The Clare People Archive

THE overwhelming support from GAA club officers around the county for a move away from Cusack Park has sparked this week’s overture to the Clare County Board by some of Ireland’s leading property investors.

Club support for selling Cusack Park and developing state-of-the-art stadium facilities in the environs of Ennis was the main finding of a Clare People survey undertaken for the January 17 edition of the paper.

The survey results represented a ringing endorsement of a county board campaign to sell Cusack Park, which was effectively launched at the annual GAA Convention on December 11 last. It was there that board chairman Michael McDonagh announced that because of traffic congestion in the town centre “we might have to develop a new stadium”.

Since The Clare People broke this story in its December 13 issue, the Cusack Park question has become the burning issue within Clare GAA.

This issue was moved on to a higher level when The Clare People survey showed that 78 per cent of respondents backed the county board’s plan to sell Cusack Park to the highest bidder in return for the building of a stadium with proper carparking and road access infrastructure that was capable of hosting Munster championship matches.

That’s what has been laid on the table by a consortium that includes Ennis businessmen Noel Connellan and Sean Lyne and Lisdoonvarna-born builder Bernard McNamara.

They have promised to build a 42,000 seater stadium on the Quin Road together with 800 parking spaces on site in return for Cusack Park.

This bid has been tabled with the county board only two weeks after The Clare People survey revealed a massive mood for change within GAA officials at club level.

Forty-two club officials questioned by The Clare People said that Clare GAA should leave Cusack Park. Only nine officials were in the vanguard of a campaign to retain the existing Cusack Park as the county GAA grounds and redeveloping it into the future.

However, among the objectors were the chairmen of Éire Óg and Clarecastle. Éire Óg chairman Ollie Hanrahan said “any proposal to sell Cusack Park is an absolute disgrace”, while Clarecastle’s Paschal Russell called Cusack Park “the soul of Clare hurling, we can’t forget that tradition”.

They were backed by former board vice-chairman Michael Lee sho described Cusack Park as “the jewel in Clare’s crown” that should be redeveloped on the back of planning permission secured by the county board in December 2003.

THE prospect of Clare GAA leaving Cusack Park for a new purpose-built home on the outskirts of Ennis has moved closer this week after three Clare businessmen tabled a €30 million proposal with the county board.

The move by the consortium headed up by Noel Connellan, Sean Lyne and Bernard McNamara to deliver a state-ofthe-art 42,000 capacity stadium to Clare GAA in return for Cusack Park falls into line with the express wish of board chairman Michael McDonagh.

The chairman told The Clare People earlier this month that “what we would be looking at is developing a Nemo Rangers type facility in Ennis, where a developer would come in and in return for buying Cusack Park would develop a state-of-the-art 30,000 capacity stadium for us on another site in Ennis”.

He added that “there’s no sign of that happening yet,” but his wish has come true less than three weeks after he challenged property developers to bring forward their proposals about developing what he said would be “the new Cusack Park”.

Cusack Park was developed by the Ennis Dalcassians club and was officially opened in May 1936 when Clare played against Cork at minor and senior football championship level. It replaced the Ennis Showgrounds as Clare’s premier GAA venue.

In time, possession of Cusack Park passed from the Dalcassians club that folded in the late forties to the county board. In the mid seventies, the board considered selling Cusack Park for housing.

However, the board decided against this and instead, under the chairmanship of the late Brendan Vaughan a major redevelopment programme was instituted and the revamped Cusack Park was opened in 1980.

However, any plans by the board to sell the jewel in Clare’s GAA crown have been called into question by Mayor of Ennis, Frankie Neylon.

In an interview with The Clare People , Mayor Neylon claimed “Cusack Park is owned by the people of Ennis”.

Continuing, Mayor Neylon said “this field was used by the RIC to keep their horses and when the RIC was disbanded in the early ‘20s they donated the field to the people of Ennis. They are the owners.”

However, GAA secretary Pat Fitzgerald, rubbished these claims by revealed that “the County Board took control of the grounds in 1979 and the deeds of the property are now in our possession”.

This means that Cusack Park is the county board’s to sell, something that will happen if they rubber stamp the €30 million offer put before them this week.

All at the same time as the county gears up to celebrate the GAA founder Michael Cusack in this 100th anniversary year of his death.

THE ESB has lodged an appeal to An Bord Pleanala against a decision by Ennis Town Council to refuse planning permission for an 80 foot mast within the grounds of its Cahercalla More substation in Ennis.

The move by the ESB to appeal will cause concern to Ennis residents. An Bord Pleanala often overturns decisions made by local authorities in relation to telecommunications mast. The planned mast provoked widespread opposition from residents, who expressed concern over the health implications of the mast being so close to a residential area. It would also be in close proximity to Éire Óg GAA club.

The residents claimed: “The proposed development is totally and utterly out of character with any development in the area. The area is zoned commercial and not industrial. Therefore, the erection of the communications mast should not be considered. The proposed structure totally towers over any existing structure in the area.”

The council stated that it refused permission as the proposed development would be visually obtrusive in the area, would materially contravene Environment Policy 5 of the Ennis and Environs Development Plan and would seriously injure the amenities of the area and of property in the vicinity.

However, in their appeal, the ESB states: “The proposed structure is a slim line monopole structure that was specifically designed for use in urban industrial areas. We believe that using this structure the visual impact on the area will be nominal.” A decision is due on the appeal in April.

LAST year saw a record number of houses built in Co Clare. There was an 18.7 per cent increase in the number of houses built in Clare in 2005, more than 3.5 times the national increase.

Neighbouring county Galway reported a decrease of 5.6 per cent in its home building in 2005, while Limerick had a small increase of 1.2 per cent.

Clare had the fourth highest increase in home completions within the last 12 months. Despite the Clare building boom however, house hunters struggled to find new homes in the Ennis area towards the end of 2005. The house shortage is about to change over the coming year, as planning applications begin to meet the ever-increasing demand.

In the Ennis area alone 1,664 applications are with the respective planning authorities for new developments. A total of 750 of those units are due for discussion shortly. Another 408 housing units before the council require further information, with 250 more applications needing further clarification.

A total of 93 units have been granted planning permission in the Ennis area and await construction. A further 163 units have been granted permission but appealed.

According to Helen Gallery from Sherry Fitzgerald McMahon, the first time buyers’ market is very strong in the county town, as are sales in more upmarket developments. A lot of first time buyers are now buying second-hand, due to the elimination of stamp duty on these properties for those entering the property market. This intern allows a lot of people to “trade up”, explained Ms Gallery.

The cost of homes in Ennis has also increased slightly in the last year. A three bed semi detached house now starts at €225,000. A town house could go for €200,000 while a four bed detached is estimated to cost between €300,000 and €310,000.

In total 2,174 were built in the county last year, with 1,537 registered. The total number of house completions for 2005 nationally was 80,957 units, up 5.2 per cent on 2004.

Minister for Housing and Urban Renewal Noel Ahern said, “We are building more than double the amount of houses in 2005 than in 1997.”

“In fact Ireland is now producing houses at a rate of 20 per 1,000 residents. That is a phenomenal level. It also indicates that the strong demand for housing is being met by a strong supply.”

The Minister also indicated he expected considerable growth in the output of affordable housing through the various affordable housing schemes with in excess of 12,000 homes expected for delivery through these schemes in the period 2005 to 2007.

FOUR Ennis men charged with violent disorder have been sent forward for trial to the Circuit Court.

William Fox (22), of Hermitage, Ennis; Clinton Keane (22), of Castlewood Park, Ennis; Michael McCarthy (24), of Watery Road, Ennis, and a young person who cannot be named because of his age, are accused of the alleged offence in Ennis town centre, on March 18 last year.

Clinton Keane and another man Christopher Dobbin (22), of John Paul Avenue, Ennis, are also accused of assaulting a man, on the same date. Ennis district court was told that a book of evidence has been served on all of the accused.

A 21-YEAR-old member of the travelling community, who refused to pay for a taxi which had taken him from Limerick to Shannon, has received a four-month suspended jail sentence.

John McDonagh, who resides at a traveller accommodation facility in Ballymurtagh, Shannon, was told by Judge Aeneas McCarthy that the only reason he was suspending the sentence was because the taxi driver was later paid.

Limerick city-based taxi driver Martin Walsh told Ennis District Court that he received a call to collect a fare at the Regional Hospital in Dooradoyle, Limerick. When he arrived, he said he met a “gentleman and a lady with a young baby.”

The taxi driver identified Mr McDonagh to the court.

Mr Walsh told the court he agreed a fare of €25 for the journey with the accused. When they arrived in Shannon, McDonagh “directed me into the halting site.”

Mr Walsh claimed that McDonagh refused to pay him, saying he had no money. He said McDonagh asked him to call back later and that he would have the money for him then.

Mr Walsh told the court that the accused asked his three-year-old child if he had money for the taxi.

Investigating Garda Paul McBride said when he asked the defendant if he had got a taxi earlier from Limerick, he replied, “you must be mad.”

When Garda McBride told the accused that the taxi driver was in the back of the patrol car, McDonagh went to a house and came back with €25 in cash.

In his evidence, McDonagh claimed that he always intended to pay for the taxi but that he had no money and his mother was not home at the time.

Judge McCarthy convicted the accused and imposed a four-month suspended jail sentence.

GREEN Party councillor, Donal O’Bearra has stated that the planned €20 million redevelopment of a site overlooking the River Fergus in Ennis raises the spectre of a concrete jungle in Ennis, unless a number of issues are addressed.

Last month, a Galway company, Briarlane Development Ltd lodged plans for the site, which would provide a new pedestrian bridge across the River Fergus to the Abbey Street car-park, adding to the four vehicular bridges already in use in and around the town centre.

The new proposal – in common with the application turned down by An Bord Pleanala last July – seeks to transform the Ennis skyline with a six-storey apartment block.

The development also includes a plan to develop a 30-bedroom hotel, 58 apartments, eight commercial units and 238 car-parking spaces, along with one three-storey and one two-storey block.

The developers are expected to state to Ennis Town Council that if permitted, the development will revitalise what is currently an underutilised backland site.

However, Cllr O’Bearra has lodged an objection against the proposal.

“The spectre of a concrete jungle is not an exaggerated prospect unless the role of nature as a significant component and partner in our built environment is recognised, actively and seriously cultivated, restored and progressed in real terms.

“The built component of our environment has alone dictated our social environment in the absence of nature for too long and to the detriment of the balanced whole.

“It is time to redress the natural deficit.”

Cllr O’Bearra claimed that the application “from the point of view of urban ecology, the built town’s relationship with the natural environment lacks respect, creativity and application and consequently goes against both the spirit and intentions of the Town Plan.

“The council should acknowledge this and act decisively and proactively in its role as upholder of the Ennis and Environs Development Plan 2003.”

Cllr O’Bearra has requested “a detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIS) should be carried out of the bird life, aquatic flora and fauna, so that the importance of wildlife in urban areas such as this is highlighted.

“It is clear that without a little more imagination and application the current proposals are patently at cross purposes and even belligerent to the intention to protect, conserve and enhance the natural environment contained in the Development Plan.”

A decision is expected on the application next month.

ONE of the leading objectors to plans by the Whelan Group to extend its flagship operation is the County Kildare man jailed last week in connection with a sheep protest.

Percy Podger, of French Furze House near the Curragh, Co Kildare was one of a large number of objectors who last week failed to prevent Whelan Limestone Quarries from securing planning permission to extend the company’s quarry operation.

Clare County Council granted planning permission to the quarrying company for the majority of the lands sought for the extension, and the move is expected to safeguard the jobs of the 110 people employed at the site.

However, it has emerged this week that Mr Podger was one of the objectors centrally involved in opposing the Whelan plan.

Mr Podger was jailed last week after refusing to pay €850 his sheep and passing motorists in fines and expenses. are endangered by the failure of

His refusal to pay arises from Kildare County Council to inhis bid to highlight a serious stall a sheep grid near his farm. road safety issue, claiming that However, apart from his disDROMOLAND Castle has claimed that plans by its neighbouring Lynch Group-owned Clare Inn to construct a golf suite hotel are “ill conceived and driven by tax-incentive deadlines and economics rather than sustainable development principles”.

Last month, Clare County Council granted planning to develop a golf suite hotel on the grounds of the Clare Inn, in spite of opposition from the five-star castle hotel at Dromoland.

However, Managing Director of Dromoland Castle, Mark Nolan has now appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanala, throwing the scheme into doubt.

In the appeal lodged on Mr Nolan’s behalf, it stateds: “The area is already well served by accommodation to serve all market niches from the business visitor to the golfer to the family. The Clare Inn annually closes for a number of months of the year due to the lack of demand for the facility. Falling occupancy rates is a feature of the area in recent years.

“The development, if permitted, will have a negative impact on existing established facilities in the area. The development is driven by a tax incentive rather than local need.

“The fact that no market research quantifiying need was submitted to the planning office in making a case for the facility bears this out further, and the applicant reduced the scale of the development without trying to justify need.”

The statement continues, “The proposed development represents yet another ad-hoc development on the overall site of the Clare Inn Hotel. No attempt has been made to integrate this development with existing developments on site.

“The Clare Inn now represents a series of linear and haphazard extensions over time adding to its visual impact, with little attempt to landscape and integrate the development within the exposed landscape.

“The design is not sensitive to the landscape and will, if built, represent a prominent intrusion in the landscape, which necessitates significant landscape interference in terms of reduction in finished floor levels.

“It is clearly evident that pressure has been exerted on the council in reaching a decision in view of pending tax incentive deadlines. In the most recent correspondence to the council, a ‘quick response’ was requested by the agents in view of stringent timetable to which he must operate. Quick decisions do not represent proper planning and sustainable decisions,” the statement concluded.

A decision is due to be made by the appeals board in May of this year. pute with Kildare County Council, Mr Podger was involved in seeking to prevent the Whelan Group expanding its plans at Fountain, Ennis.

The Clare People has learned that Mr Podger was involved in establishing a company aimed at seeking to prevent the Whelan Group from proceeding with its plan.

The Certificate of Incorporation of Cairn Hill Environmental Protection Group Ltd show that the members of the company are made up of local people opposed to the Whelan plan.

However, the document shows that Mr Podger was involved in the processing of the certificate. The document shows that the Kildare man was a witness to the signature of the directors involved in the company. The solicitor involved in establishing the company is Greg Casey, who represented the Rossport Five.

In his objection against the Whelan proposal, Mr Podger claimed that the proposed was contrary to the EU Directive, EU policies and Irish legislation; that the plan was contrary to proper planning and sustainable development and that the proposal was a material contravention of County Development Plan.

ENNIS has a new rival when it comes to commemorating Fianna Fáil founding father and colossus of 20th century Irish life, Eamon de Valera.

The People’s Park in Ennis will soon have competition when it comes to remembering de Valera’s contribution to world affairs. And this competition comes from outside Ireland, thanks to the decision by the Indian government to name a new road after de Valera in New Delhi.

The announcement to honour the former Taoiseach and president in this way was made during Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern’s four-day trade mission to India last week.

“De Valera was a good friend of India,” said the Taoiseach in welcoming the announcement. “Addressing the Friends of Freedom for Britain in New York in 1920, he made clear that he saw India and Ireland as having a common cause: ‘Patriots of India’ he told his audience, ‘your cause is identical to ours’.

“Interestingly, in 1947, when the Indian Prime Minister Nehru, expressed his admiration for the Irish Constitution and said that he intended to study it as a model for the Constitution of India, which was then being drafted, de Valera wrote that he felt deeply honoured,” added the Taoiseach.

Meanwhile, the Indian move to honour de Valera doesn’t represent a first. Back in 1935, Indian universities voted the Clare TD into eighth position in a ballot to decide the great men of the age.

He was in exalted company – Albert Einstein was voted number one, while Joseph Stalin, Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini were rated ahead of de Valera in the Indian Inter-University Body organised poll.

MEMBERS of the Ennis General Hospital Development Committee are to meet with members of the HSE this Thursday, just a week after the group nailed questions about the future of the hospital to the door of the organisation’s regional head quarters in Limerick.

The sheet contained questions for the HSE’s chief executive Brendan Drumm, who the group say has refused to meet them despite numerous requests.

A spokesperson for the lobby group told The Clare People that the group met with the Minister for Health and the Taoiseach and got clarification on the hospital’s future from them.

“The third person we need to find out from is Professor Drumm, and not get half assurances from a more junior employee,” he said.

“We have made it as simple as possible for him, as we drafted a form with simple yes or no answers and sent it to him by registered post.”

When the HSE Chief forwarded the letter to be dealt with by another staff member, the group nailed the form to the HSE doors in Limerick.

In response to the protest the HSE said, “The group knows the score perfectly well. They met the hospital network manager in October and then cancelled a further meeting.

“As far as the HSE is concerned, the door is open if they wish to meet us again. The decision is theirs.”

The hospital group accused the HSE of spinning the truth. The group admitted that it cancelled the meeting but argued that it was scheduled for the national day of protest and some of its members including its chairperson, long-time trade unionist Peadar McNamara, had to attend the protest.

While the members of the Ennis General Hospital Development committee were nailing their questions to the door, there were nine people waiting to be admitted to the hospital through its accident and emergency unit, the largest in the Mid West Region.

The following day, the number had decreased to three according to the HSE. The number waiting in St John’s Hospital Limerick was four, which decreased to two, and the Mid Western Regional Hospital Limerick reported four people waiting in A and E, which was also reduced to two the following day.