The Clare People Archive

AN ENNIS-based Traveller health care programme has launched an awareness campaign warning of the dangers of using the injectable tanning agent melanotan.

The campaign was in response to health concerns sparked by the easy availability of melanotan online.

It is one of a number of information campaigns launched by the Ennis Primary Traveler Healthcare Programme.

Operated by the Ennis Community Development Project, the programme is run by three community healthcare workers.

Dr Siobhan O’Connor, Co-ordinator, said the programme works as a conduit between the health services and the traveler community.

Dr O’Connor explained, “We offer specific services to individuals of the families in the Traveller community affected by substance misuse. Our drop-in service, every Wednesday, has Traveller community health care workers who will give information and advice to any body that calls in, no appointment is necessary. We also have information sessions and develop materials and resources to spread information”.

She continued, “We put together a DVD last year and we have had a road show earlier this year where we showed the DVD to audiences made up of Travellers in Ennistymon, Shannon and Ennis in a number of locations including the Family Resource Centres and the Community Development Project. This year we have put together an information/ awareness flyer on the dangers of Melanotan, an injectable tanning agent. There had been a couple of stories in the UK about the risks of using it and we wanted to get the message out that you can keep beautiful but in a beautiful way.”

The programme educates young people from a Traveller background on the dangers of substance misuse through the work of Education Peer Support Worker, David McCarthy.

According to the latest census figures, there are an estimated 840 people from a Traveller background living in Clare. The programme has also launched a five-week Traveller men wellbeing programme.

The aim is to support Traveller men to gain the skills and knowledge to take better care of their physical and mental health. This is an opportunity for Traveller men to learn new skills and to hear about the benefits of healthy eating and exercise in a fun way. It runs at Ennis CDP, Clonroad, until June 25.

CLARE students are among those participating in a pilot drugs education project that highlights the dangers of solvent abuse.

Seven secondary schools in the mid-west, including a number in Clare, have taken part in the workshop series, which is aimed at both parents and teenagers.

The workshops provide information on the dangers of alcohol, cannabis and solvent misuse.

The programme, developed by the HSE and the Mid West Regional Drugs Taskforce, was piloted in the mid-west from January to May.

Dr Sancha Power, HSE post primary substance use education worker, explains, “We specifically target second year students in secondary system. The reason for that is they are the moat at risk. They are not the newbies and they are not third years doing exams. All the education research carried out in Ireland shows that if a child is going to disengage from education, it’s that year. A lot of the drugs research would show that if kids disengage with school, that’s when they are most at risk of getting involved in substance abuse.”

Dr Power said the number of children misusing solvents has grown in recent years.

“We only look at alcohol, cannabis and solvents. Solvents are on the rise. Aerosol cans, lighter fluid, petrol. It’s gone back to 1980s when there was a lot of glue sniffing. It’s cheap, it’s available, it’s affordable. It’s everywhere you look. Some of the parents would ask us why are you teaching us about it when we are looking at 14/15 year olds. We have to keep an eye out for it because it’s so affordable. Markers are another big one. They are back on the rise.”

The programme is due to be rolled out last this year. Dr Power is encouraging Clare schools to get involved.

She said, “We have had huge positive results. Parents have thoroughly enjoyed it and the confidence they got from it. The teachers are really positive about it. They feel that it is really supporting the work they are doing and primarily that’s what we are doing. We are not trying to replace teachers. This is a supplementary programme that directly links what they are doing in classrooms to the homes.”

She added, “If there are schools out there and they want to get involved, please ring us.”

IT IS hoped that a new directory featuring information on a range of services available to homeless people in Clare, will help to prevent the death of another person on the county’s streets and combat the growing number of people forced “to live rough”.

Josef Pavelka died on the streets of Ennis last month having come to public attention for sleeping in the county town’s public toilets.

The Clare Homelessness Alliance (CHA), which was launched in early 2012, is now making available a directory of services, while also launching a five-year action plan to combat homelessness in Clare.

The new Directory of Services has been produced by CHA member agencies including the Society of St Vincent de Paul, HSE, the Department of Social Protection, Clarecare, An Garda Síochána, Mid-West Simon Community, Clare Probation Services, Clare Haven Services, Clare County Council, and Kilrush and Ennis Town Councils, and is available from any of these organisations.

Councillor Patricia McCarthy, Chair of Clare County Council’s Housing and Cultural Services SPC (Strategic Policy Committee), said that homelessness in the county has been on the increase in recent years.

“The plight of the homeless and the need to ensure that every effort is made to redress the problem was highlighted in recent weeks as a result of the tragic death of a homeless person in Ennis,” she said.

“The agencies involved in providing services for homeless persons came together last year as they recognised the growing need to address the issue of homelessness in a coherent manner. The directory is the initial outcome of this coordinated approach and sets out information in relation to services and supports available to homeless persons, including necessary contact details.

“During the next month, the CHA will be publishing its Draft five-year action plan to deliver on the objectives of the mid-west regional homelessness action plan 2013-2018. The CHA will continue to provide a forum for the sharing of information and development of awareness of issues and services impacting on the homeless. Its members will also promote best practice in service delivery and provides essential links between services providers,” Ms McCarthy added.

AS MANY as 2,830 Clare students will sit state exams this week.

A total of 1,313 Clare teenagers and some more mature students have registered to sit the Leaving Cert exam.

Thirty one more girls than boys will take part in this final state secondary school exam in Clare, as 667 females are officially registers and 646 males.

Another 76 students from the county have already sat year long as- sessments and completed projects as part of the Leaving Cert Applied. As many as 47 boys have taken part in this exam compared to 29 girls in the county.

Another 1,441 Clare students will sit their first ever state exam this week, as 690 girls are signed up to sit the Junior Certificate exam and 751 boys. The number of male participants in the Junior Cert outweighs the female students, while the opposite is the case in the Leaving Cert.

Nationally for the 2013 examinations, 53,749 candidates are entered for the Leaving Certificate examination,

2,853 candidates for the final year examinations in the Leaving Certificate Applied and 60,243 candidates for the Junior Certificate examination.

And for those students who like to torture themselves by pouring over the exam they have just completed or for eager fifth and second year students, this year all written examination papers will be published on the state exam website on the evening that the examination is completed.

Leaving Certificate will only have to wait until Wednesday, August 14, to learn their fate, as the results will be available from 12 noon on that day for Leaving Certificate candidates.

Junior Certificate results will be issued in mid-September and the online results service will be available from 4pm on that day for Junior Certificate candidates.

Some spiritual intervention is also being offered around the county on the morning of the first exam, with a special Mass taking place in Churches like St Senan’s in Kilrush.

THE office of the Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) says an investigation into the placement of a CCTV camera in a classroom of a Clare school is continuing.

The school installed the CCTV system recently and within days of their installation a complaint was received by the DPC.

The DPC asked the school to turn off the cameras pending the comple- tion of the investigation. The Clare People understands that the school have been in contact with the office of the DPC and urged them to reinstate the CCTV. The school’s Board of Management are dealing with the issue, it is understood.

A spokesperson for the DPC said the office could not comment on details of the investigation other than to say it is ongoing.

Within the complaint it is alleged that the school in question installed the CCTV cameras in classrooms without consulting parents of children in the school.

In a letter sent by the senior compliance officer of the DPC to the Chairperson of the Board of Management of the school, which has been seen by The Clare People , the officer stated the DPC “will not tolerate the use of CCTV cameras in the classroom”.

The letter stated that an investigation of the complaint is underway.

“The position of this office is that is it is not acceptable under the Data Protection Acts of 1988 and 2003, to have a CCTV camera operating in a classroom,” the compliance officer wrote.

The DPC asked the school to clarify four points as regards the CCTV cameras, namely the scope of the operation, why cameras were installed, what the school are doing with footage captured by the cameras and if there is any signage in the school outlining the purpose of the cameras.

The letter does not identify the complainant who brought the matter to the attention of the DPC.

CLARE will have a contestant at this year’s Rose of Tralee for the first time in almost a decade as Newmarketon-Fergus live-wire Marie Donel- lan upset the odds to qualify for this year’s prestigious final. The 25-year-old wowed judges at the semi finals in Portlaoise on Sunday, claiming one of the six grand final slots reserved for Irish roses. “I can’t believe it. I really wanted to get through but it is really hard, especially for the Irish roses, to make it through. There were 29 Irish roses in Portlaoise and only six of them go through, so it is very hard,” she told The Clare People . “Once I got there and met all the girls I thought that I didn’t have a hope [of reaching the final], so I decided to really enjoy the few days. When they called out Clare last night I could not believe it. “It is really tough for Irish roses to make it – it was 2006 that Clare last had a rose in the final. Every year there are more and more international roses looking to take part so that means that there are less places for the Irish roses. It really is such an international competition now and I just can’t believe that I was one of the roses chosen.” Marie is a qualified accountant and working at Apple and she has just returned from a year travelling the world. “Being the Clare Rose was the real victory. That is when my dream came true. Even going to Portlaoise was a bonus, never mind getting to Tralee itself. No matter what happens, I’m the Clare Rose and that is really the things that matters most,” she continued. “But that said the emotions of getting through was something else. I was bawling all over the place when Clare was called out. I was that shocked.” The final of the Rose of Tralee will take place from August 14 to 20.

THE new Emergency Department for the mid-west region will not be open and ready for its first patient for at least another year and a half.

The region’s only 24-hour Accident and Emergency Department, the Mid West Regional Hospital, Limerick has on-going overcrowding issues as emergency cases from Clare and Nenagh are routed through the Limerick hospital.

Last April the HSE announced that 20 beds would be reopened in a bid to alleviate chronic overcrowding.

Patients from Clare, Limerick and North Tipperary had been subjected to long waits and hours on trolleys as staff struggled with patient numbers.

A spokesperson for the HSE said at the time;

“We are very much aware of the inadequacies of the present Emergency Department and construction has commenced on a new department which is expected to be operational in two years.”

Ann Doherty, CEO, Mid Western Regional Hospital Group now says that the new Emergency Department would be open and ready for occupation in late 2015.

“Construction has commenced for the new Emergency Department. The project is being delivered in two phases.

“Phase one is due for completion by end of March 2014. Phase two which is the ‘fit-out’ of the Emergency Department is due to commence in June 2014,” she said.

Meanwhile the five-storey critical care block development on the site of the Mid Western Regional Hospital, Dooradoyle will be officially opened once full services have moved in.

The cardiac services have already moved in to floors three and four. The first and second floors are currently being equipped and commissioned. Staff recruitment has also commenced.

No date for the opening had been released by the HSE however.

ST TOLA Goats Cheese in Inagh is officially the best cheese in Ireland – after it’s new Ash Log took the top award at the Irish Cheese Awards this weekend.

The award was the finale of a big week for the North Clare producers, who were already celebrating the opening of its first cheese shop in Inagh last week.

The development of the shop is a major milestone for St Tola and for the local eco-tourism community and will stock a number of locally roduced products alongside a full range of cheese.

“The shop is a big step for us. There is a growing demand for food tourism and a lot more people are becoming interested in food and how it is made,” said Grainne Casey from St Tola.

“When people come to our shop they can look in on the animals and see for themselves how well they are treated and the high standards of the farm. As well as cheese, we also stock a range of local products and we will have a lot of information about tourism and the local area. It is a real holistic approach to food and tourism.”

St Tola’s newest product, the Ash Log, won a Gold Medal and then was named the Supreme Champion of this weekend’s Irish Cheese Awards.

“The team in Inagh are dedicated and uniquely skilled and awards such as these motivate us to continue to develop high-quality products for our customers,” said Siobhán Ní Ghairbhith of St Tola.

“The St Tola Ash Log is rolled in vegetarian food grade charcoal by our experts in Inagh. Rolling the cheese log while its fresh preserves the unique citrus and slightly acidic flavours of the cheese. Consumers will particularly appreciate the smooth and creamy texture of the finished product which is encapsulated by the ash.”

The new shop is open from Monday to Saturday, 12am to 5pm, and on Sundays from 12 noon to 5pm.

AT A recent sitting of the Circuit Court in Ennis, presided over by the President of the Circuit Court Mr Justice Raymond Groarke, a quarry operation carried out at Moveen, Kilkee was forced to close its gates when the judge granted an injuction to six co-owners which ordered the defendant, M Gerry Whelan to cease quarrying the lands in question.

The case arose from the ownership of some 174 acres at Moveen, near Kilkee and the operation of a quarry on part of the commonage by Gerry Whelan.

Plaintiffs Andrew Curtin, Caroline McMahon, Michael Murrihy, Damien McInerney, Eileen Walsh and Thomas Collins are six of eleven co-owners.

The defendant, Mr Gerry Whelan is another co-owner and operates the quarry.

The court heard that up to 2007 an agreement existed between most of the co-owners and Mr Whelan for the operation of the quarry, but this had expired in September of 2007. Mr Whelan however continued to operate the quarry and the plaintiffs alleged that Mr Whelan was obliged to account to them for royalties since that time.

The Circuit Court heard from one of the plaintiffs, Mr Whelan and also from engineers on behalf of the plaintiffs and defendant. Judge Groarke advised that Mr Whelan was obliged under the law to account to his co-owners.

He granted an injunction to the six plaintiffs directing the defendant, his servants or agents to forthwith cease quarrying the lands at Moveen together with an injunction restraining the defendant, his servants or agents, from the repitition or of continuance of the acts of trespass and nuisance as complained and an injuction in further acts of buying or development of or upon the commonage lands.

The judge also awarded the sum of € 83,427 to the plaintiffs, to be divided at one sixth each. He awarded costs to the plaintiffs.

He dismissed the defendants counterclaim with no orders to costs. Counsel for the plaintiffs was Lorcan Connolly BL, instructed by John Callinan and Co Solicitors, while counsel for the defendant was Pat Whyms BL, instructed by O’Keeffe Moylan Solicitors.

In his evidence to the court one of the plaintiffs, Andrew Curtin, indicated that the quarry provided local employment and that he didn’t wish to see it closed down, but wanted the exploitation of the commage to be regulated.

ONE Ennis businessman who has adapted to changing consumer trends says retailers must work together to develop a successful “culture of late opening” in Ennis.

David Woodford operated the wellknown Record Rack store in lower market street for 28 years. But with the decline in CD sales, he switched from music to tourist-based arts and crafts.

Mr Woodford told a meeting that the Irish Shop now regularly stays open to accommodate tourists returning to Ennis from day trips.

Speaking at a meeting in Ennis on Thursday night, he said businesses must “adapt” to customer needs.

He continued, “We need to give customers a broader timescale in which to shop. When it comes to choosing what nights to open late. Probably Tuesday is our best late night for shopping possibly with flights coming in and out of Shannon, that might be the case. My own feeling on it is that if we are to try this, and people may groan at this, I would suggest we try it every night.

“From a tourist’s perspective they don’t really come back into town ‘til around 5.30pm because they are out on daytrips. When they arrive back into town, the town is closing.”

Mr Woodford said Ennis could attract more shoppers if it developed a well-known “culture of late opening”.

He explained, “I’ve heard it said that for certain trades its not worth doing. For example, a hardware shop, they might not benefit from tourists. The fact of the matter is that we all need to do it together. If the town develops a culture of late opening and it becomes known that Ennis is open late, I think it’s only natural that the locals would start coming into town. We would all have to work together. People would also come in from the surrounding areas if they knew the town was open late.”

These sentiments were shared by Mike Buckley, a former President of Killarney Chamber of Commerce. Mr Buckley said Killarney worked hard over 20 years to become one of the busiest tourist towns in the country. He said co-operation between various business and volountary sectors and local authorities meant the town could effectively be “customised” to attract large business conferences or tourist groups. He said, “The whole town buys into it. That’s the secret. It creates a feel good factor and people will come back to Ennis.”