The Clare People Archive

PEOPLE attending the Central Criminal Court sitting in Ennis today are being asked to bear in mind that there will not be enough parking for everybody. A panel of 300 people have been sent letters, to attend for jury selection, for a trial which is due to get underway on Wednesday.

Huge crowds are also expected to attend for today’s sentencing for Wayne O’Donoghue, of Midleton, Cork, who was found guilty of the manslaughter of 11-year-old schoolboy Robert Holohan last month. Gardai will be on duty to regulate traffic throughout the day.

“There will not be enough parking in the court grounds. There will be some limited parking on the Lifford road and in the roads and laneways around the courthouse,” said Inspector Tom Kennedy. “We will be regulating vehicles in the court grounds and persons in the courtroom itself. There will not be space for everybody.”

AS NEW York police continue to investigate the murder of John Kelly, his shell-shocked family say he was simply in the “wrong place at the wrong time”.

A medical report confirmed the electrician died as a result of a single bullet to the back of the head. Police say they do not have any definite leads into the enquiry at this stage.

John was taking down Christmas lights outside the apartment block where he lived when he was shot dead.

His sister, Linda O’Shea, last spoke to him at Christmas. She told The Clare People her brother was a well respected member of the community, both in Clare and New York, where a lot of his friends were police officers.

“Wrong place, wrong time. It’s just a trag-

HUNDREDS of mourners turned out to pay

their final respects to Sixmilebridge native John

Kelly, who was laid to rest in his native soil on

Saturday.

The mass in St Finnachta’s parish church

was concelebrated by Frs Louis Murphy, John

McGovern, Harry Bohan, Pat Mulcahy and Tom

Fitzpatrick.

A booklet, bearing a picture of John on the

front, was specially printed for the occasion,

while John’s body was flown home from the

States in a green casket. The casket was draped

with several hurling and soccer jerseys, which

he had donned over the years.

Among the gifts presented in his memory in-

cluded a hurl, soccer ball, set of darts and golf

club. A teddy was also presented, in recognition

of his attempts at hunting: he shot a teddy bear,

just weeks before his death. A guard of honour

– comprising members of sports clubs with who

he was involved, in Clare and New York – lined

up outside the church, before his coffin was car-

ried to the cemetery nearby.

Fr Louis Murphy told mourners there were no

answers why the father-of-three was shot dead

outside his New York home, six days earlier.

“The very natural question arises for all of us:

why? There is no answer that is likely to satisfy edy. We have no answers. It is just a nightmare,” she said.

John attended primary school in Sixmilebridge and secondary in Shannon, before training as an electrician and then moving to the States.

He played hurling with Wolfe Tones, Sixmilebridge and Cratloe, and soccer for Bridge United, before emigrating. While living abroad, he also developed a keen interest in golf and took part in the qualifiers of the US amateur open last year.

John, who hadn’t returned home in over a decade, worked in three jobs to pay for flights home for his family every year.

“He never stopped working. We used to call him a workaholic,” added Linda. “His three children idolised him and he idolised those kids. Everything he did was geared towards Ann and the kids.”

“John loved a sing-song. He was a brilliant singer. Growing up, he was a typical young fella. I never remember my parents being upset at anything he did. He saw American as an opportunity, after qualifying as an electrician,” she said.

John’s romance with Ann (Murphy, of Sixmilebridge) began in the ballroom in Sixmilebridge and blossomed over many years.

John’s father, also John, a native of Clarecastle, said his son was a “law-abiding citizen. The way in which he was killed was no reflection on the way he lived.

“We don’t know how it happened or why it happened. We just know it did happen. It was an accident, but why it was done, we just don’t know.

“We do trust the New York police department. They will find the answer,” he said. us, to help us to understand. “Words fail us, but we attempt to help each other with consolation, with comfort and support,” he told the congregation which had packed into the church.

“John was a very special person, known by so many, loved by so many and cherished by so many, as a great, wonderful friend,” added the priest, who said John was an “exceptional sportsman”.

John’s sister Geraldine said he was “a doting husband, wonderful dad, loving son and extremely loyal friend”.

She said he worked hard in New York for almost 20 years, during which time he provided for his wife Ann and three children – Lauren (15), Nicole (10) and Kevin (9).

Recalling her brother’s youth, she joked that he could go for 48 hours without sleep, but could then fall asleep anywhere, even on the kitchen table.

“God help the person who had to wake him up. “But now he is in his final sleep. Sleep with the angels, John. We can never wake you,” said Geraldine.

A friend of John’s in New York told mourners the deceased was a big fan of Johnny Cash, and was exceptionally passionate about hurling.

He said, as a barman, John took no nonsense: “If someone messed up in the bar, they were out.”

MEMBERS of Clare County Council ended a heated meeting on the budget by demanding an increase in funding from central government. The council are to bring their concerns about inequality in the allocations of funds to different counties to the Minister for the Environment and Local Government, Dick Roche.

Cllr Madeline Taylor Quinn received the support of her council colleagues when she proposed that a letter be sent to the Minister and the department expressing “the dismay of the council” at the funding received.

She told the meeting that the council received the 25th highest grant in the country at €14.65 million, and it is placed 30th if rated by the increase received.

The council agreed to tell the Minister that the inadequate funding places an unfair burden on the ratepayers who are then relied upon to fund services.

Agreeing with Cllr Taylor Quinn, her party colleague Cllr Joe Arkins said, “We have no chance of a third (Dail) seat (for the current government) so there is no need for us to be considered for extra funding.”

Green Party Councillor Brian Meaney further proposed that the Minister be asked to redress the inequality of the local funding bill and in the process increase the Clare allocation.

The County Manager asked the council members to approve a €12.5 million over draft for 2006, although he said he does not expect to have to use it. The council will spend €101 million this year – an increase of 8.4 per cent on last year’s spend of €93 million.

SHANNON industry has been dealt a hammer blow in the past week with the news that up to 105 jobs could be lost at the telephonic company Flextronics.

Employees at the Shannon Free Zone plant were rocked last Wednesday morning when Flextronics management announced that 65 jobs could be gone at the plant by April.

Flextronics management have refused to issue any statement on the potential job losses, but The Clare People has learned that the company could be moving part of their operation to Belfast in the near future.

And, a cloud of uncertainty now hangs over 40 more jobs at the Flextronics plant, with employees fearing the worst in the wake of a weeklong veil of silence by company management.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen,” one employee told The Clare People . “We have been told that 65 jobs are to go in the next two months, but the feeling is that this is only the start and that all the jobs could go,” he added.

Industry sources in Shannon have forecast that the Flextronics job losses could have a massive impact on freights services out of Shannon.

Flextronics was responsible for giving much business to freight operators in Shannon. It’s estimated that it transported 3.5 million kilos of freight by road and air through freight companies.

A worst-case scenario of the Flextronics job losses could be a domino affect of job cuts in the six freight companies that operate out of the airport free zone.

Shannon Development has revealed that it has been made aware Flextronics’ current difficulties. “We know that Flextronics are reviewing their Shannon operation,” Shannon Development spokesperson Dympna O’Callaghan told The Clare People .

“We are not aware of what the final outcome of the job losses will be. All we know is that they are restructuring and they will make us aware formally what the outcome of those deliberations will be,” added Ms O’Callaghan.

“Flextronics are not members of the Shannon Chamber, but we do know that they are having a number of operational difficulties,” said Shannon Chamber of Commerce, Tríona McInerney. “There hasn’t been an official announcement on job losses, but they have lost a major customer. We hope that they will be able to resolve their difficulties,” added Ms McInerney.

Last year, Shannon Devlopment’s annual report revealed that 739 jobs were lost in the Free Zone, while there were 450 new jobs created during the same period.

APPROXIMATELY 20 per cent of on-thespot litter fines went unpaid in the county last year.

While the number may seem quite high it is significantly less than the national average, where it is estimated that as many as two in every three litterbugs escape without paying any penalty.

Last year Clare County Council issued 228 litter fines.

Ennis Town Council was ensuring that the county town held its tidy town status and issued 363 offenders with litter fines, while Kilrush Town Council issued a total of 14 litter fines.

Of the on the spot fines issued though the county council, 97 were paid, 36 cancelled and nine ended up in the courts.

Less than half of the court cases were successful, with the council receiving a positive result in just four.

A total of 86 cases are pending further investigation, payment of fines or proceedings if the fines are not paid.

The county council made almost €14,000 in litter fines last year, more than €10,000 less than its urban counterpart.

Ennis Town Council secured €25,000 in the 200 fines paid. In total the town council issued 363 on the spot fines.

Seven of those cases went to court with the council winning six of the seven.

The two litter and environmental wardens in Ennis responded to 595 complaints in the 12 months of 2005.

Barry Keating, Staff Officer with the Environment Section of Ennis Town Council explained that any illegal dumping discovered in the urban area is referred to the county council’s waste management team.

He said that waste management is not a major issue in the towns and illegal dumping is more of a rural problem.

Kilrush Town Council likewise deals solely with one off litter fines. In 2005 it collected €1,000 from the eight fines paid.

Of its two prosecutions, it received a positive result in one, with a fine of €200 imposed.

Nicola Cullinan, Staff Officer with the Waste Enforcement Unit in the county said that imposing the fine can be difficult as people in rented accommodation move on and are difficult to relocate.

There is also a lot of investigation work for the three environmental wardens and the two engineers in the unit, who often have to go through rubbish bags to identify its owner.

Last year the waste enforcement unit issue 30 notices and fines for illegal advertising signage.

A further 70 notices were served under different sections of the waste management plan including notices to land owners for illegal dumping.

Nine prosecutions were successfully made under the waste management plan.

WORKERS at Shannon Development are “flabbergasted” over comments made by chairman, Liam McElligott that there is now alignment in thinking between the Board and staff over the future development of the company.

A spokesman for staff at Shannon Development told The Clare People this week, “The staff are flabbergasted by Mr McElligott’s comments and his lack of grasp of the situation. He obviously doesn’t appreciate the depth of feeling by staff at what is being done to the company. His comments have resulted in a further distance between Board and staff.”

Earlier this month, at a press briefing to mark the publication of Shannon Development’s end of year statement, Mr McElligott said: “I am quite confident now that there is alignment in our thinking,” when asked about ongoing tensions over the future role of the company.

The spokesman said, “Mr McElligott’s comments are demoralising for staff as they infer that there is now tacit approval by staff of the company’s new mandate, and give the impression that everything is sorted. Nothing could be further from the truth.”

Currently, staff are refusing to co-operate with the implementation of the new mandate, pending the outcome of talks between SIPTU and the Department of the Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

The mandate would see Shannon Development lose its core enterprise functions to Shannon Development and the IDA.

The spokesman added, “There is real anger and weariness at Mr McEliggott’s comments. This re-affirms SIPTU’s call for the present Board to resign en masse. They are not in touch with what is going on.”

Asked are staff confident that Shannon Development will hold onto the promotion of Shannon Free Zone in their talks with the Department, he said, “We are confident that we have made a very good argument. As to whether we will be successful, I don’t know.

“If it does proceed, it will lead to an impoverished situation for the company and drastically weaken its ability to do positive things for the region as Shannon Development has been a lynchpin in a lot of things.

“In practice, it will reduce Shannon Development to a property management company. And we are very disappointed over the lack of analysis behind the decision to revise the mandate.”

TWO Clare primary schools which follow the Steiner method of instruction have moved a step closer to achieving official recognition from the Department of Education and Science.

Raheen Wood School Tuamgraney, Scariff and Mol an Oige, Ennistymon both applied to County Clare VEC to act as patron of the schools so they could progress to stage two of a process that would see them gain official Departmental recognition. To finalise stage two the schools must agree to the curriculum as laid down by the Department. In the case of Mol an Oige recognition would allow them to pursue a permanent site.

The Board of Clare VEC last Thursday accepted a proposal that would see the VEC adopt the role of patron for both schools, provided the Department of Education and Science first grant recognition to both. The Raheen Wood School was established over 20 years ago and transferred to Tuamgraney in 1996. Like Mol an Oige, established in September 2005, it has followed the Steiner method of instruction.

The proposal was put forward by Cllr Peter Considine (FF) who said that stage two should go ahead on the basis that it imposed no financial impact on Clare VEC. He was supported by Cllr Tom Prendeville (FF) who added that the Steiner system was a very advanced style of education and it shouldn’t be subject to suspicion.

“The Steiner system operates at secondary and primary and in some instances is probably more advanced than the system we espouse,” he said.

George O’Callaghan, CEO Clare VEC confirmed that any wage costs would be handled by the Department but that in the case of Mol an Oige official recognition may have implications for student and teacher numbers in schools in the Ennistymon area.

CLARE businesses are getting letters from debt collectors and bills for thousands of Euro for ads which they say they were not even aware they ordered.

Spanish based company, European City Guides (ECG) has been sending unsolicited letters to Clare companies, says Paul Woulfe of the Citizen’s Information Centre (CIC).

“We have had numerous complaints about this company,” he said. “The form they send first asks for updated details on the business for inclusion in an inter-professional CD rom.

“This is cost free but further down the form, where the recipient is asked to sign, it says that signing is placing an order for an insertion in the guide which THE Drumellihy/Westby Group Water Scheme in Cree has been granted €12,715 in funding as part of the CLÁR top-up funding.

This will enable works amounting to €35,570 to be carried out at the site. The remaining amount will be paid by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and by private contribution from the Group members.

Three households will benefit from the scheme with savings of €4,238 per household. costs €857.

“And this also involves placing an order for the following two editions at the same cost each time.

“The form is very confusing and a lot of people have been caught, and then they get bills for thousands of Euro for insertions which they never intended to purchase,” said Paul.

Paul added that when business people refuse to pay up, the company hands the matter over to a Swiss-based international debt collection agency “and they send out very intimidating, legalistic letters and in some instances, there have been phone calls asking for payment every day.”

When the CIC brought complaints made to them forward to the director of consumer affairs’, they were informed by the communications unit that as the ECG is a Spanish based company, the Office of the Director of Consumer Affairs has no powers to intervene.

But the spokeswoman at the unit informed the CIC that there are now a number of judgements against the company “with regard to breaches of Spanish misleading advertising legislation in forms circulated in 1998 and 1999. A further action was taken against ECG in March 2001 and the judgement was accompanied by a fine of €22,000.”

The spokeswoman said that in the last four years, the Spanish Consumer Department has “received more that 3,500 claims from 40 countries from companies and professional workers concerned by the ECG.”

The company changed the form which it has been sending out and the Spanish authorities have said that the new form is acceptable.

But while in theory the Spanish company could get a judgement against debt defaulters which could then be processed through the Irish courts, the CIC is advising people who have been getting bills not to pay up.

“We believe they are targeting small businesses who pay because they are afraid of having huge court bills if the matter goes to court in Spain.

“But there is not one single instance in which ECG has taken this course,” said Paul.

The Clare People put the issues raised to the company by email, as requested by them. There was no comment available at time of going to press.

AN 18-YEAR-old Clare man has been summonsed to appear in court in connection with a fatal road accident, which claimed the life of a 17-year-old girl in Ennis last year.

The young man is to be charged in connection with the accident, in which Charelle Howard died, on the Shanaway Road, on the outskirts of Ennis, in the early hours of July 16 last year.

It’s alleged that the young man, who will appear in court next month, was driving the car, which was involved in the fatal accident.

The accident was investigated by Ennis gardai, who interviewed a number of teenagers travelling in the car when the accident occurred. A file was then submitted to the Director of Public Prosecutions, who directed that a charge be brought.

Charelle was travelling with friends in a Volkswagen Polo car at the time. The group was travelling from a birthday party outside Ennis town to the town centre, when the accident occurred, in the early hours of the morning.

Charelle, the only child of David and Teresa Howard, from Oakwood Drive on the Watery Road in Ennis, was travelling in the back seat of the car, which was involved in the single vehicle accident.

They had just left Charelle’s best friend’s birthday party and were on their way to Ennis.

The other occupants of the car survived. Two of them were treated for minor injuries, before being discharged from hospital some time later.

SENIOR executives at Clare County Council can expect up to €72,000 in bonus payments over the coming year. The council agreed to allow a sum, which reflects ten per cent of seven of its official’s wages, to be set aside for such payments. The officials to benefit from the €72,000 allocation include the county manager and the six director of services in the council.

The county manager told councillors that the allocation set aside is to “make sure there is enough there” to cover any bonuses paid.

Cllr Tom Prenderville asked the manager if he was “expecting an increase in activity and productivity” that the bonus payments could reach that amount.

It is as yet unknown when the payments will be paid, but the manager assured the councillors that no section of the public sector is monitored like his sector. The councillors agreed to a €3,500 increase in the mayors allowance to €33,500 at a special budget meeting of the council. Council members expenses for the year has been budgeted at €221,000, while their salleries will cost the council €522,199.

Meanwhile Clare County Council agreed to drop a controversial charge on the collection of recyclables, which would have earned the council a further €70,000. The members of the council objected to the proposal within the budget, which stated, “It would be necessary to introduce a small charge for waste at the recycling facilities for waste other than WEE”.

The council executive did a u turn on the proposal following objections from the members saying that adding a cost to recycling would discourage people from doing so.

The County Manager also expressed concern that while the cost of landfill is reducing, the collectors are not reflecting the reduction in their costs.