The Clare People Archive

AN INTERNET posting that invites people to take a trip down memory lane has become a huge hit with 30 somethings from Ennis.

‘You’re a true 30-something from Ennis if you remembet…’ has so far attracted comments from 814 users of the social networking site Fa- cebook. Users are asked to submit their recollections of life growing up in Ennis. The thread, first posted in early January, catalogues the events, buildings and people that made up the social scene in the county capital throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s.

Many of the comments posted on- line refer to former shops, pubs and fast food outlets.

One user recalls “Buying a blank video tape in Hurdy Gurdy’s for £13, taping the Friday night movie on RTE, watching it the following day and wondering, in awe, if technology like this could ever be equalled…”

Another writes that “you’re a true 30-something from Ennis if you re- member when the Queen’s disco gave a dinner of roast chicken, chips and peas, and gravy, and all for a fiver”.

Discos at the Cloughleigh Commu- nity Centre, Chapel Lane are also re- called, as is the Little Theatre Café, which one Facebook user says had the “best ice-cream in the world with the sweets on top”.

Another comments that true En- nis 30-somethings will remember “Smyth’s on Carmody Street and Broderick’s and Arthur’s on Parnell Street where you could buy loose eye N | Rae

Knox’s supermarket, Crubeens and a chip shop in Chapel Lane, Layden’s Pub in the market and Denis Moran’s — “the only place where you could buy net curtains and a bra at the same time” – are among the other old

Ennis businesses recalled.

One post remembers, “When Cheers (pub) first opened and they had the Cheers Ennis logo on all the pint glasses and the ashtrays, everyone had one! Place was robbed of glasses and ashtrays every night haahah.”

The price of fast food is a popular topic, with one post wistfully recall- ing when a bag of chips in Enzo’s cost SOp and another noting that a bag of chips in Oodles, formerly located at

Drumbiggle, cost 30p.

The heyday of bands like Bitter Harvest who made up the local mu- sic scene in Ennis is also remem- bered with one user commenting that “You’re a true 30-something in En- nis if you remember The Big G (Gen- erator) on bank holiday Monday’s in Henry J’s.”

Another person recalls, “Taking that long dark road to the rugby club to hear Bush Plant… and then trying

to find your way back.”

School memories also figure prom- inently throughout the list with one person recalling former principal of Ennis National School “Gary Stack giving a free for stupidity against you on the hurling field in the “Nash.”

ANYONE interested in joining one of Ireland’s largest voluntary organi- sations is being urged to attend two upcoming Samaritans information evenings in Ennis.

The Ennis branch of the Samaritans are holding two information and se- lections evenings at the Old Ground Hotel on Thursday, January 28, and Monday, February 1, at 8pm.

The events will give potential vol- unteers an opportunity to learn about the service provided by the Samari- tans. The organisation is looking for

open-minded, non-judgmental peo- ple to get involved.

The Samaritans provide confiden- tial, non-judgmental emotional sup- port for members of the public who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including feelings that may lead to suicide. The service is provided by telephone and email, as well as through face-to-face con- tacts.

A Samaritans spokesperson said the branch are looking for people to commit a few hours a week to the Service.

“Our volunteers come from a wide

variety of age groups and _ back- grounds. What’s important is that people would be able to commit a few hours each week to help provide the service,” said the spokesperson.

All volunteers who join the Sa- maritans will take part in a compre- hensive training programme and are also shown how to develop listening skills.

A spokesperson explained, “It’s very important that volunteers would be able to give that commitment and that they would be able to listen to people without being judgemental. All those who do go on to join the

organisation will take part in a very comprehensive training programme which will equip them to offer emo- tional support to callers.”

The Samaritans vision is for a soci- ety where fewer people die by suicide and its core values include confiden- tiality and being non-judgemental. For further information on volunteer- ing please call 065 6829777 or come along to one of information/selection evenings.

In 2009, the Samaritans received more than 375,000 calls from the Republic of Ireland alone.

Flannans students get into the fast lane

A TEENAGER who threw a brick through his mother’s window has asked a judge to let her stand bail for him. The 16-year old was before Judge Joseph Mangan having plead- ed guilty to a number of charges, including criminal damage to his mother’s house.

A probation officer told the court that a psychological report would be advisable. “ADD is suspected” the boy’s solicitor, Tara Godfrey said.

The teenager was accompanied by his mother during the hearing and in setting bail for six months at an in- dependent surety of €200, the judge asked the accused if he wanted his mother or some other person to stand or DU Koy muDOOE

When he replied that he wanted his mother, the judge warned him, “If your mother feels you might breach your bail, she can come in here and withdraw her bond and then you will go to jail.”

The 16-year-old had pleaded guilty to criminal damage and breaching the peace in December at his moth- er’s home in Shannon.

He also admitted stealing a hat and gloves – valued at €4 – from Dunnes Stores, SkyCourt, on December 18.

A MAN who was involved in a hit and run accident near his home has loLerolsMEUNLecO MUO eCO) U0 am

Joseph White (53), of Ballagh- fadda, Clarecastle, pleaded guilty to careless driving at Kildysart Cross, Clarecastle, and also admitted four other charges in relation to the inci- elle

Inspector Michael Gallagher told Ennis District Court on Friday that a hit and run accident took place at the Kildysart Road, Clarecastle, on August 2, 2009.

He said a woman complained that a red Peugeot van had hit her vehicle and had failed to remain at the scene. He said it was claimed that the Peu- geot had crossed to the incorrect side of the road and this caused evasive action to be taken.

Judge Joseph Mangan asked would there be allegations of speed and was told there would not.

Defending solicitor John Casey said his client was fully insured and he said it was accepted that the accused had failed to remain at the scene, which, he said, was due to “onset of migraine.” He said that his client had been to visit his daughter, had felt unwell and set about driving home. ‘He has a vague recollection of the accident. He should have stopped,” he said.

White, who had no previous con- victions, was fined €500 for care- less driving and €100 on each of the other four summonses.

A MAN who repeatedly shouted across a courtroom has been jailed for seven days for contempt.

The ruling was made in the case of Derek Malone after he failed to de- sist from shouting at Ennis District Court on Friday.

Malone (46), of Millstream Court, Mill Road, Ennis, was charged with public order offences, but did not appear in the courtroom when his case was called. However, it was then brought to the attention of his solicitor Tara Godfrey that he was outside. He was then brought into the courtroom, where he was asked why he had not been present earlier. He said he was told, by a garda, that he was not due in court and was told to go home as his name was not on the court list.

‘He told me to go home,” he said repeatedly.

He was given the chance to apolo- gise to the court, which he did, but continued to shout aloud. When he was warned about his conduct, he said, “Send me to jail then because I’m homeless and I want to go to jail because I can sleep.

“Tm an alcoholic. From my heart I apologise,’ he said. The packed courtroom erupted in laughter at Malone’s comments and Judge Joseph Mangan told him, “You can entertain them all in Limerick.”

He jailed him for seven days for contempt.

A FIFTEEN-year driving ban has been handed down to a driver whose jeep dragged a man along as it moved.

John Corry, a builder in his 50s, with an address at Tullycrine, Kilmi- hil, was convicted of dangerous driv- ing, arising out of an incident on Feb- ruary 4, 2009.

Oliver Haugh, a haulier, told Kul- rush District Court that he had done work for John Corry’s son Fergus and was owed €17,300. He said he could not contact Fergus and called to the home of John Corry. He said that John Corry pulled up with a jeep and trailer. He said Mr Corry had to move in off the road so that traffic could pass as the road was narrow. Mr Haugh said Mr Corry was in the jeep and his son Cyril was at the oy: 1e) rey as Lm

“I explained I had been trying to get in contact with Fergus. The next thing someone shouted *Go, Go’ and the jeep took off. I was between the jeep and the trailer. The jeep was moving. I grabbed on to the towbar of the trailer. My feet were being dragged on the ground,” he told the

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He said that the jeep continued to move along the road and he was pulled along. He eventually managed to get off.

‘He slowed down. I was losing my erip. It was a combination of losing my grip and throwing myself off,” he said. He said he sustained “a few scratches and scrapes” to his leg, while his clothing was torn in the incident.

Under cross-examination by de- fending solicitor John Callinan, Mr Haugh said that he had done work for Fergus Corry a year prior to this incident. He had been owed €60,000 initially, but some of this had been paid and the balance was €17,300. The court heard that this was eventu- ally paid off.

Mr Callinan asked Mr Haugh did he feel he was getting the run around and he said he did. “I gave Fergus all the chances. It came out on the grapevine that he was doing a runner and going to Australia, that he was going to Australia with the money. He had a digger. He had a ‘05 Land Cruiser. There was more than me owed money,’ said Mr Haugh.

Mr Callinan put it to him, “It was

you who got nasty and it was you who started to misbehave, rather than John Corry.’ The witness denied this. Mr Callinan asked him, “Could it be that you jumped on to the trailer to stop them pulling away as they pulled away?” Mr Haugh denied this. He said, “All I could do was hold on as best I could and bang on the back cover and shout ‘Stop’.” However, Mr Callinan said to Mr Haugh, “It didn’t happen the way you describe it.”

Another witness, Kieran Kelly said he had also called to Mr Corry’s house that evening. “I was trying to collect money as well. I was owed a lot of money as well,” he said.

He said he saw Mr Haugh caught between the jeep and trailer and said he heard shouting.

John Corry told the court that his son Fergus had operated a civil eng1- neering business and had employed Mr Haugh for about three years prior to the incident before the court. On that evening, he said that Mr Haugh “went to go for Cyril, my son. We drove off.”

He said that when he pulled off, Mr Haugh was “well behind my trailer.”

‘I drove very, very slowly,’ he said. Asked had he dragged Mr Haugh, he

replied, “It never happened.”

Mr Callinan submitted that there was a “complete conflict of evidence. There is insufficient evidence of dan- gerous driving before the court.”

However, Judge Joseph Mangan convicted Mr Corry. The court was told he had three previous convic- tions, the most recent of which was for a motoring offence in 2008. Mr Callinan said his client is a self-em- ployed builder who had been in good circumstances a number of years ago but had been hit by the recession.

He said that a driving ban would have a huge impact on him. “I don’t know what he would do if he was disqualified from driving. It would have a massive impact on him and his family. Some of the previous con- victions are ancient,’ he said.

Judge Mangan imposed a Six- month jail term and disqualified Mr Corry from driving for 15 years. He fixed a bond in the event of an appeal — his own surety of €3,000; €1,000 of which was to be lodged and an in- dependent surety of €3,000; €1,000 of which was to be lodged.

Dismay over swerage delay

THE people of Kilkee are getting their say in the design of a newly improved library and theatre for the town.

As it approaches its 50th birthday the Sweeney Memorial Library in the seaside town is to undergo a make-over that will see it trans- formed into a modern day public IPTOUSI Ae

The redevelopment of the library into a theatre and enhanced library is currently at the brief development stage, and local people will have their say online and through public

submissions in the near future.

Public involvement in the process has been welcomed by Cllr Gabriel Keating (FG) who said it was im- portant that the community was in- volved.

Cllr Pat Keane (FF) told the Kil- rush Area meeting that the develop- ment of the building was a long time in the making. “We are three or four years trying to develop it.”

Cllr Keane raised concerns that Some of the €460,000 donated for the project by the Kilkee Civic Trust may have been lost due to a down- turn in investments, but was quick to add that such development work was

also much less expensive in the cur- rent climate.

Senior Executive Engineer Cyril Feeney informed the meeting that this initial stage of the development process was about “formulating re- quirements, objectives and accom- modation and working with ideas ahead of the formal appointment of a design team.”

Clare County Council architects have already been in consultation with the county arts officer and the county librarian to decide on some of the functions of the new library.

Among the functions proposed for the building is a ground floor library

space with scope for an enhanced li- brary service of all age groups and users, a first floor IT library space Nee Mr DOs. C0 loyialeyi me: Bucr.e

A theatre space with a stage and seating for up to 100 people that will include a film facility will also be part of any final design, as will a first floor multi-function room for use by re

The completed building will con- sist of two floors accessible through lift facilities.

Both theatre and library will be de- signed to work independently of one another, but will share core facilities such as toilets and exhibition area.

PASCHAL Carmody is to be retried on charges of defrauding terminally ill cancer patients, after the High Court cleared the way for the case to go ahead.

Last week, the court rejected claims by Pascal Carmody (61), of Bal- lycuggaran, Killaloe, that there had been a delay by the DPP in bringing the charges against him.

The High Court dismissed the claim that Mr Carmody’s right to a fair trial has been prejudiced by the unavailability of a witness, a former patient who has died.

The charges relate to 2001 and 2002. Mr Carmody went on trial at Ennis Circuit Court in 2008. The jury returned not guilty verdicts on six of 17 charges and could not agree a ver- dict on the 11 remaining charges.

Separately, at Ennis District Court on Friday, Mr Carmody was refused leave to appeal a conviction imposed in the district court in Killaloe in Jan- VF Na Yae0 Oe

His lawyers said that while it was unusual to make application after such a length of time had elapsed, the circumstances were “unusual.”

“Mr Carmody was embroiled in se- rious litigation since then. He hasn’t

had a chance to put his mind to mat- ters. In relation to what happened to Mr Carmody as a result of these charges, he was investigated. He was Struck off,’ said his barrister. He said Mr Carmody wanted the opportunity to “attempt to clear his name. In the

interests of justice and in the intere- stof his constitutional rights, I’d ask you to allow him to at least attempt to appeal.”

He said that immediately after the conviction in 2003, the Fitness to Practice committee began to inves-

tigate his client. That case went to the High Court and then criminal in- vestigations began and these are still ongoing.

‘He hasn’t had a chance to consid- er these applications. He feels he was wrongly advised on that occasion

and there were defences available to him that he did not avail of.

“There has been a lot of publicity surrounding Mr Carmody in the last number of years and in those circum- stances, he has not turned up in court today,” said his barrister.

However, state solicitor for Clare, Martin Linnane said this was, ac- cording to the Irish Medicines Board (IMB), “an abuse of process.” He said Mr Carmody had pleaded guilty to 11 charges – in January 2003 – in relation to the manufacture for sale of certain medical products without permission from the IMB.

“The IMB is of the view it is seven years since this case. He pleaded guilty,” he said.

Judge Joseph Mangan refused the application. He said it was unprec- edented, in his experience, for an extension to be sought, some seven years after a case was heard in the district court. “Even if I reject Mr Linnane’s submissions, I still have no evidence to support the conten- tions made by counsel. The applicant has chosen not to attend court today to substantiate any of the grounds. . . He’s not here to support his applica- tion,” he said.