The Clare People Archive

IRELAND’S Tour de France hero, Stephen Roche, will be in Lahinch this weekend to lead a community cycle on Sunday morning.

Roche, who created history in 1987 by winning cycling’s triple crown of the Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France and the World Championships, will lead the cycle from the Lahinch Promenade on Easter Sunday morning, March 31, at 10am.

Cycling has undergone a renaissance in North Clare in recent years with the Burren Cycling Club becoming one of Ireland’s leading amateur clubs as well as the formation of a new club in Ennistymon earlier this year.

The cycle is being organised by Roi- sin Ni Ghairbhith, An Taisce Green Schools officer for Clare, who is also organising a free bike fixing event in Ennistymon this Saturday.

“We fixed a record breaking 116 bikes the last time we did this back in September so we are back due to popular demand,” said Roisin.

“This time we are under no pressure to break the record so we will be focussing more on teaching people how to fix their bikes as we fix them with them. I’ve organsied this event mainly to encourage people to use the brand new cycle lane all the way from Ennistymon to Lahinch.”

There will be 10 bicycle mechanics at the Teach Ceol in Ennistymon from 3pm to 6pm on March 30. People are also encouraged to come along who want to buy or sell a bike on the day.

CENTRAL government is being asked to stump up the cash to complete works in over 23 unfinished estates around the county after it was revealed that using money from its own resources could close libraries and lead to a further downgrading of the county’s road network.

The move was made at last Friday’s March meeting of Clare County Council when council officials backed the Revenue Commissioners ruling that only four housing estates in the county be exempt from the new property tax.

Amid calls for Clare County Council to take charge of every unfinished estate in the county and take responsibility for putting upgrading works in place, County Manager Tom Coughlan warned that such a policy would seriously impact on other lo- cal authority services.

“The money has to come for somewhere,” said Mr Coughlan. “The property tax is going to replace the Rates Support Grant. The property tax is going to go towards paying for services that the council is providing at the moment – that’s providing road services, that’s providing libraries, providing open spaces, all the services that the council provides.

“If you decide that the council puts a significant amount of money into unfinished estates, something else is going to have to suffer. The services we provide at the moment cannot be provided. Let me be very clear on that.

“You’ll find yourself in a situation where you’ll be deciding if you put money into roads, or whether you put money into unfinished estates. That’s the bottom line. The money has to come from somewhere, unless the money (for unfinished estates) comes from central government.

“You have a budget of about € 100m – of that the vast bulk is mandatory contractual work where you have no discretion. You have something between € 7 to € 10m where you can decide to spend money. If you decide you are going to spend money on unfinished estates, it comes from other services,” he added.

The County Manager made his comments after independent Shannon electoral area councillor, PJ Ryan called on revenues from the controversial new property tax to be “ring-fenced” for unfinished estates.

“It has to go directly back into those estates to bring them up to an acceptable standard,” said Cllr Ryan. “Our Oireachtas members have to support this, that this property tax isn’t taken off the council budget and is used to develop roads and other facilities around the county like unfinished estates,” he added.

CLARE could soon have a direct connection to the British throne following the bizarre revelation that Queen-in-waiting, Kate Middleton, has ancestry in the Banner County.

Middleton’s Clare connections were revealed in the House of Commons last week when a detailed genealogy of the Duchess of Cambridge was presented at an event attended by Taoiseach Enda Kenny (FG) and British Prime Minister David Cameron.

According to the genealogy, Middleton is a blood descendant of Killaloe warrior Brian Boru. The research, which was carried out by Tourism Ireland, reveals that Middleton’s ancestors, the Lupton family from Yorkshire, are descendants of a Fitzmaurice family from Kerry, who are themselves blood descendants of Brian Boru.

This news could prompt a stop in the Banner County for Kate, who is currently five months pregnant, and Prince William during their planned trip to Ireland next year. Buckingham Palace is currently finalising plans for the royal couple to visit Ireland in early 2014 but the exact itinerary for the visit has not yet been decided.

The trip is expected to take place in the first half of next year and has been planned since before Middleton’s pregnancy. The trip had been expected to be focused on the east coast, given Prince William’s time served as a rescue pilot in the Irish Sea, but the Clare connection could prompt organisers to plan a flying visit to Killaloe.

This visit would coincide with the 1,000-year anniversary of Brian Boru’s death, with thousands already expected to descend on Killaloe to mark the man who drove the Vikings from Ireland.

Middleton was in London on Sunday, where she presented shamrocks to the Irish Guards regiment in Hampshire. Should a royal visit to Clare take place, it would mean tens of thousand of extra visitors, as well as the world media, descending on the Banner County.

A SECOND school in the Burren region was broken into last week as criminal activity in the area reaches worrying levels.

The offices of Seamount College in Kinvara were broken into on Thursday last, March 14, just over a week after a similar incident took place in nearby New Quay National School in North Clare.

Gardaí car ried out a technical examination of the Seamount College on Friday after the break-in, which is believed to have taken place at some time between 8pm on Thursday evening and 7.30am on Friday morning.

Three offices at Seamount College were broken into and ransacked and a small sum of cash was also taken.

The nearby HSE Medical Centre was also targeted in the raid and it is understood that both incidents are connected. Nothing was taken from the medical centre.

Gardaí from Gort have car ried out door to door enquiries in the area and are asking anyone who might have information about the incident to contact them on 091 636400.

These latest break-ins come just a week after the theft of eleven laptop computers and a number of other pieces of electrical equipment from New Quay National School in North Clare.

The New Quay School break-in took place some time between 10pm on Wednesday night, March 6, and 9am on Thursday March 7.

The thieves gained access to the school’s computer room by forcing open a back window.

Eleven Toshiba laptops were taken along with a white camcorder, two Fuji digital cameras, a black Ni kon camera and a small amount of cash.

There is no evidence that the two school break-ins were connected in any way.

Gardaí in Ennistymon are investigating the New Quay break-in and anyone with information is asked to contact 065 7072180.

THE arts community in County Clare will once again be feeling the pinch this year with further cuts in the amount of funding being available by the Arts Council.

Clare County Council’s Arts Office will be the worst hit of the pillar projects with its funding being cut by just under 7 per cent – from € 75,000 to € 70,000. Glór will also be badly hit with an annual funding cut of almost 5 per cent – down from € 90,000 to € 86,000.

The total Arts Council finding for Clare’s four main arts projects – including the council’s Arts Office, Glór, The Willie Clancy Summer School and Salmon Poetry – comes to just € 278,000. This is in stark contrast to neighbouring County Galway, whose main arts projects will receive a staggering € 2.7 million, including € 820,000 for the Druid Theatre Company and € 470,000 for the Galway Arts Festival.

County Clare Arts Officer, Siobhan Mulcahy, says that Clare is holding its own in terms of arts funding and believes that the quality of the artistic community in the Banner is our biggest asset. “Clare has done relatively well with both Salmon Publishing and Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy remaining at the same level of funding as they received last year. This is the context of an overall decline in arts funding from the Arts Council, so to hold their own in the current climate is a sign of their resilience and is an acknowledgement by the Arts Council of the importance of these organisations locally, nationally and internationally,” she said.

“Cuts to Glór and the Arts Office of Clare County Council are indicative of the overall funding cuts applied to local authorities and venues this year. Whilst both continue to provide quality and ongoing services to Clare artists and the people of Clare, such cuts are a significant challenge.

“However, from the point of view of the Arts Office, the greatest resource we have is the number and quality of artists of all disciplines in the county and we consider ourselves fortunate to have such a pool of artists with which to work. It should also be noted that whilst annual funding is down, increased funding has been made available to arts festival and events in the county this year with funding for the Gathering and funding through the Culture Connects Programme of the EU Presidency.”

TWO Limerick brothers have been fined € 500 each after they were caught illegally attempting to import rhino horns worth almost € 500,000 through Shannon Airport three years ago.

Jeremiah O’Brien and (33) and Michael O’Brien (28) were stopped in Shannon Airport on January 13 (2010) due to their demeanor and the size of their luggage. Ennis District Court heard on Friday that customs officers seized eight rhino horns from the brothers who had returned from Faro, Portugal.

Jeremiah O’Brien, with an address at 22 Roche’s Road, Rathkeale, Limerick, pleaded guilty to the illegal importation of four rhino horns valued at € 231,760.

His brother, Michael O’Brien, also with an address at 22 Roche’s Road, Rathkeale, Limerick, pleaded guilty to the illegal importation of four rhino horns valued at € 260,400.

Denis Twohig of the Revenue Commissioner’s Investigations and Prosecutions Unit told the court that it is an offence to import rhino horns without license.

Evidence of valuation was given by George Mealy of Mealy’s Fine Art Ltd. Mr Mealy, a Castlecomerbased valuer and auctioneer, told the court that at the time the brothers were stopped rhino horn was valued at € 20,000 a kilo. He said the same quantity is now worth € 60,000. Mr Mealy said, “It’s worth more than gold at the moment per ounce.”

Judge Patrick Durcan accepted jurisdiction on the basis that the offence was germane to the breach of the regulations and not the value of the horns.

Defence solicitor John Cussen told the court that the horns were antique, dating from the 1960s, and not from a freshly killed rhino.

He told the court that the trade in rhino horn is fuelled by a “superstition in the Far East” that rhino horn is an “aphrodisiac that enhances sexual performance”.

He said the brothers acquired the horns from a Portuguese antique dealer named Hernandez. He said Mr Hernandez had entrusted the horns to the O’Briens who were to mount them on a board in Rathkeale before returning with them to Portugal.

Mr Cussen said the brothers are antique dealers who travel frequently throughout Europe. He said their circumstances are not good and that their families live in caravan parks in France and Germany. They have no previous convictions.

Mr Cussen said the brothers wished to apologise to the court. The brothers faced a maximum fine of € 1,250 and/or 12 months in prison.

Judge Patrick Durcan said, “In my relatively short time as a judge, this is one of the most interesting and intriguing cases I’ve had to deal with it.”

State solicitor Martin Linnane said, “I’ve never come across a case like this before.”

Judge Durcan said he was satisfied the horns were antique. He said the brothers had made no efforts to conceal the horns and that their actions had not in any way harmed a worldwide campaign aimed at protecting rhinos from poaching. Noting their guilty pleas and good record, Judge Durcan fined each man € 500 with three months to pay.

DRIVING disqualification orders have become one of the main strategies employed by gardaí in the effort to prevent crime in Clare.

People convicted in Clare courts are facing the prospect of losing their license if it is found they used a car in the commission of an offence.

Chief Superintendent of the Clare Garda Division, John Kerin said last week that the gardaí are now requesting judges to make disqualification orders on conviction.

However, Mr Kerin warned that many are choosing to ignore the orders. He explained, “In virtually every case we have here in Clare where a person is convicted of a crime and they use a car or a van, the Inspec- tors or Supers that are in court, on the conviction, are asking the judge (to disqualify from holding a license) and the judge is automatically making the disqualification order.

“But I can honestly say as well that most of those people who are disqualified will be driving another car the next night and we’ll have them in court again the next day for driving while disqualified.”

He continued, “That’s happening time and time and time again. It’s not that easy to police. Those orders, they were being ignored for years, but they are now very much part of our everyday work. They are one of our strategies to reduce crime.”

Chief Supt Kerin was speaking at a discussion on crime and policing in Ennis last week. He was responding to comments from Jim Corbett, Chairperson of the Spancil Hill Community Alert.

Mr Corbett said that cars and vans have become “tools of the trade” for offenders committing burglaries in rural area.

He said that automatic disqualifications should be imposed in all cases where people use cars in the commission of burglaries.

Two men who convicted of a burglary in a rural area of Clare were last week were each disqualified from holding a driver’s license for a period of five years.

Judge Patrick Durcan said he was of the view that both defendants used the car as an aid in the commission of a serious offence. Judge Durcan remarked that burglaries have become “all too prevalent in rural Ireland.”

He said home burglaries have the effect of damaging rural Ireland by creating fear and suspicion.

In a separate case, Judge Durcan commented on that the fact that thieves and robbers now required people to store stolen property for them “adds a new dimension” to the crime of burglary in Clare.

Levels of crime have fallen by 33 per cent in Clare over the past five years. Burglaries in Clare are down 163 over the same period.

However, there were 364 break-ins in Clare last year.

KILKEE is the cheapest place to own a home in all of Ireland, according to the house tax guidelines as set out by Revenue.

According to Revenue’s controvertial new property valuation guide, all properties in Kilkee have an average guide value between € 0 and 100,000 – or the lowest valuation possible.

Revenue’s interactive pricing guide divides Clare into 156 different pricing areas. Each area is giving a specific price guide for apartments, terraced houses, bungalows, semidetached houses and detached houses built either before or after 2000. Kilkee is the only area in Clare, and indeed in Ireland, to receive the lowest possible valuation (between € 0 and € 100,000) in each of the categories.

This guideline valuation would seem at odds with the state of current property prices in the West Clare town. According to the Daft.ie property site, of the 83 properties currently for sale in Kilkee, 55 are on offer at prices in excess of € 100,000.

Indeed, over a quarter of the total stock currently for sale in Kilkee is valued at € 200,000 or more with a large number of properties in the area with valuations close to half a million euro.

The valuation system has come in for much criticism since it went live last week but a revenue spokesperson has stressed that the prices are only a guideline and homeowners must pay what they believe to be the market value of their home.

“The guidance is primarily based on the market value of properties sold since the year 2010 in the area, adjusted for average price movements in the interim,” said a Revenue spokesperson.

“This guidance will be helpful in the majority of cases but there are always properties in an area that differ from the average.

“Self assessment requires property owners to honestly assess the market value of their own property. If a property is smaller or larger than the average for the area, is in a significantly poor state of repair or has exceptional or unique features, these will have to be factored into the assessment.”

While the local prices differ de- pending on the type of property in each area, the Revenue’s valuations have identified a 29 area ‘golden zone’ stretching from the hinterland of Ennis down through South-East Clare and into Limerick where they believe properties are generally worth more. Ennis itself is divided into four areas with the northern quarter, identified as Ennis Urban No.1, generally having a higher value than the other three quarters of the town. Tue19March13

A NORTH Clare farmer who threatened his brother in a dispute over money has had the charges against him struck out. Last month Gus Howley (56), of Ballytigue, Lisdoonvarna, pleaded guilty to threatening his brother at Larrakea, Kilfenora on November 8, (2012).

He also pleaded guilty to causing € 1500 worth of damage of his brother’s car.

Mr Howley brought a slash hook with him but broke it on the way to a site where his brother Michael was working. Michael Howley was on a scaffold and rang the gardaí because he feared for his life.

Gus Howley had come to the site “in a fit of rage” after money owed to him by his nephew was not repaid. The court previously heard that Gus Howley’s nephew has moved to the United States.

After hearing the case at Ennis District Court last month, Judge Patrick Durcan urged the family to make peace. He adjourned the case pending the outcome of family negotiations.

The case came back before Ennis District Court on Wednesday. The court heard that meetings had taken placed between the brothers.

Asked by Judge Durcan if there was “black smoke or white smoke” arising from the meetings, Ennistymon based Garda, Noel Carroll said, “We have white smoke.”

Garda Carroll told the court that Gus Howley apologized to his brother at a meeting in Ennistymon Garda Station. Michael Howley accepted the apology and the brothers agreed to put the incident behind them, the court heard.

Defence solicitor Jim Finnegan said, “They shook hands and peace has broken out between the brother’s concerned.”

Mr Finnegan said his client had brought € 500 compensation to court. Judge Durcan told Gus Howley that he accepted his word he would pay his brother back for the damage caused. Describing Gus Howley as a “decent man”, Judge Durcan commended the brothers for working out their differences. He struck out the charges against Gus Howley.

He said, “I’m satisfied you won’t offend again.” Judge Durcan also praised the role played by Garda Carroll, saying communities in West and North Clare are “lucky” to have a guard of his quality.

FLIGHTS in and out of Shannon Airport dropped by 17 per cent last month, when compared to the same period the previous year it was announced this week. Coinciding with those figures was the announcement that Shannon’s early morning Heathrow flight is to be put back to a later time. According to figures released by Irish Air Traffic Control, the drop of traffic into the Clare airport was significant when compared to the other State airports, who also suffered a drop in numbers.

Shannon was down an average of 44 commercial daily movements when compared to February 2012.

Dublin had a drop of 1.6 per cent while Cork was down 2.1 per cent. However Irish air traffic is set to increase over the next seven years, according to the latest air traffic forecast published by Euro Control.

There was mixed reaction this week to the news that Shannon’s daily morning flight to Heathrow will now fly on a later schedule. Previously the flight left Shannon at 7.30am, landing in Heathrow at 9am. From March 31st the flight goes back to 8.45am meaning passengers will not now be in London until 10.15am.

The switch will affect many people in the Mid-West region who commute to London every week for work, the change meaning they cannot be in their offices before at the earliest, 11.30am on Monday mornings.

The remaining two flights to London Heathrow, at 12.50pm and 5.10pm remain unaffected.

The change may offer an opportu- nity for another airline to come into Shannon and offer an alternative early morning flight into London. The Aer Lingus slots at Heathrow have long been a source of envy from other airlines, not least Ryanair who are said to covet the routes in and out of Heathrow, which would have been an attractive part of their purchase of Aer Lingus, which they are still pursuing.

Shannon Airport will fall under the complete control of the ‘Newco’ in three months times, with a new CEO expected to be appointed in April.