The Clare People Archive

TRADERS and local food producers have given the thumbs up to a new market bazaar, which opened in Ennis earlier this month.

Local craft makers, growers, artists and musicians have been making use of Ennis’ newest trading area, which operates on Fridays and Saturdays at Cronin’s yard in the town centre.

Speaking at the market’s opening day, organiser Ann Cronin said the venture is aimed at supporting small local businesses. She explained that 60 per cent of the goods sold by traders must be made in Clare.

She said, “It’s been good fun. We have a nice mix of things, a nice mix of people. There are crafty, creative types. We’re looking at about 16 a day. So we’re trying to get the full compliment. We’ve had lots of people in, people coming in having a gawk and wondering what it is. It’s great that people are curious about new things still”.

She continued, “Traders book beforehand, that way we can guarantee them a space. Sixty per cent of the stuff has to be made in Clare so we try and support indigenous and small companies rather than having an extension of the outside market.”

One of those happy to take a stall in the bazaar is baker Tess Jones. Tess, who runs Perfection Bakery from her home in Morrissey Avenue, Cloughleigh, said markets are a cost-effective way for small businesses to get their product to consumers.

She said, “I think it’s absolutely fantastic. The town is dying a death. Landlords are charging too much rent. Businesses are closing down all over the place. This is the opportunity for someone with a good idea to get it out there with a minimum outlay. So it’s a really good idea.”

She added, “We’re all very enthusiastic. We seem to be getting a lot of interest. Not that many people know about it. Ennis is small town so its very much world of mouth, which obviously will come into play as the weeks go on”

She said, “I’m just baking from home at the moment. This is my first ever market. It’s going pretty well. There seems to be a lot of interest. Everyone likes my product and that’s the main thing.”

A NEW initiative aimed at creating links between new Clare businesses and some of the country’s top research and development centres has gotten underway in Ennis.

Local authorities in Clare, Shannon Development and the west of Ireland’s two largest universities have teamed up to found the Ennis Inno- vation Centre.

Speaking last Thursday, Majella McNamara of Clare County Council’s Economic Development Unit said the centre had been set up to “help Clare-based businesses to access support in universities”.

She told a meeting of the Clare branch of Network Ireland that the centre has been opened to fill the gap created by the absence of a major third-level institution in Clare. She said that small businesses are often unsure how to avail of expertise offered by third-level institutions.

Modeled on the system of university transfer technology offices, the centre will help commercialise businesses ideas and encourage innovation, Ms McNamara said. She explained that the regional innovation centre offers start-up companies training and mentoring, expertise in business areas, linkages to academic institutions, technology transfer expertise and supported applications to development bodies. Ms McNamara said that while it isn’t the role of local authorities to directly create employment, it is their role to “facilitate job creation in Clare”.

The Innovation Centre is based at the Ennis Information Age Park on the Gort road and is overseen by recently appointed director, Gert O’Rourke. Ms O’Rourke has a background in training and consultancy and is the founder of Gert O’Rourke training and development. The centre is a joint initiative between Shannon Development, Clare County Council, Ennis Town Council, National University of Ireland, Galway and University of Limerick.

THE SHANNON chess club will represent the county in the All-Ireland championships in Athlone this weekend.

The club sealed entry to the finals in both the under-12 and under-16 events, having won the Munster finals. The under-12s defeated Ahane from Limerick in their final, while the under-16 team overcome Crecora from Limerick in their decider. A panel of 14 players will visit Athlone to take part in the finals.

Last year, the club finished in third place in the All-Ireland under-16 final and hopes to add to the success this year.

“We are hoping to do a bit better this year,” said coach Stephen Danagher.

There is a huge interest in chess in the Shannon area and the club has won dozens of competitions in recent years.

There are almost 30 members of the club in Shannon and they play at the library every Friday evening.

“There is a great interest in it and there is a great facility in the Shannon library. They enjoy it. Success breeds success. We have won quite a bit every year. When the children get a few medals and trophies, they are thrilled with it,” said Stephen, who set up the club more than 12 years ago.

“We are lucky in Shannon to have such a diverse population. Our culture doesn’t promote chess as much as the Indians and the Eastern Europeans and there is an influx of both in Shannon,” he added. The Danagher name will be prominent over the weekend. Stephen’s son James is the captain of the under-16 team, while his daughter Jessica is on the under12 team. Stephen has been interested in chess for many years.

“I played it going to school and I played it in the army. It is very addictive,” he said.

The local community in Shannon has been hugely supportive of the team’s efforts. They helped out with a fundraising flag day, while the local community games club has also contributed to the fund. The town council has also supported the club over the years.

“We are grateful to the people of Shannon for their support. The money raised from a flag day two weeks ago helped to buy t-shirts for the AllIreland,” added Stephen.

GARDAI are investigating vandalism which involved gravestones at an historic cemetery in East Clare being smashed.

Three headstones at Kilquane Cemetery in Parteen have been smashed and toppled over.

Previously, gravestones had pieces chipped away but the fresh vandalism is described as being of a much more serious nature

Locals are outraged at what they see as “wanton vandalism and sacrilege” after a committee formed locally put in trojan work to make the graveyard accessible for visitors and tourists.

The Kilquane Cemetery Committee have held meetings with local representatives and gardai have confirmed they are taking the destruction very seriously.

The historic cemetery, which is final resting place to a host of colourful characters, was made accessible last year thanks to a community effort and the generosity of a local business.

The Parteen resting place dates back to the seventh century. Local historian, Donal Ó Riain was closely involved in the project to create access to the overgrown and rubblestrewn area.

“The ruins of the church are from the 7th century and the first recorded burial there was in 1700. That was Phillip McAdams, the man who was said to be a traitor because he showed the Williamites a safe way across the river to attack Sarsfiled’s Jacobites.”

Also buried in the cemetary is the last man to say Mass in the Protestant Cathedral of St Mary’s.

Padraig O’Brian, the noted Úileann piper has also found a place of rest there.

“For years, there was a problem for people getting into the cemetary because you had to cross a field to get to it but then we got permission from the new landowners to make a pathway across the field and Bobby O’Connell quarries in Ballycar got involved and they gave us the materials to put in a path. Frank Sweeney, a local man came along with his truck and his JCB and laid it out,” he said.

GARDAÍ in Ennis are following a definite line of enquiry after a scam involving the office of the Bishop of Killaloe and businesses in the town.

€ 3,000 worth of electrical goods were fraudulently ordered for the Bishop by an individual, during a number of transactions. A member of staff at the Diocesan office’s name was used by the individual who ordered the goods. A request was made that the goods would be collected at another business in the town and that the invoice be sent to the Diocesan office in Ennis.

A version of the Diocesan office stationery and the Bishop’s signature were used to confirm the order.

However, the Bishop of Killaloe Kieran O’Reilly and his staff didn’t have any knowledge of the order and did not receive any of the goods.

The Diocesan office was alerted to the incident when it received a phone call from the business indicating that the remainder of the order was ready for collection. This was after part of it had been collected by an unknown individual from another business premises.

Gardaí say that a number of transactions were carried out in recent weeks, but that similar issues have not arisen previously and say this is an “isolated incident”.

“We are following a line of enquiry on it,” said Ennis Superintendent Peter Duff.

“There were a few incidents but it is not endemic of a crime wave,” he said.

He advised business people in Ennis to be mindful of this incident. “If people get orders in a person’s name, they should check did they make an order. We would encourage all suppliers of goods to deliver to the address on the order,” said Supt Duff.

Killaloe Diocesan Communications Officer Fr Brendan Quinlivan said, “When we became aware of it, we contacted the guards straightaway.”

“We felt it was important to alert people, in case they got caught up in the scam,” he said.

“The idea was they would be left somewhere to be collected after office hours. This is the first time our offices have been used in this way. The Bishop would be very unhappy that his name and the Diocesan office would be used to perpetrate a fraud on small businesses especially in the current climate when they are trying to survive. Ennis is a small town. Trust erodes when you have to put businesses on alert,” he added.

TEACHING AT three of Clare’s second level schools has been praised by the Department of Education and Skills. The department has made positive remarks after carrying out inspections at St Flannan’s College, Ennis; Ennistymon Vocational School and St John Bosco Community College, Cahercon, Kildysart.

Subject inspections were carried out at all three schools. Geography was the chosen subject at St Flannan’s; Construction Studies was inspected in Ennistymon, while Guidance was inspected at Cahercon.

According to the report, teaching and learning in Geography was “very good” at St Flannan’s. It stated that the integration of information and communication technology (ICT) into teaching and learning had a very positive impact on students’ learning.

The uptake of Geography in senior cycle was strong, while the achievement by students in examinations was described as “very good”. The inspectors encouraged the school to build on its “very good practice” by introducing assessment-for-learning strategies into lessons. It also suggested that the Transition Year plan for Geography be further developed.

The teaching of Guidance at St John Bosco Community College was also praised by the inspectors. They concluded that students are well supported and that Guidance is perceived appropriately in the school.

According to the report, the facilities for the subject are good, while the Guidance department has engaged with the community and with parents. The inspectors have made a number of recommendations including that a whole-school guidance planning team be established.

The teaching of Construction Studies at Ennistymon Vocational School was also praised by the inspectors. They noted that support for the subject is “very good with regard to the supply of resources such as tools, equipment and materials”. It also noted that provision for students to study Construction in the school is very good.

“The quality of teaching and learning observed in the course of the inspection was at all times very high. The voice of the students formed a central part of the lessons,” stated the report.

In total, 44 school inspection reports were published by the Department last week. Subject inspection reports evaluate the teaching and learning of specific subjects in second-level schools.

THERE’S was no chance for President Barack Obama to echo the famous words of “seeing old Shannon’s face again” – used by President John F Kennedy on the runway of Clare’s international airport as he left Ireland in 1963 after his historic State visit.

The airport link was still present in Moneygall on Monday on the double. President Obama spoke of drinking Guinness in Shannon when he made a whistle-stop visit to his ancestral home during his brief one-day stay in Ireland, while a former Scariff Garda told of his brush with the Kennedy clan at the airport 44 years ago.

Garda Mick O’Dwyer was on duty in Shannon in 1967 when President Kennedy’s wife, Jackie, daughter Caroline and son John Jnr left Ireland through the airport after holidaying in Waterford.

“There was a massive crowd and we were trying to hold them back,” he re- called of the Kennedys’ visit.

“She (Jackie) had a hold of the two children by the hands and the young fella, John Jnr, had a small plastic bucket with seashells and a book. He passed by me and this little book entitled Spr ings of India n Wisdom

THE founder of a local charity shop has started a new project aimed at giving disadvantaged children a chance to play music. Mary Moroney of the Somalia Shop is looking for donations of musical instruments.

Founded by Mary in 1992, the shop, which trades in second-hand goods, supports local and international aid organisations, including Clare Haven House, the Clare branch of Alzheimer’s Ireland, and others. Mary explained that while money has been raised for charities operating in Africa and Eastern Europe, the shop has also been strongly supportive of local causes and groups.

She said, “With the recession hitting hard down here, we are committed to helping our local causes. In fact, we’re trying to bring some joy to under-priviliged children by collecting and donating musical instruments. We hope to continue with this project for some time.”

Mary added that the shop are always looking for donations. She said that there are also plans to hold an auction at the shop in the coming weeks.

For more details on the music project or any of the work done by the Somalia Shop, contact Mary at 065 6824882.

AN ENNIS man who has played an active role in youth services in Clare for over 10 years has been elected to the board of Youth Work Ireland.

Glen Guilfoyle became involved with Clare Youth Service (CYS) as a young child participating initially in the Summer Camps Programme before joining his local youth club as a teenager. He was an active member of the Cloughleigh Youth Club where he excelled in debating.

He participated in national and international youth exchanges and represented the youth service at a number of international conferences. As a teenager, Glen was active as a senior member ( junior leader) in the youth club and volunteered with the youth cafe ‘Elmo’s Attic’ and the Summer Camps Programme for several years.

At 18, Glen became an adult volunteer with the Cloughleigh Youth Club and the HUB Cafe, which is an alcohol- and drug-free project for over18s. He remained an active volunteer throughout his years at college where he studied economics, sociology and politics.

He worked as the Welfare Officer in NUI, Galway Students’ Union from 2002 to 2003 before serving as the Welfare Officer for the Union of Students in Ireland from 2003 to 2004. Here he was responsible for representing and lobbying on behalf of third-level students as well as coordinating campaigns across 50 colleges.

He joined the staff of Clare Youth Service in 2005 where he worked primarily in Club Development and as an outreach worker on a number of projects targeting ‘hard to reach’ and ‘at risk’ young people. He has worked on both rural and urbanbased projects as well as in the area of volunteer support and training.

He left CYS late in 2010 and is currently working in a community-based youth project in Limerick City.

The board of Clare Youth Service proposed Glen for the YWI board. Margaret Slattery, CEO said, “Glen is a strong candidate and will be a real asset for the board of Youth Work Ireland. His wide experience of the realities of volunteering and working in the sector combined with his education and prior work experience make him an ideal candidate.”

As a co-ordinating and development agency for youth services throughout the country, Youth Work Ireland has, since 1962, sought to give voice to the needs and aspirations of young people, to support and encourage trained volunteers and staff and ultimately, to improve the quality of life for young people in the context of community based youth services.

AN association with one of the stars of world rugby has helped transform a small Shannon company into a major player in the sports and nutrition market, a meeting has heard.

Founded in 2007, ABC Nutrition manufactures sports and health nutrition products for domestic and international markets.

The company sells a wide range of products, including muscle gain supplements, which are developed from dairy proteins.

Last year, the company was a winner at the national enterprise awards and in 2009 claimed the Bord Bia small business award. Ten people are employed at ABC, which recorded a 50 per cent increase in sales in 2010.

The company’s rise at a time of economic uncertainty was described by co-founder Willie Wixtead at a public meeting in Ennis on Thursday.

Organised by the Clare branch of Network Ireland, the event placed the spotlight on Clare companies who had set up and prospered in what branch president Alice Carroll called “the teeth of the recession”.

A native of Broadford, Mr Wixtead said the company is currently exporting to 12 countries. Spain, Ireland and the United Kingdom are among ABC’s biggest markets while further business opportunities are emerging in Eastern Europe, he said.

Mr Wixtead, who earned his qualifications in food technology at the University of Limerick, said that exports account for around 85 per cent of the company’s total sales. He described sports and health nutrition as a “buoyant market” and said the company’s success was linked to Ireland’s reputation as one of the world’s premium producers of dairy products.

Rocky Elsom, captain of the Australian rugby team, is one of ABC’s most well-known customers while the company also manufactures products for GAA players and professional boxers. Mr Wixtead said, “We’ve been able to deal with people at a high level which has been good for the company”.

Recalling his own company’s difficulties during it’s first year of operation, Mr Wixtead, who played hurling for Broadford, urged budding entrepreneurs not to be disheartened by early setbacks. He said a strong online presence; the netting of a high profile customer and the assistance of state agencies are key factors in creating a successful business.

He added that ABC’s success in winning industry awards was “important not for the glory but for presenting the company to the world.”