The Clare People Archive

CLARE County Council water service staff will continue to be employed by the Clare local authority while acting as an agent for Irish Water.

A spokesperson for the council said that there will be no redundancies among the 113 people employed in the department.

Last week the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government announced that the region’s Irish Water office will be based in Limerick, leaving questions as to what would happen the Clare council’s water section.

A spokesperson for the council confirmed to The Cla re People that Clare County Council staff will act as agents for the new national body, while remaining in the employment of the council under a 12-year service agreement between both parties.

Clare County Council will then be compensated for costs by Irish Water.

It is also expected that some staff from local authorities will move to Irish Water regional offices once the new jobs have been clarified, a process that could take up to 18 months.

Clare County Council will officially sign off as the county’s water utility provider in 2014, and the re- sponsibility passed to Irish Water.

The office servicing Clare will be based in Limerick City and will be one of three southern regional offices with two others being located in Mallow in County Cork and another in Kilkenny City.

Meanwhile the Clare water staff have begun a countywide survey of an estimated 31,000 domestic water connections in the county ahead of the Government’s introduction of water charges.

However a council official said the local authority staff would not require access to private property while conducting their assessment of water connections.

LATE night beach parties are being blamed for causing the lions share of the littering which has blighted the counties beaches over the past month. Yesterday’s meeting of Clare’s Joint Policing Committee heard that these late night parties have become more common in recent years and are increasingly difficult for Clare County Council and the Gardaí to police.

The meeting also heard that prosecutions for litter offenses are currently difficult to follow up on in Clare, with Clare County Council’s four beach litter wardens currently focused on cautioning and education, rather than bringing prosecutions.

A spokesperson from Clare County Council also highlighted illegal household dumping from people in mobile homes and holiday home as a growing problem.

“The main problem that we are having on the beaches this year is excessive littering. This is a problem not just in Clare but all over the country,” said a spokesperson from Clare County Council.

“We have provided additional resources at all of our beaches. We have provided extra bins at our beaches and promenades and we have a good crew in operation.

“A large source of littering takes place late at night, with late night beach parties and rubbish from fast food outlets. While this behaviour is regrettable, there is little that we can do to stop it. We also have a problem this year with people in holiday homes and caravans who are using the public bins. If you are staying in a holiday home, there should be a facility there for disposing of rubbish.

“We can fine people but the severity of the fine depends on the severity of the offense. But a lot of our focus is on education and caution, and not on fines.”

North Clare senator Martin Conway (FG) called for a name and shame policy to be introduced for serial offenders.

“I have already called for the fines to be increased. I realise that might require a direction from the minister. But I also think that if someone is caught littering more than once, there should be a name and shame policy. I don’t know what it is in our society that makes people do this,” he said.

County manager Tom Coughlan, confirmed that Clare County Council had wanted to introduce a name and shame policy but were instructed by the Department of the Environment not to go ahead with it.

A WELL-KNOWN garda is swapping the highways and byways of County Clare for a new assignment in Cyprus.

Garda Martin O’Brien, a member of the Clare Garda Traffic Corps, has been chosen to participate in the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP). Garda O’Brien is one of just a handful of Irish gardaí chosen to serve with the UN. His duties will include monitoring a buffer zone between Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities. He departs Clare in August for a 12-month posting in Cyprus.

The father of three has been a member of An Garda Síochána for 31 years in Clare. He has worked for 26 years in the Traffic Corps, serving in Ennis and Killaloe.

Garda O’Brien is well known in Clare soccer circles having refereed in the League of Ireland for 16 years. He still officiates at junior and adult soccer matches in Clare.

Garda O’Brien says he will miss life in Ireland but is looking forward to a new challenge in Cyprus. “Its something new. I’ll miss refereeing in Clare. Its something I really enjoy.”

At Ennis District Court on Friday Judge Patrick Durcan paid tribute to Garda O’Brien. “The fact that Garda O’Brien has been chosen to serve in Cyprus is reflective of his high qualities as a Garda,” he said

Speaking yesterday, Chief Supt of the Clare Garda Division, John Kerin also praised Garda O’Brien’s achievement. He said, “This is a nationwide selection process. The fact that he has been selected shows the high esteem in which Martin is held.”

UNFICYP was originally set up by the Security Council in 1964 to prevent further fighting between the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities. After the hostilities of 1974, the council has mandated the Force to perform certain additional functions. In the absence of a political settlement to the Cyprus problem, UNFICYP has remained on the island to supervise ceasefire lines, maintain a buffer zone, undertake humanitarian activities and support the good offices mission of the Secretary-General. In 1989 the Government of the day passed the Garda Síochána Act which permitted for the first time, members of An Garda Síochána to participate with the United Nations Civilian Police Component on Overseas missions.

UNDERGROUND hunting rings are believed to be behind the reintroduction of herds of wild boar into rural County Clare. Three separate herds of wild boar have been discovered by authorities in forestry areas in the east and south of the county – with a total of 24 animals being captured from the wild. The most recent herd was discovered last week in the Sixmilebridge area where two adults and two young boar were discovered.

“These can be very dangerous animals – especially if they turn wild. The difficulty is that they breed like hell and while these animals are relatively sedate, one sow could have 13 or 14 offspring, and these offspring would be wild,” Clare’s ISPCA Warden, Frankie Coote told The Clare People this week.

Earlier this year, 15 animals were discovered in the Scariff area and a further five were discovered in a separate location in East Clare.

According to Frankie Coote, the animals are likely being released so that their offspring can be hunted for sport.

“I believe that they are being introduced by people who have an interest in coming back again and shooting the animals,” he said. ContinuedonPage14

IARNRÓD Éireann has been told to come up with a plan to fix the Ennis to Athenry section of the Western Rail Corridor.

Despite an overall increase of 7 per cent on the numbers travelling between Limerick and Galway last year – the section of the track between Ennis and Athenry continues to struggle.

The Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Alan Kelly (FG), last week told Iarnród Éireann to get the service back on track. This is the second time in recent months that Minister Kelly has publicly criticised the service.

Campaign group West-On-Track also criticised the rail operator last week for not making the route attractive for commuters. Spokesperson for West On Track, Colmán Ó’Raghaillagh, said that a number of long standing issues – such as online booking – has not yet been addressed.

He also called for a more intigrated connection between the rail and bus timetable and proposed the idea that people could travel from Galway and Limerick to Lahinch and the Cliffs of Moher using a combined rail/bus ticket.

“We should have proper inter-city trains [on the route], and a lot of people don’t find it attractive by travelling in older trains,” he said.

“Online booking is still not available after our proposals. It seems odd that you cannot go online in Limerick and book online to save yourself a tenner.

Mr Ó’Raghaillagh also criticised the way that passenger numbers on the service are calculated.

“The measurement of this increase has always been problematic. If you get on the train, on the LimerickGalway line, and get out at Ennis, they won’t count your seat. Likewise, if I get on in Galway and I get out at Athenry, I am also not counted,” he said.

Minister Kelly last week ruled out any move to close the section of track between Ennis and Athenry – which was reopened in 2010.

“The numbers aren’t what we would like. I have spoken to the chief executive of Irish Rail with a view to looking at various different strategies to encourage more to use the line,” he said.

HOLIDAY homeowners are disposing of their rubbish at beaches in Kilkee and Lahinch.

Although the majority of these holidaymakers are leaving their rubbish beside public bins, they are still in violation of the Litter Act 1997.

Clare County Council’s Environment Section spokesperson Mary Skehan warned that people caught dumping their domestic rubbish on the beach, near or beside refuge bins, will be prosecuted.

“The record volume of people visiting our beaches has resulted in an increase in littering and the council has employed additional resources and installed extra bins to ensure the problem is minimized,” she said.

“However, some people are taking advantage of the situation by depositing domestic refuse at our bin collection points. Such dumping is unsightly and tarnishes the image of the locations in question and indeed, it is a breach of the Litter Act 1997 to depose of refuse in such a manner.”

Since the beginning of the warm spell of weather, the local authority has recorded a significant increase of domestic rubbish being placed alongside bins at popular seaside resorts.

“Holiday home owners and other householders are reminded that the onus is on them to dispose of their domestic waste at either of the Council’s West Clare Civic Amenity Site Recycling Centres at Lisdeen and Ballyduff beg or to avail of a private refuse collection service,” explained Ms Skehan.

Meanwhile, Clare County Council is also urging visitors to Clare’s main beaches to take responsibility for their rubbish by bringing it home with them.

“The council wishes to acknowledge those who have used the public bins to dispose of their litter. These bins are emptied regularly each day but often reach their capacity due to the unprecedented large volumes of visitors to the beaches. In Kilkee, we are finding that some people are dumping their litter along the seawall, on the beach or beside already full bins rather than bring their litter home with them. We have installed additional bins to counteract the problem but would continue to ask the public to take responsibility for their rubbish.”

Leaving or throwing litter in a public place is an offence that can be subject to an on-the-spot fine of € 150 or a maximum fine of € 3,000 if convicted of a litter offence in the District Court.

THE HSE in Clare are warning people, especially older people and those that live alone, about bogus health and care staff.

The warning follows an attempt by criminals to use a HSE identity as a cover for their activities.

The Health Service Executive is advising people throughout the midwest to always be satisfied that people presenting at their homes as HSE staff are genuine.

All HSE staff carry official I.D.

“Most people have an ongoing relationship with their HSE staff in the community and this is not a problem. However when a home visit is taking place on a one-off basis or new staff are appointed, the public don’t necessarily know the staff involved,” said a HSE spokesperson.

“In such cases it is always advisable to ask for I.D.”

If the public are not satisfied with the I.D. then they should ask for the office number of where the staff member is based and call to check that it is genuine.

If in doubt people are advised not to admit anyone to your home until fully satisfied.

Commenting on this issue, HSE area manager for the mid-west, Bernard Gloster, said, “In most cases our staff know the public and the public know our staff. However we are a large organisation and this is not always possible. We are concerned based on a recent report in the mid-west that the public need to be vigilant as unfortunately there are a small number of people who might try to use our identity as a means of gaining access to the homes of unsuspecting and vulnerable members of the public.”

“We continue to work close with our staff and the Gardaí in minimising such risk. Remember always ask for I.D. if you don’t know the person and even never let someone into your home until you are completely satisfied they are genuine,” he said.

THE owner of a popular West Clare tourist attraction has reported losses of up to 80 per cent trade since a 12year-old sign signalling his business – the West Clare Railway – was removed.

Describing the situation as “a disaster” Jackie Whelan said the loss of trade to his business during what should have been the busiest times of the year is putting his livelihood under threat.

“If the signs are not put back up by the council we will have no choice but to open Sundays and Mondays only,” he told The Clare People .

“They [tourists] are passing up and down by us all summer and people are complaining they can’t find us,” he said.

The owner of the Moyasta-based business said that the removal of the signs is contrary to the Clare County Development Plan, which states all tourist attractions should be adequately marked.

Clare County Council said that the National Roads Authority removed all commercial signage that did not have adequate planning permission, as the signs were along a primary route and within the national body’s jurisdiction.

Mr Whelan said he has now been asked to pay out € 650 to reinstall his sign and to apply for planning per- mission.

The businessman maintains that he received the permission of Clare County Council’s area engineer more than a decade ago to erect a sign as a part of the agreement for the development of the West Clare railway as a tourist attraction.

Under the agreement Mr Whelan carried out £29,000 worth of work, including work on footpaths, lighting and landscaping in the village of Moyasta.

THE Broadford and wider East Clare community was plunged into shock over the weekend following the untimely death of noted sportsman and community activist Tony Marsh following a tragic accident.

Seventy-year-old Mr Marsh was killed on Saturday morning when he was kicked by a horse. The tragedy occurred at around 10am in a field adjacent to his home in Main Street, Broadford.

Many tributes have been paid to Mr Marsh in the intervening days, with local community leader PJ Mason telling The Clare People that he was “a great parish man” and a “huge loss” to everyone in the village and beyond.

“Everyone in Broadford feels like they’ve lost a member of their fam- ily,” said Mr Mason. “He was tee-totaller, didn’t smoke and lived a very active life. He loved set dancing and was a great parish in every way possible.

“He lost his older brother in 1984 after an accident and then he lost his son just over three years ago. His family has suffered more than it’s fair share of tragedy.

“He was a local postman for 40 years and was very involved in hurl- ing and was an outstanding sportsman of his time and very competitive on and off the field in that he demanded high standards from everyone and from himself,” he added.

Mr Marsh had the distinction of being on the first ever Clare Under 21 hurling team that contested the first championship in the grade in 1964.

He played minor hurling for the county in 1960 and ’61, while his senior competitive debut came in a National League tie against Cork in October 1963.

He made his senior championship debut at full-back in the 4-14 to 26 win over Limerick in 1964. He was also a member of the team that contested the 1966 National League semi-final against Tipperary when Clare were beaten 3-14 to 4-7.

Away from the hurling field Mr Marsh was an outstanding horseman and a founder member of the East Clare Harriers in 1974, serving as Master of the hunt for a dozen years.

“He loved hunting and horses and it was a great passion in his life,” said Mr Mason. “He would have taken part in Hunt Chase at the RDS horseshow for a number of years. It’s a huge shock to the community.

“The most deceiving headline of all is that he’s being described as a 70year-old man.

“He was anything but a 70-year-old man, he was more like a 35-yearold in terms of energy, attitude and way of life. The description of his age doesn’t do him justice at all – he was so active and so energetic,” he added.

A District Court Judge told a sitting in Kilrush he was sending a clear message that robbery of old ladies and young children would not be tolerated.

Judge Patrick Durcan made the comments as he handed down a suspended one-month sentence to an 18year-old Kilrush woman who robbed an elderly woman’s purse at the train station in Ennis. He also told her he would send her to prison the next time she appeared before him.

She was 17 years old at the time of the theft on January 26 this year and pleaded guilty to the theft at Kilrush District Court on Tuesday.

The teenager also pleaded guilty to public order offences and using threatening behaviour in the Market Square, Kilrush on November 26, 2012.

Judge Durcan fined her € 100 for the public order offence.

The court heard that on November 26 the girl was found fighting with another person in the Square and was using threatening behaviour.

The court also heard that on January 26, a woman in her 70s had her purse stolen in what was described by the defending solicitor as “an opportunistic crime”.

When gardaí arrested the young woman before the court she told them she had thrown the purse over a wall.

The purse was recovered but € 100 cash was missing from it.

Solicitor Fiona Hehir said her client is taking medication and is “in a better condition now than she was then”.

She added that she did not remember the incident in the Square.

Following sentencing Judge Durcan said it as obvious to him from observing the young woman in court that she had attitude problems.

“If there isn’t a change in attitude to me, the gardaí and the law you will be in prison next time you appear before me,” he said.