Mayo to take part in the national day of protest on the same day.

A SHANNON man who went ‘berserk’ at a Garda station, verbally abused gardaí and kicked out, has been jailed for three months.

Michael James McDonagh (33), of Ballycaseymore, Shannon, was convicted of engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour, at Shannon Garda Station, on April 9, 2005, in the District Court. He appealed this at Ennis Circuit Court yesterday (Monday), but his appeal was dismissed.

Sergeant Noel McMahon told the court that McDonagh and his wife were in the public area of Shannon Garda Station.

The garda took a certificate of insurance from McDonagh’s wife and was going to photocopy it, as he had to go to the airport on other business. McDonagh then became agitated.

“He tried to come in the hatch window. Garda David Laing had to force him out. He called Garda Laing a scumbag,” said the sergeant.

“He (McDonagh) told me he had injured his finger. I didn’t see any mark on it,” he added.

Garda Brian McCarthy, who was also in the station at the time, said Garda Laing had to physically push McDonagh out the window.

“He started kicking the door. We tried to calm him down, he was shouting,” said Gda McCarthy.

Defending solicitor Tara Godfrey said there was no intent on the part of her client to breach the peace. Judge Carroll Moran replied, “On the garda evidence, he was certainly doing that, and more.”

McDonagh told the court he “lost the head” after Garda Laing pushed the hatch out on his finger. He admitted calling Gardaí McCarthy and Laing ‘scumbags’ and ‘assholes, but said he did not attack the gardaí.

State Solicitor Martin Linnane, in cross-examination, asked McDonagh why he called the gardaí names. He replied, “Because he hurt me.”

Mr Linnane said, “You hurt yourself getting through the hatch.”

Ms Godfrey said her client was “frustrated” and didn’t understand the delay in processing the insurance.

She said a verbal disagreement was not sufficient for a conviction for breaching the peace.

Judge Moran said McDonagh went “berserk” and was very abusive.

“He tried to get through the hatch. He called gardaí scumbags and assholes and he was kicking the wall of the public office. These were acts of violence. He just went out of control.”

He dismissed the appeal. The threemonth sentence will run consecutively with a four-year term currently being served by McDonagh, who has several previous convictions.

CLARE County Council and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) look destined to lock horns once more over the Central Waste Management Facility at Ballyduff Beg.

The local authority issued a strongly worded statement last week in which they claimed to be “baffled” by the EPA’s decision to issue two fresh non-compliance orders following an unannounced audit of the facility on August 23rd.

The EPA breaches relate to the amount of cover being used to cover the landfill cells in use as well as the final capping of the cells. The council has also revealed that it intends to appeal the findings, claiming an “assessment of its overall operation of the site would indicate that noncompliance orders should not have been issued.”

The EPA has given the local authority until this Friday, October 20, to respond to the non-compliance orders. It declined to comment on the matter until that time. However, a spokesperson from the EPA did confirm that as of yesterday, October 16, no response had been received from the council despite its release of the media statement.

“Clare County Council is somewhat perplexed at the non-compliance orders issued by the EPA considering that very significant improvement works have been undertaken at the site,” said Ger Dollard, Director of Services with Clare County Council.

“As the EPA has not indicated that any nuisance arose on the day of the audit, it is the council’s view that the existing cover has adequately fulfilled its purpose and a non-compliance finding is unjustified and not supported.”

Ballyduff Beg locals have reacted angrily to Mr Dollard’s comments, claiming that while there was no nuisance on that day, the council was in breach of the licence and that breaches on other days have led to problems with both smell and vermin.

“The council accepted the licence, were delighted to get it and said that they would comply with it. That is all we are asking for,” said local resident Perry Longe.

“If they did apply the 6 inches of covering each day, as the licence states, then there would never be a problem with smell. But it an ongoing problem, it was there this morning (Monday) and it was still there at half past three when I left the house.”

Aside from the two non-compliances, the EPA also noted 20 separate minor breaches during the August 23rd audit. The Ballyduff Beg facility was found to have breached its licence earlier this years for disturbing waste without first receiving permission from the EPA.

KILRUSH Town Council has decided to unearth a forgotten by-law in an attempt to curb anti-social drinking on the streets of the west Clare capital.

A by-law banning the consumption of alcohol in public places in the town has never been enforced, according to councillors.

At this month’s meeting of the council, Cllr Marian McMahon-Jones (FG) called for a law to be introduced that would control and regulate the consumption of intoxicating substances in a public place. The councillor made the call after she was informed of an incident where three men sat in the playground drinking alcohol while children played nearby.

“If that was younger people, there would be gardaí on to them immediately,” she said.

The councillor was surprised to be informed that a by-law outlawing such activity had already been passed by the council a number of years previously. “I feel they are already on the books and they were never enforced,” said Cllr Christy O’Malley (FF).

Cllr Tom Prenderville (FF) said, while the council adopted the by-laws, it was a matter for the Garda to implement them.

The town manager and director of services Bernadette Kinsella told the members that the executive could “unearth” the byelaws.

Councillor and local publican Liam O’Looney (FF) told the members that, as a result of public drinking in Kilrush, “We got a very bad negative reaction from tourists. Some I know pulled out of town,” he said.

The council are to invite the local Garda superintendent to address the next meeting.

ANOTHER independent candidate is poised and ready to join the hustings in the next general election, if the Government does not implement recommendations relating to mobile phone masts.

Noel Mulhaire, who is a member of a Mobile Phone Mast Action Group in Ennis, said a candidate had been identified and was willing to run on the phone mast mandate.

He told The Clare People that the Government had time to adopt the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Marine and Natural Resources by June 2005, or alternatively another party might include the recommendations in its manifesto.

If this does not happen, eight to 10 candidates will run throughout the country, including Clare, under the BEST (Better Environmental and Safer Telecommunications) umbrella.

The candidates will oppose the proliferation of phone masts in their communities, which they say cause ill health effects.

Mr Mulhaire said the Clare candidate could not be revealed until the other mast groups in the county have ratified him.

Mr Mulhaire refuted claims that the man, from Ennis, would be a one-issue candidate.

He said he would support a number of quality of life issues. The BEST group attended meetings all over Ireland and organised protest marches in Ennis, Toomevara and Fermoy.

Mr Mulhaire said that a number of politicians from different parties walked in the marches and pledged their support but, to date, no action had been taken by the elected representatives.

LOCAL residents living in the Clare Road area of Ennis have claimed that the planned homeless hostel for Ennis “will attract a significant anti-social element to the locality”.

Earlier this year, Clare County Council lodged plans to convert the existing Laurel Lodge on Clare Rd to a hostel for 13 homeless men.

The cost of the project was estimated at €2.1 million. The St Vincent de Paul will operate the building and has told Ennis Town Council that it “will act as a centre of care, support, information and advice to those experiencing homelessness”.

The objection has been lodged by Patrick Donnelly, Ann-Marie Donnelly, Helen Broderick and Christopher Walsh. However a petition in support of the objection has managed to attract only four additional names.

The objectors state that they have “deep and well founded concerns” over the proposed development. They state: “We may be accused of acting in a NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) manner, but this proposal is virtually in our backyards.

“There has been no consultation with local residents by the St Vincent de Paul and they refused to have a public meeting regarding the matter. We are left with no option, but to object in the strongest possible manner to the location of this homeless centre.”

In their objection, the residents state: “We are duty-bound to prevent any development that will bring such dysfunction close to our homes and families and we request planners in Ennis Town Council to have consideration for those of us who quietly live our lives, pay our taxes and do not seek handouts or assistance from the state.

“We do not cause any of the ills of society and we do not want them foisted upon us by others in a residential area.

“Numerous residents including unaccompanied females currently go for recreational walks in the vicinity of the premises and we are concerned that the proposed development will attract person who will cause fears to these persons for their safety and a fear of being interdicted in their walks and at other times.”

The objection refers to “the unpredictable nature associated with a population with a high dependency of drugs and alcohol and consequent likelihood of crime including violent crime, a pre-disposition towards psychiatric illness and all the attendant problems associated with that”.

The objectors also state that “no assessment has been undertaken to determine the best practice location for a development such as this”.

“It appears that it was a case of property available for purchase rather than identifying a location that will best serve the needs of a group with the problems associated with homelessness.

A decision is due on the application later this month.

RYANAIR is to start a new route between Shannon and Madrid starting on November 23.

This brings to 26 the number of low fare routes operated by Ryanair at its Shannon base, which over the coming 12 months will deliver 1.7M passengers from the West of Ireland.

Announcing the new route, Peter Sherrard, Ryanair’s Head of Communications said: “Today we announced our 18th European base in Madrid and we are delighted that Shannon will be among the first of our European airports to benefit. Passengers throughout the mid-west will now enjoy direct, year round low fare access to the immensely popular Spanish capital.”

Ryanair now serves four Spanish destinations from Shannon and this new route, Sherrard said, “will deliver thousands of additional visitors from the Madrid region to the West of Ireland.”

Seats on this new route are available from €12, taxes included and Ryanair said they are urging passengers to book immediately “as fares this low to Madrid will not last long.”

In welcoming the new route Martin Moroney, Director Shannon Airport said: “We are delighted with this announcement.

The further expansion of the Ryanair network represents a strong vote of confidence in Shannon.

“I believe Madrid will prove a hugely popular business and leisure destination with travellers from the region, by providing regular low cost access to central Spain, in addition to providing the West of Ireland tourism sector with an opportunity to increase the number of Spanish visitors to the region.”