The Clare People Archive

CUSACK Park will remain the headquarters of Clare GAA for the forseeable future after a proposal to rezone land there was blocked by Ennis Town Council.

Meeting last Wednesday to discuss the draft Ennis and Environs De- velopment Plan, councillors voted unanimously against rezoning the town centre site for commercial pur- OO sene

The Aisling Chiosoig Partnership had sought to purchase the ground from the Clare County Board and re- develop it as a commercial centre in return for the construction of a new stadium and adjoining facilities.

The way was left open, however, for future rezoning on the condition that an alternative site be found for

the proposed stadium.

An original site identified on the Quin Road was not considered vi- able because the land hes on a flood enue

The decision came after two days of lengthy discussions between coun- cillors and planners.

Councillors met first on Tuesday evening at a private workshop session to wade through the 124 submissions received on the draft version of the Ennis and Environs Development Plan.

The most high profile of which concerned the proposal to rezone Cusack Park.

Later on Tuesday night, at a special meeting of Ennis Town Council or- ganised to formally pass the Draft Plan, Cllr Frankie Neylon (Ind) said, that, following a vote taken at

the workshop, the decision had been taken not to rezone Cusack Park.

Mayor of Ennis, Cllr Peter Consi- dine (FF), proposed adjourning the meeting, until Wednesday, so equal consideration could be given to other submissions contained in the manag- er’s report.

Councillors were warned _ that agreement on the plan had to be reached before Thursday so notices could appear in local media the fol- lowing week. Cllr Neylon, supported by Cllr Donal O’Bearra (GP) op- posed the adjournment. Cllr Neylon said the process was being rushed because the original timetable had not been adhered to.

A vote of 3-2 prevailed in favour of adjourning the meeting until Wednesday night.

The next night, Wednesday and

following another private workshop, Cllr Neylon proposed that Cusack Park’s status “remain as 1s” until de- velopers identified a suitable site for a new stadium.

Cllr Considine put forward the pro- posal that the draft plan be accepted by the council. It was passed on a unanimous vote.

The decision to halt the process will be seen as a blow by members of the local business community. Ennis Chamber of Commerce had supported the proposal, saying that the development would have signifi- cantly increased commercial activity in Ennis.

According to the Aisling Chiosdig partnership, 1,000 new jobs would have been created on completion of the project and another 500 in con- struction.

MEMBERS of the Traveller com- munity voiced their opinions on the issue of accommodation at a meeting with local politicians last week.

The meeting, facilitated by the Ennis Community Development Project, involved discussions be- tween members of the Accommoda- tion Implementation Group (AIG), the Mayor of Ennis Cllr Peter Con- sidine (FF) and Fine Gael TD, Joe OFA

The group was represented by Anne Marie Mongans, Kathleen Mc- Donagh, John McDonagh and Frank McDonagh. The primary focus of the discussion centered on issues re- lating to Travellers accommodation btm Oot: buse

Other topics raised included the

Shannon Horse Project, the closure of the Quin Road halting site and Clare County Council’s Traveller Accommodation Plan 2009-2013.

The aim of the meeting was to create a forum that would allow for wider discussion between Travellers and policy makers.

It is also the first in a planned se- ries of steps aimed at providing a structured format for Travellers rep- resentatives to raise issues and in- terface with the local authority and other agencies.

Adrian Healy, Development worker with Ennis CDP said there had been a lot of positive outcomes from the meeting, which took place in the of- fices of the Ennis CDP last Monday. He also thanked Cllr Considine and Deputy Carey for their involvement.

“The meeting was great. It was

very positive. It was great that Joe and Peter were able to come. They listened and gave advice. There was a very positive exchange of views and that was very helpful.”

Adrian added, “The whole point was to provide an opportunity for the group to be heard and for their voices to be listened to. Their voices were heard. Its not often that you get an opportunity as a group to sit down members of the council and the Dail, so in that sense, it was very beneficial to both sides. The lads got the chance to voice their opinions and they were considered and there was a good bit of consultation between both parties. Again, it was great to have Joe and Peter’s input at the meeting. They were there in a listening capacity but they also were also very helpful giv- ing advice.”

The Accommodation Implemen- tation Group was formed under the umbrella of the Traveller Strategy. The strategy, with input from Clare County Council and the Ennis CDP, is aimed at co-ordinating public services for Travellers. The group represents Travellers mainly on ac- commodation, but also advocates on other issues.

“What we are trying to do is to en- hance relations on the ground and develop communications. We want to strengthen links between commu- nities. That’s the big picture,” added Adrian.

PREPARATIONS are already well underway for one of Ennis’ most popular pantomime shows.

The members of the all singing all dancing Pantaloons are in rehearsal for their latest show Cinderella, which arrives in Glor in December.

Cinderella adheres to many of the elements that have made Pantaloon productions so popular with audi- ences down the years, namely great dance routines, big, loud songs, and, of course, audience interaction.

Getting the audience to take an ac- tive role has been a staple ingredients of the Pantaloons experience and the

group hope that with Cinderella, the crowds will again be singing, danc- ing and shouting in the aisles.

The production, written by John Morley and directed by Leonard Anderson is full of lively characters including the mischievous Dandin1, family favourite Cinderella, But- tons, The Fairy Godmother, Prince Charming, The Baron and Baroness and not forgetting the ugly sisters.

According to producer and per- former, Maeve Fox, the Pantaloons will inject their own brand of mis- chief and fun into the show.

‘“Pantaloons present the familiar story of Cinderella as a traditional pantomime designed with quirks

and twists to delight the modern-day audience. The whole ensemble is looking forward to singing, dancing and being dramatic all the way to a happy ending.”

This year’s cast includes old favour- ites Ken O’Shaughnessy, Paul Cur- ley, Paul Cusack, Maeve Fox, Tina O’Neill and Geraldine Saunders.

They are joined this year by new- comers Aidan O’Gara, Andrew Kil- leen and Siomha Brock who will pay Cinderella.

There is also an expanded cast of extras and of course the Pantaloons resident musician, Gerry Mc Laugh- thee

Pantaloons pantomimes are a firm

favourite in the town’s calendar and Maeve invites everyone to come along on another fun filled festive journey.

Panto tickets are also available as Christmas gifts. Tickets on sale at Glor box office 065 6843103. Family tickets for two adults and two chil- dren cost €50. Single tickets cost €15.

ENNIS greets November with the sound of music as the Ennis Trad Festival reels into life next week.

A fixture on the live music calendar for 15 years, this year’s festival runs from November 6-10.

As always, the festival offers a healthy traditional spread of con- certs, workshops and competitions.

Noel Hill, Tony Linnane, Sean O’Sé and the Turloughmore Ceili band and the Kilfenora Céili Band are just some of the well known names due to perform in Ennis over the week.

Elsewhere classes will be given in playing instruments, singing and CP Tater bates

Flute player and Miltown Malbay native Jon Dodd will give a talk on the care and maintenance of wooden flutes, while Steve Corry, a sound engineer presents a talk on sound engineering and equipment for trad1- tional music on November 8 in the County Museum. The centrepiece of the festival is the Ceili Band com- petition Ard Ghaisce na mBuionta, which takes place on Friday, Novem- ber 7 in the West County Hotel.

The Great Céili Band Challenge

was a big hit at last year’s festival and this year has been expanded to 13 bands. John Rynne, the event or- ganiser explained that this will be a sporting opportunity for several of the best céili bands in Ireland to- day to compete for a first prize of €5,000, in a public setting designed to test their mettle.

Last year’s winners Ceoltoiri na Mainistreach will again be the band to beat out, having finished third in this year’s All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil in Tullamore.

Second and third place bands will receive €2,000 and €1,000 each and

the competition is set up in a way to ensure that the battle will be hotly and vigorously contested.

Most of the bands have competed, toured and performed at all the high- est level events including Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann.

The winners on the night will be decided by votes taken from the au- dience and by four independent adju- dicators. The €15 entry ticket guar- antees a voting paper in addition to a vibrant night of céili band music.

The festival concludes November 10 with a performance by the lively Cape Breton based band, Beolach.

THE 35th ICOS National Co-opera- tive conference will be held in Dub- lin’s Citywest conference centre next Monday, November 3 when the key- note address will be given by Agri- culture Minister Brendan Smith.

Sponsored by FBD TRUST, the conference, entitled “Co-operative Business – Ready for 2015 and Be- yond” will have two international speakers who have spearheaded ground breaking campaigns within the co-operative movements in their own countries.

Kees Wantenaar is the Chairman of Campina Co-op in Holland. With a turnover of €4bn from its global op- erations, it is the second largest dairy co-op in Holland. Set to merge with the largest, Friesland Foods, turnover will be in excess of €9bn. Mr Wan- tenaar will be the first Chairman of the newly merged FrieslandCampina when it receives EU Competition clearance.

Also speaking 1s Blue Read, Chair- man of Fonterra Shareholders Coun- cil, New Zealand. The council is an independent body from the board of Fonterra and the role is to review and

monitor the board’s performance as well as to represent the interests of shareholders in the Co-op.

Irish Co-ops can learn important lessons from Mr Read’s address, es- pecially on the issues of Governance and the representation of sharehold- ers’ interests along with Fonterra’s role in developing directors and shareholder representatives to carry out their roles in the Co-op.

Also speaking will be Tom O’Mahony, Chief Executive of Ori- gin Enterprises – a major player in the Agri Nutrition sector in Ireland, UK and Poland; John Tyrrell, Direc-

tor General of ICOS focusing on the future challenges facing co-ops and Ray Doyle, ICOS Livestock Services Executive addressing issues on Car- bon and Climate changes for proces- sors and producers.

The conference is expected to be fully attended because of such high profile speakers.

The Irish Co-operative industry is facing difficult challenges, the aim of the ICOS conference is to support those businesses and their members to plan and proactively lead the Irish Co-op agribusiness sector in meet- ing those challenges.

FARMING groups and opposition politicians joined in criticising the negative effects that the budget will have on agriculture with particular concern being voiced over cutbacks to the early retirement, waste man- agement, suckler cow and disadvan- taged area schemes.

Stating that it was time for the backbenchers in Fianna Fail to stand up and be counted, Clare Fine Gael Deputy Pat Breen asked if they would continue with the old Fianna Fail double-speak, saying one thing in the constituency and the opposite when they come to the Dail?

Referring to the Farm Waste Management Scheme, he said many farmers fear that they will not be paid because the allocation for the scheme has already been spent this year. He urged the Government to make a case to the European Com- mission on extreme hardship. Oth- erwise, the farmers of Clare and elsewhere will pay a huge price for its inaction in not protecting the ag- ricultural industry.

His party colleague, Deputy Joe Carey accused the Government of sidelining Ireland’s farming commu- nity and forgetting their needs.

The early retirement scheme, de- signed to give farmers who had

worked hard all their lives a small reimbursement at retirement, was been abandoned. The installation aid for young people beginning their farming careers was also scrapped at a time when there was a need to retain as many young farmers on the land as possible.

A 10% increase in rainfall was recorded at Shannon in the first 10 months of the year and it would have been entirely appropriate for the Government to extend the deadline for the Farm Waste Management Scheme by six months. Fine Gael through a private members motion sought this extension but it was de- feated as Fianna Fail and the govern- ment voted against it.

ICSA rural development chair- man Gabriel Gilmartin warned that budget cutbacks would be a central issue in next year’s local and Euro- pean elections.

He said the cuts in Disadvantaged Area payments and the halving of the Suckler Cow Welfare scheme were grave news for farmers. The average farmer in the west of Ireland farming 45 hectares of average land, with 40 cows was now facing a loss of €2,655 p/a on top of the one per- cent income levy. This compared with a banker earning €100,000, who would be only €1,000 worse off as aresult of the budget.

MEMBERS of Clare County Coun- cil are set for a clash with Environ- ment Minister, John Gormley after they ignored department directions and loosened restrictions on one-off housing in the greater Ennis area.

At a special meeting on the adop- tion of the draft Ennis Development Plan, Senior Executive Planner, John Bradley said a submission from the department made it clear that the de- velopment plan was not compatible with National Policy and the Nation- al Spatial Strategy.

He was responding to a call from Cllr Bernard Hanrahan (FF) to make allowances for people within the Ennis urban boundary who were not allowed build on land they own in the countryside.

“This has been discussed ad nau- seum for the past two years with councillors and it is unfortunate that it is coming up today. We can do no more and are likely to be told by the department to remove what is in the plan,” he said.

Mr Bradley added that the council had loosened restrictions on one-off housing rather than tightening them.

Last year, when members of Mon- aghan County Council chose to ig- nore a department directive on what should be in the County Develop- ment Plan, Minister Gormley used special powers to make the changes.

Cllr PJ Kelly (FF) said that there were terrible clouds coming from the Department of the Environment circular. In its submission, the de- partment said that the controls on the establishment of housing in country- side areas should be reviewed.

“Councils should either remove this policy or tighten the definitions to ensure that settlement in the coun- tryside areas occurs in a sustainable and appropriate manner. The whole of the Ennis environs is an area which is under urban pressure and in such areas the aim should be to strictly limit opportunities for resi- dential development to those people who are local and/or have a genuine link to the rural area,’ the depart- ment submission stated.

GARDAI believe that a Limerick gang was responsible for the rob- bery of the Ennis branch of super- market chain Lidl – it was the second time the store has been raided in 17 TneCOye ste

A sizable quantity of cash was taken in the raid at the Gort Road premises, which happened shortly after closing time, 9pm, last Tuesday evening.

Gardai believe that a gang of three or four masked men, wielding sledge hammers, broke into the premises,

forcing a door open with the imple- ments they were carrying.

While staff who were on the premises at the time were shaken by the ordeal, none of them was injured in the incident.

Gardai believe that the raiders were travelling in a UK registered silver Vauxhall Vectra car that had been stolen in Mitchelstown on Monday, and later found burnt out in Newport, County Tipperary on Wednesday.

‘There is a propensity to rob high value stores. This is actively under investigation and we are following a

number of lines of enquiry,” said En- nis Superintendent John Scanlan.

“This is a serious crime. We are very concerned that an attack of this nature would take place and we are appealing to retailers to be extra vigilant at closing time, in respect of suspicious activity,” he added.

Meanwhile, gardai are also con- cerned by a rise in the number of home burglaries in Ennis over the past fortnight. Several houses throughout the town have been tar- geted and valuables taken.

This comes in the wake of a report

from Eircom Phonewatch, which states that burglaries across Clare have almost doubled in the year up to June 2008, when compared with the previous 12-month period. In Clare, January was the month during which more burglars struck than in any oth- Hmmm 0eCO) OL O MME TB CO) er- NUR AME Ole K0)o\oi mma s-ks the most popular time of the year for home burglaries. Burglars targeted less in May, June and July than dur- ing the rest of the year.

The report also reveals that goods with an average value of almost €4.000 were taken from each home.

COLM Honan was lost for words after watching his beloved Clonlara end their 89 year wait for a senior ti- tle on Sunday.

The former club and county star said Clonlara’s fierce work ethic and sheer belief saw them over the finish line.

“Tm stuck for words. It was a fan- tastic game’, said Honan. “It looked at different stages that they were go-

ing to take it away, or took over. They came at us real quicktake But the lads settled and just worked and worked and worked. They have a fantastic work ethic. They went in in twos and threes all the time. The scores were hard earned today. We just edged ahead at crucial stages”.

Clonlara have enriched Clare hurl- ing over the past few months with their remarkable ascent to the top.

Honan, who’s son Darach played a key role on Sunday, said Clonlara’s

ability, particularly in the second half, to deliver fast ball to the for- wards, proved crucial.

“Tt was very hard to hurl. Condi- tions were dire. You couldn’t turn. The ball wasn’t bouncing or rolling for both teams. But in fairness to both teams it was a superb game of hurling. Considering the conditions, the condition of the pitch was dire”.

One of the key moves of the game saw Darach Honan move out to the half forward line and John Conlon

move to corner forward. The switch saw Clonlara win a greater share of possession and the east Clare side, after a poor start, settled into the game. “We got the goal and kept the flow of the ball going back in. Play- ing with the wind as well it was hard to get a nice ball into them. The sec- ond half, our centre field gave them some nice ball”.

Honan was still shaking his head as Paul Collins finished his speech. Unbelievable.

THE wait will go on. The hurt etched into faces of the Newmarket players as they left Cusack Park on Sunday suggested the pain of this defeat will not be easily erased either. There will have been moments, when for Newmarket supporters, too long liv- ing on the ever fading memory of a rich past, that they will have believed that this was the day when the Blues would announce their comeback.

The odds were stacked in their fa- vour. They had the players. They had the panel. They had been there be- fore.

When Martin Murphy crashed to the net, it looked like a rich new chapter of Newmarket hurling was about to unfold before our eyes. But Clonlara stayed cool and stayed in the game. The second half started and Newmarket had the wind. They reeled off three early points. Mo- mentum was building and it looked firmly behind Newmarket. But the power of the wind died a little and

the game entered one of those tense phases when games are won and lost. Newmarket dropped off. Cyclone Clonlara gathered strength. Darach Honan and John Conlon pounded the Blues. Tommy Lynch was eve- rywhere. In midfield, things had gone ominously quiet for Newmar- ket whereas Clonlara were zipping passes hard and fast inside to their dangermen.

Newmarket had no platform to build from. They stopped creating good chances. When they ran at Clonlara, they were ushered down blind allies or knocked off their feet.

Newmarket fans feared the worst. Those nagging doubts about their team’s resolve on the big days re- surfaced. Their fears came to pass. Darach Honan nailed a point in the final seconds. The Blues were cooked. Beaten by a team who want- ed it more.

It was quiet, dead quiet, outside the Newmarket dressing room after- wards. Manager Diarmuid O’Leary was one of the last to leave. He was

gracious in defeat and echoed his Clonlara counterpart, Jim Gully, and the point he made about hunger. “No complaints, the hungrier team won, simple as that, more power to them”, said O’Leary.

“We had the lead but we didn’t drive on. Fair play to them and more power to them. Best of luck to them in the Munster Championship”

O’Leary was forewarned about what to expect from Clonlara. They have impressed him all year.

“IT seen them against Scariff and they were very very impressive. They came through a tough campaign last year. They have a lot of hurling done. They are a good bunch of lads. They have the medals to prove it”.

So the wait goes on for a 23rd sen- ior title goes on for another year at least and the questions about New- market’s nerve continue. Will the Blues be back’?

“There’s no fear of Newmarket, no fear of Newmarket. Ah, with the help of God, they’ll stick at it”, said O’Leary.