The Clare People Archive

CLARE County Council has confirmed that algae on the Clare side of Lough Derg is not the same as the poisonous bloom that claimed the life of a family pet in Tipperary.

But a spokesperson for the council has told The Clare People that it will continue to carry out weekly visual inspections as well as gathering samples from the lake. The council continues to leave warning signs in place. These measures are merely precautionary.

All tests carried out by the local authority to date have come back clear for the dangerous toxic bluegreen algae.

“There is algae there but it is not toxic,” a spokesperson said.

“As there is algae bloom already present, we are keeping notices up as a precautionary measure.

“If people still wish to bring their dogs or walk them there it is fine, but do note the precautionary signs that are up,” she added.

Meanwhile, the lobby group Save Our Lough Derg (SOLD) has issued a warning to all hunters to be vigilant when shooting duck around the lake.

The warning came following the death of a Jack Russell shortly after ingesting the toxic algae on the Tipperary side of the scenic lake.

It took the family pet just minutes to die. Lough Derg attracts duck shooters from all over Clare, Galway and Tipperary every year.

A CHRONIC shortage of housing in Shannon is poised to be addressed with an announcement that more than 100 acres of land are to be opened up in the town.

Clare County Council says the land will be made available for residential and commercial development.

A link road, to facilitate the significant development, is also to be built, at a cost of several million euro, and is due to be completed next August.

The announcement – which coincides with the second anniversary of the transfer of responsibilities for the town from Shannon Development to Clare County Council – will see an initial investment of €4 million from the council’s resources.

Shannon Town Manager Ger Dollard said, “Phase one of the new road network will link the road near St Caiman’s School with Slí Na Mara road.

“This significant development represents one of a number of projects initiated by Clare County Council since it took over responsibility for Shannon Town in September 2004.”

Shannon Mayor Councillor Tony McMahon (Lab) said the development would be widely welcomed in Shannon, where lack of housing for young couples was a huge concern.

“In recent times, the population of Shannon has been at a standstill and it is good to see options opening up. The construction of the road means the development won’t impact on any existing roads in the town – the main thing is the new road,” said Cllr McMahon.

“This is going in the right direction. We have often had the development first and the road after, but the procedure is right in this development,” he said.

Cllr McMahon said it was crucial that most of the land was made available for housing.

“I would like to think there will be a lot of houses and the development of social facilities. I would like to think it won’t be an investment-type development,” he added.

THE father of a 22-year-old Clare man who died by suicide said that his son shot himself in “a moment of madness”.

“I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. The whole house is destroyed from what happened and we are even thinking of leaving this home where we have spent all our lives,” the man said, after the Clare Coroner’s Court recorded an open verdict in the death.

The Clare man heard a loud noise that he thought was the sound of a toilet seat banging down, shortly after his son came home from a night out. He discovered his dead son slumped against the door of the bathroom after forcing the door open.

“Our son was home at 12.30 and dead at 12.50. You question what happened all the time, but I remember the undertaker saying there is no point, because all the answers are gone with our son.”

The father told The Clare People that no note was left by his son. However, he believes that the apparent suicide was connected to a friend of his son who committed suicide three weeks beforehand.

“I believe that it was a copy-cat thing. It was a moment of madness and it gets harder to try to deal with it. We just can’t handle it. He came into the sitting room asking about CDs, but I believe that he was going to his brother’s room looking for shot-gun cartridges.

Paying tribute to his son, the father said, “He was a model son. He never caused us any bother.

“He was a bubbly young man and talking to friends he was out with on the night, they said that he was on top of the world. He was a brilliant boy, intelligent and brilliant at the work he did.”

The inquest heard how taxi-driver Dermot Walsh gave the man a fare from O’Connell Square in Ennis. Mr Walsh said that they had a general chat and the man appeared to be in good form.

After dropping the man off, Mr Walsh said that he was given a €2 tip on top of the fare by the man.

Pathologist Dr Peter Fawl said that the man died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

Alcohol levels in the man’s blood were 302 milligrams per litre and urine tests show that alcohol levels were 226 milligrams per litre.

The legal limit for driving is 107 milligrams per litre in urine tests, while it is 80 milligrams per litre in blood tests.

County Coroner, Isobel O’Dea said that the 22-year-old died from a single shotgun to the head and gave an open verdict in the case.

She said, “I am mindful that we heard evidence that the man wasn’t suffering from depression and was in good form and there is insufficient evidence to record any other verdict.

“I am satisfied that there was no third party involvement and I sympathise with the man’s family for their very sad and tragic loss.”

Consultant psychiatrist Dr Moosajee Bhamjee said, “Family members or friends should not over-question themselves over a suicide. It can lead to people unnecessarily feeling guilty.

“Family members and friends can avail of counselling through Clare Links or be referred for counselling through their GP. One has to worry that when friends commit suicide. It influences behaviour and brings about copy-cat suicides. Also, excess levels of alcohol reduce self-control and people do things that they wouldn’t normally do.”

The contact number for Clare Samaritans is 1850 60 90 90.

THE Chief Executive of the Irish Water Safety Association (IWSA) has urged people to always wear a lifejacket during water pursuits.

John Leech made the call after an inquest in Ennis heard that a Limerick man drowned in Lough Derg.

He said that nine times out of 10, wearing a lifejacket will prevent a drowning taking place.

The dead man, 26-year old John Buckley, Ballyculhane, Glin, County Limerick, drowned on January 22 after his girlfriend, Lucinda Murphy (24) stood up to give him a hug, causing their canoe to capsize. They had only one lifejacket between them and it was decided before going into the water that she would wear the lifejacket.

In her deposition, Ms Murphy said, “I stood up to give John a hug and the boat toppled over. John and I both fell into the water. The water was very cold. John was not wearing a life-jacket.

Ms Murphy said that the two swam toward the canoe and tried to turn it over, but failed.

Ms Murphy said that she then inflated her lifejacket and took off her shoes.

She said that John saw a boy on the shore and called out to him and the boy went off to get help. Ms Murphy continued: “I started swimming towards the shore and John told me to keep swimming. I swallowed some water and started coughing.

“I called John and asked ‘are you okay’ and he did not reply. I turned around and I saw John’s hands out of the water. I knew that he was in trouble and I swam back to him and he kept pushing my hands away.

“He kept going under. I shouted to a man on the shore and he ran off. John then sank under the water and I waited for a few minutes and I tried to swim to the shore for help.”

Ms Murphy then said that she was rescued by a man called John with the help of a surf-board.

The Killaloe Search and Rescue Unit recovered Mr Buckley’s body from the river-bed at 8.55pm later that evening.

Coroner Isobel O’Dea told Wednesday’s Coronor’s Court that death by misadventure could occur where an unintended action brought about an unintended outcome.

THE coroner’s court in Ennis last Wednesday returned an open verdict in the death of east Clare man, John Leonard.

Mr Leonard of Knockbeha, Caher drowned in the River Graney on June 12 last.

Mr Leonard had not returned from a fishing trip when his wife Margaret contacted gardaí. Mr Leonard’s body was found following an intensive search of the River Graney. His car had been spotted near the river by the search party.

In her verdict, County Coroner Isobel O’Dea, said that she would return an open verdict in the case. She said, “While there is no evidence how Mr Leonard entered the water, it is clear that he had no intention to commit suicide.

“Mr Leonard was found with his fishing rod in his hand. There was nothing suspicious about it. There is no evidence that he took his own life in any fashion.

She added, “It was a very warm day. He was wearing wellingtons at the time and he may not have known how deep he was going in the water and would have made it difficult to get out of the water.”

In his evidence, Dr Peter Fawl said that Mr Leonard died from asphyxia brought about by drowning. The coroner’s court was told that Mr Leonard was a married man and worked as a truck-driver.

In her deposition, John’s wife, Margaret said that the last time they spoke was 6.30pm the night before, when John said that he was fishing near a bridge at Caher.

At the inquest, Margaret was comforted by John’s brother, Paul who gave evidence on formally identifying John’s body.

ENNIS once again enhanced its reputation by landing one of the top prizes at the annual Tidy Towns competition.

At yesterday’s ceremony in Dublin Castle, Ennis was named Ireland’s tidiest large urban centre, a new category introduced for towns with a population of over 15,000. Ennis scored 288 points – nine more than last year’s total of 279.

Due to competition rules, Ennis were not in the running for the title of Ireland’s Tidiest Town as they had won last year. Ennis also won a gold medal in a category alongside Letterkenny, Kilkenny City and Malahide.

Speaking at the event, Minister of State at the Department of the Environment Mr Batt O’Keefe singled out Ennis for praise, saying it was a shining example to other large towns for the progress it had made over the years.

Judges were impressed with the wellkept entrance routes to the town, along with the standard of water features and the town’s sculpture trail.

This latest success is expected to generate significant economic benefits to the town. Mayor Joe Reidy (FF) said the win was a credit to the people of Ennis and, in particular, the efforts of staff of Ennis Town Council.

“This is a great achievement and to win in the new category was exceptional. It shows the hard work done by the committee. It is a credit to the people of Ennis especially the council staff. These people are out at 4.30 every morning, making sure the town is tidy. This really exceeded our expectation and hopefully we can build on this into the future.”

KILRUSH held its own in this year’s National Tidy Town’s competition as it retained the silver medal in Ireland’s Tidiest Small Town category.

The hard-working Tidy Towns committee received the prestigious award from the Minister of State at the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Batt O’Keeffe TD, at a ceremony in Dublin Castle.

The west Clare capital scored 282 points this year, an increase of six on last year, to beat off competition from all over Ireland and claim the accolade.

Kilrush was also highly commended in the ‘County Award’ section.

The award marks the culmination of months of hard work by local volunteers and members of the Kilrush Tidy Town’s Committee to improve the appearance of Kilrush.

The Committee received the silver medal for the first time ever last year, having achieved a bronze medal in 2003 and again in 2004.

“Retaining the silver medal is a massive achievement for everybody involved,” said Kilrush Tidy Towns Committee Chairman, Murt Collins.

“Key to our progress in the Tidy Towns scheme has been the partnership approach that we adopted some years ago.

“There is a broad range of groups and organisations now involved in promoting and enhancing the appearance of the town, including the local Tidy Towns Committee, FAS schemes, outdoor and clerical staff from Kilrush Town Council, the local business sector, and the community of Kilrush.”

Mayor of Kilrush, Cllr Stephen O’Gorman said it was a great tribute to the local community for all the work they had done to improve the appearance of the town.

“The volunteers have toiled throughout the summer in various public areas to create and maintain flowerbeds, keeps streets tidy, cut grass and pick up litter.

“This award further enhances the status of Kilrush as a growing and prosperous town,” he said.

Kilrush Town Clerk Fiona Mooney believes taking part in the Tidy Towns competition has impacted positively on the appearance of the town.

“In recent years, Kilrush has been scoring consistently high in the areas of Overall Developmental Approach, The Built Environment, Landscaping, Wildlife and Natural Amenities, Litter Control, Tidiness, Residential Areas and General Impression.

“This improved appearance has been observed and commented upon by the many thousands of visitors to the town each summer.

“This can only have positive consequences for the town’s image and future growth.”

President of Kilrush Chamber of Commerce, Jack Kelly said, “This accolade will further enhance the town’s status as a growing business and tourist destination.”

Meanwhile, a village that is no stranger to success in the Tidy Town’s Competition – Mountshannon – was celebrating its bronze medal in the Tidiest Village category.

Newmarket-on-Fergus was also in party mode, having won the SuperValu Endeavour award.

The village received the award as it recorded the largest improvement in the county, increasing its points by 8.37 per cent.

CLARE TD, Pat Breen has received an estimate for the cost of reopening the disused Ennis to Sligo railway line.

An analysis, undertaken by transport consultants Faber Maunsell in 2005, puts the cost of a three phased reopening of the line between Ennis and Collooney at €336m.

Mr Breen says Transport Minister Martin Cullen had refused to disclose the cost but he was given the estimate, after submitting a Freedom of Information Act enquiry.

The Faber Maunsell report finds that the Ennis to Galway leg of the project will be its most successful section, generating nearly half, or 43 per cent, of the total new business projected. A total of 234,000 new trips annually, or 750 new trips daily, would be made on the Iarnrod Éireann network as a result of the re-instatement of the Western Rail Corridor, the report states, rising to 945 trips per day by 2020 due to an expected 35 per cent increase in the population of Ennis and other towns in that time. Additional revenue of €2.15 million would be generated “based on the current fare structure”.

Deputy Breen said that, “the public disclosure . . . has brought a welcome measure of transparency to the project.

“So far the Western Rail Corridor has been big on headlines but short on detail which is a disservice to the taxpayer who will ultimately pay for this essential infrastructure. I am urging the Minister to immediately announce the first phase of the project so that its deadline of 2008 will be met.

“These projections reveal what has long been suspected, that at relatively little capital cost the transport infrastructure in the Mid-West can be developed significantly, and that it will be a resounding economic success. The €366 million price tag amounts to a little over 1 per cent of the €34 billion capital outlay for Transport 21.

“Before the first anniversary of that Transport 21 announcement in November, I am urging Minister Cullen to stop sitting on his hands and move ahead with this critical rail infrastructure plan immediately.”

The section of line north of Ennis has been closed to passenger traffic for almost 30 years although it was used for some time afterwards for freight.

CLARE General Election Candidate, Madeleine Taylor-Quinn (FG) has described as “highly suspicious”, the Government’s delay in reopening the railway line linking Ennis to Galway. She wants the Minister for Transport, Martin Cullen, to immediately clarify whether work on the line will commence in November, in line with a commitment given to her by Irish Rail, earlier this year.

“Barry Kenny, Irish Rail spokesman, made a commitment to me and to the people of Clare during a live radio debate on Clare FM, that work to reopen the railway line would commence ‘no later than the end of November 2006’. We are now in the first week of September and still the Government remains silent. It has not even sanctioned basic preparatory work on the track. What is behind the Government’s suspicious silence?

“On the 13th of August last, Minister Martin Cullen made an announcement that €360 million was to be spent upgrading the Kildare line to improve commuter services. He had an obvious opportunity on that occasion to confirm the reopening of the Ennis to Athenry stage of the Western Rail Corridor, but he chose not to. The people of Clare deserve to know why he chose not to.”

Cllr Taylor-Quinn said that the minister’s ability to effectively manage the introduction of Clare’s new rail service was in doubt, because of the ‘mess’ he was making of the Kildare expansion. Minister Cullen had prevented it from being extended a few miles, to service some of the country’s largest commuter towns.

“How can we trust the commitment of this Minister to the Western Rail Corridor, or his ability to deliver it? The Minister, who is presiding over a transport catastrophe on what is potentially the busiest commuter line in the country, is the minister we must depend on.

“It may be that in November, which happens to be the first anniversary of its farcical Transport 21 initiative, the Government will try to put a respectable shine on matters by giving the go-ahead to our railway line. The proper way to mark that anniversary would be to have work on the line well underway. It would also be to commit to examining the case for other railway stations serving new population centres on the Limerick – Ennis – Athenry line, like Sixmilebridge, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Crusheen and Gort. I strongly believe that there is a case for these new stations, as there is an absolutely critical case for the “spur” providing a rail service to and from Shannon Airport.”

A CLARE County Councillor has called for the inclusion of a railway station in Crusheen when the Government reopens the Western Rail Corridor.

Green Party Councillor Brian Meaney says, “There has been considerable development in Crusheen over the last number of years and further potential of the village could be realised in a sustainable manner, if a train stop is included in the rail improvement works.

“Latest Census figures show that Crusheen has had one of the largest increases in population in the county since the 2002 Census, with a massive 37.5 per cent increase in population.

“The 37.5 percent increase is on top of the increase in population in Crusheen since 1997.

“I believe the predicted usage of the Western Rail Corridor has been underestimated. A train stop in Crusheen would benefit all of the north east and north west of Clare and, with the development of a park and ride facility, this would reduce the pressure on the train station in Ennis,” Councillor Meaney said.

“Despite much media coverage and Government spin announcing funding for the upgrading of the train line, the decision to actually proceed is still pending.

“There have been positive announcements but, with the ongoing delay in starting the work, these are meaningless.

“The setting of false expectations such as these is part of the distrust in other promises made by this Government,” he added.

“It appears to me that the delay in announcing the start of the work on the rail line north of Ennis is being caused by political opportunism, again compromising delivery on infrastructure in the west,” Councillor Meaney said.

Councillor Meaney believes that opening up rail stops along the line from Limerick to Claremorris and Sligo will be key to full usage of the railway and will in time greatly meet Ireland’s obligation under the Kyoto Protocol.