The Clare People Archive

THE Department of the Environment has requested that the developers of a €10 million wind farm in mid-Clare put in place measures to protect Hen Harriers, which are protected under the EU Habitats Directive.

In a submission to Clare County Council, the department has stated that owing to the sensitivity of the general area for the Hen Harrier and the presence of at least one Hen Harrier on the next site, it is recommended that there should be ongoing monitoring of Hen Harrier populations in the area.

The department also made the recommendations on the number and size of windfarms in the area.

The department has also stated that the windfarm should be designed to avoid areas of deep peat, even if these areas are modified by afforestation or drainage.

The proposal has also received one objection from Noel McGuane.

He told the council that the proposed extension to the existing wind-farm would seriously alter the format of the existing windfarm in the area.

Mr McGuane said that some of the turbines were very close to Lough Nan, which is the main water supply for over 2,000 homes.

The planned six-turbine wind-farm is an extension to a wind-farm that became operational last year. It is the first time in two years that planning permission has been lodged for a wind-farm in Clare with the council.

Already, within 10km of the proposed development, there are 62 wind-turbines consented to or built.

The existing 15-turbine windfarm at the site is only the second windfarm in Clare – the other is located at Moanmore, outside Kilrush.

Five years ago, DP Energy secured planning permission for the proposal in the face of strong local opposition and only after An Bord Pleanala disregarded the recommendation of its own inspector and granted planning permission.

The appeals board gave the plan the goahead, citing the National Development Plan in relation to the development of renewable energy and the national strategy on sustainable development.

According to the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) lodged with the new plan, the closest village to the proposal is Lissycasey at 6km, while the closest house is 700 metres away.

A decision is due on the application later this month.

ONE lucky Clare youngster will get the birthday treat of a lifetime if they are celebrating a 10th birthday on October 7 next.

The Clare People has teamed up with Clare FM and Mid-West FSG to find a Clare child who was born on the day Mid-West FSG was launched 10 years ago – on October 7, 1996.

To help celebrate the company’s 10th birthday, Mid-West FSG want to find that special child to launch the celebrations at their premises on the Quin Road business park.

The lucky youngster will get celebrity treatment for the day and be showered with birthday presents from the companies involved.

The lucky birthday child will be chauffeurdriven in a limousine and will get birthday presents from Mid-West FSG with newspaper photographers on hand to capture the fun as he or she blows out the candles on not one but two special birthday cakes.

Mums, grandparents and carers of children who turn 10 on October 7 are being asked to send their name, address, proof of date of birth to The Clare People as soon as possible.

Clare People Sales Director, Irene Hamilton, said, “we really want to make their birthday one to remember for life.”

The winning entrant will be chosen by Irene and the winner will be notified by September 30.

OFFICIAL figures show an increase in the amount of dogs put down in Clare in 2005.

According to the latest statistics from the Department of Environment, the destruction rate for animals in Clare in 2005 stood at 74 per cent, which represents a two per cent increase on figures for 2004.

The total number of dogs that entered the Clare pound in 2005 was 2,085 and from that 1,535 were destroyed.

Previous figures show that three times more dogs in Clare end up in the pound than the national average.

According to nationwide statistics, the national average is seven dogs per thousand population going to the pound.

In comparison, Clare has 18 dogs per thousand population.

Nationwide, the 2005 dog control figures show that 16,546 dogs, most healthy, were destroyed last year.

This is a 0.3 per cent decrease on last year’s figure of 16,598.

The total number of dogs held in Irish pounds increased from 24,716 in 2004, to 25,510 in 2005, representing a three per cent increase in total numbers entering pounds, proving the overall situation is not improving.

Limerick City has the highest destruction rate, with almost 100 per cent of animals put down, followed by Mayo, Kerry and Tipperary North and South, each with destruction rates of 90 per cent or more.

However, there was an increase in the rehoming of dogs in Leitrim, Dublin City, Fingal, South Dublin and Louth.

A GALWAY company has made a last-ditch bid to develop a sailing school in the New Quay area of north Clare.

Last month, Clare County Council refused planning permission to Redbank Leisure Ltd to develop the school. This followed the company being refused planning permission on three separate occasions for a visitor centre with learning facilities, on the same site.

The council refused permission after opposition to the latest plan from local residents.

However, Redbank Leisure has appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanala. The company states, “The proposal was for the development of a sailing school on part of the site which is owned by Redbank Ltd.

“The proposal involves a small section of the site and it is envisaged that the activities of the fish farm would continue on the other part of the site. The reason the principles are proposing this development is that the main business, that is the fish farming, is in decline.”

They argue, “There is no dedicated sailing centre in all of north Clare. There are two in south Clare at Kilrush and at Killaloe. This centre would address this situation and provide a much needed facility to cater for a growing demand in activity tourism and also for the expanding local youthful population who, living as they do on the sea shore, should have the facilities to learn how to sail the sea and taste its boundless possibilities in a supervised environment.

“The applicant owns Redbank and its entire shellfish water site, so it would be in our interests that any risk posed to the water quality or the shellfish in the bay.

“To this end, we have employed environmental consultants and they have produced a comprehensive analysis and a proposal to deal with the issue of waste water treatment.

A decision is due on the appeal later this year.

AHEAD of its AGM next week, the Gort Chamber of Commerce has pledged to continue its work on social projects, community facilities and to creating new business and housing opportunities in the town.

In an extensive release, the Chairman of the Gort Chamber of Commerce, Adrian Feeney, yesterday outlined the chamber’s plans for the next 12 months, including a desire to play an active consultative role with the council in implementing the Town Development Plan and with related issues such as rezoning.

“Through the efforts of the chamber, in co-operation with other community groups, we can continue to thrive as a community,” commented Mr Feeney. “As we come to the end of another year in the chamber, I can take a proud look back at the work of fellow chamber members who gave generously of their time and energy throughout the year.”

Mr Feeney pointed to the enhancement of the Market Square, the summer street cleaning programme and the new street lighting scheme as some of the greatest achievements this year.

“Well over 10,000 cars pass through our streets on a daily basis,” continued Mr Feeney. “If we encourage and support civic pride, and show our town is a pleasant place to live, to work and to do business, we all reap the benefits.”

Other highlights for the chamber this year include the success of the Coole Park Project, the introduction of broadband in the town and the visit of Mary McAleese.

“The highlight of the year for me as Chairman was the visit of President McAleese,” continued Mr Feeney. “Her interest in the work of our many voluntary organisations was recognition of our achievements.”

In addition to this, the chamber set up a sub-committee to liaise with Galway County Council to discuss the usage of Lough Curta to serve future water needs of the community and a Certificate in Business Studies course to be run by GMIT in partnership with the Chamber of Commerce.

Mr Feeney also highlighted the work done by the chamber, in association with other groups, in addressing the second access junction from the N18, Crusheen dual carriageway to Gort.

The Gort Chamber of Commerce AGM will take place next Tuesday, September 26.

A GROUP of volunteers has created a free highspeed WiFi Internet network spanning Clare, Galway and Limerick.

This network, which has been created by the not-for-profit organisation IrishWAN, claims to allow people to use the Internet for free, except for the initial cost of setting up the system.

The company has created the system in response to what it describes as “the inability of local government and commercial wireless Internet operators to provide what is seen as basic infrastructure in the rest of Europe”.

The system works by using readily available and affordable license exempt equipment, such as recycled PCs, to create a series of wireless nodes that people can connect to.

Depending on the type of antenna being used by an individual, a connection can be made up to 10 miles away from the nearest node.

According to IrishWAN, the typical cost of setting up the system is between €200 to €300, and the user would own the equipment following this.

Once you are set up, the system has no running costs because the software used to make the connections is based on the Linux Open Source operating system.

The more people who connect to a network of this kind, the stronger and more reliable it becomes. The areas where people can access the network also increase as new members, especially those located a higher altitudes, join the system.

For more information on this new system check out www.irishwan.ie.

THE case of a man who is accused of exposing himself in front of schoolchildren in Shannon has been adjourned for the 17th time.

The 29-year-old is accused of three charges of indecency, arising out of two alleged incidents outside schools in Shannon and another at a housing estate.

It is alleged he exposed himself in front of primary school students at St Senan’s national school, Shannon, in June 2004.

He is alleged to have exposed himself in front of a nine-year-old girl, at Dún an Óir, Shannon, in June 2005.

He is also accused of exposing himself to a female, at St Tola’s national school in September 2005.

At a court sitting in July, strict bail conditions were imposed.

On that occasion, Judge Joseph Mangan ruled that the accused be confined to his home when he was not working. If he was to leave his home, he must do so with a named member of his family.

Inspector Tom Kennedy told the court last Thursday that the accused had honoured these bail conditions.

Judge Mangan stated that one summons had come to court 15 times and that the case was before the court on 17 occasions in total.

The accused’s solicitor Gearóid Howard sought a change in the bail conditions, which would allow him to leave his home with either a named family member or a named family friend. This was not opposed.

The accused will appear in court again next month.

TWO people have appeared in court in connection with separate seizures of cigarettes by customs officers at Shannon Airport last year.

Sviatlana Usovich (32), of 149 St Brigid’s Grove, Killester, Dublin 5 and who is originally from Belarus, was convicted of evasion of a duty of excise on 14,000 cigarettes, with intent to defraud the State of such duty, on July 18, 2005. The value of the cigarettes was more than €4,000.

Paul Francis Yore (43), of Commons, Dromiskin, Dundalk, Co Louth, was convicted of evasion of a duty of excise, on 20,400 cigarettes, on November 3, 2005. The cigarettes were valued at over €6,000.

State Solicitor for Clare, Martin Linnane, told Shannon District Court last Thursday that Usovich was stopped coming into Shannon from Belarus. She was carrying 14,000 cigarettes and said they were for her own use. Her solicitor said she had come to Ireland six years ago and had since been deserted by her husband.

“She evaded the opportunity on her return. It was a stupid act. She put herself on the line for her children. All her cigarettes were taken by Customs. She has made a net loss,” said the solicitor.

Mr Linnane said Yore arrived into Shannon with 20,400 cigarettes and said he was “only trying to make a few bob”.

His solicitor, Tara Godfrey, said her client had arrived in from Lanzarote and has a problem with alcohol. “He was staggering so much he could hardly carry his suitcase. The decision wasn’t made in a sobering, reasonable moment,” said the solicitor.

Judge Joseph Mangan imposed fines of €1,900 on both accused, mitigated to €950.

PLANS for a €35 million housing development located in close proximity to Ennis Golf Club have been withdrawn.

Earlier this year, developer, Joe McNamara was refused planning permission by An Bord Pleanala to build 159 homes on Golk Links Road.

Clare County Council and Ennis Town Council granted planning permission to Mr McNamara, however the decision was appealed by local residents who claimed that “the established integrity of the golf course would be seriously undermined by the proposed development and its future viability would be uncertain”.

In response to the Board’s decision, Mr McNamara lodged revised plans for a 148 unit development and a decision was expected in the next number of days.

The proposal faced dogged resistance from local objectors, Caroline and Bobby Stack and Eugene and Bernadette Carey, while John Madden of Glencairn House, Hermitage, also voiced his opposition.

In their objection, the Stacks and the Careys stated: “The proposed housing, because of its proximity to the existing golf course, would give rise to mutual conflicts and injury to both the amenities of the golf course users and of any residential properties that would adjoin it.”

In his objection, John Madden stated: “ There has been no detailed and meaningful hydrological study with regard to the flooding impacts of the proposal.”

It is open for Mr McNamara to reapply for a new scheme – in a report to Bord Pleanala by one of its inspectors into the development, it was stated that the scheme “is broadly acceptable in principle”.

PLANS have been lodged by the St Vincent de Paul to convert a former B&B on the Clare Road in Ennis into a hostel for the homeless.

The cost of purchasing Laurel Lodge and refurbishing the home to allow it accommodate 13 men is €2.1 million.

The need for a hostel was identified as far back as 1998 when SVP carried out a survey that showed that over the course of one year, over 200 presented themselves to the Ennis Cathedral presbytery as homeless. Since then, two people have died sleeping rough in Ennis.

The latest statistics from Clare County Council show that there are 16 homeless people being permanently accommodated in hotels or B&Bs, while four people are sleeping rough in Ennis with B&Bs not even an option.

According to the Clare Homeless Forum the numbers of persons accessing the homeless unit and seeking accommodation rose from 267 in 2003 to 544 in 2004. Some 490 people accessed the services of the homeless unit in 2005.

Chair of the Council’s Special Policy Committee for Housing, Cllr Joe Arkins (FG) told The Clare People that he expected the first occupants of the hostel to be in place early in the New Year.

In a statement submitted with the planning application, St Vincent de Paul confirmed that the project would provide emergency accommodation for 13 men and the hostel would act as a centre of care, support, information and advice to those experiencing homelessness. SVP also lay out a number of approaches to ensure that the hostel’s residents don’t have a disruptive impact on the neighbours in the Clare Road area.