The Clare People Archive

A CLARECASTLE man who scored a multi-million euro windfall during the property boom has said he will run as a candidate in the forthcoming General Election.

73-year-old JJ McCabe told

AN INCIDENT in which a quilt was set on fire while a woman was lying on it was described yesterday by a judge as “unique”.

Judge Carroll Moran made the comment after hearing that were it not for gardaí who fought smoke and fumes, two people would have been killed in an apartment fire in Ennis. The woman lying on the quilt when it was set alight suffered what was described in court as “horrific” injuries.

Michael Keane (44), of Cappamore, Barefield, admitted setting alight a quilt, which created substantial risk of death or serious harm, at Childers Road, Ennis, on July 2, 2008. He also admitted causing harm to Josephine Moloney and pleaded guilty to arson, on the same date.

Sergeant Mark Murphy told Ennis Circuit Court that gardaí received a call indicating that people were trapped in a house fire. On arrival gardaí heard a male voice calling.

“Visibility was nil. Garda Derek Williams couldn’t see. He was using touch. Because of the smoke and heat, his only sense was touch. He went in at least three times. He had to come out to catch his breath,” said Sgt Murphy.

He said that the accused was living in the apartment and Ms Moloney was co-habiting with him. Both had been drinking and an argument took place in relation to a missing mobile phone.

He said that Ms Moloney lay on a quilt on the floor in the bedroom and the accused threatened to set fire to it, if he wasn’t given the phone. He then set fire to a thread of two inches on the corner of the quilt with a cigarette lighter.

“He stamped out the flame. He said he thought it was quenched. He then went in to the bathroom and read The Irish Times for 10 to 15 minutes,” said Sgt Murphy.

When he came out of the bathroom, Keane smelt smoke and saw that the living room was full of smoke. He called Ms Moloney and tried to get water from the bathroom to quench the fire, said Sgt Murphy, but “he didn’t make the bathroom. We assume he fell unconscious at that time”.

Keane and Ms Moloney were both rescued from the house and were tak- en to hospital with serious injuries.

Ms Moloney (41) sustained serious injuries. She suffered second degree burns to several parts of her body, including to her face, ear, neck, chest, arm, hand, abdomen and thigh.

Judge Moran said: “I have been sitting as a judge for over 13 years and have been doing crime (cases) for most of that time. I really haven’t come across a case like this before. It’s quite unique. I really don’t know how to approach this. I’ll sleep on it.”

He adjourned sentencing until March.

KILKEE woman Marina Keane has ruled herself out of the race for the Dáil, but hasn’t ruled out running in the future.

The 30-year-old solicitor is heavily involved in the Fianna Fáil party in Clare and was approached by party officials to run in the forthcoming election.

While she did consider contesting the election – in the aftermath of sitting TD Tony Killeen announcing his retirement from politics last week – she decided over the weekend that she would not run.

“I’ve ruled myself out. I’ve made the decision not to go. I did give it serious consideration after Tony Killeen stepped down. I did come under pressure last week and was asked to stand. There is an appetite there for a candidate from west Clare and I think people did want a west Clare name on the ticket, but you have to take personal circumstances and work circumstances into account,” she told The Clare People .

She has chosen to concentrate primarily on her career as a solicitor, in the short-term at least. She currently works as a solicitor with Michael Houlihan’s office in Ennis, having graduated from Blackhall Place four years ago.

“I’m still young enough and I am fairly early starting out in my legal career and I want to progress that. I also want to work on reform within the party. I’d like to work with the party on a national level. There has obviously been some damage done to the party over the past couple of years. We need to work on communications in the party,” she said.

Marina grew up in a Fianna Fáil house in Kilkee. Her father Pat has been a county councillor since 1991 and is a former mayor of Clare. She has been a key member of his election campaign team for several years. It’s not the first time that Marina’s name has been linked to the political stage. Her name was mentioned as a possible candidate in the 2007 General Election, but she similarly took the decision at that time not to stand.

She became a member of Ógra Fianna Fáil in Clare at the age of 19 and is currently a Kilrush Comhairle Ceantair representative to the Comhairle Dáil Ceantair.

She is highly regarded in Fianna Fáil circles in Clare and recently worked on the party’s county strategy, aimed at bringing about reform. She has also worked on various subcommittees in the county.

“That’s something I would like to continue to work on in the future; reform in the party,” she said.

“I would never rule anything out. However, my priorities are now on progressing my legal career and working in the Comhairle Ceantair,” she said.

“I’d never say never. It is something that might arise in the future. You can only assess things as they arise,” she said.

HE DIDN’T want to go. He was never as sure of a seat entering an election having seen poll after poll declaring him a shoe in. He was at the peak of his political career and was preparing for the fight.

But medical advice and “appraisals” of his health meant Minister for Defence Tony Killeen was forced to bow out of contesting the General Election on Wednesday last.

The Corofin man does not hide his disappointment at having to retire from politics, and said the decision was so sudden and so against what he wanted to do in his heart that he has no plans for after the votes are counted.

“It is a question that has completely stumped me. I had a lot of work done and a huge election team lined up,” he told The Clare People .

He will not be returning to teaching, having retired from the profession, and will spend some time rest- ing before he makes up his mind.

Having battled with cancer for the last number of years, Minister Killeen’s decision was made he said on health grounds.

“The medical stuff was not encouraging and family were adamant when they told me to cop on,” he said.

Prior to Christmas he had begun work on the election determined to be a candidate but having agreed that an election would be difficult given his health, he said he feared that if he stayed in the race he would have to pull out at the last minute and scupper a new candidate.

Despite being disappointed that he is now out of one the most hotly contested general elections in Clare in years, he has promised to immerse himself in campaigning for other Fianna Fáil candidates.

And despite all the national opinion polls, the out-going Minister for Defence is confident that Fianna Fáil in Clare can still win two seats in the Banner County, against most odds.

WITH just six days until the Fianna Fáil convention, the party which was traditionally considered the political strong hold in Clare is struggling to even find candidates.

Fianna Fáil has been thrown into further turmoil with the retirement of Minister Tony Killeen (FF), leaving sitting TD Timmy Dooley as the only sure candidate prior to the convention.

The number of candidates to be selected on Sunday is also unclear, with no direction as yet from the party’s head office.

Up to last Wednesday the party was scouring west Clare for a third candidate, sure that its two sitting TDs would again contest the General Election.

Now just days before the convention, and it is not only struggling to find the much talked about candidate from the west, but any candidate that will appeal universally to a very disgruntled electorate.

As Minister Killeen stepped down early indications were that the party were Keane to return to the Daly days, with five names to the fore solicitor and Kilkee native Marina Keane, who has repeatedly refused any approach to run; former Clare hurling star and Dublin manager Anthony Daly; Ronan Daly, son of former TD Brendan Daly; Eire Óg football manager and former Lissycasey footballer Martin Daly, and Ennis councillor Pat Daly (FF).

Anthony Daly was quick to rule out a career in politics, preferring to leave his running to Dublin hurling training sessions.

Cllr Pat Daly, who has worked closely with Minister Killeen for more than 18 years, is also thought to be out of the running on medical grounds.

Other possible candidates being suggested since the stepping down of Killeen are three Fianna Fáil members from the north of the county or with strong connections with the area.

Among those suggested is Dr John Hillery, son of the late president Dr Patrick Hillery and former president of the Irish Medical Council.

The Dublin-based medic still retains strong ties with his ancestral home.

Inagh woman Michelle Moroney, who contested the local election for the party in 2009 is seen as another contender, but many favour Spanishpoint school principal Mary Crawford.

The principal at St Joseph’s Secondary School would be strongly supported not only by the Killeen camp, but also the Daly camp if Ronan Daly was not to contest the election.

The north Clare woman would also provide an ideal geographical location for the party if she were to be selected.

In the west of the county Coora- clare county councillor Bill Chambers is also in the running as a candidate, with many hoping CEO of the Ennis Chamber of Commerce Rita McInerney will return to the Fianna Fáil fold to run as a candidate, having ran as an independent candidate in the local elections.

While Minister for Defence Tony Killeen (FF) is confident that with the right candidates selected Fianna Fáil can retain two seats, many within the party are preparing for a difficult and disappointing election.

Sources close to the party say that as of the beginning of this week finding candidates for the convention is proving difficult, without even looking as far ahead as the general election.

DETAILS of the 2011 Ennis Book Club Festival will be announcned in the Old Ground Hotel, Ennis tonight, Tuesday, January 11, at 7.30pm.

The festival will run at venues around Ennis from March 6-11. The programme will include authors’ readings, lectures, music, workshops, exhibitions and more.

Among the contributors to last year’s festival were Lionel Shriver, prolific journalist and Orange Prizewinning author and Joseph O’Connor, journalist, screenwriter and author of ten Irish number one bestsellers

Supported by Clare County Library, the three-day programme of events is expected to attract hundreds of Book Club members and book lovers from all over Europe and North America. The festival programme features author visits, readings, lectures and workshops, exhibitions, walking history tours, musical entertainment and chocolate tasting in various venues around Ennis.

It also includes a ‘Book Club of the Year Award’ and a professional development workshop for library staff.

The winning Book Club (up to a maximum of six people) will receive a prize of free weekend passes to festival events and overnight accommodation at the Temple Gate Hotel in Ennis.

The inaugural Ennis Book Club Festival was held in 2007. Past participants have included Patrick McCabe, John Boyne, Carlo Gébler, Edna O’Brien, Joanne Harris, Brian Keenan and Roddy Doyle.

Previous festivals have also attracted literary enthusiasts from all over North America and Europe, including members from many of Ireland’s 150 Library Book Clubs and more than 300 Private Book Clubs, thus proving that literature and books are still thriving in Ireland.

LANDOWNERS have welcomed a decision by Clare County Council to implement the council’s existing Wind Energy Strategy as part of the County Development Plan 20112017.

There was a near unanimous vote in favour of keeping the current wind energy strategy, as proposed by Councillor Brian Meaney (Green), at yesterday’s monthly meeting of Clare County Council.

Cllr Meaney had urged the council not to amend its current wind energy strategy, as it would jeopordise the viability of many proposed windfarm projects in Clare.

Cllr Michael Begley (Ind) said the council had to decide if it wanted to have a wind energy policy that was “likely to happen or an aspirational one”. He said that under the revised strategy proposed in the County Development Plan, many areas identified as potential wind farm locations would be significantly reduced or completely eliminated.

Cllr Martin Conway (FG) criticised the role of the Department of the Environment, who had sought changes to strategy. He said the proposed changes were a “classic example of Big Brother” trying to interfere with a locally formulated policy.

Cllr Cathal Crowe (FF) said that any downgrading of the strategy would “significantly reduce chances of employment” in many areas of Clare.

Cllr James Breen (Ind) said, “At the same time that the economy is struggling we can’t do anything that will hinder employment.”

Landowners from east Clare, who are seeking to develop a wind farm in an area between Broadford and Ardnacrusha, sat in the council gallery while the vote was taken.

After a majority of councillors voted in favour of keeping the existing wind energy strategy, one landowner told The Clare People of his relief at the decision.

He said, “We felt that the original plan that was in place was acceptable to us and now there was an amendment coming. Amendments at this stage are changing the goalpost com- pletely. There was an amount of time and energy put in at that stage. We were happy that we could go ahead with planning a wind farm in our area, or go towards planning one.

“If a decision is made, we need to stay with that particular decision. The amendments that were being proposed would have made it a lot more difficult to proceed with a viable unit.”

Over 30 landowners in the Broadford, Ardnacrusha area are seeking to form a co-op to develop a windfarm over a “large area”.

Another landowner, who did not wish to be named, remarked, “It’s tied down to farmers setting up a co-op in the area. It’s about the local community, local jobs.”

THE water supply situation in County Clare has now stabilised and is back to normal, according to Clare County Council.

The local authority said yesterday that as of January 10, 2011, there would be no further planned shut offs of the water supply in any part of the county.

Water tanks are still available at The Promenade in Lahinch and the County Council offices in Ennistymon.

A spokesperson said, “The council would advise persons to remain vigilant in respect of water supplies to vacant properties and land as water demand is still high. As usual, the council appeals to the public to conserve water at all times. The council would like to thank the public for its understanding response to the water supply situation over the last two weeks.”

At yesterday’s monthly meeting of Clare County Council, County Manager Tom Coughlan praised the efforts of council staff, many of whom, he said, had worked for free to repair water supply problems last December.

Mr Coughlan told the meeting that a total of 200 people had been involved in the council’s response to problems that emerged following extreme cold weather conditions. He explained that Clare had experienced three periods of severe weather over the past 14 months and that while some staff were paid for their work, many had responded on a “goodwill basis”.

He said that in a lot of cases, council staff were experiencing their own water supply problems at home while at the same time attempting to alleviate difficulties encountered by the wider public.

Mr Coughlan said someone had remarked to him that a lot of the criti- cism levelled at the public service had “died down” over the last two months.

He added that it appeared to be “open season” on public servants for 10 months of the year, but in periods of water supply shortages and busy accident and emergency units, criticism is far less vocal.

“It’s just a comment that was made to me. I’m not saying I agree with it”, said Mr Coughlan.

He said the council’s response to crisis had been formulated prior to freezing weather, and had been de- livered “on the ground” through local area offices.

There was also unanimous praise for council workers from councilors and officials at the January meeting of Ennis Town Council.

Town Manager Ger Dollard told the meeting that the council’s helpline had logged 500 calls a day since December 20, 2010, and that 360 leaks had been repaired in Ennis since December 26.

Town Engineer Eamon O’Dea said there had been a huge increase in demand for water use in Ennis resulting in production at the Ennis Water Treatment Plant reaching almost 20,000 cubic metres on December 27.

Normal demand in the Ennis area is 15,000 cubic metres. Mr O’Dea said the council had turned off water in almost 70 unoccupied premises and businesses in Ennis.

He said that during the supply shortage period, Clarecastle, including the Roche pharmaceutical plant, received water from Ennis and west Clare.

THE development of a hydro-power facility at the Old Mill in Ennis could be used to supply the electricity requirements of recreational facilities and of the wider community in Ennis, a meeting has heard.

Last week local councillors urged Ennis Town Council to consider renewable forms of energy to supply power to the Ennis Leisure Complex and the Lees Road Sports and Amenity Park.

Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) told the January meeting of Ennis Town Council that the “significant infrastructure” in place at the Old Mill could be utilised to generate power, of which the nearby Ennis Leisure Complex “would be a willing customer”.

He said the mill had been identified as a potential source of hydropower in a report carried out by the Limerick Clare Energy Agency.

According to the report, ‘Micro Hydro Electricity Potential in County Clare’, the mill has the potential to produce 259 megawatts per hour.

The report estimates that it would cost € 216,000 to develop suitable turbine facilities at the mill.

The report states, “Because of the central location of the proposed site, and the high volume of traffic that passes through daily, a hydro-power development at this location would give a very strong indication of support for the micro-hydro industry in County Clare. The historical location of the mill reflects the excellent hydro resource at this point, downstream of the confluence of the Claureen and Fergus rivers. The theoretical average power of the river is 240kW.”

Pat Stephens of the Limerick Clare Energy Agency explained, “We looked at six commercial and six domestic micro-hydro projects. There are already one or two projects out there in the county; The Falls Hotel is one. What we looked at, essentially, was if you were to try and re-establish the one in Ennis, what would it cost and how much energy would it generate. There’s potential there for it.”

Cllr Meaney also urged the council to consider the development of a 500-megawatt wind turbine at Lees Road. Noting that the acceptance of such a project would depend on the outcome of a cost-benefit analysis, Cllr Meaney said a wind turbine would meet energy needs at Lees Road and also serve to “landmark the site”.

Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) told the meeting that 60 per cent of the hot water required at Ennis Leisure Complex could be met by the installation of solar panels in the complex’s south-facing roof. He said the remaining demand could be met through the use of woodchip burners.

ENNIS STUDENT Katie Drennan knows better than most the importance of the adult Cystic Fibrosis Out Patient Unit which makes up part of the € 10.5 million development unveiled yesterday (Monday).

Twenty-year-old Katie (pictured above), a second year Business Studies student at the University of Limerick, was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) when she was just shy of her third birthday.

Her 19-year-old brother Jordan also has CF.

“The difference this new development will make for my quality of life and for many other CF patients is difficult to summarise,” she explained.

“Over the past 20 years I’ve had a lot of experience of the Irish hospi- tal system, some of it good and some quite difficult. I’ve spent a lot of time as an in-patient in the Mid Western Regional Hospital, in Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin and in St Vincent’s Hospital. This wonderful new facility will improve the lives for all Cystic Fibrosis patients in the mid-west region.

“The benefits of such a unit are many. It means we will not have to travel to other CF centres in Dublin to receive our treatment. We will not have to endure long hospital stays away from home. We will no longer fear the risk of cross-infection when we attend the hospital for treatments.

“Such a unit will also benefit our families, as long-term absence from the home due to frequent hospital stays can sometimes be very diffi- cult, and the absence from our families and friends can sometimes be the hardest to deal with,” she said.

“The importance of an isolation facility cannot be over emphasised enough and the recent appointment of Dr Brian Casserly as the first Adult CF Specialist Consultant in Limerick is a major step forward.

“TLC4CF hopes that this new unit will also mean that CF patients attending the Mid Western Regional Hospital will not have to go through A&E to be admitted to hospital, which has always been detrimental to CF suffers health, due to the high risks of cross-infection.

“With the continuous help of TLC4CF all CF patients attending the hospital won’t have to endure the dangerous and inadequate services that previously existed,” said Katie.