The Clare People Archive

A SHOUTING match across the council chamber, name-calling and councillors refusing to take their chair was all part of the first meeting of Clare’s new county council.

It was a baptism of fire for Cllr Tony Mulcahy (FG) on Friday as he was named mayor of Clare, when newly re-elected councillor James Breen (Ind) got to his feet and opposed the selection process that saw the Shan- non man take the chair.

Watched by a large crowd in the public gallery, six novice councillors and two who like himself regained their lost seat, the former Fianna Fail councillor raised his first objection during the nomination process.

Cllr Mucahy was proposed for the top job in the council chamber by Cllr John Crowe (FG) and seconded by Cllr Patricia McCarthy (Ind) as Nea ueere MO LeU MUN Tcar-U 0m or-DUR MRED I ecp

As Cllr McCarthy finished her speech of support for Cllr Mulcahy, Cllr Breen stood up and said, “I can- not support what I believe is a power sharing agreement.”

The outgoing mayor and chair of the first half of the meeting, Madeleine Taylor Quinn (FG) asked the coun- cillor to limit his comments to nomi- nating a candidate for mayor.

The Kilnamona councillor re- mained standing, stating he was ob- jecting to the selection process.

“Are you proposing? Then if you are not, resume your seat,” said Ms

Taylor Quinn.

With no other proposals forthcom- ing, she then deemed Cllr Mulcahy elected. Cllr Breen continued to stand, and continued to object.

“Put it on the record there is one person descending,’ Ms _ Taylor Quinn told the county secretary as she prepared to hand over the chain of office. Cllr Breen remained stand- ing as the chain was presented, much

to the distress of the new mayor’s family and friends.

During his acceptance speech, the new mayor thanked the councillors for “your almost unanimous sup- port here’. At the end of the mayor’s speech, Cllr Breen got to his feet again and, after some protest, said he wanted to wish the mayor well and again make his point.

Cllr McCarthy told the council it

was disingenuous of the councillor to say he was objecting because he was an independent councillor and accused him of turning his mobile phone off when the final deal was being agreed.

“You are a maverick. That is what you are and what you will always be,” she said and accused him of “go- ing on with baloney”.

Again Cllr Breen was on his feet demanding in a loud voice to reply to Cllr McCarthy. “This is not going to be the James Breen Road Show,” warned the mayor. He continued to ask to speak on a point of order.

Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) then took to his feet and shouted across the chamber at Cllr Breen.

“Reference the point of order’ and “respect the mayor,” he repeated.

Cllr Breen said that he wanted to decide with his election team whether he would be part of the deal to which Cllr Meaney said, “You did not know what it was.”

“You are not in Dail Eireann now,’ said Cllr Kelly.

Cllr Breen eventually took to his SorsLMre DELO MSIODN (COD

“Tam very sorry that your election has been turned into a circus by one member of the council,” said Cllr Joe Arkins (FG) to the mayor.

Shannon can ‘survive and thrive’

THE Minister for Finance, Brian Lenihan has been accused of being “out of touch with reality” for his re- fusal to back down on the €10 air- port travel tax.

Clare TD Joe Carey (FG) yesterday called on the finance minister to “get real’ and withdraw the tax, which he claims is having a devastating effect on the tourist industry in Clare and the mid-west.

“The Minister for Finance needs to get real here and look at what is happening in the region. Ryanair cut their aircraft from four to three last

week, with a resulting loss in jobs, directly as a result of this tax that adds 100 per cent to the cost of their average winter fare out of Shannon,’ said Carey.

“Initially Ryanair had six aircraft based at Shannon. I have spoken with Michael O’Leary on a one-to-one ba- sis and he has said that Ryanair will restore these lost aircraft and routes based in Shannon if the tax is with- ole-bene

‘The experience in Europe, in Bel- gium for example, is that the govern- ment there introduced this tax and quickly withdrew it because of the negative impact it was having on

their tourist industry. Likewise, there was a similar experience in Holland. Ireland is a small open economy and an island nation that depends on air navigation to support our tourist market and business interests.”

Deputy Carey put an official Dail question to Minister Lenihan last week, requesting that the tax be re- moved.

In response, the finance minister claimed to have taken account of concerns raised by the regional air- ports by introducing a lower rate of €2 which applies to destinations less than 300kms from Dublin Airport.

“Estimates are that the travel tax

will raise somewhere in the region of €60-100 million per annum for the Government,” continued Deputy Cre

‘“That’s the same kind of money they threw away on E-voting ma- chines. The estimated loss in tourist revenue, though, to the region from the withdrawal of services due to the travel tax 1s estimated at twice that, at €200 million.

“The fact 1s, this tax was introduced with little afterthought as to how it would operate, what the long-term impacts would be, and what effect it would have on regional airports. It has proved disastrous.”

AT LAST Wednesday’s launch of the HSE’s newest Primary Care Team in Scariff, chief executive Pro- fessor Brendan Drumm said that by the end of 2011 everyone in the coun- try should be able to access up to 95 per cent of the care they need within their local community.

The teams provide an easy access point to local health and personal social care services such as GPs, physiotherapy, public health nursing, diagnostic services, occupational therapy, speech and language thera- py, community welfare and support for chronic illnesses such as diabetes Niemen aeueet:b

The east Clare PCT comprises of five GPs and 13 existing HSE staff who provide services to a approxi- mately 9,750 people, a large propor- tion of which is elderly, over a wide geographical but sparsely popu- lated area taking in Scariff, Tulla, O’Callaghan’s Mills, Broadford, Bodyke, Tuamgraney, Ogonnel- loe, Mountshannon, Whitegate and Feakle.

Scariff GP, Dr Conor McGee said the basic premise behind the Prima- ry Care Teams is that more services will be available locally as patients would have had to travel to Ennis or Limerick for these services.

“If you also consider the travel time, hospital staff hours, laboratory time and more particularly how the pa- tients and their families/carers may have to organise their lives around appointments, having these services available locally is very significant. It certainly has improved access to

services and the quality of people’s lives; clients are seen in a more timely fashion by health care profes- sionals whom they are familiar with, thereby often resulting in a more sat- isfactory outcome for both client and health care worker,” he said.

The members of the east Clare Primary Care Team are based in a number of locations including Scar- riff, Tulla, Broadford and Raheen. Additional staff have been appoint- ed to support the team including a physiotherapist, a registered nurse, and an occupational therapist, while

the newly appointed speech and lan- guage therapist and podiatrist will support more than one team.

The team meets on a monthly basis when clients with complex and mul- tiple health care needs are discussed and action plans agreed upon. Team members share their collective expe- rience and knowledge in a manner that allows the best possible action plan for a specific client to be formu- lated.

Waiting times have fallen signifi- cantly for physiotherapy and occupa- tional therapy and services are now

available locally. Referral pathways for access to respite services have been developed with the Community Nursing Unit, while a leg ulcer clinic has commenced and will be further developed.

Other team initiatives have been identified as priorities including breastfeeding support, minor sur- gery and a diabetic initiative.

TURF cutting rights going back generations are threatening to derail plans for a €50 million windfarm near Lissycasey.

Last month, ESB subsidiary, Hiber- nian Windpower lodged plans for an eleven turbine 410 ft high windfarm at Boolneagleragh three kilometres from Lissycasey. The windfarm was to be developed on a 180 hectare site and Hibernian said it would produce 27.5MW otf electricity.

However, it is not the windfarm’s environmental impacts that ag- grieved locals, but the effect it would have on their “turbary rights’ to cut turf for domestic use which has been carried on for centuries in rural ar- Crh

26 separate submissions have been

made by turbary right holders, in- cluding the newly established Boo- lynagleragh Tubridy Rights Action Committee.

In his submission, Patrick J Warren states that his family has exercised their turbary rights since the 1940s.

‘Every year, between the months of May and August, the turf is harvest- ed from the bog to provide fuel for the household and the extended fam- ily households of my seven children in Cork, Dublin and around Clare. Exercising our turbary rights is part of my family’s heritage. Having worked with my own father on our bogs, I have passed the tradition on to my own seven children and indeed my grandchildren, who enjoy taking part in his familial activity.

NS) eLeLUU CCM deb mures slmolomcinu lO) OSem AUER YA it will be sorely missed and regret-

ted by my family and generations of Warrens to come. I am highly dismayed and disgusted to have not been consulted by Hibernian Wind- Power Ltd in relation to the proposed development of the wind-farm in our bog.

In a separate submission, William Pyne of Kilmaley stated that both himself and his family had been cut- ting turf in this bog for the past 50 years.

“It 1s of the utmost importance to me that my turf cutting rights are not infringed and that access to my bog is not in any way violated. I am also concerned that if planning is grant- ed, it will have financial implications for me as I use the turf from this bog to heat my house.

“IT would like to express my dis- belief that neither Hibernian Wind

Farm nor Clare County Council have been in contact with the people of whom these proposed developments have an impact on.

James O’Connor, Lisheen, Ballyna- cally said the turbary right had been in his family for generations and they continue to cut and dry turf ona yearly basis. There was no consulta- tion between turbary rights holders and Hibernian Wind Power and he was concerned that the development would have an adverse impact on his turbary rights.

Michael Maher of Inch, Kilmaley said he was very worried that the windfarm and turbines could stop him using the rights which both he and his family were using for 20 Wer Duce

The is due to make a decision on the application next month.

PUPILS past and present turned out to Doonbeg National School last Fri- day for the official opening of the new school. Clare TD Tony Killeen officially did the honours of opening the €1.1 million school while Bishop Willie Walshe was also on hand to bless the new building.

The new school features large new classrooms, a general purpose room, a staff room, and secretary’s of- fice and a state of the art computer room.

“The computer room was funded in the main by the Doonbeg Golf Club society who provided us with 12 com- puters, laptops for each teacher, an interactive whiteboard and they even put in the furniture for the room as well. Local woman Connie Killeen was very instrumental in getting that off the ground,” said Principal, Mary Egan. “The also provided funding for a computer teacher to come to the school and each class get an hour a week of computer classes. It’s a great advantage for the children to get. Our sixth class pupils going into second- ary school would be more advanced than most of the children already in secondary school.”

The new school, which was com- pleted more than two years ago, was made possible as a result of a €600,000 Government grant as well as the proceeds from the sale of the old school building.

That building served the communi- ty well for more than 100 years, but had become too small and there was no room to extend or for a play area. The school has a long standing trad1-

tion of speaking Irish stretching back to its founding

‘The school is very much the heart of the community and it was good to see so many local people at the open- ing. I am a great believer in keeping

those links between the school and the community in place,” said Mary.

“We have always been very in- volved in things like the Tidy Towns and children take part in arts compe- titions run by the drama festival or

Willie Keane Festival. It’s important to be part of the community.”

IT was another first for the Fine Gael party in Clare on Friday last when the outgoing mayor Madeleine Tay- lor Quinn handed over the chain of office to Shannon County Councillor Tony Mulcahy.

The west Clare woman was the first member of the party to be selected as the county’s chairperson so, when she presented it to the newly selected mayor, it was another first for the party’s annals.

As well as marking new begin- nings, it also marked the end of an era as the former TD, senator, mayor and councillor took a “break” from elected politics. For the first time in 30 years, Ms Taylor Quinn will not be an elected representative.

Friday also brought to an end the 54-year service of the Taylor family to Clare political life.

The historic occasion was marked with cross-party well wishes for the politician who maintains that she is not retiring, just merely taking a break.

Leading the well wishers was Clare’s new mayor Cllr Mulcahy (FG) who described her as a “great campaigner and politician and a great friend.”

Cllr PJ Kelly paid tribute to her on behalf of the Fianna Fail party, while the council’s youngest member Cllr Cathal Crowe (FF) said, “You were extrememly fair and represented this council well in a difficult 12 months.”

“T wish you well and think you now deserve a break,’ said Cllr Oliver Cream ea GaP

Cllr Christy Curtin (Ind) described her as a “wonderful ambassador”.

Ms Taylor Quinn thanked her coun- cil colleagues and the council staff for their support during her term as mayor.

She wished the new councillors well before vacating the council chamber for the last time.

Among those new councillors was Fine Gael’s Pat Burke who in his maiden speech paid tribute to the outgoing mayor and said his only re-

eret was that he did not get to serve etd aoe

Ms ‘Taylor Quinn had a distin- guished career in politics as the only Clare Fine Gael TD ever to sit on the front bench. She was a member of the seanad and a member of Clare County Council and also ran for the Fine Gael in the European elections of 2004.

RESIDENTS of Cloughleigh no longer feel safe and in some cases are too afraid to sleep at night because of recent violent activity in the area.

The concerns were expressed at a public meeting in Ennis last Friday where there were also calls for En- nis Town Council to more effectively monitor tenants living under shared ownership schemes.

The meeting at Waterpark House was attended by senior members of the Gardai in Ennis, local coun- cilors, TDs, community representa-

tives and a large number of residents from Cloughleigh.

It follows an incident ten days ago when a grenade was thrown into a house on Childer’s Road, the latest in a series linked to a feud between two settled Traveller famillies.

No one was injured though 10 homes in the area were evacuated. Local resident Marie Miller told the meeting that she was one of the peo- ple who had to leave her home on the night in question.

“Tam living in constant fear. I can’t sleep at night,” she said.

A former resident, Tina Lysaght,

described how she had enjoyed a “happy childhood” when growing up in Cloughleigh.

She said there were many decent people living in Cloughleigh but that she was seriously alarmed by the lat- est violence.

“T have three children and I had a happy childhood in Cloughleigh but I wouldn’t bring them up there. It’s not going to happen,’ she said.

Dolores Nevin, community repre- sentative with RAPID, said a strong sense of community existed in Cloughleigh. She praised the com- mitment of gardai but added that

people were afraid.

‘For the first time in my life, in my community, I don’t feel safe. I heard two fire brigades going by the other night and my heart nearly stopped. Thankfully it was nothing sinister. But do we have to live like this,’ she said.

Ms Nevin also called for more ef- fective monitoring by Ennis Town Council of houses rented under shared ownership schemes

The schemes allow residents to enter into a joint ownership arrange- ment on property with Ennis Town Council. Residents agree to pay 50

per cent of the mortgage on a prop- erty with the council responsible for the other half.

Town manager Ger Dollard said that the council maintained a moni- toring role on houses in shared own- ership schemes.

Flan Brennan, community repre- Sentative with RAPID, said that a lot of “tremendous work” had been done through the programme.

He said Cloughleigh had been let down by certain sections of the com- munity, but added that it was only a “small number’ who were engaged in criminal activity.

A MAN who damaged two cars in Kilkee has been handed a six-month [EMmKour

Jason Tupper (22), who is from Doonaha, Kilkee, but who is living in Limerick, pleaded guilty to dam- aging the cars.

Detective Garda Oliver Downes told Kilrush District Court that the cars were damaged in Kilkee last October. €150 worth of damage was done to one, while €186 worth of damage was done to the other. He said the accused admitted being in- volved in both incidents.

Defending solicitor Eugene O’ Kelly said his client “was acting stupidly” and had consumed alcohol at the time. He said the accused wanted an opportunity to pay compensation.

The court heard the accused has a number of previous convictions, mainly for public order.

Judge Joseph Mangan imposed a six-month jail term and fixed a bond in the event of an appeal.

A MAN has been convicted of bur- gling a house in Kilrush, in a case that centered on a fingerprint which was found at the scene.

Bartosz Ksiazkiewicz (24), of Cui- snace, Cappagh, Kilrush, had denied a charge of burgling a house at Clo- verhill, Moyadda, Kilrush, in June 2008.

The case was heard in court in April and was adjourned for a deci- sion by Judge Joseph Mangan.

He said in court last week that he was convicting the accused and im- posed a three-month jail sentence. He fixed a bond in the event of an appeal.

During the hearing of the case, a woman told the court that when she returned to her home at Moyadda, Kilrush on the date in question, she

initially did not realise the house had been burgled, “as there were no visu- al signs at the time.”

However, she later realised that a computer, camera and mobile phone were missing. No damage had been caused.

She said the defendant was known to her husband and he had been in her house previously.

A garda who examined fingerprints found at the scene told the court that one of four prints examined matched a fingerprint taken from the ac- Corer

The defendant told the court he had visited the house in question quite often. Asked how his fingerprint was found on the window frame, he said he did not know, but that it may be because he had opened the window. He said he did not break into the house.