The Clare People Archive

CLARE Fine Gael is to move quickly to select to new members of Clare County Council, following the election of sitting councillors, former Mayor Clare Tony Mulcahy and Martin Conway to Seanad Éireann.

And, The Clare People has learned that Shannon Town Councillor Sean McLoughlin and the president of Young Fine Gael, Eric Keane, are poised to fill the two vacancies on Clare local government’s premier decision making body.

The Mayor of Shannon, Cllr McLoughlin, was a leading supporter of Senator Mulcahy’s campaigns for Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann, while Mr Keane from the Ballyvaughan/New Quay area is geographically placed to fill the vacancy that will be created in the North Clare Electoral Area when Senator Conway resigns his council seat.

Under Oireachtas legislation passed in 2004, members of Dáil Éireann are unable to hold down a dual mandate, a rule that in the past has obliged current Fine Gael TDs Pat Breen and Joe Carey and former TD James Breen resign to their council seats.

When Deputy Pat Breen resigned his Dáil seat in 2004 he was replaced by Oliver Garry, while in 2007 Joe Carey’s seat went to Paul Murphy, both of whom were from the same geographic area and close allies of the two TDs.

A party insider has told The Clare People that “this will be the case again this time around”, with Cllr McLoughlin and Mr Keane emerging as the two leading candidates in the immediate aftermath of the Seanad successes of both Mulcahy and Conway.

Senator Conway’s wife, Breege Hanniffy, who is a Fine Gael party activist was mooted over the weekend as a possible nominee for her husband’s council seat, but The Clare People understands that she will not be co-opted, leaving the door open for 23-year-old Keane to be become the second youngest ever member of Clare County Council after Fianna Fáil’s Cathal Crowe, who was only 21 when he was elected in 2004.

A LIMERICK man who has served time in prison for manslaughter has been jailed after he was caught with heroin in Kilrush.

Paul Coffey (34), with an address at Steamboat Quay, Limerick, was charged with possession of drugs for the purpose of sale or supply at Place de Plouzane, Kilrush, on April 27, 2010.

Inspector Tom Kennedy told Ennis District Court that the accused was found in possession of five deals of heroin when his apartment was searched. He said the value of the drugs amounted to € 150.

Judge Joseph Mangan asked did money change hands and was told that it didn’t.

“No. The evidence was he would share it with his friends,” said Inspector Kennedy.

Defence solicitor Turlough Herbert said his client was pleading guilty.

He said that his client’s partner had an addiction to heroin and the accused felt “he should have some control over the supply of drugs to her. She is going to get them anyway. He feels she should get them on a structured basis.”

He said that his client came from a disadvantaged area of Limerick and “has spent the greater part of his adult life in prison.”

“He wasn’t to make any money from this,” he said.

The court was told that Coffey had more than 50 previous convictions, including a 15-year jail term imposed for manslaughter at the Central Criminal Court in 2003.

Judge Mangan imposed an eightmonth jail term, to run consecutively to a 10-month term the accused is currently serving.

He fixed a bond in the event of an appeal.

ORGANIC food production could become one of the largest growth areas in Clare in the years to come if producers begin to take a collaborative approach to marketing and distribution.

The production of fine organic foods is already one of the few areas of the economy which have continued to grow throughout the recession but a new feasibility study has shown there is a great demand for organic produce in the UK and mainland Europe, with a number of Clare producers in line to take advantage.

This news comes as a delegation of “heavy hitters” from the Austrian organic food industry visited North Clare last week. The group spent sev eral hours at the Burren Smokehouse in Lisdoonvarna on Friday morning, before taking part in a full tour of the St Tola’s Goats Cheese farm in Inagh in the afternoon.

Austria is the EU leader in organic farming, with more than 15 per cent of all land in the country farmed organically, compared to just 1.5 per cent of land in Ireland. It also has one of the largest markets for organic produce in Europe – an area which has showed continued growth in recent years, despite the downturn in the European economy.

The group, which contains more than 40 individuals involved in the Austrian organic industry, were brought to Clare as the guests of the Irish Cattle and Sheep Association.

“Almost 25 per cent of the market for food in Austria is for organic food, compared to just four per cent in Ireland, so there is a lot that we can learn from these people,” said Birgitta Hedin-Curtin from the Burren Smokehouse.

“They have learned to combine tourism with organic production with tourists coming to stay at organic farms. But the real area that we can learn from them is in terms of organisation and working together.

“They have organic co-ops over there where everyone works together, especially in terms of marketing and distribution. I think that this is something that would work here in Ireland. There is a Meitheal spirit in the Irish, and people will work together, especially now in the more difficult times.

“There is a massive market for organic Irish produce both in the UK and in mainland Europe and if we work together we can make it happen.”

Austria is the second richest economy in the EU and organic agriculture is a key component of their economy.

FRANK Nolan’s family are bracing themselves to not recognise him come May 14.

And it’s not likely that Gordon Dale’s friends and neighbours will know him after his long locks and bushy beard have been shorn in a good cause.

In fact three good causes will benefit from the shearing which Frank, Gordon, Derek Flavin and Gordon Drummy have planned for Crotty’s Bar in Kilrush that night.

The ‘Think Pink’ evening is so named because the three charities to benefit are cancer charities Regina House Palliative Care Cenre, the West Clare Cancer Fund and the Clare 250 Cycle.

“They are all fantatstic charities and cancer is a disease which affects so many people. We all know someone who has been affected by it,” said Gordon Drummy.

On the night, their beards and hair will be dyed pink everyone is being asked to wear something pink and Jim of Jim’s Barber Shop will be on hand to shave the four Samson’s.

“Frank’s children have never seen him without his beard and his wife is dreading seeing him,” said Gordon.

Gordon Dale, unanimously voted the hairiest of the three, contacted the lads when he heard about the event.

“Gordon rang and said he wanted to take part. He’s in remission him- self so he knows how important the work done by the charities is.”

There’s much more to the night than shaving, with some great music coming from Harvest Moon and a massive raffle for a bicycle, vouchers bottles and much more.

“The local businesses have been fantastic in supporting us and Kevin and Rebecca Clancy at Crotty’s have been very generous in sponsoring us for the venue and food and the local youth group did all our posters and tickets for free. We just can’t believe how generous people are,” said Gordon.

A good night out is promised for all with the fun starting around 9pm. Tickets are available from Gordon at 085 7815917, Ann at 085 7775617 or Marie at 087 2217579.

DOONBEG Golf Club has been given the final go-ahead to begin construction work on a controversial sea erosion management scheme in West Clare. An Bord Pleanála ruled last week to grant final planning permission for the work to take place at the golf course but only after it secured further guarantees that public access to the beach will not be blocked.

The erosion protection plan would see large concrete structures being inserted into the dune system at the Carrowmore Dunes, the White Strand, Doughmore Bay and along the edge of the Doonbeg Golf Course itself.

The planning authority has also ruled that Doonbeg Golf Course must agree to maintain the erosion protection at the site forever, even if the golf course itself ceases trade for any reason.

This judgement comes after an appeal taken by James McNulty of Ballinagun West in Cree against the granting of planning permission by Clare County Council for the development and an appeal taken by Doonbeg Golf Club on the conditions imposed on that planning decision by Clare County Council.

The work will see a number of heavy concrete slabs known as ‘seabees’ being inserted into the local sand dune network which will then be reshaped around the concrete. Marram grass and fencing will all be put in place to help prevent the sand from being eroded, exposing the concrete.

Doonbeg Golf Club will also have to submit full details of a monitoring programme for the erosion protection work to the planning authority. This programme will have to include protocol for assessing the effectiveness of the works including the impacts of the scheme on beach users.

Other matters that will be considered as part of this programme include the location’s Special Area of Conservation and Special Protection Area status, as will as the impact on marine and terrestrial flora and fauna and the dynamics of the beach formation and erosion.

According to the planing authority, the golf club will also have to employ “suitably qualified marine and terrestrial ecologists” to oversee the project. A construction and progress report for the development will also be submitted to both the planning authority and the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

THE Sisters of Mercy have donated two East Clare properties worth in excess of € 500,000 to Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann who now plan to transform the old Tulla Convent and the Girls’ Primary School in Tulla into a Comhaltas Cultural Centre.

A major fundraising effort was launched in East Clare yesterday, to raise the money needed to develop the building, with a mock wedding planned to take place on June 5.

Plans are currently being prepared to develop the convent buildings into a cultural centre, with particular emphasis on the cultural traditions of Clare. Once complete, the building will become Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann’s seventeenth cultural centre in Ireland.

When completed, the centre will be called ‘Cnoc na Gaoithe’ or the windswept hill.

“This is an exciting and challenging project in which the whole community will have a role,” said Breda McNamara, Cathaoirleach of the project in Tulla.

“We will draw on the experience and contacts which Comhaltas have built up over the years. We intend to make it a shop window for the cultural traditions of Clare which have won international acclaim.”

The director general of Comhaltas, Labhrás O’Murchú, said that this was a “very generous gesture” on the part of the nuns who have made a “huge contribution to the educational and cultural life” of the area.

The Sisters of Mercy’s long history in the East Clare region dates back more than 100 years and a number of sisters still live in the area. These include Sr Eileen Callinan, who chose the name for the new building, Sr Bosco Griffen, Sr Ita Quinn and Sr Annette Sexton.

A number of well-known local faces have already been lined up to take part in the mock wedding, which takes place on June 5. Clare TD Timmy Dooley (FF) will act as priest for the day, while local pharmacist Morna Toibín and mechanic Cyril Hogan will play the roles of Mona Hogan and Bill Tobin for the wedding.

Within the drama, the bride comes from a staunch Fine Gael family and the father of the bride, Paddy Hogan (Cllr Joe Arkins), has serious reservations about the success of this marriage. To stir the pot even more, his wife Bridie (Kitty Leyden) is in love with Fr Falvey – the role played by Fianna Fáil TD Timmy Dooley.

Tickets for the event are available at a cost of € 25 and are available from the Tulla Pharmacy, the Tulla Post Office and Custy’s Music Shop in Ennis or online at www.custysmusic.com.