The Clare People Archive

THE promise of a belated Lisdoonvarna pub crawl is bringing Oscar winning director Cynthia Wade, to North Clare this St Patrick’s Day where she will film one of the most original musical groups ever to form.

Wade, who won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2008 and was nominated for a second Oscar in 2012, is currently producing a documentary on groundbreaking American group, the Hutchins Consort.

The Hutchins Consort is the only group in the world who play violin octets – a collection of eight violintype instruments, which are each of a different size and produce a different sound.

Wade is currently working on a new documentary on the group and its founder, the late Carleen Hutchins who invented the instruments. The family of the band’s leader Joe McNally visited the Roadside Tavern in Lisdoonvarna two years ago and that prompted him to bring filming all the way to Ireland.

“When I heard of the group I sent an email to them them over in San Diego, saying that they had got me interested. The man I spoke to was Joe McNally and as luck would have it his whole family had been in the Roadhouse in Lisdoonvarna two years ago and Joe had missed the night,” said Peter Curtin of the Roadside Tavern,

“So when he decided to come over, he said it was make up for the pub crawl that he missed two years before. It’s a very exciting event. Where else in the west of Ireland would you get an Oscar winning director coming to film this incredible group on St Patrick’s Day.”

Footage from the Roadside Tavern will be used as part of Wade’s latest film, ‘Second Fiddle’, which tells the story of Carleen Hutchins. Wade has won festival accolades all over the world including at the Academy Awards, Primetime Emmys, Sundance Film Festival, Palm Springs, Aspen and the Hamptons, as well as film festival awards in Spain, Italy, Argentina and Belgium.

The Hutchins Consort will perform at the Roadside Tavern St Patrick’s Day, Monday March 17, from 2pm.

DONALD Trump could become the unlikely bed-fellow of Fracking Free Clare following the purchase of Doonbeg Gold Course and the Lodge at Doonbeg by the American billionaire last month.

UK-based company Enegi Oil are currently exploring the prospect of hydraulic fracturing or fracking in the Clare basin and an abandoned mine just south of Doonbeg is the centre for its exploration.

With the Doonbeg site less than ten kilometres from Doonbeg Gold Club, it is likely that some evidence of fracking will be visible from Trump’s new purchase, should Enegi Oil be granted a license to proceed to a commercial operation.

Trump has, in the past, been a vocal supporter of fracking in America. In a tweet from 2012 he said that fracking would lead to American “energy independence” and described it as a “tremendous advantage” for the country. In more recent times however, he has opposed a number of energy producing developments which interfered with his own property, most notable an off shore wind energy factory in Scotland.

Fracking Free Clare said yesterday that it would welcome Mr Trump to join the anti-fracking campaign in the Clare basin and said that if he is serious about tourism, he will oppose fracking.

“Time will tell if he will become an ally. If he is interested in devel- oping tourism in West Clare, and in particular in the Doonebg area, then he could be a great help to our cause, because you cannot have tourism and fracking in the same place,” said Lorraine Hughes of fracking Free Clare.

“If he is really interested in tourism and developing what we have in West Clare, then he could be a brilliant ally. People are not going to want to go on holidays or play golf beside a big fracking platform.

“If this goes ahead there would definitely be a drilling platform next door to the golf club in Doonbeg. If he [Donald Trump] is up for developing tourism and stopping fracking in West Clare then we would absolutely welcome him into out group.”

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are currently completing a major investigation into the possible effects of hydraulic fracturing on the Clare basin. The Minister for Energy, Pat Rabbitte (Lab), says no decision on fracking will be made until after the EPA report is made available.

ST JOSEPH’S Secondary School Spanish Point is continuing the fight to raise funds for the county’s first second level education unit for students with Autism.

In its second year, the ‘Fight for Autism’ white-collar boxing competition has been organised again to raise funding to equip the specialised unit.

Last year € 20,000 was raised for the cause, with the organising committee hoping to reach the same fundraising milestone this year.

As many as 12 women and 20 men from all over west and north Clare have been training to get into the ring for this cause since January 1.

So popular is the event that the 700 tickets have already almost completely sold out, even though they only went on sale on Saturday morning.

The Fight for Autism will take place in the Armada Hotel, Spanish Point, on Sunday evening next.

The boxers parade will begin at 6.30pm, with six women’s fights and 10 men’s fights then scheduled to take place.

Deputy principal at St Joseph’s Secondary School, Spanish Point, Paul Reidy paid particular tribute to Ennis Boxing Club.

“We have to say a huge thanks to the club, without them this would not be possible,” he said of the boxing club that provided training and facilities to train to the 32 participants.

THOSE dying for a bargain have the opportunity to avail of a once in as lifetime sale this month, as plots in a West Clare graveyard are part of a once-off sale.

The new extension to Burrane Cemetery can accommodate more than 50 double graves and from now until the end of the month they are available at a knock down price.

A single grave at the cemetery overlooking the Shannon Estuary will set the buyer back € 350 but this will drop to € 300 if bought in the next four weeks.

HAIL stones, which struck cars like “little ball bearings”, caused a spate of car accidents on the M18 near Newmarket-on-Fergus, as people made their way to work on Thursday morning last.

The freak hail storm caused three separate accidents involving five cars in just half an hour – with both lanes of Clare’s busiest motorway being closed for extended periods during rush hour.

The first accident was reported on the north bound carriageway just after 8.30am – with the motorway being closed for 90 minutes and one person being hospitalised with minor injuries.

Two separate accidents were then reported at the same location on the south bound carriageway, just ten minutes after the first accident. No one was hurt in either of the south bound accidents but the south bound carriageway was closed for more than a hour.

The National Roads Association (NRA) yesterday blamed the freak hail storm for the spate of accidents.

“Weather totally changes the conditions on how the driver and the road interact. Depending on the severity of the hail, it can act like little ball bearings and therefore the best course of action is to reducing your speed,” said NRA spokesperson Sean O’Neill.

The NRA also confirmed yesterday that it will now conduct an “engineering assessment” of the the M18 north of Crusheen, where six separate accidents took place during stormy conditions on the morning of December 19 last.

Despite requests from Clare County Council, the NRA will not conduct a full safety audit, but have instead committed to completing a engineering assessment within the next next few months.

Mr O’Neill also said that the NRA “cannot fully eliminate” the possibility of water pooling on this section of the road during heavy weather and suggested that permanent signs asking motorists to reduce speed in bad weather could be erected.

AS MANY as 420 women and children, who were victims of domestic abuse, or an average of three families every week, were turned away by Clare’s women’s refuge centre last year as there was no room to house them.

A total of 148 women and 272 children had to be relocated in other counties or housed with friends, as the service struggles under monetary cuts and a growing need.

While there are no official Garda or CSO figures to record the number of domestic crimes in the county, Clare Haven has come in contact with 466 families affected by domestic abuse last year alone, with many other families understood to be suffering in silence.

Clare Haven, which is working to capacity, is forced to assess the safety of the families presenting at the service and often times work with refuges in Limerick and Galway to find a place for those in immediate danger to stay.

Each year since 2008, more and more of the Government funding for the service has been cut, with the service now very reliant on charity fundraisers.

In his address to the Joint Oireachtais Committee overseeing legislation on domestic abuse, Clare Senator Tony Mulcahy (FG) said it is his belief that an immediate barring order should be issued to the instiga- tor of the abuse banning him or her from the family home.

“We need to take the criminal out of the house and then we would solve a lot of the housing problems,” he said.

As many as 99 families were homed by Clare Haven last year, including 184 children, while there was no room for 148 more families.

A further 219 women are being supported by Clare Haven’s outreach service in their own homes. Some of these women are still with their partners.

Clare Haven caters for women and children only, while male victims of domestic abuse are asked to contact the national organisation AMEN.

Despite the pressures on the Clare women’s refuge, ensuring the safety of the women and their families is paramount according to Clare Haven manager Denise Dunne.

“When someone rings us up, or through outreach as well, the first thing we do is assess the safety of them and their children. If it is something like they are high priority and they absolutely need refuge we would try to see if there are spaces in one of the other refuges such as Adapt in Limerick or Waterside in Galway. We work very, very closely with them. If the woman goes to Adapt or to Waterside when a room does become available we would take her back to Clare,” she said.

“If it is a thing she can stay with family members or friends and it is safe for her to do so, again we will say ring back in as day or two and we will see if we have a room available then.

“But part of the problem with the refuge been full all of the time it is very hard to move women on now. There is huge thresholds for rent allowance,” the manager explained.

“Also there are regulations around the housing list that is making it difficult for women to get on the housing list as well, and finance is huge as well,” she said.

“It is becoming very, very hard for us to keep the services running with the continuing cuts to funding as well. We were cut by 2.5 per cent by the Family Agency this year and that has been consistent with since 2008.”

In 2012 SAFE Ireland, the umbrella group for organisations that help victims of domestic violence, recorded that 8,449 women and 3,606 children received direct one-to-one services from specialist domestic violence support services in Ireland. In addition, in this same year domestic violence services answered 50,077 helpline calls across the country.

A KILRUSH man described as having a serious heroin problem and held in “high regard” by a district court judge had a seven months sentence suspended for two years at Kilrush District Court on Tuesday.

Anthony Kelly (34), with an address at 5 Place de Plouzane, Burton Street, Kilrush, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and failing to stop for gardaí on the N68 on August 23, 2011.

He also pleaded to assaulting a Garda Sergeant in Kilrush on March 19, 2012.

The court heard that gardaí saw Mr Kelly driving erratically along the N68 towards Kilrush and was veering right and left across the road for no apparent reason. He then overtook two vehicles on a continuous line.

When gardaí indicated for him to stop he increased speed and passed two more cars.

In the townland of Clooneylissaun, Kilrush, Mr Kelly’s car met a woman and two young children walking along the road and they were forced to move in to avoid the car the court was told. The defendant refused to stop shortly afterwards again for gardaí at Burrane Upper.

In total Mr Kelly faced five charges of Dangerous Driving Section 53 (1) (as amended by Section 51 of the Road Traffic Act 1968) and 2 (b) (a amended by section 18 of the Road Traffic Act 2006) of the road traf- fic act 1961 at Darragh, Druinineen, Clooneylissaun, Parknamoney, and Ballymacurtain.

He was also charged with two counts of refusing to stop for gardaí contrary to section 109(1) Road Traffic Act 1961 as amended by Section 6 Road Traffic Act 1968 and Section 012 Road Traffic Act 1961, as amended by Section 18 of the Road Traffic Act.

Jude Patrick Durcan said that as all charges related to the one incident he would have to deal with it as such.

He sentenced Mr Kelly, who had numerous previous road traffic convections, to four months in prison for what he regarded as the most serious incident of dangerous driving at Burrane Upper and struck out the other dangerous driving charges.

He fined him € 300 for failing to stop for gardaí at Burrane Upper and took the other charges into account.

The court also heard that on March 19, 2012, gardaí were called to a disturbance in Kilrush. They found Anthony Kelly kicking at a door and noticed a strong smell of alcohol from him.

Prosecuting Garda Inspector John O’Sullivan said the defendant was spitting and shouting obscenities at gardaí. Mr Kelly then left the area on the Gardaí’s request but returned.

“He came up to Sgt Lavin, put his face to Sgt Lavin’s face and then pushed him in the chest,” said the Inspector.

Mr Kelly pleaded guilty to Section 2 of Non Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997.

“There are two things I don’t like. I don’t like biting and I don’t like spitting. And I don’t like hearing Sgt Lavin was pushed around,” said Judge Durcan.

Judge Durcan sentenced the defendant to three months for the assault on Sgt Lavin to run consecutive on the four months sentence for dangerous driving.

He suspended the seven month sentence for two years and released Mr Kelly on his own bond of € 100.

“I feel both are matters for a prison sentence and I am baring that in mind,” the judge said.

“The offences before this court today are hugely serious and should you come before me again then you will serve a sentence,” he told Mr Kelly.

“To be fair to this man he has tried, he has fallen off the wagon and he is trying again,” said the District Court Judge.

He said he held the defendant in “high regard as a young man”, but that he would not have a situation where a senior member of the Gardaí was abused and where and innocent members and the public – a woman and children – were put in danger.

Solictor for Mr Kelly, Fiona Hehir said her client had a serious heroin addiction for years.

She said the father of three, with one on the way, had been making great progress in Galway and was now back in Kilrush and meeting with his GP and Sláinte regularly.

He was trying to get back on a methadone programme and was on a list for a rehabilitation facility in Cork.

CLARE will be the first Irish contingent up Fifth Avenue, New York, this St Patrick’s Day.

Led by the Tulla Pipe Band, which was invited specially to the world famous St Patrick’s Day parade, the Banner county will take prime position as this is the 125th anniversary of the Clare Association in New York.

In all, delegates and mayors from Ennis, Kilrush and Shannon Town Councils as well as from Clare County Council will travel at an estimated cost of € 17,000.

Mayor of Clare Councillor Joe Arkins (FG) will travel to Brooklyn and New York and take part in both parades.

County Manager Tom Coughlan, Director of Services Ger Dollard and the Shannon Town Manager will join them. As well as representing Clare at special events, the delegations will also meet with the IDA and tourist interests abroad. The cost of sending the delegation from Clare County Council is € 6,900 in total.

Meanwhile, for the last time ever a Shannon delegate will be represented at the Union County St Patrick’s Day parade in New Jersey.

Mayor of Shannon Cllr Greg Duff (Lab) and town clerk Liam O’Connor will travel first to New Jersey on the invitation of the Union County Emerald Society and then on to New York.

For the last two decades, since the parade began there has always been a Shannon representative in attendance, however, this will cease after this year with the dissolution of the town council. The cost of the Shannon delegation’s trip is € 3,000 in total.

For the last time ever a mayor from Kilrush will also travel to New York for the parade. The Mayor Cllr Paul Moroney (Ind) and town manager were invited to attend by the County Clare Patriotic, Benevolent and Social Association of New York City. As the town manager is unable to attend, Kilrush Town Council voted that the town clerk John Corry deputise for her. The all in estimated cost of the trip is € 4, 500.

Mayor of Ennis Cllr Mary Coote Ryan (FG) has also been invited to represent the county town in New York.

As she is unable to attend it is understood Cllr Brian Meaney (FF) will travel in her place.

NO DECISION on the construction of a new multi-million fish farm off the Clare coast will be made until August of this year at the earliest.

Speaking in the Dáil last week, the Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney (FG), said that a final decision on granting a fish farm license is six months away and could even be delayed further because of the large number of submission made my members of the public in relation to the farm.

The proposed twin fish farm, which are proposed for adjacent sites eight kilometres off the Fanore and Doolin coasts, have already created a large amount of controversy with local anglers, fishermen and environmentalist coming out against the proposal.

According to Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), the Government agency who have applied for the license, the fish farms could create hundreds of jobs in the North Clare economy.

The other state fisheries agency, Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) have come out against the proposed fish farm, saying it will damage local sea fisheries. There has been an ongoing war of words between the two organisation since the farms were first proposed in October of 2012, with each side providing contrary scientific studies on the potential effects of the farms, and the impact on sea lice numbers in wild salmon in particular.

Calls have been made in recent weeks for Minister Coveney to step back from the license decision, with many anti-fish farm campaigners ac- cusing him of being biased in favour of the development.

“There is always a strict separation between my Ministerial role as decision maker in respect of aquaculture licence applications and my Ministerial duty to promote the sustainable development of the industry. This separation of duties is strictly observed,” he said in the Dáil last week.

“The fullest consideration is being given to all submissions received as part of the statutory and public consultation stages of the process.”

PUBLICANS in Ennistymon may soon be shutting their toilet doors to non-paying members of the public as frustration over the last of public toilets in the town reaches break point.

Clare County Council say that although it recognises the need for public toilets in the town – which caters for hundreds of thousands of tourists over the summer season – it does not currently have finances available to provide them.

While local publicans say they will continue to provide services for the public for the time being, many premises face significant water and electricity charges, all of which are being added to by tourists using their facilities.

“My toilets are at the back of the bar and I have people, young and old, coming through the bar every day to use them. It is unfair, and more then that it’s not good for the town. It is not encouraging anyone to stop and spend money in Ennistymon,” said Linda Youdell of Daly’s Bar.

“I have water charges here that are phenomenal. It costs money, I have to pay my council rates and other expenses. Here we are in 2014 and we cant even offer a basic facility to tourists.”

According to Joan Tierney of Cooley’s House in Ennistymon, some members of the public are rude to staff when they use their toilets for free. “I think that it is a absolute disgrace. In the summer time especially we get people walking in off the street every day. It doesn’t look good for the town,” she said.

“Water chargers are high and while I would never want to refuse someone access to the toilet, some people act as if it is their right [to use the toilet]. I know it sounds petty but people flush the toilet, the use the soap and the hand drier and it all costs money.”

The matter was raised at this months North Clare Area meeting of Clare County Council by local Cllr Bill Slattery (FG).

“The publicans are getting fed up of people coming into their premises and using it as a toilet. The cost of water is going up and it can be expensive in 10 or 20 people come in off the bus, use the facilities and then leave without paying for anything,” he said.

Public toilets were closed in Ennistymon more than 10 years ago because they were not wheelchair friendly. Local publicans approached Clare County Council in the past, offering to provide toilet facilities to the public in return for a contribution to running costs.

This proposal was turned down by the local authority.