The Clare People Archive

A BOOK commemorating a highly successful five-year rural art initia- tive in Clare will be launched next month at the Burren College of Art in Ballyvaughan. Since 2003 some 16 Irish and international artists have participated in Ground Up, Clare Arts Office’s rural arts project. This resulted in 12 temporary public art- works being commissioned in vari- ous rural contexts in the county.

“It seemed clear to me that some- thing needed to be done to address the position of visual arts in the rural areas of Clare. Down the years visual art has always been for urban peo-

ple in an urban setting,’ said Fiona Woods of the Clare Arts Office.

“The idea was to challenge artists to bring their work into a rural set- ting for the local people. Firstly there is no infrastructure – no galleries or anything like that.

“So we decided to make that into a strength by challenging ourselves to make art in that context and to make it relevant for the people who live in these areas.”

Ground Up features the work of par- ticipating artists Vladimir Arkhipov (Russia), Amanda Dunsmore, Maria Finucane, Paul Forder (UK), Pa- tricia Hurl, Tamas Kaszas (HUN), Maria Kerin, Aileen Lambert, John

Langan, Fiona O’Dwyer, Deirdre O’Mahony, Aine Phillips, Therry Rudin, Sean Taylor, Vince Wall and Fiona Woods.

“All of the works are temporary public works or projects. There was a huge range on the art – we had comics and land art, work set in the centre of rural communities and ones which were more hidden away in the country for people to discover.

‘The book focuses on the different strands of the project and each of the artists, but along with every artist is an essay commissioned on the sub- ject of public and rural art. That was to give it a bit more weight as a dis- cussion point rather than a document

OMIM one

“We have also commissioned a two hour documentary from Clare film- maker Fergus Tigue which will be going out with the book. It tracks the works being made and gives a real insight to the process inside Ground Up.”

The book will be launched on Wednesday, September 17, at the Burren College of Art in Bally- vaughan and on Friday, September 26, at the Atrium of the Temple Bar Gallery in Dublin

For more information on_ the Ground Up commissions check Db www.shiftingground.net/O02_ projects_about.htm.

A PIONEERING new initiative, de- signed to map and conserve the sea- life around the Irish coast began in Doolin last weekend.

Sea Search is the first course of its kind ever to be held in the country and the organisers believe that it will prove a critical step in the fight to preserve precious fish stocks and plant life.

The course, which is organised by the Burren Sub Aqua Club, gives divers the skills required to create the first map of the sea life off Ireland’s coast. “This 1s the first time a course

like this has ever been tried in Ire- land. It’s a bit of a test in many ways, and the Irish Underwater Council might decide to broaden it out around the country,’ said Tadhg O’Brien of the Burren Sub Aqua Club.

“The long-term goal of this is to create a map of the sea-life and plants around [Ireland and track how that is changing. “Sea Search aims to use sports divers to record marine life in their particular areas and to build up a database as to what is happening with the marine life over time. This is critical information for the bigger, long-term goal of preserving the ma- rine environment into the future.”

Undertaking work of this kind is aimed at experienced divers with good experience under their belts.

“It’s a simple enough idea, where divers just have to take note of the animal and plant life that they see when they dive in specific spots. The course will train divers up to become observers and to have enough infor- mation to recognise different species and record what they see,” continued Mr O’Brien.

“The basic equipment is a persons eyes and a simple slate for recording what you find and possibly a camera. It’s a simple process in itself but the key is to have the knowledge about

what you are looking for. The course is really for qualified divers. You have to be comfortable with all the other things involved in diving so you can concentrate on looking at what is around you.”

For more information § contact the Burren Sub Aqua Club on 086 8180044.

IT’S all happening in Corofin this weekend. A drama of epic propor- tions is about to unfold, and the peo- ple of the locality have been invited to come along and enjoy the show.

On August 30 a mock wedding and garden fete will take place at Clifden House, with all money raised going to the refurbishment of St Patrick’s Hall. The event, which will include performers from the All-Ireland Drama Champions, the Corofin Dra- matic Society, will see well-known local socialite Ms Matilda Forde- Cortina marry a person of her fathers choosing.

If she fails to marry before sunrise on her 30th birthday on August 31, the family fortune bequeathed to her by her late grandfather Colonel Bar- tholomew Simpson-Prankster will be lost.

“Well it’s not much of a marriage of convenience but I don’t know who the gentleman groom is just yet. I believe that my father way be short- listing a few eligible bachelors as we speak,” said Ms Matilda.

“Unfortunately for me my heart lies elsewhere, just between me and you, I am in love with my gardener. He is my true love. But my father doesn’t approve, he believes that the a simple gardener is below our station in the

community.

“We have invited all the local peo- ple to the wedding. The family are putting on a great spread including a hog roast, live entertainment and the straw-boy. We will also be opining up the estate to the local classes of Corofin and we will have games for the little ones.

“I think it’s going to be a day of high drama. My heart does lie else- where, but if I don’t marry the man of my fathers choosing our fortune will be lost. I think it will a day of surprises.

“As it 1s a wedding, people should look their best. While we don’t want anyone to outshine me, the bride, we

will be giving a prize for the best costume on the day,” she said.

Tickets for this wedding are now on sale locally at a cost of €40. Other than the Forde-Cortina family the main beneficiary of this event will be Corofin Parish Hall with all monies raised going towards a planned ma- jor renovation project.

WITH the last of the weekly Doo- lin markets just four weeks away, organisers have announced that the popular weekly fairs will return in December for a series of Christmas specials.

The Doolin Saturday Market and Craft Fair has proved very successful since it’s inception and now organis- ers are keep to revive them during the festive season.

“We have just decided that we will definitely have a Christmas Market this year. We are not sure yet of the exact dates because of the availabil-

ity of the hall, but it will definitely take place,’ said organiser Toby Sachsenmaier.

“We will be looking for vendors who are interested closer to the date and we would hope to have many of our summer vendors back. We will have a lot of local craft and art, a dif- ferent foods.

‘“[ have already been approached by people who are interested in doing a Christmas style food, like those big American cinnamon buns, differ- ent cakes and sweets. A lot of our craft people are already working on Christmas ornaments and decora- tions. It just won’t be a recap of what

we have now, it will be very different and will have a very Christmas feel to it.”

The Doolin Market takes place eve- ry Saturday from 10am to 4pm at the Russell Community Centre in Doo- lin. The market will continue each Saturday until the end of September.

“The market has been going so well, it’s been a really great success so far. We have a core of people who are there every week, but with more than 20 stands every week it means that we also have a few different peo- ple who come in each week – which is great, it means that we always have a few new things each week,’ contin-

ued Toby

“One of the newest stands offers a selection of organic pork products. With that, you could now cook a full meal easily with the things that you pick up at the market. It’s getting to the stage where you could almost do your weekly shop there.

“People always comment that the atmosphere is always brilliant. That is due to the personalities of the peo- ple who come along with the music and the indoor bistro feel. There is a really great atmosphere.”

Anyone interested in hearing more about the market should contact doolinmarket@ gmail.com.

GALWAY developer, Stephen Harris who purchased a flood plain for €18 million may be forced to cut his loss- es as there is no government funding for a flood relief scheme which would allow him proceed with his plans to develop a retail park on the land.

As this photograph provided by Clare County Council shows, much of the proposed 48-acre site has

reently been under water and Ennis Town Engineer Tom Tiernan said that there is no money to implement a €14 million flood relief scheme for the area.

Planning permission for the €50 million retail park development was refused by Clare County Council last week because of the flood risk and the lack of sewage infrastructure in the area.

Mr Harris purchased the lands from

Clarecastle man, JJ McCabe in 2006 as the 48-acre site was zoned com- mercial in the Ennis and Environs Development Plan.

However, the sewage issue relating to the site may not be resolved until 2012 and a resolution to the flooding may not be found until much later as it is dependent on the development of the €14 million flood relief scheme.

Prospects of a short to medium- term solution are also bleak with Mr

Tiernan stating that “given the cli- mate we’re in and the approach of government to the funding of new projects, it will be very difficult to find huge support for such a project and it is very difficult to feel positive about it.”

Asked if this would be the case if the flood relief scheme was given 1m- mediate approval, Mr Tiernan said it would take three to four years before it could be completed. The €14 mil- lion project would create a situation where the River Fergus would drain out to sea more effectively and not as much of the flood plain would be re- quired for flood water.

A number of issues have yet to be resolved including environment, le- gal and flooding considerations.

Mr Tiernan said that it may be suitable for a Special Contribution Scheme whereby developers would fund the scheme.

In a late submission to the council, Mr Harris’s consultants appeared to be under the misapprehension that the local authority was proceeding with the flood relief works.

The submission stated that while the site constitutes part of the exist- ing floodplain of the River Fergus, the proposed flood alleviation works being undertaken in Ennis and the lower catchment of the Fergus would render the land “superfluous to flood storage requirements.”

CLARE County Council could face a large compensation claim over its decision to refuse planning permis- sion for a ©50 million retail park ad- jacent to the Ennis bypass.

That’s the view of Green Party councillor Brian Meaney who said that the 2000 Planning and Develop- ment Act provides for compensation claims to be paid out.

The developer in question, Stephen Harris purchased the 48-acre site zoned commercial for €18 million in 2005. However, in spite of the com- mercial zoning, the application can- not proceed because of flooding of

the site.

The Planning and Development Act allows for individuals to secure compensation if a decision by a local authority reduces the value of land.

Cllr Meaney said the council should be concerned as there was now a new dynamic with climactic conditions.

“Planners should be very wary of granting any development in the flood plain even if a flood relief scheme is put in place. We have to protect the population living in residential areas of Ennis that are prone to flooding.”

Cllr Meaney also urged the council not to repeat the mistakes made in drawing up the current Ennis devel- opment plan.

He made the call after the second retail park was refused with flood- ing considerations to the fore of both decisions. Along with the Harris project, the council last year refused planning for a retail park at Quin Road to Sean Lyne and Noel Connel- lan when flooding also featured as a reason in the council’s decision.

The decision throws the county’s retail strategy into further disarray with the ruling guaranteeing contin- ued leakage from Clare into Limer- ick and Galway for the purchase of bulky goods.

Refusing planning permission to the Harris application which was two years in the planning process, the

council stated that the site was locat- ed on the lower Fergus floodplain.

The planner’s report stated, “Until such time as flood relief works are completed, these lands remain as flood plain. To permit development on lands currently functioning as a flood plain would not be in the inter- ests of sustainable development.”

Mr Harris was seeking permission for a retail warehouse park, a mo- tor sales village, a Travelodge ho- tel, drive-thru restaurants, storage and distribution. The developments were to provide over 30,000 m2 in commercial floorspace including 15,300m2 in retail units.

CLARE motorists are getting free NCT’s with the Ennis testing centre snowed under by requests for tests.

There is currently a waiting list for NCT appointments in Ennis and a back-up team has been brought in to keep the tests rolling over.

But delays of more than four weeks in giving applicants a test appoint- ment are resulting is some drivers getting their tests free of charge, in line with NCT policy on customer os at (een

Drivers who ring the national test appointment line are being told that there are no appointments available in Ennis and they have to join a can- cellation list.

A spokeswoman for the NCT ex- plained that the policy is “to try to give people a test within four weeks of their requesting an appointment. If we can’t do that, we give a free test.”

The spokeswoman said that the av- erage lead-in time for a test is three weeks.

“People are given appointments

and if they don’t confirm those ap- pointments within a specified time, then they automatically fall. Our call centre opens at 8am and the first thing they do is re-distribute any test appointment which have not been confirmed.”

The spokeswoman said that while there does not seem to be a specific problem with Ennis, the back-up team which is brought on board to have the test centre working seven days a week is currently in situ in OE

“We have a core team and an non-

core team, who will work late eve- nings and weekends when the need arises. Not every centre has an non- core team, but Ennis does, as does Limerick,’ the NCT spokeswoman Cr AKOR

Since January | this year, the En- nis centre has carried out a massive 11,438 full tests.

This does not account for cars which returned for second tests that only involved one detected fault.

Of those cars which take the test in Ennis half fail and half pass, the figures show.

CLARE Youth Service in Shannon is looking for volunteers to work with young people. There are several vol- unteering opportunities for anyone aged 21 or over interested in working with young people aged 12 to 25.

There are opportunities in both Youth Clubs, Drumgeely and Sky- view which will be re-opening in September when the schools return. There are also volunteers needed to help supervise and work with young people in the Kick Back Youth Cafe and Shannon Music Project at week- ends.

The Youth Service will be sending

a flyer to homes in the area with the September newsletter, outlining de- tails of what’s involved.

There are new developments in ac- tivities for young people in the town also. Five-a-side Basketball and soc- cer nights are planned for Shannon Leisure Centre in September.

‘The hall has been booked for four weeks initially and if the program takes off it is hoped that the weekly Wednesday slot will continue and this will benefit those who are inter- ested in sport and keeping fit as well as keeping the youth workers fit,” a spokesman for the Youth Service Cr HKOR

The cost is €2 per night as it is sub-

sidised by the Youth Service and they are looking for 10 to 15 people to sign up and commit to the four weeks of it. Anyone interested should contact Cathal or Pat in the Youth Office to register their name.

The Shannon Music Project has once again availed of the expertise of a local guitar teacher for the coming winter term.

Paul O’ Donoghue (Swive) has again kindly offered his services to the Music Project to teach advanced classes in electric guitar to 10 to 12 young people from the project.

The classes are designed for those who have more than a year’s experi- ence in electric guitar and are inter-

ested in learning new techniques.

The lessons begin Wednesday September 10 at 4:45pm in Respond Building, Rineanna View. They run for 15 weeks at the same time and day each week until December 17.

Anyone interested in signing up for the lessons should contact Ca- thal in Shannon Youth Office 061 364318/087 1374482 before Sep- tember 1 to secure their place in the class.

“The lessons are free of charge and Shannon Music Project would like to thank Swive for volunteering his expertise to the project again this year, it is very much appreciated”, the spokesman said.

NEW recycling services are to be installed in Quin with a new bottle bank facility to be set up in the vil- lage.

The bank will be located near Has- sett’s Pun in Quin at a site offered by local publican Malachy Hassett. It is anticipated that the bank will be open and ready for use by the local community within the next month.

According to local Fine Gael coun- cilor Sonny Scanlon, the facility 1s

a welcome development given the growing population in Quin and the Surrounding areas.

He explained, “It was something we have been looking for, for a long time. Its well known that the popula- tion in Quin has been increasing for some time and we needed a facility like this”.

Cllr Scanlon thanked Malachy Has- sett for providing the space needed for the bottle bank. “I would like to thank Malachy for providing the bit of land for it, we couldn’t have got his

up and going without his help. We would expect that the place would be open by September”’.

Cllr Scanlon added that the provi- sion of long overdue recycling serv- ices in Quin were an important step in keeping and maintaining the ap- pearance of the village.

“Its great that we are finally getting it. As I said before its been coming a long time and it is something we have needed. We have a growing population and developments like this are important in ensuring Quin

stays tidy”’.

Bottle banks and recycling centre, operated by Clare County Council, have become regular features in vil- lages and towns around the county.

The council operates recycling cen- tres in Ennis, Shannon, the Lisdeen recycling centre and transfer station, Kilkee and at the Scariff recycling centre and transfer station.

In an effort to halt the incidents of illegal dumping, many of the stations are monitored by closed circuit tel- evision cameras.

SHANNON’S Social Diary has been part of community life for as long as most of its citizens can remember.

Now the diary is not just helping the people of Shannon plan their coming fortnight, it is also giving them an insight into their past as a 1970s copy of the popular newsletter has surfaced.

Discovered in the electricity box of a house that was being cleared out, the blast from the past now has pride of place in the Shannon Community Office.

The one page document typed on a manual typewriter all those years

ago by Ina Reddan, is a mini social record of Shannon in the seventies.

Headlining with tennis, ballroom dancing, and the cinema the inform- ative document gives an insight into the lifestyle of another generation.

Adult art classes at night cost just £2 for 20 lessons in Shannon Com- prehensive School.

On Friday October 30 a sale of work was held in Drumgeely Com- munity Hall by the local scouts. Ad- mission was a mere six pence and that included raffle tickets.

St Senan’s Parent and Teachers As- sociation and the ladies choir were also making use of the leaflet almost four decades ago.

The former lady mayor of Limer- ick, who was mayor when President John F Kennedy visited Ireland, Mrs Francis Clondel was also preparing to address the ICA according to the 1970 social diary.

The diary continues to be issued by the community office almost 40 years later, and the current staff are hoping to find an even older diary.

The community office which also houses Clarecare and the Citizen In- formation Office, is opposite Murphy Brown’s pub and 1s inviting people to drop in older “social diaries” if they Crim yam sinemeenee

The 1970 diary has already been laminated and the public are free to

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Funded and developed originally by Shannon Development the diary was then handed over to the commu- nity office. Today 3,700 diaries are delivered every second week to all the homes in Shannon and it is sup- ported by local advertising.

Rita Costello, who works with the CIC, told