The Clare People Archive

IT was all green action at Ogonnel- loe National School last week, when rosy-cheeked pupils and staff braved the elements to plant apple trees.

Last Thursday, members of the Irish Seed Savers Association (ISSA) came to the school to plant three apple trees under a grant scheme, which is a joint venture between the Department of Agriculture, under the Genetic Conservation Fund, and the ISSA.

“Under the scheme, funding has been set aside for planting native ap- ple trees in schools,’ School Secre- tary, Joanne Allen said. “The staff,

pupils and parents really enjoyed this event,’ she added.

Eleanor Walsh, Chairperson of the school’s parents association said the event “continues in the green schools theme and it allows the children be more aware of their own contribution to the environment, which 1s not in- significant. Every time they recycle, pick up rubbish or even bring their lunch wrapper home they are making a difference and making the world a better, cleaner place for everyone.”

The theme of the planting day links into the natural environment and Irish heritage and is linked to key strands of the primary SESE (Social, Environmental and Scientific Edu-

cation) and SPHE (Social, Personal and Health Education) curriculum.

While youngsters taking part in the planting got a birds eye view of where their delicious apples come from, the event will continue to promote the school’s healthy eating policy as the trees – and the children – grow.

The ISSA is a voluntary organisa- tion dedicated to the location and preservation of traditional varieties of fruit and vegetables. In the early 1990’s ISSA began a search for the last surviving traditional Irish varie- ties of apple.

They have now found more than 140 different types of Irish apple trees which are all thriving in their

orchards and where they were origi- nally found – in people’s gardens. Native apples are more intense in flavour than those now grown com- mercially.

Special membership offers are available to support the work of the ISSA and members get discounts on any seeds and trees they buy.

For details, contact Aine Ni Fh- latharta 061 921866, the education officer at the Capparoe site, Scariff, for more information on ISSA.

EXHIBITIONS and demonstrations of age-old skills will bring prehis- toric Ireland to life at the Clare Mu- Nol Uuse brat e eee

Heritage Education week will run at the Clare Museum from April 8- 11. The main purpose of the four-day event 1s to generate greater interest and encourage appreciation of Ire- land’s heritage in a practical and pu- Um Rule ICUAaae-NA

The event coincides with the dis- play at the museum of a rare 2500 year old Iron wooden bowl.

The bowl was discovered during excavations along the N18 bypass and the N85 western relief road.

Heritage education week kicks off

on Tuesday, April 8 when specialists Simon and Maria O’Dwyer will give a presentation and demonstration of prehistoric musical instruments of Ireland. Simon has been employed as a heritage specialist by the INTO and the Heritage Council for the past seven years. He has conducted stud- ies into prehistoric and medieval mu- sical instruments in Ireland.

One of the highlights of this event will be Simon’s playing of replica’s of Bronze Age and Iron Age horns.

Three such original Bronze Age horns are displayed in the museum and the event represents for the stu- dents present a unique opportunity to hear and experience these sounds not usually heard in these parts for over 2,000 years.

On Thursday, April 10, students from Clare will get the opportunity to witness a demonstration of the traditional Traveller craft of copper Seon ioperee

The demonstration will be per- formed by members of St. Joseph’s Traveller Training Centre in Ennis.

The copper craft group at the Train- ing centre have been showcasing their skills at festivals and events around Ireland for the past two years.

In March 2007, the centre earned national recognition, when three members showcased the art of cop- per craft at the fourth annual Cork lifelong learning festival.

Last year, the centre also donated seven copper items including buck- ets, pots and scuttles to the Cork

public museum for a permanent dis- eA

It was the first time a permanent display of Traveller culture had been showcased in a national museum.

Metalcraft instructor Brian Cros- sen explained the group were de- lighted to be part of Heritage Educa- tion Week.

“We were out in Barefield Nation- al School during the week doing a similar demonstration. It was a good idea by the school because it’s great for the kids to see the demonstration up close.

“We are going to be doing the same thing for Heritage Week, in the mu- seum, so yeah, I think it’s a good idea because it brings to life for the jae Kae

A NEW report highlights the contri- bution of primary schools to the fight against litter in Ennis.

Ennis Town Council launched the Ennis Environmental Challenge in July 2007 with the aim of building on Ennis’s success in the National Tidy Towns competition.

One of the principal aims of the scheme was to generate commu- nity wide responsibility and owner- ship for the appearance and tidiness of Ennis. Along with community eroups and residents associations, schools in Ennis also took up the challenge.

Their efforts were rewarded at the Best Kept Schools competition where first prize was awarded to En- nis National School, second prize to Scoul Chriost Ri and third place to St Anne’s school. Both the Holy Family Senior School and the junior school were highly commended for their ef- forts.

The council’s report praised the fantastic work done by the schools and stated “as well as undertaking amenity projects in school grounds, children are now involved on an on- going basis on litter patrols within school grounds and various projects were undertaken during the year”’.

The report states, “The Best Kept

Schools competition continued to foster greater environmental aware- ness and education amongst primary school children which was evident es- pecially among those whose schools had acquired green flag status.”

The report also reveals that Ennis Town Council spent €784,000 on street cleaning in 2007 and that the council’s environmental programme had expenditure of €468,000.

According to the report, the en- vironment section of the council received a total of 570 complaints, enquiries related to litter and envi- ronment in 2007. 87 abandoned ve- hicle notices were served on vehicles on public spaces within Ennis and 35

of these were removed.

At the March meeting of Ennis Town Council, Fianna Fail council- lor Joe Reidy said a problem existed with cars for sale on public roads.

Town Clerk Eddie Power said, “If people persist to do that, then it is a prosecutable offence. We will con- sider our options and putting up signs to remind people is one of them.”

Fine Gael councillor Mary Coote Ryan said more needed to be done to remove litter from laneways in En- eh

Fianna Fail councillor Tom Glynn paid tribute to former Tidy Towns chairman Donal Griffin and congrat- ulated new chairman Noel Crowley.

IT’S a well-known saying but now one Ennis man has found a way for married couples to physically tie the knot.

Sean O’Shaughnessy designed the Ennis wedding knot and is hoping that his idea will become part of wedding tradition.

The design is made up of a centre knot known as a true lover’s knot or cross knot or the shamrock knot.

This is encircled by a ring of twelve knots known as knots of faithful love and eternal friendship.

The last knot is made up of two

half-knots which, when the cords are pulled, unite to complete the circle.

Sean, a crafts enthusiast, had the idea after he went to the wedding of ARU(ONCe

“I got to thinking about the ceremo- ny and I suppose the whole thing of tying the knot and I though it would be nice for couples to have a way of physically tying the knot. It could be part of the wedding ceremony. It could be used to mark wedding anni- versaries. It’s quite a romantic thing and people see the knot in different FA

There has already been interest in Sean’s design from couples in Clare,

Mayo and Galway.

The knot is assembled and hand designed by Sean at his home in To- bartascain, Ennis. The knot itself is placed within a wooden frame. Some couples are looking for customised designs, with one Galway couple asking for the knot to be designed in the colours of their local GAA club.

‘There has been a good response. Everybody I have talked to about it so far has been impressed with it. We’ve got about 12 sold already and I’ve had people from Mayo and Gal- way asking about it. At the moment, there are only a few types and de- signs, but we are going to have cus-

tomised designs. Some people are looking for diamonds, or to have a silver case. I’ve had one couple who heard about it, and want it done in their club’s colours.”

Sean hopes that his design will, over time, develop a similar reputa- tion to the world-famous Claddagh Ring. “It would be great if it became as well known as the Claddagh ring in the future. It would be a great thing for Ennis. It’s been popular so far, so hopefully that will continue.”

SHANNON International Airport has come under fire from Amnesty International, which has outlined how the Clare airport played its role in the extraordinary rendition of a Yemeni man.

The human rights organisation de- tailed how a plane, which transport- ed Khaled al-Maqtari from Baghdad where he was “arrested” to Kabul to a CIA “black site” prison, was refu- elled in Shannon just hours before.

Mr al-Magtari was held without charge in secret CIA prisons for over two and a half years.

Amnesty International Irish Section Executive Director Colm O’Gorman said, “There can no longer be any doubt that Shannon is being used by those involved in kidnapping and torture, dressed up as part of a war OE uKOe

“After nine days of interrogation in Abu Ghraib (Baghdad), Khaled al-Maqtari was taken by plane to a secret CIA detention facility in Af-

ghanistan, where he was held for a further three months. Flight records obtained by Amnesty International corroborated that a jet operated by a CIA front company left Baghdad International Airport nine days af- ter his arrest, heading for Khwaja Rawash airport in Kabul.

“This same jet, registered at the time as N379P, had left Shannon Airport on 20 January 2004 en route to Baghdad where it collected Mr al- Maatari,’ Mr O’Gorman said.

“In essence, Shannon was used as

a refuelling stop by the individuals who ‘disappeared’ Mr al-Maatari to Kabul. It is clear that Ireland serves as a Staging area for these kinds of operations, which constitute some of the worst kinds of human rights abuses,” he said.

Amnesty International called in the Irish Government to put in place a system to monitor flights through Shannon and a regime of inspections to ensure that Ireland was not being used to facilitate kidnapping and tor- ture.

A spokesperson for the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dermot Ahern said the Government was totally opposed to the practice of extraordinary ren- eb TaCeyen

The Government said it was satis- fied with specific assurances from the US authorities, including from US President George W Bush and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, that no prisoners had been trans- ferred through Irish airports, nor would they be without Irish Govern- ment permission.

THE pupils attending a Shannon primary school have engaged in a project aimed at promoting active living in the local community.

The fifth and sixth class students at St Conaire’s school challenged them- selves to a project, in an effort to put something back into the community.

Helped by their teachers, the stu- dents participated in a project which highlights active living. Through the project, they raised €1,500 to provide a defibrillator for their local GAA club, Wolfe Tones na Sionna.

Teacher Audrey Cleary explained that the children were very keen to engage in the project.

“This project was initiated by the children, to show appreciation to their local club, in recognition of the commitment and dedication by the club members in engaging, mentor- ing and training the children,’ she PALO

The main fundraising initiative was a ‘sportathon’ which was or- ganised last week, during which the children participated in a variety of sporting activities over a number of hours. The children all got sponsor-

ship from their families, for the spor- ee eLOy OF

In addition to the sportathon the children of fifth and sixth classes recorded a selection of their own Christmas carols onto a CD and sold this locally.

“This entire challenge was a very worthwhile project. It generated a sense of achievement and fulfillment among the children while at the same time the sportathon promoted an awareness of a healthy lifestyle,” said Ms Cleary.

“The children’s efforts were whole- heartedly embraced and encouraged

by the families in the school commu- nity. The challenge was substantially supported and ensured the children achieved their target of raising €1,500. The Celtic Tiger may be a thing of the past, but the Celtic Wolf adorned in green and white is alive, active and spirited in Shannon,” she laughed.

A RESIDENTS association’s fight against the construction of 60 alf- fordable houses in their estate is to move to a new level next week.

The Concern Residents of Cluain Airne 1s opposing the proposed de- velopment in their estate, where there already are 178 houses.

They believe that there is inad- equate infrastructure in the area to cope with new homes.

The group also says the develop- ment of additional homes will result in their green area being taken away from them.

When the details first emerged last summer, a group of the Cluain Airne residents grouped together and or- ganised a petition, highlighting their opposition to the construction of the new houses.

That petition has since been signed by more than two-thirds of the resi- dents and they attached this to their

formal objection to the scheme, which was lodged with the council.

Next week, Shannon area council- lors will be given the opportunity to vote on the proposed development. The residents association is appeal- ing for the councillors to vote in their le AVeluie

Secretary of the group, Nicole Murphy, said locals are encouraging the local politicians to take their con- cerns into account when they vote.

“If all of the councillors vote

against it, it would be great. It is in the councillors’ hands. They need to think of their local people who have been and will be voting for them.

“There are hundreds of acres of suitable land down the road and they could leave the green area (in Cluain Airne) where it 1s,” she said.

Mr Murphy said the residents ac- knowledge that affordable housing in required in Shannon, but feel it should be catered for on alternative sites.

THE primary school in Newmarket- on-Fergus has reduced the amount of waste it sends to the landfill, by more than 95 per cent.

This has been achieved by the staff at Scoil na Maighdine Mhuire en- couraging the pupils to be mindful of the importance of the environment.

A wide range of initiatives have been undertaken by the school, in its ongoing efforts on the environment.

Last week the school’s staff and stu- dents all took part in a green dress- up day, where everybody dressed up in green. This was aimed at honour- ing St Patrick and to highlight green awareness. In the process they raised money to buy a new lawnmower to

keep the school’s newly-seeded grass field in tip top shape.

Each class planted a tree during na- tional tree week earlier this month. The school also hosted Beni Oberu from Trocaire, who highlighted the need for water conservation.

School principal Ann McMahon said a survey carried out late last year showed the reduction in the amount of waste going to the landfill was more than 95 per cent, compared to previous levels.

She said that a number of initia- tives have been carried out by vari- ous classes at the school.

“We had a recycling project earlier in the year where each child used re- cycled materials to create something useful or artistic,” she explained.

‘Each class has planted a variety of seeds in recycled yogurt pots which we hope to transplant to the school garden as soon as they have sprout- ed. Juniors and seniors are sprouting water cress seeds. Third and fourth classes are doing a science experi- ment to determine whether seeds need water to germinate,” she said.

“Sixth class undertook to survey the number of light switches and sockets in the school and have designed an art competition to make reminder signs for switches and sockets.

“Third and fourth classes under- took a survey of toilet cisterns in the school. They have collected 500ml bottles which they will fill and place in every cistern in the school, thereby saving 500ml of water for each flush

of each toilet, which 1s a lot of water saved annually,” she said.

“We are collecting plastic bottle tops for a hospital in Dublin who hope to collect a skip full and raise funds for a wheelchair,” she added..

The school held an exhibition in the school hall last month, which was judged by members of the En- vironment section of Clare County Council.

The winning entries are currently on exhibition in Newmarket-on-Fer- PAU lyeTae

KILRUSH Town Councillors are planning to name and shame town TTRKe)doLerca MAU MOON Kwesleesemmensomlicmey” the council, Cllr Liam Looney (FF) asked that the council put CCTV cameras in the Parc de Plouzane car park to monitor the recycling facility and to curb the continuing dumping OKO )o) ane A suo

“Just a few weeks back, the dumping was so bad, I couldn’t get access my- self,” he told his fellow councillors.

“This 1s a continuous problem and the only solution is to put CCTV there and then name and shame the culprits,” he said. “I think if we caught a few, it would stop.”

Cllr Tom Prendeville (FF) had oth- er ideas to solve the ongoing unsight- ly problem. “My solution is to move the bottle bank out of there. I don’t think it is right to have that particular ley Da Gai alos Rom

‘The only solution to this 1s a civic amenity that is properly managed and monitored like in Lisdeen. Kil-

rush is a big enough town to warrant such a facility.

The schoolteacher told the meeting that serious illegal dumping had also taken place in the local graveyard.

Cllr Looney agreed that a new fa- cility should be built but, in the in- ter1m, he believed that the CCTV suggestion would be cost effective, considering the cost to the council of cleaning up the illegal dumping.

Senior Staff Officer Siobhan O’Keeffe said that, during 2007, quotations were sought from various

companies for the provision and in- stallation of CCTV cameras in Place de Plouzane car park.

“Quotations received and site visits conducted presented technical difficul- ties which made it impossible to pro- ceed at the time. The town engineer has been in contact with another com- pany that could overcome the techni- cal issues and he is awaiting a detailed quotation from them,” she said.

“In the interim, the location of the bottle banks was moved to the centre of the car park and this has resulted

in a notable reduction in the incidents of illegal dumping.

“While incidents of illegal dump- ing are still occurring, every effort is made to tackle the problem. Twice daily inspections are carried out at this location to enable a timely response to incidents of illegal dumping.

‘Where an incident of illegal dump- ing has taken place, an investigation of all contents takes place and action is always taken under the Litter Pol- lution Act where evidence is recov- ered,’ she said.

WOMEN from Clare and the mid- west will not be able to avail of a screening mammography — service until Breastcheck is rolled out in the county. According to Cllr Deirdre Culligan (Ind), that could take an- other year or three, leading the Kil- rush Town Councillor to call for the abolition of the HSE.

Cllr Culligan was speaking on a motion by Cllr Tom Prendeville (FF) who proposed that the council call on the Minister for Health and the HSE to deliver a modern and effec- tive health service to peripheral ar- eas like west Clare.

Cllr Culligan read a statement from the radiology department of the HSE west in the Mid Western Regional Hospital Limerick.

“Limerick Regional Hospital was recently designated as one of the eight regional symptomatic breast units. Following the closure of lo- cal units – Ennis and Barrington’s – there has been a marked increase in the number of imaging requests for symptomatic patients,” it said.

“Consequent to a meeting of the eight breast units with Professor Tom Keane, Director of the National Cancer Control Programme, the des- ignated symptomatic units will no longer provide screening mammog-

raphy. This is to ensure rapid access to imaging for symptomatic patients as outlined in the O’ Higgins report.

“Screening mammography will now fall under the auspices of Breast- check, the National Screening Pro- gramme, with all women between 50 to 65 years old in this region being invited to attend for mammography over the next two years.”

Cllr Culligan said, “The HSE are missing the point by closing Ennis and Barrington’s. They are crowd- ing Limerick and therefore it can no longer be a centre of excellence.”

Mayor of Kilrush Tom Clyne (Ind) said that the HSE was “answerable to no one”.

Cllr Jack Fennell (Ind) believed it was time to get rid of all the execu- tives and bring back the matrons.

“TU fully support getting rid of the HSE on grounds that they are a dis- aster since the day it was formed,” said the veteran councillor.

Cllr Marian McMahon Jones was equally critical of the health serv- ices, believing the Government will continue to run down the services until it no longer works and the only option is a private health service.

The councillors agreed to write to the HSE, raising their concern about the crisis in breast cancer detection and to ask it to outline its plans for remote areas such as west Clare.