The Clare People Archive

NEW figures indicate that the number of assaults, drug seizures and incidents of arson are down in Ennis for the year so far.

There were 23 incidents of assault causing harm in the first nine months of the year, compared to 25 for the same period in 2010.

Minor assaults are down from 81 in 2010 to 63 in 2011.

The number of on-street drug searches that took place in the first nine months of 2011 stood at 278, compared to 316 for the same period last year.

The figures were presented at yesterday’s public meeting of the Ennis Joint Policing Committee.

Supt Peter Duff of the Ennis Garda District told the meeting that criminal damage caused by fire had fallen from 27 (2010) to 13 (2011).

The report compared recorded incidents of crime in Ennis from January to September (2011) with the same period in 2010.

Arrests for drugs for sale or supply are down from 46 (2010) to 35 (2011) while the number of people caught in possession of drugs has reduced by almost 50 per cent (131 to 66).

Public order offences have fallen from 406 (2010) to 395 (2011) while robbery of persons fell from 10 (2010) to two (2011).

In relation to drug searches carried out under warrant, the figures show a reduction from 151 to 84.

Supt Duff told the meeting that a cannabis growhouse had been de- tected on the outskirts of Ennis during the summer.

He said a quantity of mephedrone had also been seized in Ennis earlier this year, a discovery that led gardai to conduct a follow-up search of premises in Lissycasey.

He said that both matters are now before the courts.

There was also a small reduction in the number of incidents of sexual offences recorded by gardaí (27 to 21).

Supt Duff said many of the cases are historic in nature and relate to alleged offences that took place in the 1960s and ‘70s.

He said people are now more confident about reporting sexual offences that occurred in family or institutional settings.

The meeting was attended by local councillors, council officials and community representatives.

Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) expressed concern that apart from representatives of Ennis Chamber, no members of the public were in attendance.

UP TO 50 new jobs are to be created in the retail sector by a Clare company over the next 12 months, which will bring to 150 the number of people employed in the region.

Zest, a food hall that opened in Ennis’ Market area in June 2010, has announced they have purchased the old Avoca site at Bunratty, which will be developed in the next year as part of the expansion plans of the company.

“This fulfils a long-held wish to see the site resurrected and vibrant again in such a historic heritage area, since it burnt down four years ago when owned by Avoca,” a spokesperson for Zest, the retail arm of EFG Inflight Ltd based in Shannon told The Clare People .

Zest has also announced that they successfully won the tender to operate a café as part of the newly restored Limerick City Gallery of Art at The People’s Park, Pery Square, due for completion before Christmas this year.

The café, located in the beautifully restored Carnegie Building will afford an opportunity to Limerick residents to enjoy the range of Zest foods, handmade breads, cakes, pastries and meals.

“Our retail brand Zest! has enjoyed tremendous success since opening in Ennis last year, and we are keen to develop the brand further. The acquisition of the old Avoca site at Bunratty, together with our new presence in Limerick at the LCGA, will allow us to serve more of our customers who have been very loyal and supportive to us,” Ean Malone, Managing Director of EFG Inflight Ltd, stated.

“Our success is testament to our wonderful staff and chefs who have worked hard to build this brand, and developing further units will afford us an opportunity to create new lines and products,” he added

It is envisaged that the two new developments will produce another 50 jobs for Clare and Limerick over the next 12 months, adding to the 100 staff currently employed full-time by the company in Clare. Financial Director Fiona Barry stated, “The purchase of the Bunratty site is an indication of our long-term commitment to the area, and our desire to create much-needed employment in the locality.”

EFG Inflight Ltd is a wholly owned independent company, and has been in operation for four years based at Knockbeg Point, Shannon Airport. It primarily services the international inflight catering and private jet requirements, corporate catering and related services.

AROUND 60 people attended a meeting at Barefield Community Hall on Thursday night to highlight concerns over recent Traveller encampments in the area.

The meeting was called after a number of caravans and vehicles moved into a section of road leading to the M18, near Barefield village, over the past two weeks.

Residents and landowners have raised concerns over allegations of rubbish dumping and the presence of dogs on popular walking routes.

There was a feeling of “anger” at the meeting, according to one man who attended. Sean Corcoran, Chairman of Barefield Tidy Villages, said locals are frustrated that action was not taken to force caravans to move from the side of the road.

The meeting was also attended by local councillors and members of the gardaí. Mr Corcoran said some local people have been “heckled” and feel “intimated”.

“People are losing patience with the whole lot of it. We are no farther down the road than we were 20 years ago. € 20 million has been spent in the past 10 years (on Traveller accommodation). It seems that whatever they want, they get.”

Mr Corcoran said the community have sought a meeting with Clare County Council. The issue was raised at yesterday’s meeting of the Ennis Joint Policing Committee.

Town Manager Ger Dollard said council staff are working on a daily basis, with all parties to try and resolve the situation.

He said, “The council is aware of issues regarding illegal encampments in Ennis town and environs. It is also noticeable that there has been some movement in recent days between encampments. The council has had daily contact with the gardaí in relation to issues arising and will continue to work with the gardaí and other parties to try and resolve the situation.”

Mr Dollard added, “Council staff have also been involved on a daily basis in managing the situation. We are fully aware of the difficulties that such illegal encampments cause for both the settled and Travelling community and our aim is to secure their removal as quickly as possible.”

Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) told the meeting that Traveller encampments are causing stress to communities around Clare.

According to a council report prepared by Bernadette Kinsella, Director Of Housing, Social and Cultural Services, 201 statutory notices instructing the removal of temporary dwellings from unauthorised encampments were issued in the past two years.

CLARE has been held up as a model for how the nationwide Rural Transport Programme can be a lifeblood to a community.

The success story of the Clare Accessible Transport (CAT) initiative that is operated in east Clare was hailed by the junior minister for transport Alan Kelly during a visit to its Feakle base on Wednesday.

“It was a great opportunity to show Minister Kelly the integrated transport model that has been developed in Clare since 2003 as part of the Rural Transport Programme,” a spokesperson for CAT revealed.

“The Minister saw one of CAT’s low floor buses which are essential to the delivery of a fully integrated service. The vehicle design maximises resources, particularly for rural areas by enabling everyone from the same locality to board the bus easily, avoiding the need for different types of buses to serve the same areas.

“CAT’s collaborative approach to investment in the service was emphasised as a means of providing excellent value for money while meeting the transport needs of people living in isolated parts of the county,” the spokesperson added.

The CAT schedule offers responsive and flexibly-routed public transport that is open to everyone. The number of people registering with the service since the first bus went out in 2003 is approaching 4,000, with passengers making up to 4,000 trips per month.

“The dispatchers who operate the travel centre are noticing an increase in bookings to connect with national transport services to Limerick, Cork, Dublin and Galway as well as calls for shopping, work and training. More and more people are calling in to find out about their local bus service and the annual Driver CPC training that CAT provides,” the spokesperson added.

A GROUND-BREAKING service developed by the Brothers of Charity in Ennis is to get national exposure this week when the ‘Home Share Clare’ initiative is showcased on RTÉ.

The service that provides short breaks to adults and children with learning disabilities will be featured on this Wednesday’s Nationwide programme.

Over the past three years Home Share Clare, which is dependent on fundraising and charitable donations has successfully placed over 40 adults with families.

“Families of people with disabilities are telling us that one of the supports that they may need to enable them to continue to care for their family member at home are short breaks,” a spokesperson for the Brothers of Charity revealed.

“Short breaks give them a break from their role as carer and also provide their family member an opportunity to be with others and benefit from new experiences.

“The uniqueness of this initiative is that care is provided for people in family homes and can really be seen as a home away from home. Individuals enjoy the opportunity of developing new relationships and being part of new communities whilst enjoying a short break,” the spokesperson added.

With home-sharing the person seeking the service is carefully matched with a person/family that often have common interests and hobbies. “The family of the person requesting the respite meet and often build up relationships with the home sharers,” the Brothers of Charity spokesperson said.

“Breaks can be planned and crisis can be responded to quicker and more efficiently than more traditional ways of providing respite.

Home-sharing is a two way process in that the families who provide the respite gain hugely from the experience of having a person with an intellectual disability stay in their home. “Sustainable and unique relationships can develop that will last for many years to come.

“Home-sharing is a crucial way to support and expand the informal networks of families and build on capacity and strength of communities.

“Home share families are assessed, trained and supported by Home Share Clare,” the spokesperson concluded.

FANS of television’s The Apprentice will be familiar with the new upcoming artist called TBC, who is set to take the Irish music scene by storm. The moniker TBC, or To Be Confirmed, was accidentally used by Team Spirit to describe the first act on a CD to be distributed free with the Irish Daily Mail .

The gaff eventually lost the team the task, which resulted in Yinka being shown the road by Bill Cullen in the boardroom. The Clare People has discovered that the mystery artist who was mistakenly named as TBC was none other than Sixmilebridge singer-songwriter Lou McMahon.

Despite the loss of the task, 100,000 copies of the CD, which features Lou’s song alongside her real name and details, will be distributed across the country in this Saturday’s Irish Daily Mail .

“I am overwhelmed by this, I really didn’t expect to make it onto the CD. I entered by song ‘The River’ into a competition being hosted by the newspaper and, out of the blue, one day I got a call saying that I had been shortlisted. At this point ,I knew noting about The Apprentice, I just made my way to Dublin for some interviews,” said Lou. “I managed to get my track as the lead song of one of the CDs which was great. I was called in by both teams – both wanted the song to be on their CD but I ended up being used on Team Spirit’s CD. Anyone who has seen the show will know that I was mistakenly not told about the photo-shoot for the cover art and was listed on the album sleeve as TBC – or ‘to be confirmed’.

“The Irish Daily Mail thought that calling one of the artists TBC was such a big mistake that they have decided to repackage the whole CD and my name will be included on the CD that people get this weekend – not TBC.”

One hundred thousand copies of the CD featuring Lou will be distributed in this Saturday’s Irish Daily Mail. Lou’s latest single entitled ‘Into the Wind’ will be released in November and all of her music is currently available on i-Tunes.

A 20-YEAR-OLD’s chronic alcohol problem and misuse of cannabis are at the root of his bad record, a court has been told.

The comments from a barrister came in the case of a defendant who pleaded guilty to burglary last year.

Ian Murrihy (20), of Lisdoonvarna Road, Kilfenora, was charged with burglary of a house in Ardnaculla, Ennistymon, on June 25, 2010. A mobile phone was stolen during the break-in.

Ennis Circuit Court heard yesterday that a man was woken up from his sleep by noise coming from a front room of his home.

Garda Christopher Healy told the court that the offence was committed at 4am. The accused was arrested some six hours later. He said that the stolen mobile phone was never recovered and that another man involved in the incident has since died.

The court heard that the accused had several previous convictions.

Defence Counsel Emer Carey, BL, said that her client, who was inebriated at the time, went into the house via a side door that was open. “They let themselves in,” she said, adding that her client’s recollection of the incident was “sketchy”.

She said that her client had been “a chronic alcoholic” and has abused cannabis in the past. She said that her client has had a difficult background and lived rough at one point.

“The majority of his previous convictions relate to his chronic alcohol problem and his misuse of cannabis,” she said.

Ms Carey said that her client became a father for the first time in August, but has not yet seen his child as he has been in custody since July.

Judge Carroll Moran said he was taking the accused’s poor background into consideration. However he said there were aggravating factors in the case: the accused’s “very bad record” – including 10 previous convictions for theft and one for burglary – and the fact that this was “an invasion of somebody’s home in the middle of the night when they are asleep”.

He said he had to impose a prison sentence and jailed the accused for four years, the last year of which was suspended.

He backdated the sentence to July 26 last, when the accused went into custody.

A 19-YEAR-OLD who launched a “completely unwarranted and uncalled for” attack on a man who he overheard talking about him has been warned that he may face three years in jail.

Karl Haugh, of Marian Estate, Carrigaholt Road, Kilkee, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Darren Clarke and also admitted assaulting Denis O’Connell, in Kilkee on August 7, 2010.

Detective Garda Oliver Downes told Ennis Circuit Court yesterday that the defendant was refused take away drink in a pub in Kilkee on the night in question.

“Denis O’Connell was working in the premises and Darren Clarke was a customer,” said the garda.

He said that Mr Clarke and Mr O’Connell left the premises in the early hours of the morning.

As Mr Clarke made his way home he was attacked as he approached the entrance to a housing estate.

“A blue car pulled up and the accused jumped out. The accused caught Mr Clarke and punched him to the back of the head and then punched him a few times to the head and chest,” said the garda.

The court heard that Mr Clarke fell to the ground and was punched again as he tried to get up. “The accused grabbed him in an arm lock. He was choking as a result,” said the garda.

“Denis O’Connell came to his assistance. He received two punches to the face,” he added. Mr Clarke sus- tained a number of injuries including a graze to the forehead, small cuts to the lips and a shoulder injury. He was out of work for a month, due to the attack. Mr O’Connell sustained a swollen jaw and black eye.

Gda Downes said that Haugh “is well known to us in Kilrush and Kilkee. He has 24 previous convictions”. Asked about the motive for the assaults, the garda told Judge Carroll Moran, “The accused alleges he overheard Darren Clarke call him a scumbag in the pub and that was the reason for him to go after him. This hasn’t been verified.”

Defence Counsel Pat Whyms, BL, said that Mr Clarke did concede that he was talking about the defendant, but hadn’t realised that he was listening to him. “There is a discrepancy in relation to what was said,” he said.

The court heard that Mr Clarke did not wish to give evidence to the court.

Mr Whyms told the court that his client was involved in a serious car accident eight years ago and has been on disability since the age of 18. He said that his client wished to publicly apologise for what Counsel described as a “completely unwarranted and uncalled for” incident. He said that his client took umbrage as a result of “this perceived slight and not at the refusal of the drink as such”.

Mr Whyms said that his client was on his way home from his night out at the time and was “not pursuing Mr Clarke”.

“However it was completely unjustifiable to assault Mr Clarke in the way he did. Thankfully Mr Clarke was not seriously injured,” said Mr Whyms.

He said that his client had brought € 1,870 to court and was prepared to raise further compensation to bring the total to € 5,000. He said that the accused is selling his car and is hopeful of raising € 2,000 from this, which will go towards the compensation. “I think that is a reasonable offer on the basis of injuries sustained by Mr Clarke,” he said.

Judge Moran said, “It seems to me he is facing the possibility of three years in prison. Let’s see if he can sell the car in three weeks.”

He adjourned the case until November. “I’m not making any promises at all. This is a serious gratuitous attack,” said the judge.

COCAINE valued at € 940 was found during a Garda search of a house in Shannon earlier this year.

Michael Delaney (27) with an address at Cronan Lawn, Shannon, appeared at Shannon District Court on Thursday on charges of possession of drugs and possession of drugs for sale or supply.

Insp Tom Kennedy told the court that jurisdiction had been accepted in the matter. He said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had directed summary disposal.

Insp Kennedy said that gardai conducted a search of 50 Cronan Lawn in June of this year. He said 16 bags of cocaine, valued at € 940, were found in the house. He said the gardaí believed that the cocaine was for the purposes of dealing. A sum of € 1500 was also found during the search, the court heard. Solicitor Jenny Fitzgibbon told the court that after her client had broken up with his partner, his life had “spiraled into addiction”. She said that after the break up, her client had been forced to look for new accommodation and had been “very short of cash”. She added, however, that this was no excuse for his actions. Ms Fitzgibbon said Delaney had developed “a huge drug addiction”. She said he had made every effort to deal with his addiction including taking urine tests.

For having drugs for sale or supply, Judge Aeneas McCarthy imposed a nine-month sentence, suspended for a period of two years on condition that the accused be of good behaviour. He also imposed a three-month sentence, suspended for two years, to run concurrent to the first sentence. 1.Ba llin r u a n Co mm u n it y Ha ll 2.Ba lt a r d P r ima r y S c h o o l 3.Bo s t o n P r ima r y S c h o o l 4.Bu r r a n e P r im a r y S c h o o l 5.Clo o n a n a h a P r ima r y S c h o o l 6.Clo o n e yg o la n e P r im a r y S c h o o l 7.Clo u n a P r im a r y S c h o o l – En n is t ymo n 8.Co n n o lly P r ima r y S c h o o l 9.S c a r r iff P r ima r y S c h o o l 10.S t Co n n a ir e ’s P r ima r y S c h o o l – S h a n n o n

CLARE Supported Employment Service (CSSE) has found work for 242 people affected by illness, injury and disability over the past five years, new figures show.

The highest number of work placements in that five-year period occurred in 2009 (53). Figures for 2011 show that 26 people have found employment through CSSE though that number also includes 19 short-term self-employment contracts.

Team leader Alice O’Carroll explains that the service has developed close links with a wide range of employers and organisations such as Ennis Chamber of Commerce, IBEC, Shannon Development and Network Ireland.

One well-known company that has benefited from their links to CSSE is McDonalds, where, Alice explains, 10 per cent of the workforce in the Ennis and Shannon branches have been employed through the service.

“Our clients are very varied in terms of their experience, education and qualifications,” she adds.

Earlier this year, CSSE launched a five-year strategy (2011-2016) that seeks to make Clare an exemplary area in Ireland for providing employment for people with an illness, injury or disability.

According to Richard Collins, Chairperson CSSE, the strategy has been put in place to enable the service to “weather the economic storm and to put a comprehensive structure on its operations over the next five years”.

In his introduction to the strategy, Mr Collins says, “It demonstrates a deep-rooted commitment to our jobseeking clients and a compulsion to encourage employers throughout the county better understand our raison d’etre.

Over the lifetime of the strategy, CSSE aims “to respond appropriately to the current job market by being innovative in identifying and following through on different pathways to employment” and “support all clients who actively engage with the service; to secure and maintain the highest quality work outcomes possible”.

The service also states that it aims to achieve these goals through a number of initiatives including, “establishing successful placements with larger employers in Shannon, and utilising these examples to generate further placements in the greater Shannon area” while also “empowering clients, who have the capability, to seek out opportunities for themselves”.