The Clare People Archive

A WEST Clare man has received a six-month prison sentence after he was convicted of handling a number of stolen items including telescopes and a butter churn.

In sentencing Francis Talty, Judge Patrick Durcan said that while the 23-year-old had not stolen the property, he had benefitted from the goods being taken.

Mr Talty, with an address at Clohen Beg, Cree, pleaded guilty to handling stolen property at Clohen Beg, Cree on October 5 (2012).

The court heard that the items – one brass telescope; one blue telescope; wooden clock radio; wooden pram and doll; one brass horn; weather clock; Hi Fi system; gas lamp; microwave and a butter churn – were stolen from a holiday home in North Clare between August 30 and November 2 (2012). Mr Talty was not charged with the original theft.

Inspector Tom Kennedy told the court that gardaí discovered the items when they visited Mr Talty’s home on a different matter on October 5. Mr Talty subsequently told gardaí that the items were stolen but that he did not steal them. Defence solicitor Daragh Hassett described Mr Talty as a bright student who had considered studying law in college. He said Mr Talty had become involved in drugs and had developed an addiction.

Mr Hassett told the court that Mr Talty has stopped taking drugs and is “very embarrassed” by his actions.

He said the “extraordinary list” of household items found in the house would have been of little value to his client.

Insp Kennedy disputed this, saying the property had value. He said Mr Talty, who has previous convictions, has a “very bad record.”

Judge Durcan said Mr Talty, unlike many who come before the court, had had opportunities in his life.

He said the accused comes from a part of Clare where thefts have become frequent.

He said that while Mr Talty seemed remorseful and intelligent, “he had committed a very serious crime.”

He imposed a six-month prison sentence. Recogances were fixed in the event of an appeal. Mr Talty also pleaded guilty to committing criminal damage at a house on Flag Road, Miltown Malbay on January 1 (2013). Judge Durcan took the offence into consideration when passing sentence.

WITH Valentine’s Day just weeks away, Clare women have been given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to fulfil their partners’ childhood dreams by buying them their very own working fire engine.

Shannon Airport last week placed two working fire engines on the market – a 4×4 Rapid Intervention Vehicle (RIV) and an 8×8 Foam Crash Truck (FCT). Both vehicles are made by the now defunked Irish company Timoney and have seen active duty in the airport over the last 27 years.

While the vehicles are likely to attract a lot of interest in the business sector, according to Shannon Airport’s Chief Fire Officer, Pat O’Brien, much of the interest is likely to come from private individuals and collec- tors.

“The RIV was designed to be first on the scene for all airport incidents. It has V6 turbo-charged diesel engine which is still in excellent working condition,” said Pat.

“The FCT is a bigger truck and has a V8 turbo charged engine. It is designed to carry 2,000 gallons of water and has a foam capacity of around 800 litres. Both of these vehicles would have been at the very top of the range when they were commissioned in the 1980. They have been out of active service for around two years now but are still in great condition. Their engines have been very well maintained.”

While no asking price has been given for the vehicles, interest is believed to be high, with enquiries being received from Ireland and the UK.

“With something like this, I would expect there to be a big interest from collectors and people who want to restore the vehicles. There is also a large commercial interest in vehicles like this. They are sometimes used in quarries or recycling plants to help keep down the dust,” continued Pat.

“Even to be broken up, the component parts do have a lot of value. It would be a shame to see them broken up though. You don’t get many miles per gallon but Timoney is no longer in operation and these vehicles are something special.”

Anyone hoping to own their very own fire truck can call Shannon Airport on 061 712622 and make a bid.

A NEW Clare group, designed to help the parents of children with special needs, is helping vulnerable Clare families to come together and fight for their children’s rights.

The Clare Special Needs Parents Support Group was formed by Catherine Bourke in August of last year and already has more than 80 registered members.

Catherine, who is also a member of the DCA Warriors – a nationwide group that focuses solely on protecting families who have access to the Domiciliary Care Allowance – says that the success of the group shows how much of a need there really was for the group in the first place.

“It’s a place where parents can come if they have issues, if they need advice or if they just need to clear their head if they are having a bad day.

“It is a safe environment for parents to meet up.

“Everyone is vetted so everyone can feel comfortable sharing their own situation. It has been an amazing success so far,” said Catherine.

“The page is always there on Facebook and we have our coffee mornings.

“It gives parents of children with special needs a place to mix but it also gives the children a place to mix.

“The children don’t often establish friendships very well so this is an opportunity for them to get together.

“It can be a scary prospect for parents of newly-diagnosed children and something like this can really allow them to see that there is light at the end of the tunnel.”

Catherine is also member of the DCA Warriors, a group that has been fighting to retain Domiciliary Care Allowance for parents of children with special needs in Ireland.

“The system is no longer fair for the DCA allowance.

“You basically have to go out and prove absolutely that your child is in need, far and above the needs of other children.

“You can have a child with a full diagnosis but you still have to fight to receive your DCA,” continued Catherine.

“If you don’t receive your DCA, you also lose your Carers Allowance. So this is a massive threat hanging over a lot of familes. T

“hey [the Department of Social Protection] have taken DCA away from so many parents – but [that] doesn’t take away the disability.”

To find out more about either group, search for “Clare Special Needs Parents Support Group” or “DCA Warriors” on Facebook.

FISHING groups opposed to the construction of a large fish farm off the Clare coast say that they will mobilise 5,000 protesters to picket a commercial fishing expo due to take place in Galway in March.

The Irish Skippers’ Expo is a large commercial fishing expo, featuring up to 130 stands from local and international maritime and fishing industries. The event is being sponsored by Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), who are currently applying to the Department of Agriculture for a licence to construct the fish farm.

More than 100 delegates from anglers and environmental groups attended a meeting last week and decided to target the second day of the Irish Skippers’ Expo, Saturday March 2, for the protest. An umbrella group called Galway Bay Against Salmon Cages or GBASC, has been formed to coordinate the mass protest.

The BIM project, which is planned for five miles off the Fanore coast, would produce up to 15,000 tonnes of organic grade farm salmon a year or effectively double Ireland’s farm salmon output.

BIM claim than as many as 500 local jobs could be created through the project, with 350 jobs coming directly through the operation and maintenance of the farm and a further 150 jobs through support industries locally.

The projects has come in for some criticism with government agency Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) coming out against it, disputing BIM’s figures for job creation and the amount of pollution which will be produced.

GBASC spokesperson, Michael Canney, last week claimed that the salmon farm would produce more waste than the entire population of Clare – or 150,000 people.

BIM CEO, Jason Whooley said the € 60 million project presents a major market opportunity for Ireland and said that people’s fears were real but unfounded.

“Organic salmon farming means there is 99 per cent water and one per cent salmon in the enclosure – very low stocking densities, which will further minimise any potential impact on the receiving environment,” he said. “It is time now to move forward together to seize this huge opportunity for Ireland before it slips from our grasp.”

MANY mourners from Kilkee are expected to travel to Dundalk today (Tuesday) and tomorrow to support the popular Deloughrey family during the funeral of murdered Garda Adrian Donohoe.

The brave Garda detective was married to Caroline Deloughrey, a fellow Garda who came from a family that served the State as members of the force, and assisted the local community through volunteer organisations and life-saving bodies.

Gda Donohoe was shot in cold blood on Friday night last as he escorted a cash collection to a raid on a credit union in Lordship in Dundalk, just miles from where he lived with Caroline and their two young children, Amy and Niall.

His horrific death in the line of duty shocked the nation at the weekend, but resonated even more deeply in the seaside town that he and his family visited regularly, staying with Caroline’s parents Stephen (Stevie) and Bridie.

Neighbours of the Deloughrey family remember fondly the man described as “a gentle giant, a very nice person, very confident, honest, reliable and hard-working”, who had married the love of his life in their local church. The devoted dad was often seen on the beach playing with his young family, supporting his bother-in-law Derek when he togged out for St Senan’s or having a quiet drink with his fatherin-law in O’Mara’s or Marrinan’s.

“Stevie and Bridie would be well known by everyone here. We are just devastated for their daughter Caroline,” said one neighbour.

Another neighbour added, “Caroline is a lovely lady. Everyone here is heartbroken for her.”

The family is well known in the area including Caroline’s three brothers, Derek, John and Kieran. Derek is a garda sergeant based in Limerick and Kieran has been credited with saving many lives through his years of work with Kilkee Marine Rescue Service.

The Deloughrey family have spent the weekend comforting Caroline and her two children, and now the people of Kilkee, including members of the Church choir who sing with Bridie and members of the local rescue service, will travel to show their support for the popular family.

Clare people wishing to sympathise with Gda Donohoe’s family, friends and colleagues can do so by signing a book of condolences at Ennis Garda Station, where Caroline’s sister-in-law is serving as a Garda.

CLARE’S most senior garda has said policing will not suffer in the county, provided there are no further cuts to garda numbers. Eight garda stations in Quin, Inagh, Lahinch, Broadford, Mountshannon, Doonbeg, Kilmihil and Labasheeda will close at the end of the month prompting concern in some quarters about the effect on rural areas of the county.

Senior gardaí have met with communities in recent weeks, while last week a majority of members of Clare County Council voted in favour of a motion calling on the Minister for Justice to reverse the closures.

Councillors also agreed on a motion from the Chairman of the Clare Joint Policing Committee, Cllr Joe Arkins (FG) that said in the event of any station closures, all additional resources be allocated to mobile garda patrols.

A total of 48 gardai have left the Clare division since March 2010, including two superintendents and one detective inspector. No superintendent has been appointed to replace Supt Peter Duff who left his post in Ennis to return to Dublin last July. Crime levels have fallen in Clare by 33 per cent since 2008 but, speaking last week, Chief Superintendent John Kerin warned that the force in Clare would struggle to cope with any further reductions in resources.

He said, “We’ll play with the hand we’re dealt. I’m confident (we can continue to provide effective policing to rural areas), providing we don’t lose any more resources. We’re stretched.”

A reduction in the opening hours of district garda stations has also been proposed. Mr Kerin said it is possible that stations in Killaloe and Ennistymon could close between the hours of 9pm and 7am.

He explained, “The reality is that these stations have very few calls after 9pm. There are cases where guards are not being deployed to the full benefit of the communities they serve. It’s far more beneficial to the community to have guards doing checkpoints and other duties than being deskbound.”

Mr Kerin said that as 999 emergency calls are routinely directed to Ennis first, before being diverted to the relevant areas, there would be no delay in service in the event of station hours being scaled back.

The issue of station closures was to be discussed at yesterday’s meeting of the Clare Joint Policing Committee (JPC). That meeting was adjourned as a mark of respect to Detective Garda Adrian Donohoe. The meeting will now take place on March 4.

RURAL-dwellers in Clare have the second highest rate of registration for septic tanks, despite fears that many households in the north and west of the county will be unfairly targeted for inspections.

According to the latest figures released by the Department of the Environment, 14,521 households in Clare have officially registered their septic tank. With an estimated 19,769 domestic septic tanks in the county, this amounts to a compliance rate in excess of 73 per cent.

This is the second highest compliance rate in the country, with only rural dwellers in Kerry having a higher percentage. Clare’s 73 per cent compliance is also far in excess of the national average which currently lies just above 60 per cent.

This is despite concerns that many rural-dwellers in Clare will be targeted for extra inspection by the Department of the Environment. With large numbers of houses in Clare situated in karst on limestone landscape, they are likely to be deemed as high-risk locations by the Depart- ment of the Environment. This could result in houses in these section of West and North Clare being targeted for extra inspections once the registration period is complete.

Under the 2012 legislation, homeowners who have a septic tank or other domestic waste-water treatment system need to register their system before February 1, 2013. Systems which are not registered before that date will be at increased risk of inspection.

The 73 per cent registration rate in Clare is well ahead of neighbouring authorities such as Galway County Council (50 per cent), Limerick County Council (57 per cent) and North Tipperary County Council 64 per cent.

A number of grants have been introduced to allowed septic tank owners to upgrade their systems. The grants cover up to 80 per cent of the cost for those earning up to € 50,000 to a maximum of € 4,000 and a 50 per cent grant for those earning between € 50,001 and € 75,000 up to € 2, 500.

If the remaining 5,000 Clare properties do not register their properties before the February 1 deadline, they will not be eligible to apply for the grant.

THE prospect of Ennis General Hospital becoming a rudderless satellite of the Limerick-centred Health Service Executive has raised its head following the revelation that the flagship facility of Clare’s health service has no manager as of Monday of this week.

Frank Keane, who acted as the onsite manager of Ennis General over the past three years, has vacated the position to take up a new appointment as maternity and child health directorate manager in Limerick.

In bidding farewell to Ennis, Mr Keane admitted that staff at Ennis General were “unsure and concerned” with the situation at the hospital, with a slew of public representatives fearing the worst for a facility that has been severely downgraded over the last number of years.

“Look at what happened when we had absentee landlords in Ireland,” blasted former Mid Western Health Board member Cllr Joe Arkins, before adding that “management of Ennis General Hospital from Limerick will be a complete disaster and shows what the HSE thinks of health services in Clare”.

These words have been echoed by HSE Forum West member, Brian Meaney, on the back of confirmation that the high dependency unit at Ennis General has been removed because of staffing difficulties at the hospital.

“There has been no inter-action, explanation or any other communication informing the elected members on the HSE West Forum of what is proposed,” said Cllr Meaney. “Ennis will be out in limbo, its cause will not be fully articulated at corporate governance level within the HSE Mid West.

“Frank Keane has done a fantastic job in progressing a number of projects and Ennis benefitted from his time there, but now we have no indication of what process is going to be put in place to manage a hospital like Ennis.

“If a manager is not appointed to Ennis it will remain rudderless and will be a further downgrading of a hospital that has been completely denuded of its service, which we have accepted. The fear is that the hospital will simply morph by inaction and auto-pilot into a minor injuries unit,” he added.

Mr Keane has said that Ennis General Hospital “has a future, but a different future” and that services at the facility “are going to evolve in 2013”.

As part of this process, the Accident and Emergency Unit, which was downgraded from a 24-hour to 12-hour (8am to 8pm) service in 2011, is set to become a medical assessment and local injuries unit. Tue22January13

SPECULATION is mounting over the future of one of the county’s bestknown hotels, the West County.

The Ennis hotel was listed for sale last July for between € 2.5 million to € 3 million.

Retail giant Tesco are thought to be interested in the site, which could see the area completely re-developed.

Tesco were put forward as the an- chor tenant for a proposed major retail development at Clare Road /Tobertascán.

Ennis Town Council has refused permission for the project put forward by Michael Lynch Ltd. That decision has been appealed to An Bord Pleannála.

Tesco did not respond to a request for a comment yesterday. A wellknown family-run hotel group in Leinster have also been linked with the West County, which could see substantial and much needed investment in the hotel. Staff at the West County will be eagerly awaiting the outcome of the sale.

Formerly the flagship hotel within the Lynch group of hotels, the West County was placed into receivership in February (2012).

It sits on a high-profile six-acre site on the southern approach road to Ennis town centre and its accommodation includes: 152 en-suite bedrooms; eight separate and interconnecting conference/ banqueting suites that can cater for up to 1,650 delegates; a modern leisure centre with a 20metre heated indoor pool, Jacuzzi, steam room and sauna.

The leisure club includes a gym with more than 1,000 local members. The bar and lounge has a capacity for around 500 people. The site can accommodate 450 parking spaces.

CBRE, the firm handling the sale of the hotel, has said there had been a lot of interest in the site.

CLARE schools are to “feel the squeeze” of reduced capitation grants announced as part of the budget, a meeting has heard.

At their monthly meeting in Ennis last week, members of Clare VEC discussed the likely impact of education cuts in Clare.

In a report to members, the Chief Executive Officer, George O’Callaghan, stated that the 2013 allocation to the VECs will be reduced by € 13.2 million.

“Notwithstanding the reduction there will be no reduction in the level of services provided in 2013. However VECs will be required to manage within their existing cash reserves on hand.”

Mr O’Callaghan told the meeting that there would be no changes to the overall teacher numbers or funding for Delivering Equality of Opportunity in School (DEIS). He said the number of resource teachers and special needs assistants have been maintained at 2012 levels.

Former Mayor of Ennis, Councillor Peter Considine (FF), told the meeting that the policy represented a cut. He said, “The numbers are being reduced and are being reduced substantially.”

Pupil teacher ratios for post leaving cert programmes will be harmonised with mainstream schools from 17:1 to 19:1.

Mr O’Callaghan explained, “This will result in a reduction of 200 PLC teaching posts and a saving of € 4 million in 2013 rising to € 12 million in a full year. However there should be no adverse impact on the number of PLC places available.”

Capitation grants for primary schools will be reduced by 0.5 per cent for primary school and by 2 per cent for secondary schools.

The new standard capitation rates will be € 176 for primary and € 306 for post primary schools.

Mr O’Callaghan said the grants are a vital source of funding for schools.

He added, “As the year goes on. We will begin to feel the squeeze.”

Commenting on the cuts to guidance counsellors in last year’s budget, Mr O’Callaghan said this had a “major impact” on schools.

“It looked innocuous enough at the time but it had a big impact,” he added.

The meeting heard that student contribution will rise by € 250 in 2013, 2014, and 2015 to a maximum of € 3,000.

There will also be a 3 per cent reduction in the income thresholds used when calculating entitlement student grants in 2013.

Mr O’Callaghan explained, “Between 1997 and 2009, the income limits were increased by an average of 4.7 per cent each year, in line with average industrial earnings. However the income limits over the past three years have remained unchanged despite and estimated drop in the average industrial wage of approximately 7.9 per cent.