The Clare People Archive

GARDAÍ in Clare are urging car owners to exercise greater vigilance when leaving their cars unattended.

The advice comes following a spate of breaks-ins to vehicles in East Clare and Ennis earlier this month.

A Toshiba laptop was stolen from a car that was parked in the Erasmus car park on College Road in Ennis on Saturday May 17. The break in occurred between 8.20pm and 2.30pm.

A red Mazda 323 hatchback (98-C2395) was stolen from the back of a house in Linnane’s Terrace in the Kilrush road area of Ennis between 5pm on May 20 and 8pm on May 22. Gardaí have issued the warning ahead of Crime Prevention Day on Thursday, May 29.

“Our primary aim is to raise awareness within our communities on methods that can easily be adopted to prevent crime, reduce the fear of crime and to promote community safety” explained Crime Prevention Officer, Joe Downey.

He continued, “Statistically speaking € 220 is the average value of property stolen from vehicles in the past twelve months, apart from the added hassle of getting a broken window replaced and a possible insurance claim. Criminals make a decision to steal from a vehicle based on a judgment of: what goods they are likely to get; how quickly can they carry out their task; the likelihood of being caught”.

Sgt Downey said vehicle owners need to be extra vigilant when leaving their vehicles unattended even outside their home.

The following advice is recommended; do not leave property visible from the outside; when not in your car always lock it, even outside your home or in the driveway; park in a well lit area during darkness and at other times in busy areas where it can be seen or in a CCTV monitored area; report any suspicious activity immediately to the gardaí.

THE ACTIONS of unknown thieves who stole a set of toddler swings from the Crusheen playground have been described as “despicable” by the local community.

The Crusheen Playground Committee believe that the swings, which were taken at some time between Tuesday evening, May 20, and Thursday evening, May 24, were deliberately targeted by criminals – rather than as a random act of criminality.

Sean Nihill of the playground committee says people in the area are devastated, not by the value of the items stolen, but that anyone would steal from children in a premeditated and planned way.

“They screwed out both the infant swings.

“There was no damage done to the swings and they would have needed specialist equipment to do it.

“It is our opinion that it was a premeditated thing, they would have gone there to do it. It’s despicable,” he told The Clare People. “Two members of the playground committee were there when I arrived on the scene and we reported it to the gardaí and they say they will look into it.

“It’s not the value of the crime and what was stolen, it’s the impact of it. What kind of person would steal from children like this?

“What happens now when parents come to the playground with their toddlers? How do they explain to their children that some bad man stole their swing?

“How do you do that? It’s a big loss to the community, especially to children arriving to find swings missing,” he added.

The playground, which was officially opened in November of 2012 after years of local campaigning and fundraising, attracts larger crowds of children from Crusheen as well as from the wider area – with families travelling to the facility from east Clare and south Galway.

The playground is surrounded on each side with a small, four foot high, wall and there is currently no way of locking and completely securing the playground at night.

The local playground committee is appealing to whoever took the swings to return them as soon as possible.

Gardaí in Ennis are also investigating the incident.

GABRIEL Keating has hailed himself as “the comeback kid” after retaining his seat on Clare County Council. The Fine Gael councillor emerged victorious from a tightly fought battle for places in the eight seat West Clare Electoral Area.

Despite not reaching the quota, Keating was elected on the 11th count courtesy of votes received from former Fine Gael man Ian Lynch’s surplus.

In doing so, Keating pipped his party colleague Oliver Garry to the final seat.

Such a scenario seemed improbable after the first count, which left Keating with a mountain to climb, but the West clare man never had a moment’s doubt.

“It’s a wonderful feeling. It’s a wonderful achievement. This morning I was at 911 and I jumped to 1590. It’s unbelievable. They’re calling me the comeback kid,” beamed the Cross native as he savoured his triumph at the end of a long weekend in Treacy’s West County count centre.

He continued, “I never thought I was gone. I worked hard for the five years. I put in a great effort. I opened up West Clare to tourism. Loop Head, the whole place came alive. I’m so delighted to be able to do it for the people of my parish. It’s a great honour for me and for my family. They mean everything to me.

“We had storms and we had floods and we had a whole lot things,” said Keating in reference to storm that battered West Clare earlier this year.

“But I can tell you I rode this storm today,” he declared to loud cheers.

Meanwhile, PJ Kelly (FF) was returned without reaching the quote in the West Clare electoral area.

The veteran campaigner was returned for an eight successive election, making him the longest serving councillor on Clare County Council by some distance.

The Lissycasey councillor joked that it had been “cheeky” of him to run for an eight election but also said that there was lessons to be learned from the election.

CATHAL O’Reilly, the candidate denied by Sinn Fein less that 48 hours before he was due to stand in the Ennis Local Electoral Area for them, still managed to secure 392 votes and poll stronger than sitting councillor Brian Meaney (FF).

Senior members within the Sinn Fein Party in Clare maintain how ever that his vote would have been significantly higher had his “resignation for Sinn Fein not been accepted” on Wednesday.

“We were looking at different figures to that. To me that was the core vote that we could have got had we run a paper candidate and not had a campaign around it. We were garnering more support, certainly the figures we were talking about were higher than that,” said Director of Elections for Sinn Fein Finbarr MacGabhann.

The Ennis butcher, was forced from the party after disparaging comments he posted to Facebook three years ago about the Traveller community, people working in particular shops and other groups, were brought to the attention of the party.

Mr O’Reilly’s name still appeared on the extensively long Ennis ballot paper as the Sinn Féin candidate, but by then the party said he was no longer one of its members.

Mr MacGabhann said Sinn Fein was surprised by the comments.

“It was a shock. To see the things he said, the things he said about people, about minorities, about people going about their daily life in town was a shock.”

It did not affect the other two candidates running in West Clare and Shannon, as they were able to compartmentalise their campaign, he said.

Mike McKee was elected to the Shannon area for Sinn Fein, while first time candidate Noeleen Moran received a first preference vote of 1,023 out of West Clare.

IT didn’t turn out the way he wanted but first time candidate Felix Omorodion has vowed to seek election again.

The Nigerian Eucharistic Minister exited the race for a seat in the Ennis Electoral Area after the fifth count.

But Omorodion, who stood as an independent candidate, was pleased with his performance.

“I enjoyed the experience. This is my first time running. I’m very grateful to God I was able to make the fifth count,” said Felix in the count centre at Treacys West County on Saturday afternoon.

“I wanted to serve my community. To give hope for the hopeless, a voice for the voiceless. I wanted my community to have a voice and hope. But unfortunately it didn’t work out the way I wanted,” he added.

He enjoyed the experience so much that Omorodion already has one eye on the 2019 election.

“Oh yes, I would like to go again in the next five years. I have learned a lot. I will keep on learning from colleagues and honourable councillors.

“My friends and family all sup- ported me. They were very happy to seem me going through it. It is a very difficult time and period but still, by the grace of God, God has taken me so far,” he said.

TONY Mulqueen was taking defeat in his stride on Saturday night after losing his seat on Clare County Council.

Mulqueen was eliminated on the 9th count and despite being surprised by his early ejection, Mulqueen wasn’t feeling too despondent.

“I didn’t see it coming. I had a good canvass. I had a good team. Everything seemed to be on course. That’s politics. In 2004 I was short by 41 votes. I was elected in 2009 and I was rejected this year. That’s politics. That’s life,” recalled the local businessman.

Standing in a quiet corner of the West County Hotel, away from the count centre, Mulqueen said he would analyse the vote to see where it all went wrong

“I think this election was so tight and with such a large number of people that the number two votes I might have got from other candidates – that hadn’t gone over the quota – those votes weren’t coming back to me,” offered Mulqueen, who was one of six Fine Gael candidates in the Ennis area.

“That’s life. There is no one dead. I’m alive. I welcomed into the world this year my second grandchild and I’m happy with that. I’m fine,” he added.

Mulqueen also did not shut the door completely on contesting again in 2019.

He said, “I’ve a huge interest in politics. I only got involved in politics late in life after my family had grown up and I could give it the time. For five years, I worked at it. I worked hard at it. I was elected during a recession in 2009…We’re maybe com- ing out of recession now, who knows. Who knows what will happen in five years time.”

Commenting on his steady showing in the Ennis electoral area, Labour candidate Dermot Hayes accepted it was always going to be difficult for the party to win a seat in Clare.

The local community activist was eliminated on the 16th count after taking in 671 votes. “As they say on the pitch, the wind was well against us”, remarked Hayes on Saturday. “At the same time we should have been proud of ourselves that we went out there and fought away. We’ll still be active in the community. I will always remain active in the community.

“We have to sit down and regroup and see what we are doing. Populism is grand but the reality is that hard choices had to be made, whether we liked it or not”, he added.

ENNIS man Michael Guilfoyle said he is bowing out of local politics after losing his seat in the Ennis electoral area on Sunday.

Guilfoyle was eliminated from the running after the 15th count in the West County on Sunday morning.

“That’s the end of the politics and you’re the first to be told that. Actually, you’re the second, my wife was the first,” Guilfoyle told The Clare People . “I was first elected in 1985. I enjoyed every bit of it. I like to think I achieved something for the town of Ennis. I’d like to think I’ve given something to it. I’d like to thank my family for all their support.”

Guilfoyle admits he is disappointed with his final total of 630 votes. He had pinned his hopes on picking up votes from outgoing councillor Tommy Brennan who retired from local politics.

“Where Tommy Brennan’s vote went, I don’t know. Frankie (Neylon) and myself were hoping for some piece of it. We didn’t get it. Personally, I think they all stayed at home when they knew Tommy wasn’t going!” he says.

Having regained his seat five years ago, Guilfoyle now finds himself a spectator to local politics.

Speaking minutes before his elimination was confirmed, Guilfoyle voiced his concerns over the new structure of local government.

“If you have councillors in Kilmaley, Kilnamona and Quin, they will concentrate on their own area and Ennis will be the fall guy. That would be a concern for me,” he declares.

ONE of the biggest shocks of the local elections in Clare occurred on Sunday night when Fine Gael’s Oliver Garry lost his seat on Clare County Council.

The Kildysert man lost out in the race for the final three seats in West Clare after being knocked out on the 11th count.

The disappointment was writ large on Garry’s face at the end of a long day and night in the West County Hotel.

But the experienced politician was taking defeat in his stride.

“I feel disappointed but I’ve gone though worse in life. Losing an election is not the worst thing in the world. We have to get up and get on with life again. Tomorrow I’ll be in a different scene. I’ll be involved in some other project in life. That’s what it’s all about. Losing an election isn’t the end of the world for me,” he said.

Flanked by family and supporters, including Fine Gael TD Pat Breen, Garry recalled the drama of a marathon count.

“I was feeling very

confident during the

day, especially after

last night’s disappoint

ment when my tally

was only 990 and we

found 240 more votes.

I was confident today

but obviously it went

down to who went out

first and where the

transfers were going

to go. They came to

Gabriel (Keating) and

I’d like to congratulate

Gabriel as well.”

He continued, “At least they have a seat in the west, in the Loop, which is important as well. We’re probably without a seat now in the south of the county which is probably a bit disappointing.”

THERE will be seven new members in the Clare County Council chamber when they meet for the first time on June 6, although one among them, Tony O’Brien, will have served there before.

The Fianna Fáil candidate lost his seat in Killaloe in 2009, but claimed it back on the seventh count with a surplus of 182.

Also coming in on that seventh count was newbie Alan O’Callaghan for Fianna Fáil, who came in ahead of running mate and son of a former county councillor, Liam Wiley, who failed to be elected.

Held high in Treacys West County Hotel at 1.30am on Sunday morning, the Kilmurry man was delighted with his success.

He attributed his win to a strong campaign and a lot of support from family and friends.

A relaxed character, he is undaunted by the size of the Killaloe Electoral Area or his journey into the unknown that is local politics.

“I would be a very positive person and like that; I wouldn’t let anything phase me. I love taking on problems and issues. I love keeping people on the straight and narrow, keeping people informed of what ever they need to do,” said the self employed East Clare man.

So what is he looking forward to now that he has been elected to Clare County Council?

“First of all I am looking forward to meeting my wife, I haven’t seen her in the last four months. Then we’ll get tomorrow out of the way, sit down on Monday and wire into it then,” he said minutes after being elected.

The rest of the new faces include three former town councillors – Mary Howard FG in Ennis, Mike McKee SF in Shannon and Ian Lynch Ind in West Clare.

Also in the line up of new candidates are Independent candidate Ann Norton and Fianna Fáil candidate Clare Colleran Molloy FF.

WHAT are three votes between neighbours? Well, a lot when there is a Clare County Council seat at stake.

That was the reality that faced Fine Gael’s Ger O’Halloran when his neighbour, friend and political foe Clare Colleran Molloy from Fianna Fáil came from behind in the very last count to take the last seat in the Ennis Electoral Area.

On the 19th count there were five candidates remaining to take the last four seats.

O’Halloran was ahead of Colleran Molloy by 11 votes and positioned to take the seat.

However, Ann Norton, who was elected in the 18th count, still had a surplus to divide among the candidates and this brought in Colleran Molloy ahead of O’Halloran.

Norton’s transfer ensured the woman from Quin was ahead of her neighbour by three votes.

Following a mammoth count of the election area with the most candidates in the country, a recount was called.

Hours later both candidates were called to meet with returning officer Michael McNamara, as the crowd watched on.

He informed them that after the recount there was now five votes be- tween them and Ms Colleran Molloy was deemed elected.

There was devastation among O’Halloran’s supporters, and jubilation from those that lived just a few miles away.

A giant of a man, Ger O’Halloran, battled to keep his own emotions in check as he consoled family, friends and supporters.

“We were both from the Quin area and the association between the O’Hallorans and the Collerans goes back generations,” he told the media, describing Clare as “a very wonderful political foe”.

“But I want our families association to continue. You couldn’t make it up,” he said.

“My transfers as it all unfolded were very disappointing. At times I needed to open a little gap to feel more comfortable, but I could feel this dripping away from me. It never ran away from me. It drifted away from me. And ultimately it came down to the one last transfer of votes.

“You just couldn’t make this up as I said. How it has unfolded has added to the drama here in over the last two days,” he added, summing up the political spectacle.

While Mr O’Halloran said it was too soon to say for definite if he would contest another election, his wife Ciara and supporters were quick to say, he would be ready in five years time.