The Clare People Archive

THE curtain came down last night on the 15th annual Ennis Trad Fes- tival. A performance by the Alan Kelly Quartet rounded off the festi- val, which organisers are hailing as AME CLentoe

Committee member Kevin Finu- cane said the four-day festival drew big crowds.

“There seems to have been a good crowd around alright; particularly on the Saturday for the Lunasa gig but there seems to have been good crowds around all weekend. We haven’t got an official figure on the numbers yet but in terms of musicians, there was a big turnout. Talking to the pubs where there were sessions on, there seems to have been a lot of people around. It’s a sign that music brings people to the pubs,” he said.

This year’s festival had been in doubt but its future was secured through increased support from En- nis Town Council, local businesses, the Vintner’s Federation and the ar-

rival of Guinness as main festival Sponsor.

““T think the fact that there was doubt about it, more people came along to support it. Between concerts and ses- sions, CD launches and workshops, there was an awful lot going on. The hotels were full. You couldn’t get ac- commodation anywhere so I think that’s a fair indication of the amount of people that were around,’ added Kevin.

The festival kicked off on Thursday night with a performance by Clare band Moher at the Temple Gate Ho- tel. Saturday night saw some of the best traditional bands face off against each other in the West County Hotel for the Ard Ghaisce na mBuionta, or Great Band Challenge.

Trad band Lunasa drew big crowds to the Auburn Lodge for their per- formance, also on Saturday night.

Sunday saw two legends of tradi- tional Irish music, Frankie Gavin and ‘Tony McMahon, take to the stage for a rare joint concert at the Old Ground Hotel.

TANAISTE Mary Couglan has ad- mitted that the money is not there to implement all of the recommen- dations made by the Mid-West Task Force which was set up in the wake of massive job losses at Dell.

The Task Force was appointed by the Tanaiste herself after Dell an- nounced it was moving all of its manufacturing process to Poland, taking 2,000 wagepackets directly out of the economy and causing fur- ther job-losses in companies depend- ant on feeding the Dell plant.

After his interim report to Govern- ment, Denis Brosnan, Chairman of

the Task Force, said that any further work done by him and the Task Force would be a “waste of time’ unless the recommendations published four months ago are implemented.

Among those recommendations were that the Government should tackle costs in Ireland, to accelerate the regeneration programme in Lim- erick and to improve back to educa- tion allowance schemes.

Speaking before taking the mike at the Shannon Development ‘Dynamic Regions – Directions in Regional De- velopment’ conference last Friday the Tanaiste and Minister for Enter- prise said that while a lot of the rec- ommendations which have a national

context are being addressed, she stressed that “it has to be said that we don’t have the financial wherewithal to implement every recommendation that there is.”

But she promised that she and her government colleagues “will be bringing together two or three items that need to be addressed here in the context of the Task Force here to see if we can find the financial where- withal in next year’s budget to allow that to happen.”

The Tanaiste was speaking to the conference as Government employ- ees took to the streets to protest at proposed cuts in pay and revised work practices.

The Tanaiste told the conference that a “seismic change in attitude” is need in the public sector.

Citing the example of Shannon De- velopment “who did their own reor- ganisation without a word about it” she said that if public sector employ- ees are not prepared to co-operate to get the balance right “then Govern- ment will have to make a decision… everyone will have to take a reduc- tion in their standard of living. Many people in the private sector have done this in order to keep their jobs.

“A lot of people in the private sec- tor have lost their jobs and it is part of my portfolio to try and get those people back to work again and attract

more jobs to this country and support entrepreneurship,” the Tanaiste con- tinued.

Speaking to the conference itself, she said “I believe regional devel- Opment is now more important than ever. To be more competitive and innovative, we need more regional actions on the ground to devise so- lutions to help us on the road to na- tional recovery.

“IT believe the time for strong re- gional development is now. Mobilis- ing the contribution of each region to national competitiveness is at forefront of what we do. Strong re- gions will help us grow and sustain a strong national economy.”

that he believes the measure is “short term gain but to- tally counter productive”.

The renowned Jim Power, Chief Economist with Friend’s First was speaking in advance of his presenta- tion at “Dynamic Regions – Future

Directions in Regional Develop- ment’, which was organised by Shan- non Development to mark its 50th

anniversary. Describing the tax as a “totally counterproductive measure’ he

warned that the “tourism product in Ireland is already under pressure. Getting people to come to Ireland in the current economy is already dif- ficult.”

He said he is in “100 per cent agree- ment with Michael O’Leary about the long-term damage this will do. This tax is a short term measure with

long-term consequences.”

Speaking as workers from the pub- lic and private sector converged on cities around the country for a na- tional day of protest last Friday, Pow- er said the public service employees and unions will have to face facts and “will have to get their heads out of the sand. We have allowed the cost base in this country to get totally out of control over the past decade and that has to be brought down. Any- thing else would be disastrous for the jaUinel none

And he added that with high unem-

ployment in the mid-west, proper uti- lisation of the Task Force appointed by the Tanaiste, Shannon Develop- ment and other agencies is “vital”.

Speaking at the event in Limerick’s Thomond Park Conference Centre, Power said, “Continued ongoing in- vestment in access – by that I mean transport infrastructure such as ports, airport, rail and road, 1s criti- cal for the mid-west economy.

“Also critical for the region and Ireland generally will be a competti- tively priced power supply, without this economic and commercial activ-

ity will be in jeopardy. Broadband infrastructure will be another key business and economic enabler. Ac- cess to high speed broadband is an essential “must have’ on every inves- tors shopping list.

“A highly skilled flexible workforce iS a prerequisite to many FDI compa- nies in their search for a new base. If any of these basic requirements are missing or weak in a region, then it puts that area at a huge disadvantage. This is why it is vital to continue to invest in these key economic driv- ne

Bredin’s rebuild gets go-ahead

A NUMBER of residents who had to evacuate their homes as a result of a fire that burned down Bredin’s hard- ware on Station Road in Ennis have failed in their bid to halt the redevel- opment of the site.

The well-known Ennis store burned down in November 2007 causing a number of houses to evacuated for a number of days and, in one instance, for a number of months.

Last year, Galileo Enterprises Ltd lodged plans to replace the structure and these were approved by Ennis Town Council. The directors of Gal- ileo Enterprises Ltd are local busi- nessmen, Noel Connellan and Dan Moran and its most recent returns show that it has accumulated profits OR OPA Pa ribelnleie

However, Maeve Hoey, Paul Bar- rett (on behalf of the Estate of the late Mrs M.R. Barrett) and Sile Gin- nane lodged an appeal against the council decision on the grounds of privacy and security of their houses . They maintained that the application was “thoroughly unclear and unsat- isfactorily”’.

They maintained that there should be an overall site masterplan which would set the design quality for the remainder of the brownfield site.

An earlier submission to the coun- cil from the residents stated that “the fire at Bredin’s premises put their homes at risk to fire, smoke and as-

bestos, resulting in evacuation for a number of days to several months for some residents and the clean-up which took many months to com- ey Kome

“This experience has undermined our confidence in the close proxim- ity of large retail and warehouse units and we are not distressed with the scale of what is indicated in the masterplan site of this application,” they claimed.

However, in his recommendation, the Bord Pleanala inspector stated that “the proposed development does not represent a significant departure from the current use of the surround-

ing area and would not require justi- fication by a masterplan”.

The inspector stated that “the type and scale of the proposed uses would be in keeping with those established on the site and the proposed building would be in keeping with the charac- ter of the area”.

“The development would not seri- ously injure the amenities of proper- ties in the vicinity of the site. it would not give rise to traffic hazard or con- gestion or place an undue demand on the water and sewerage services in the area

As a result, the Board ruled that “having regard to the established use

of the site and to its planning history, the grant of permission and to the pattern of development in the vicin- ity, the proposed development would not seriously injure the character of the area or the amenities of property in the vicinity, would not be prejudi- cial to public health and would be ac- ceptable in terms of traffic safety and convenience’.

THE people of Clare are willing to pay for the long-term sustainability of some of the county’s most under threat natural environments.

According to anew survey commis- sioned by the Carron-based Burren- LIFE project, which was presented at the organisation’s seminar in Gort yesterday, it is estimated that the public was willing to pay farmers as much as €842 per hectare if it meant the protection of the biodiversity of the Burren.

“Using internationally recognised researched methods, we have been able to show that the Irish taxpayer

is willing to pay farmers to continue to deliver these services,” said head researcher Tom van Rensburg.

“This is a really interesting find- ing at a time when the national REP Scheme has been closed to new en- Wee D ea

The research also showed that the farming for conservation methods practiced as part of the BurrenLIFE’s method would improve water quality in the area.

The research found that many farm fields in the study did not have nutrient inputs that exceed the re- quirements of the animals and grass erowth. Areas at risk are those sub- ject to point sources of contamina-

tion, such as round feeders for silage, animals having access to streams and springs.

Other findings presented yesterday include those of Dr James Moran of Sligo IT who, together with Teagasc officials, developed a tailored feed- ing system using [rish-sourced GM- free ingredients to sustain cattle on Burren hills over the winter.

BurrenLIFE’s Dr Sharon Parr showcased some of the initial find- ings of the BLP’s ecological moni- toring work. This work indicated that grazing can help increase biodiver- sity of limestone grasslands but that scrub encroachment remains a major problem in the Burren, one that will

require direct intervention.

“Burren farmers are piloting a farm- ing system which has significantly increased their household income level through on-farm conservation measures including the maintenance of dry-stone walls, scrub removal work and the development of ‘con- servation grade’ Burren beef and lamb,’ said Ruairi O Conchuir of the BurrenLIFE Project.

The pilot phase of the EC LIFE Nature funded project is scheduled to finish in January 2010. Funding has been allocated for the roll-out of conservation farming in the area but no additional funding has been al- located as an operational budget for

BurrenLIFE.

“We can show that the Burren- LIFE model of farming can help increase biodiversity on our farms while maintaining animal health, water quality and farmer income,” said BurrenLIFE Project Manager, Brendan Dunford.

“What’s more, we know the costs involved in this and we now know that society is willing to meet these costs as they generate significant public benefits.”

THOUSANDS of Clare farmers are still unable to make any provisions for 2010 as the future of the REPS scheme remains in doubt.

The Department of Agriculture failed to release any information on the possible restructure of the scheme at last week’s Teagasc REPS conference prompting the IFA to ac- cuse the Government of dragging its feat on the scheme.

The Department of Agriculture has been involved in a consultation proc- ess on the future of the scheme with stakeholders for more than three Tae) el ete

“It is high time the Minister for Agriculture, Brendan Smith, in- structs his department to put in place a meaningful scheme for the 30,000 farmers who will be leaving REPS 3 over the next two years,” said IFA Rural Development Chairman, Tom shitelars

“The allocation of funding indi- cated, over the next four years of the scheme, is woefully inadequate and will translate into payment levels that will make the scheme unattrac- tive to farmers.”

Meanwhile, Minister Smith was talking up the importance of the Irish agri-food sector at last week’s

Ireland the Food Island Awards.

“The Irish food industry is deeply embedded in the Irish economy and is vital to our future. It draws on our natural resources and the expertise of key market players to produce nearly one third of the net export earnings from primary and manufacturing industry which are so vital to our economy,’ he said.

‘‘As a sector where huge investment has been made in high standards of food safety and quality, it is also well placed to continue to contribute to the food security of millions beyond WOT EsDOLem

“Developing strong business rela- tionships through the supply chain, leveraging the capability in food re- search now available in the country and considering strategic consolida- tion can contribute to holding current markets and positioning the industry for growth in the new markets, which will emerge in the upturn.”

Minister Smith said the shape of the CAP post 2013 will also impact on the future of the agri-food industry. Food security and climate change will represent key global challenges requiring a strategic and joined up approach. They will also influence the ongoing work on the 2020 strat- egy for the development of the Irish agri-food sector.

THE Labour Party in Clare has ex- perienced a resurgence, as those frustrated by the political incumbent flock to the left.

A new branch of the party has been set up in Ennistymon, with the Shan- non branch expanding by 15 new members. The Ennis branch has also seen its numbers multiply.

While Labour is usually associated with the more urban areas of Clare,

rural areas are now developing branches and joining the fold.

Talks are to begin in the com- ing weeks in Kilrush with a view to forming a Labour branch for the west.

In the last number of weeks the branch in Ennis has expanded, with new members joining the party from throughout the county and lapsed members returning to the fold.

Clare County Councillor Paschal FitzGerald attributes the growing

success of the party to its leader, Eamon Gilmore TD, who is consist- ently the most popular party leader HOMO semereleuN Ame

“We plan to make the party bigger in Clare again. It is great to see peo- ple taking the initiative. I am getting calls from people from all over the county, many are interested in join- ing and many more are just interest- ed in helping out,” he said.

Secretary of the Clare Labour Party, Seamus Ryan believes that the

move towards the Labour Party sig- nals disillusionment with society and politics among the general public.

‘People recognise that Fianna Fail has let them down and there is a lack of leadership from that party,’ he Sr ntGe

‘People now feel if ordinary peo- ple don’t come out and make a stand then this cycle is going to continue.”

Labour in Clare is now planning to capitalise on the unpopularity of the Government parties and re-launched its constituency organisation at a meeting in the West County Hotel last week.

Chaired by Limerick TD Jan O’Sullivan, members from through- out the county attended to hear the message that Labour has a his- toric opportunity to make electoral progress in the next general election.

Labour has branches in Ennis, Shannon, Ennistymon and Parteen and members say it is ready to con- test the next election in every district in Clare.

The last Clare Labour TD was Dr Moosajee Bhamjee. The outspoken consultant psychiatrist was elected to the Dail in 1992.

In the local elections last June, the Labour Party retained one county council seat, two seats on Shannon Town Council and secured a seat on Ennis Town Council.

CLARE County Council has sought funding for the demolition of the Tradaree Court flats in Shannon and the project will be a priority for next year.

Town councillors were told last week the council is hopeful that the funding application, from the depart- ment, will be successful. Funding has also been sought for site suitabil- ity and feasibility studies.

Sinn Féin Councillor Cathy Mc- Cafferty raised the issue at a meet- ing of Shannon Town Council, where she called for the demolition of the flats to be discussed. “I don’t want

the same situation happening with the Tradaree flats as happened with Cluain Airne in the past,” she said.

“The front areas have overgrown to the extent they are tearing the legs off people passing. I don’t want to see the same going up again,’ she said.

Independent Councillor Gerry Flynn said some of the flats are “old and dilapidated”. He said there are more than 300 houses in that area and he would like to see a green field site there when the flats are demol- ished.

Independent Councillor Patricia McCarthy said, “I don’t know would we want that whole area a green area where we could have anti-social be-

haviour going on.”

Labour Councillor Tony McMa- hon said, “I’d be interested to know what’s the situation around these. I certainly wouldn’t like to see another structure of the same type and in the same place. I think it would be good to look at it and see could a differ- ent type of accommodation be pro- vided.”

“T believe if something gets fund- ing, it should be within an area or within the town,’ he said.

Fine Gael Councillor Mike Flem- ing said, “My biggest fear is the loca- tion where it would be removed to. The last thing I’d like to see going into an area like that would be apart-

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He said the option of building sin- gle houses, rather than apartments, should be considered.

The town manager Bernadette Kin- sella said that discussions on the fu- ture of that area were never brought to aconclusion, “but what is agreed is that they have to be demolished and that is one of our priority projects for next year”.

“What isn’t agreed is where any replacement dwellings would go. We need to carry out site feasibility and suitability studies. Any replacement development would require us to go through a consultation process,’ add- ed Ms Kinsella.

RESIDENTS in the Cronan area of Shannon are calling for a bus shelter to be put in place in their locality. The previous shelter was removed, af- ter local residents complained about anti-social behaviour in its vicinity. Councillor Mike Fleming (FG) called for the shelter to be replaced, but was told — in a written response at this month’s meeting of Shannon Town Council — that “re-erecting a bus shelter at the same location as be-

fore would not be welcomed by local residents and is therefore not recom- mended”’.

Cllr Fleming said he was not happy with the response. “An 18-page peti- tion has been filled out in that area,” he said.

He added that a survey carried out showed that 78 people use the bus Shelter in the area, most of who are old-age pensioners.

Independent Councillor Patricia McCarthy said the shelter cannot be located in the same position as it was

previously.

Cllr Tony Mulcahy (FG) said, “Somebody needs to do foot pa- trol down there and talk to the resi- Clonee

Labour Councillor Tony McMahon said that the bus service in the area is very popular. “There has to be a degree of consultation with all the parties in the area. A solution must be found and a bus shelter must be put there. If that means the council or somebody has to do surveys, that’s what needs to be done. It is the high-

est use of bus service in the town,’ JnTomcte BCG B

His party colleague, Councillor Greg Duff agreed. “I understand there 1s a need for a bus shelter there in the vicinity, not at that exact spot,’ |nTemcteBCG

Sinn Féin Councillor Cathy McCat- ferty said there is a “dire need” for a bus shelter in the Cronan area.

The mayor of Shannon, Council- lor Sean McLoughlin (FG) said he would support the suggestion that a survey be carried out.