The Clare People Archive

SHANNON Development are in talks with the “preferred bidder” for the €50 million development at the Marina in Kilrush, about the future of the development.

The semi-state company confirmed that it was in talks with L and M Keating about the development but no decision has been made yet.

It is believed that the contractor has submitted a revised plan for the marina to Shannon Development for consideration.

As the project was initially adver- tised under public procurement, if the changes to the plan are substan-

tial the project will have to be ten- dered for again under EU law.

At the opening of the Merchants Quay Business Quarter last month Louis Keating of the Kilmihil based L and M Keating Ltd, committed his company to developing a hotel in the town.

He also said, “As people may be aware we also have involvement with the marina in Kilrush. Our company together with another company are the preferred bidders to develop the marina.”

“Now we have quite ambitious plans, again they are on the back burner at some degree at the mo- ment but we are still actually talking

to Shannon Development and I am quiet confident that we will carry out our development dreams in the mari- na, and I think this would be a great boost for the town,” he said.

In February 2007 Shannon Devel- Opment announced the new devel- opment at the marina had potential to create 109 jobs and generate an estimated €6.6 million to the local economy annually.

The proposed major flagship project involves a high quality mixed use development of the Kilrush Marina and associated land bank. It includes the provision of 86 town houses, 50 marina holiday apartments, a retail/ commercial park, and a 125 bed-

room four star hotel development.

Another essential element of the project will involve an estimated €4 million expansion of the Kil- rush Marina facility to include; a clubhouse development which will double the existing capacity, the au- tomation of lock gates, breakwater, a new boatyard, a dinghy park, and an additional 120 berths which will double the existing berthing capacity at the Marina.__

The proposed development was ex- pected to take an estimated five years to complete on a phased basis. The first phase was to involve significant investment in the Marina, boatyard and some housing development.

A BOOK depicting what is consid- ered the Mecca of Irish traditional musicians was launched in Spanish- point on Thursday.

‘Music and Light – Ceol agus So- las” is a collection of black and white photographs from the Willie Clancy Summer School in Miltown Malbay.

For photographer Tony Kearns the book is a celebration of the Summer School, as he dedicated 17 years to photographing the comings and go- ings at the world famous weeklong events.

Since it first began in 1973 the Wil- lie Clancy Summer School has been a very important event in the tradi- tional Irish music calendar,

Named after the world renowned and revered uilleann piper, the sum- mer school is held every July in his hometown.

Kearns said he was determined to dedicating himself to documenting the activities and the participant of the Willie Clancy week in a lively and sympathetic way.

An archivist by nature, Tony is also inspired by the visual possibilities and compositions that present them-

selves naturally when people gather to play music together.

Working in formal and spontaneous situations, he attempts to convey the moods, personalities ad complexities of the musicians and their music in the images.

The 130 black and white photo- graphs capture local musicians as well as the thousands that flock to the west Clare town every year to the many classes, lectures and recitals and to play in and listen to the many sessions that spring up in the local- ity.

Tony Kerns s not a local to Mill-

town Malbay although the Dubliner has spent every summer in the town during the festival since 1991.

He has documented all aspects of the summer school in his photo- graphs which he has exhibit over the years and used in calendars.

His latest book was published with the assistance of funding from the Deis Traditional Arts Initiative un- der the aegis of the Arts Council of Tee NaXer

CLARE building firms are having to let staff go as the industry grinds toa halt, it has been revealed.

Building workers are seeing the writing on the wall and heading for Dubai, Australia and even Iran in preference to staying here and join- ing the dole queues.

“There is no house building going on here at the moment and compa- nies have no option but to let people go,’ said Tony O’Shea, Chairman of the mid-western branch of the Con- struction Industry Federation.

One of the county’s most success- ful firms, Tom Hayes Ltd of Killa- loe, which has been in business since 1955 has been forced to let more than 35 staff go in the last few weeks.

The company worked on some of the largest building projects in the region, including the Jim Kemmy Business School in the University of Limerick campus.

‘There are no big projects at the moment and we have no alternative but to let people go,” a company spokesman said in a newspaper in- terview. “There is huge need for investment in the building industry here. Hopefully, the Limerick regen- eration project will help to stop the decline,” he added.

Many younger craftsmen have headed off abroad to destinations

as far flung as Australia, Dubai and Iran, the spokesman said and the company is doing its best to hold on to staff who have families and com- mitments here.

Another mid-west firm which had employed 200 people at the height of the boom has now been reduced to just two workers.

The Construction Industry Federa- tion nationally is expecting that job Kesocta WU oom NIM He CoMKsre le sMOeCLOROeLe if the downturn continues. Up to 4,000 jobs are expected to go in the mid-west alone, the CIF says.

The building trade has taken a hammering with the rise in interest rates, a clamp-down on lending and international economic slowdown.

Auctioneers are reporting a mas- sive slowdown in house sales and many builders have been caught out with homes which they constructed in anticipation of buyers who have not materialised.

Despite massive amounts being slashed off the price of both new and second-hand homes, buyers are still slow to come to the fore, with many unable to get mortgages large enough and many more sitting tight for the market to bottom out.

One prominent Clare mortgage broker said that his business has dwindled “to the point where you’d be lucky to get a couple of business queries a week now”.

WITH a very ill wind being one that blows no good, the rise in unemploy- ment has in turn created the need for more staff in the dole offices.

Four new staff are being allocated to the Ennis office of the Depart- ment of Social and Family Affairs to assist job seekers and those sign- ing on.

Ennis is one of 48 local offices countrywide which will get a total of 115 additional staff, a spokesman for the department confirmed.

The number of people signing on in Clare has climbed by 57 per cent in the last year.

According to CSO figures, the number of people signing on in Clare has gone up by more than 2,000.

Ennis saw a rise of 52 per cent, with jobless numbers going from 2,426 to 3,705 last month.

Ennistymon had a jump of 6/7 per cent in unemployment figures, from 600 to 1,005 in the last twelve months.

In Kilrush there was a 46 per cent increase with 859 people now sign-

ing on there in comparison to 586 in October last year.

But the largest increase was in east Clare where there was an increase last month of 80 per cent in the num- bers of people signing on, bringing the jobless total in the area covered by that office to 859.

The total number of people now claiming either Jobseekers benefit or allowance in Clare has risen to OR PAee

As well as allocating extra staff to local offices, the department has also extended temporary staff contracts

and allocated additional overtime to try to beat the back-log of benefit and allowance applications which have to be processed as additional people come into the system.

One of the largest sector increases among those joining the dole queues is in the building trade, where the market for new homes has all but collapsed and major building projects are being shelved for lack of funding.

The CIF has warned that up to 4,000 jobs could go in the mid-west before the downturn bottoms out.

THE ‘Incredible Years’ programme rewards children who engage in pos- itive thinking and communication, through a variety of methods.

One novel approach that Scoil na Maighdine Mhuire has taken is to send home positive notes to parents, such as ‘happygrams’!

These are comical photographs and a piece of text praising students for their efforts. They offer great confi- dence to both students and parents alike.

“In the past, if you got a note going home, it was bad. Since September

we have been concentrating on send- ing home positive notes. I have had parents ringing me almost in tears they were so happy,” said Ann Mc- Mahon.

Students who try hard also receive ‘superstar’ awards, while classroom behaviour is also rewarded.

‘Each classroom teacher has a be- haviour plan. There is a target be- haviour and strategies around that behaviour,’ she said.

Students who make big efforts are rewarded with tokens and at the end of the week they can use the tokens to buy presents or goodies for them- To AVore

Every Friday, the school holds an assembly and a student of the week in each class is awarded with a cer- tificate.

The emphasis is on fairness as the teachers ensure the prizes are spread among all students.

“The whole school is told why a student achieves the award.

“With the programme, if you give feedback to a child, it is specific,” she added.

Children are also encouraged to communicate their feelings, through a feelings barometer and this also fo- cuses on positive thinking.

“They are taught how to talk them-

selves out of the negative place and engage in dialogue. The theory be- hind it is that over time it reduces negative thinking so much that it saves children from things like drug addiction, anti-social behaviour or ending up in jail,’ said Ms McMa- steer

“It is a win-win situation. Already I can see a decrease in negative be- haviour in the classroom and in the school yard. We kept a record of in- cidents in the yard book last year. I already know there is a sizable dif- ference in the number of reported in- cidents in the yard since September,” she said.

A INNOVATIVE programme which encourages children to think posi- tively has been introduced at Scoil na Maighdine Mhuire, Newmarket- on-Fergus.

The ‘Incredible Years’ programme focuses on communication and en- thusiasm and is geared towards mak- ing children happier and more pro- gressive.

School principal Ann McMahon decided to introduce the programme in September, having seen the ben- efits achieved in other schools.

“T have always had an interest in positive behaviour management strategies. It is easier to lead children than to drive them,” she said.

The idea for the initiative was first mooted in 2006, but it took careful consideration by management and

staff at the school before any deci- sion was made to implement it.

“Richard Egan from NEPS (the National Education Psychological Service) mentioned the programme. It had been piloted in Cloughleigh in Ennis and had a huge impact in eliminating negative behaviour. We discussed the possibility of bringing it in,’ she said.

Nine of the 20 staff at Scoil na Maighdine Mhuire attended an in- formation evening on the project and were very enthusiastic about it. Two of the teachers – Moira McMahon and Elaine Ryan – went to Wales for training and the project was started in September.

The project will be achieved through commitment from teachers, parents and students. “It is a multi- agency approach, between teachers, parents and children,” she said.

The programme was devised in the US and has been taken up all over the world. Although relatively new in Ireland, Ms McMahon believes it will become hugely popular across WeTemeOLUUNLB AYA

“I believe this is a programme that will be adopted in every school in the country. You have the costs (to set it up) but the pay-off is massive,” she said.

“I found that previously I had to make telephone calls around nega- tive behaviour, but since we adopted this programme, I have made a point of making telephone calls around positive behaviour. Parents have been very supportive. The days of parents standing at the door of the school and coming no further are gone,” she added.

“Communication 1s critical, not just the children’s ability to communicate

with each other, but their ability to communicate with the staff and staff to communicate with parents,” she said.

While the programme is specifi- cally designed for children aged between three and 10, it has been adopted across the school and all 185 students will be part of it.

“The real proof of the pudding will be to come back in eight years’ time, when the juniors will have eight years of the programme. I firmly believe we will have almost no nega- tive behaviour. It can only augur well for Newmarket as a community,’ she added.

YOUNG people interested in music in the Shannon area are being chal- lenged to take part in a musical bat- tle, during which they can showcase Wd eCoy Dame DCooeLm

‘The Battle of the Bands’ compe- tition is being organised by Clare Youth Service in conjunction with the Shannon Music Project.

Open to all musical genres and all young bands, aged between 15 and 25, the competition will take place on Saturday, November 29, in New- market-on-Fergus hall.

Shannon Music Project was set up

to offer young people in Shannon the Support they need to develop their musical talents and provide them with a space to practice, perform and showcase their talents in their com- munity.

This is the first time that the Shan- non Music Project has organised such a competition. It is the latest in a series of well-organised initiatives run by the youth office in the town, which seeks to encourage young peo- ple in every way.

The youth office focuses on assist- ing young people to get the best out of their lives, through a diverse range of activities, competitions and social

events.

Local youth work worker, Cathal Dillon is hoping for a large turnout of bands, given the huge level of in- terest in music in the area.

“We hope that youth bands in Shannon will see this as a chance to showcase their talents and hopefully win the top prize title of Best Band in Shannon 2008,” said Mr Dillon.

While participation will be at the centre of the competition, there will be the added incentive for ambi- tious potential music stars, as there are prizes on offer on the day. Com- petitors will attempt to win the ‘Best Band in Shannon 2008’ or ‘Best

Original Song! award.

The winning band will receive an inaugural trophy, while the runners- up will receive five free music prac- tice sessions valued at €100. The third-placed team will win a €50 voucher for Roxy Records in Shan- nevae

Entry is by completed application form and these are available from music teachers at St Caimin’s and St Patrick’s Comprehensive School in Shannon and from Shannon Youth Office in Rineanna View.

Full information on the rules of the competition and eligibility can be found on the application form.

STALWART Vie Leahy has been awarded the Spirit of Shannon Musi- cal Society award as a mark of rec- ognition of over thirty years’ dedica- tion to the group.

Over the years, Vie has been in- volved in many aspects of running the show, such as making costumes, sourcing items required on stage and assembling props. She was chair- person in 1989 and has always done her duties in a quiet way with a huge smile.

The award was presented to the so-

ciety in 2005 by the Barrett family in memory of the late Gus Barrett who is remembered for his contribution, integrity, dedication and spirit to the ere AYA

A member of the society receives the perpetual award every year and it represents the true spirit of the group.

“Where there is any thing in need of being done Vie is there ready to help,” said PRO of the society, Mary O’ Loughlin.

“Although this spirit is not easily defined, we feel it is for someone who applies themselves to doing the

best they possibly can in whatever area of the society they get involved, in a Selfless and positive way.

‘They are not necessarily to the fore of what is going on but can be work- ing away in the background, some- one who is sensitive and respectful of other people, approachable, for whom there is no problem too big or too small,” she added.

Society chairperson Dara Gough said, “I think Shannon Musical So- ciety has a unique quality we can all be proud of, and that’s the unity and solidarity that shines through year after year in the weeks prior to, and

the week of the show. Testament to this is the fact that we have members and friends who are with us since the lerexcauebau ee rome

“We have looked back over the re- cent months and years to try and pick out someone who epitomises the true spirit of Shannon Musical Society and whose selfless actions and deeds make this society more enjoyable for everyone to be a part of,’ added Dara Grolbred se

The society is currently preparing for its forthcoming production

TEENAGERS were exposed to the deadly reality of dangerous driving at a hard-hitting presentation on road safety in Ennis last Thursday.

Graphic images of injury, sober- ing personal recollections and inter- views with the families, victims and perpetrators of road traffic accidents formed part of the ‘Lifesaver Project’, which was staged in two sections in Glor, Ennis.

A collaborative effort between Clare County Council, the Gardai, Clare Fire and Rescue Services and the Health Services Executive, ‘Life- saver’ aimed to encourage young people to adopt a more responsible attitude to driving.

Barry Keating, road safety of- ficer with Clare County Council ex- plained, “This project has already

been proven to be a very effective way of getting the road safety mes- sage across and encouraging a more responsible attitude towards driving behaviour.”

The audience on Thursday was roughly 500 students representing 15 secondary schools from across ETc

For the first section of Lifesaver, members of the rescue services re- created the scene of a two-vehicle fatal traffic accident.

The second half of the presentation took place inside the auditorium at Glor. Videos of road safety adverts and interviews with people affected by road traffic accidents were mixed with individual talks from members of the emergency services.

Garda Tony Miniter of the Traffic Corps informed the audience that 248 people had been killed in road

traffic accidents so far this year. He said the highest percentage of those people killed were aged between 16- 30.

“Now you might say that given all the statistics there 1s probably only a small chance ye will take any of this on board. It might be small chance, but it is a chance’, said Garda Minit- ae

Keith Mullane, an advanced para- medic working in Limerick, said young drivers needed to take a more responsible attitude to driving.

‘Our attitude collectively stinks”, said Mr Mullane. He added “You have to minimise your chances of be- ing in an accident….There is some- thing very, very wrong about putting the body of a young person into a fridge”’.

Gearoid Blake, Station Officer at Ennis Fire Station said the majority

of his work as a Fireman involved road traffic accidents. He described the scene of a typical accident. “You hear screaming that just explodes inside your head. You smell battery acid. You get a sort of metallic smell from all the blood. You smell vom- it. You smell beer, that’s one thing you’ll nearly always get the smell of…Afterwards, when you have to clean up the car, you find teeth, bits of flesh and bits of brain’.

Dr Cathal O’Donnell, a consultant in emergency medicine attached to Limerick and Ennis, told the audi- ence to be aware of the consequences of drink driving. “Don’t’ be killed because of someone else’s stupidity”, |stemncy-5 (6

SIXTH class students got a glimpse of day-to-day life in a secondary school in Ennis last week.

Timetables, German classes and bells ringing on the hour were just some of the newer aspects of school life experienced by pupils from Holy Family senior school taking part in a week-long pilot scheme in Colaiste Muire.

“We forget sometimes,” explained Colaiste Muire principal, “that for students coming in from primary school even something like a bell ringing in the middle of the morning is something completely different from what they are used to”’.

The scheme, initiated by Colaiste

Muire, allowed pupils from Holy Family to sample the routine of changing classes that they will be- come very familiar with over the next few years.

It is hoped that the experience will, in part, help smooth the transition from primary to secondary level education.

Over the course of the week, the students from Holy Family sat in on, among others, classes in foreign lan- guages like German and home eco- nomics.

As part of a broader approach to ease the transition, first year and leaving cert students guided their primary school counterparts through the process of switching classes and explained the kinds of extra-cur-

ricular activities on offer at Colaiste Muire.

Ms Pound said, “The aim was to offer them an experience of what secondary school is all about. We had our first years and leaving certs explain about class timetables and changing classes because when you are in primary school, you have the one teacher and you mainly stay in the one classroom”.

“Of course many primary school children will have sisters and broth- ers in second level education so they’ll know in a way what to expect. But we hope that through the pilot scheme, we can show them the ropes and explain what second level is all lerele lie

Parents will get the opportunity

to have their input to the scheme at open meetings to be held at Colaiste Muire.

“So far the feedback we have re- ceived has been very positive’, ex- plained Ms Pound.

She added, “The experience seems to have been beneficial to the stu- dents involved and it is something that we would look at continuing in the future”’.