The Clare People Archive

CLARE County Council has ex- pressed “serious reservations” about the first ever hotel proposed for Sixmilebridge.

Gerard and Martha Kearney lodged plans for the construction of an hotel on Sixmilebridge’s Main Street ear- lier this year.

Their consultants state that the Kearneys wish to transform an un- sightly fuel merchants and commer- cial yard into a development that will enhance the town.

However, revised plans will have to be lodged if it is to secure planning eau NUIT (OOF

The council, requesting revised plans, states that it welcomes the development of a modern hotel facil- ity within the centre of Sixmilebri- dge but has serious concerns about the proposed development under a number of headings.”

Specifically the council says it is not satisfied that the design and lay- out 1S appropriate for the prominent location of the site within the heart of an Architectural Conservation Area and fronting the Owengraney River.

The council said the proposed de- velopment would not be permitted and a significant alteration in layout

and design was required and this could involve a new planning appli- cation.

“The development of this piece of land in isolation to the undeveloped zoned land immediately to the west is contrary to the proper planning and development of the area.

The council panners also main- tained that the proposal represented “piecemeal and haphazard develop- nates laee

“It is the view of the council that these lands should be developed to- gether to form one comprehensive development which links to both sides of the town.

The council also point out that the development represents “over-devel- opment of the site’, and will result in significant overshadowing and over- bearing of the adjacent properties to the west fronting Main Street.

Expressing concerns over the project, local resident, Anne Casey States, “I believe that the mass and scaling of the proposed hotel is ex- cessive in relation to the site area and the construction of a three sto- rey structure in close proximity to the rear of my property will result in a serious reduction of natural light and leave the rear of my house over- shadowed during long periods of the or hae

SATURDAY night’s card at Galway featured three semi finals of the Bal- lyea GAA Club A3 525 Buster Stake and in the opening heatm the the Mrs Mary Jones owned Lingrawn Ram- bler got back on the winners rostrum as he satyed on strongly to defeat Crafty Classico by a half a length in PRS

In the second heat all six runners Came away as one with the reserve Outback Maverick just holding a fractional advantage rounding the Opening two bends. But it was Cal- lums Honcho who railed well turn- ing in before getting the better of Leonies Aoife by a neck in 29.54.

The concluding heat saw the good recent form of the Ann Maire Mc- Grath kennel continue as her repre- sentetive Saints Above (Blackjack Tom-Mi Viva) powered home seven lengths clear of her rivals in a time of 29.22. The final is down for deci- sion on Friday night and officers of the Ballyea Club are expecting a big turnout for the occasion which sees €1,200 going to the winner.

In the eigth contest over the 550 yard trip for A4 graders, Tiermana Rosie (T5) stormed up the home straight to record a victory for owner Noel Moroney of Ennis in a time of a OPz

The tenth contest at the Collage

Road venue on Thursday night was an A4 graded 550 and the Master Michael Browne of Cree owned Burnpark Enda needed no second in- vitation as he went clear for a 1&3/4 length victory in 30.86

The fourth event was an N2 graded 525 in which a wholesale punt on the trap one runner Cracking Spirit went west when he ran wide off the open- ing corner allowing the trap six run- ner Inagh Mal slip through to lead by a length turning down the back. Racing past halfway the Michael McGuane of Inagh owned Inagh Mal had extended his advantage to three lengths over Ms Firesparker who closed slightly as they began the swing for home but Inagh Mal (Droopys Maldini-Inagh Spice) drew away up the straight to win in 29.70

The concluding contest of the night which was an A2 contest also went the way of the Browne family from Cree where from traps Torpais Mai (14) and Burnpark Tracy (T3) were away best and they disputed the lead on the run to the opening corner but Burnpark Tracy was in control up front as she came clear for a three length success in 29.50

Clare’s only winner on Friday night came in the eight race – an A4 event — where up the straight, the P.J O’Halloran trained Wood Sweet came clear to win by a length and a half in 29.59.

will be updated imminently by letter in relation to the approach by a party interested in acquiring our flagship station.

“Our obligation in relation to any potential transaction is first and fore- most to both shareholders and staff we will not be making any public comment on this matter until they have been communicated with.”

Asked to comment on the situation at the weekend, the station’s found- ing chief executive, Caimin Jones said: “Clare FM should clarify the current situation unless there is some compelling reason to prevent them.

For example, if they are engaged in sensitive negotiations with another consortium, then the absence of a statement might be understandable. “Otherwise, a clear statement to shareholders and the general public is essential. A media company which asks probing questions of other peo-

ple and organisations risks losing credibility by remaining silent on its own affairs when these matters are clearly of public interest. With no information or discussion forthcom- ing, the station is also putting its own news and current affairs service in an invidious position.”

A shareholder in the station, Mr Jones said that he welcomed the pro- posed sale to Radio Kerry.

“It 1s disappointing that the deal appears to have come unstuck,” he ene m

“I felt that Radio Kerry and Clare FM were a good fit. Their values, broadcasting culture and commit- ment to serving their communities are broadly similar. These issues will undoubtedly be considered by many shareholders should any new offer be made for Clare FM.

“In general, Clare FM has fulfilled its original objectives and several broadcasters continue to produce good programmes. However, the station is at a crossroads and needs an injection of ideas, energy and creativity. Despite the increasingly competitive radio environment, the station must win back listeners. The key to this in Clare is to reinforce the “Clareness” and individuality of the station and not become a bland clone of the latest passing media fashion.

“Somebody in Irish local radio broadcasting needs to have the cour- age to tear up the current programme schedules and devise new ones. The schedule of programmes on Clare FM and other stations 1s more or less the same as it was when the station was founded nearly 20 years ago.”

AN ENNIS woman was one of 17 people from throughout Ireland to qualify with a diploma in hypno- therapy over the weekend.

Ennis woman Johanna Tracy be- came the first Clare woman to be presented with a Practitioner’s Di- ploma in Clinical Hypnotherapy by the Irish Hypnotherapy Association at a ceremony in Galway on Sunday.

She will now begin to practice hyp- nosis throughout the county.

“So far I haven’t come across too many sceptics but I have come across people who fear it. Some people as- sociate what I do with stage hypno- sis; these people don’t want to be made to do something against their will. But they are thinking of hypno- tists who are more like comedians.”

“lm already a qualified psycho- therapist and a life and business coach and | thought that this might be helpful for clients. It’s very good for building confidence, helping with

phobias, giving up cigarettes and los- ing weight. It’s good for children who have problems with bed wetting or nail biting or things like that, or for teenagers for confidence building.

‘This course was all about learning how to hypnotise people and helping them to achieve different goals in their own life. Hypnosis is about the power of suggestion, it’s nothing to do with sleeping.

“It’s actually concentrated con- scienceness. People would see them- selves doing something that they would love to do but can’t. Once they picture doing it in their sub-con- scious mind, then they are better able to do it in reality.”

She warns that hypnosis will not always work for everyone.

“It really depends on how much a person wants to work on it. We can’t hypnotise the cigarettes out of them, they have to want to give up and have a real desire. The more they use their imagination the more successful they will be.”

GULLIVER IRELAND, the owner of one of Ireland’s longest estab- lished travel websites, Golreland. com, announced yesterday that it has relaunched the website to consolidate its positioning as the largest tourist accommodation website on the is- land of Ireland.

Gulliver Ireland, Ireland’s leading cost effective provider of reserva-

tions and tourism information, 1s part of FEXCO.

The Golreland.com website will handle a projected 55,000 domestic and overseas bookings this year, which equates to almost 200,000 bednights. Traffic to the new website during the first four weeks increased by 15 per cent compared with last year, which is attributed to better visibility on search engines. Golre- land.com was ranked in the Top 15

Travel and Airlines Market in the newly published “The Net Behaviour Report’ on Irish internet usage.

The website has a new ‘look and feel’, featuring more travel informa- tion on ‘things to see and do’ and offering a wider spread of tourist ac- commodation, approximately 8,000 properties, which is more than any other Irish tourism-related website.

The overhaul of the website’s con- tent, which has a significant regional

focus including regional landing pages for all counties, will continue throughout the year. The new web- site allows tourism business owners to sell their properties better than ever by including detailed premises and local information, photographs and the option of enhanced listings. It delivers booking availability in every county on the island and across all accommodation categories. “People booking accommodation

are booking an experience. To sell effectively online, you have to show your customers the kind of experi- ences they can have.

They urge businesses to take ad- vantage of the new Golreland.com website and show up to 120,000 visi- tors every week at the height of the tourist season what you have and what is around you,’ said Dr Stew- art Stephens, Managing Director of Gulliver Ireland.

THE newly elected President of Lim- erick Chamber of Commerce 1s not only living in Clare but has identified a closer working relationship with the Banner County as a key factor in driving the future development of the mid-west Region.

Sean Lally, whose home is in Bun- ratty, 18S managing partner of the Clarion Hotel in Limerick and he succeeded Shannon Airport Author- ity member and Westpark business campus Director, Reg Freake to the Presidency.

Speaking about his upcoming year in office, Mr. Lally said one of his priorities will be to highlight the many positive aspects of the Limer- ick Shannon region from both a busi- ness and tourism perspective.

“In spite of tales of economic slow down we are seeing unprecedented levels of construction taking place in the region.

“The Shannon ‘Tunnel Project, linking Clare and Limerick at an estimated cost of €500m, is due for completion within the next two years and is the largest infrastructural de- velopment ever commissioned by the State outside the capital.”

“Throughout the year we will con- tinue to highlight critical areas that will always remain top of our agen- da. This includes priorities such as

the completion of the upgrading of the N18 to Galway by 2010 to en- sure our vision of an economic cor- ridor between Galway and Limerick becomes a reality. The urgent need for improved connectivity to Foynes Port; greater priority to be given to the completion of the Atlantic Road Corridor and the motorway from Limerick to Dublin to be delivered and completed by 2010 as prom- ised.”

“Shannon Airport is a key contribu- tor to the economic prosperity of the region. With 3.6 million passengers passing through it last year it is the second busiest airport in the state. Shannon still reports to the Dublin Airport Authority, a situation which is clearly unsatisfactory if Shannon is to compete in an aviation market that is highly competitive.”

A native of Galway, Sean Lally joined the Board of Limerick Cham- ber in 2006 and 1s also a member of the Irish Hotels Federation and is a Director of Meet Limerick Shannon Conference and Sports Bureau.

He worked in the Old Ground Hotel in Ennis during the early 90s and his wife Eliane is from Bunratty where his two children Oisin (9) and Cao- imhe (4) attend the local Wells pri- mary school.

AER LINGUS plans to enter an ex- tensive codeshare partnership with Star Alliance carrier United Airlines from November has been welcomed by the Shannon Airport Authority as a major boost for the mid-west.

The codeshare, which will cover the Irish airline’s services from Shannon to Boston, Chicago and New York, will provide access to and from the west of Ireland for 200 new destina-

tions across the United States.

United Airlines will also sell seats on Aer Lingus’ transatlantic serv- ices, thereby offering Shannon as a destination from these US cities.

Commenting on the development, Shannon Airport Director Martin Moroney said that the partnership brings another major US airline to the Shannon market and will also consolidate the Aer Lingus winter schedule at Shannon.

“This is very exciting news for

Shannon Airport and this region as it opens up significant new markets across the United States, with the al- liance ensuring one-stop access to over 200 new destinations in the US. OW evi ie-U em or-DusCUir-DUhmBneNOhMEceRonn the full-onset this year of Open Skies and is another boost following the Aer Lingus deal with JetBlue Air- ways Corp earlier this year that will allow customers to book a single res- ervation between Ireland and more than 40 continental US destinations.

‘Both these alliances by Aer Lingus are complemented by the market- ing fund for west of Ireland tourism, aimed at stimulating and promoting a strong identity in the US, so these deals couldn’t have come at a better time,” said Mr Moroney.

“This development brings signifi- cant marketing benefits to Shannon and its hinterland and raises Shan- non’s profile throughout the travel industry in the United States,” said Mr Moloney.

MUNSTER’S employment outlook is holding strong according to the latest figures from workforce management solutions, Manpower Ireland.

The survey shows that 11 per cent of Munster employers are predicting they will hire more staff in the com- ing quarter. This is eight per cent up in quarter Over-quarter-results but a decrease of 11 per cent on last year’s JURA Koe

Construction industry employers anticipate an optimistic quarter-over- quarter improvement in hiring activ-

ity with an eight per cent increase during the second quarter of the year, representing a slight decline of three per cent on last year’s figures.

Conducted quarterly, the Man- power Employment Outlook Survey measures employers’ intentions to increase or decrease their workforces and gathers data from 55,199 employ- ers across the world each quarter.

Regional employment is expected to be strongest in Ulster and Mun- ster, both of which recorded an opti- mistic employment outlook of 12 per cent and 11 per cent respectively for the second quarter of the year.

The pharmaceutical industry re- corded the strongest hiring outlook of 21 per cent followed by employers in the transport, storage and commu- nication sector, who are predicting a hiring outlook of 18 per cent over the next three months.

Manpower Ireland Managing Di- rector Jason Kennedy said the results were reassuring for the Irish economy as a whole. In spite of many warnings and gloomy forecasts the Manpower Employment Outlook Survey, which speaks to employers directly, has shown that many employers are feel- ing positive about the future growth

of their companies.

Even in the construction industry which has been the focus of much controversy in the last six months, eight per cent of all employers are planning on hiring more staff in the coming quarter.

The percentage of employers ex- pecting to reduce staff in the coming months is in line with the average from previous quarters. This suggests that while the rate of job creation has dropped this will be balanced against the fact that employers are not reduc- ing their respective workforces to any greater extent than before.

THE Clare farming industry faces a €70,000 obliteration next month if the predicted 70 per cent cut in beef import tariff’s 1s sanctioned by the World Trade Organisation (WTO). That is the opinion of the IFA’s Chief Economist, Clareman Con Lu- cey, who predicts that beef output in the county will be halved in the tariff is scrapped. Beside the loss in pro- duction, this could see a mass exodus from the sector which employs al- most 5,000 people in the county. “Europe is a much higher cost re-

210n to produce in than sectors such as south America. Besides that, Eu- ropean farmers have to operate un- der much tighter health and safety conditions that farmers in other re- gions. This creates a problem if we are competing directly with places where conditions are not enforced,” said Mr Lucey.

“According to our calculations, this new tariff will bring the price of beef down to around €2 per kilogram. Where as the cost of production in Ireland is now €3 per kilogram. It would make no economic since to keep producing under these condi-

ney nce

A WTO Ministerial meeting is due to take place in mid May where a res- olution on the long running negotia- tions is expected to be arrived at.

“In terms of Clare we have more than 4,200 suckler herds. This makes Clare very very vulnerable for any proposed cut. We estimate the total farm input in Clare is about €140 million per year. We would ex- pect this to half if the agreement is passed,’ continued Con.

“Clare is a beef dominated county and there isn’t really much of an al- ternative. There is no money in sheep

and the land is not good enough for tillage so there is no alternative for EB Eeilone

“There is starting to be a greater awareness of the quality and tracta- bility of some of this imported foods. We had the ban on Brazilian beef Where most of the exports facilities there have been shut down. Last year then we had bird flu outbreak in the Thailand. One of our particular wor- ries 1s that there 1s little public debate going on on this World Trade Debate so far. This is a hugely serious situa- tion for farmers in Ireland and espe- cially farmers in county Clare.”

THE significance of Dr Hillery’s period as Minister for Education is often overlooked with credit for the modernisation of learning in Ire- land more commonly attributed to his flamboyant successor, Donagh O’ Malley.

However, Hillery, a man of im- mense intellect with a radical vision of Ireland’s future social and eco-

nomic possibilities, set out a blue- print which the energetic and forceful O’Malley prosecuted to full effect.

The extent of Hillery’s social radi- calism can be seen in a fascinating address he made to the Dail on March 23, 1960, in which he signalled his resolve to shift Irish education policy in an egalitarian direction.

His belief that the second-level system was regressive was captured in a simple but profound objective:

“Every child of sufficient talent, be they poor or rich, in any type of school should have the opportunity of climbing right to the top of the educational ladder.

“The nation needs the services of all the talent it can find.”

Hillery identified what he called “a missing rung in our educational lad- der” which denied advanced learning to those of a vocational orientation.

His idea would soon turn concrete

with the construction of the first of the country’s regional technical col- efexere

He went on to dismiss arguments against pouring money into Ireland’s under-funded universities lest it lead to too many graduates; casting aside pessimism he countered that invest- ment was “a calculated risk we must take if we believe that the country has a future”.

Later, as the first Minister for La-

bour, Hillery underpinned the link between education and Irish eco- nomic growth by instigating a policy founded on the idea that the State should help people to obtain the skills to avoid or climb out of unem- jo) Keyyaneteael

For this and other major aspects of Ireland’s educational infrastructure that have helped build the country to what it is today, Dr Hillery deserves Keeble