The Clare People Archive

AN Bord Pleanala has turned down a planned €24 million housing devel- opment for Ennis.

Last year, Clare County Council refused planning permission to one of the county’s best known builders, McCarthy Brothers, to construct 94 homes at Ballybeg on the southern environs of the town.

In the appeal, consultants for Mc- Carthy Bros pointed out that the land was zoned residential in the Ennis and Environs Development Plan. The consultants said that the devel- opment of the site responded to the availability of the land at present and while the surrounding lands were zoned residential, there was no guar- antee that the development of these lands would take place at any time in the near future.

The consultants stated that the open space provision met the requirements of the Clare County Development Plan with a total of 16.4 per cent of the site given over to open space. They said that the Ballybeg Road was adequate to cater for the level of traffic generated by the proposed development.

After assessing the application, the appeals board’s planning inspector concluded that the proposed develop- ment “would represent a haphazard and non-integrated piece meal devel-

opment”. The appeals board stated, “The proposed development would therefore be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable develop- ment of the area.”

The appeals board also stated that “it 1s considered that the proposed layout of the development was sub- standard due to the general layout and disposition of public open space and the overall linear emphasis in terms of the layout of access roads and adjoining housing units”.

The board inspector found that the proposed development would seri- ously injure the residential amenity of future occupants of the estate and the proposed development would therefore be contrary to the proper planning and sustainable develop- ment of the area.

The inspector concluded that the proposal would seriously injure the amenities of the residents of an ex- isting cul-de-sac road, particularly having regard to the fact that a more suitable access which would serve the entire area of residentially zoned lands at this location was located approximately 120 metres further west.

As aresult, the board inspector con- cluded that the development “would endanger public safety by reason of a traffic hazard and would be contrary to the proper planning and sustain- able development of the area.”

BUSINESS development in Clare is being hit by a lack of internet infra- structure, with the county lying on the poor end of a new Irish ‘digital divide’.

According to new information re- leased this week, Clare is one of a number of western counties which have a low levels of businesses using Internet-based sales and payments eKeu DBL Blohy

The ecommerce index, which was produced by ebay Ireland and its sis- ter company PayPal, is Ireland’s first

ever county by county breakdown of internet sales.

The index made poor reading for Clare which lagged well behind the likes of Dublin, Wicklow, Carlow and Laois.

The index was calculated based on the total amount of shopping car- ried out on ebay.ie throughout 2007. When adjustments were made for population size, the figures showed a wide east to west gap in term of take-up.

“In the past two years, most busi- nesses have developed some sort of web presence, but in terms of actu-

ally doing business over the internet, companies in the west seem to have been more reactionary that proac- tive,’ said Paul Montwill, of Ennis- based ebusiness solution experts, Magico.

“There is a real divide. Because the traffic 1s so bad in Dublin, a lot of businesses have caught on to online selling a lot quicker.

“Broadband is a major issue. It 1s a lot better in Dublin than in Clare and the west. That has led to a lot of people in Dublin getting into online shopping quicker than those outside of it.”

The ebay survey comes just days after Shannon Development Chief Executive, Kevin ‘Thompstone, called for an urgent Government in- vestment in the communications in- Ge-FOmeCCAbNKo

Mr Thompstone singled out Shan- non town as the location for a pilot Next Generation Networking (NGN) scheme in the western region.

The ecommerce index is_ based solely on ebay Ireland purchases and does not take into account whether Irish shoppers are using other shop- ping websites for their online pur- Ont Iene

CONTENTIOUS plans for a €15 million park and ride facility for the Cliffs of Moher at Liscannor have been withdrawn by the developers.

A decision was due by Clare Coun- ty Council last Friday. However, 24 hours prior to the anticipated deci- sion, Mermaid Partnership wrote to the council requesting that the appli- cation be withdrawn.

Applications are usually withdrawn at the last minute when developers are told informally that the applica-

tion 1s set to be refused.

The proposal was facing wide- spread opposition across the village of Liscannor.

The area has suffered a population loss, according to the most recent census.

The developers had also made ef- forts to allay the concerns of locals by reducing the size of the plan.

Last year, the Mermaid Partnership lodged plans for the park and ride fa- cility that also included a major re- tail component with a total of 6,322 Square metres.

However, Clare County Council declared that it had ‘a number of serious concerns’ in relation to the proposal.

In revised plans lodged with the council, the applicants scaled back the retail component by almost two- thirds.

The original plan envisaged retail space of 6,322 sq metres; the revised plan scaled back the proposal to 2,361 sq metres.

According to the developers, “the overall scale and design of the pro- posed development has been signifi-

cantly reduced”.

However, a wave of fresh objec- tions were lodged against the revised plan in the last 14 days.

A number of residents stated, “If the development goes ahead, it will irreparably damage the sustainable retail and commercial element in Liscannor which has evolved over many years.”

They stated that “the residents of Liscannor have for too long been subjected to the gradual and sadden- ing deterioration in the fabric of the community”’.

FOLLOWING the Dublin launch of BurrenLIFE’s first ever Farming for Conservation international con- ference last week, the Carron-based organisation has teamed up with the National Parks and Wildlife Service to announce a series of illustrated rece

These will take place in the Coun- cil Chamber of the County Museum Building in Ennis for six Wednes- days, from February 6 to March 12.

The series will reflect on and cel- ebrate the hugely diverse range of natural and cultural heritage in the Burren region. It promises to be a rich and varied programme of talks.

The series kicks off with a talk entitled “Eating The Landscape – Farming The Burren’ by Ruairi O Conchuir.

The talk will highlight the upcom- ing conference and will also focus on the production of quality food from a quality environment.

The lecture on February 13 will be delivered by Barry O’Donoghue, park ranger with the National Parks and Wildlife Service.

O’Donoghue grew up watching hen harriers on the family farm in Tralee and this helped him attain a depth of knowledge of the factors regarding the conservation of these rare birds.

His talk is called ‘Rare, Beautiful and Preying – the Hen Harrier’.

Ian Doyle will take up the mantle on February 20 and give a talk en- titled “The Vanishing Monuments of the Burren’.

This will be concerned with, amongst other things, the huge den- sity of archaeological monuments in the region and the real threat posed to them by the onset of scrub.

Guest speaker on February 27 will be Eugenie Regan. She is one of two ecologists in the National Biodiver- sity Centre in Waterford.

Eugenie’s research is focused on wetland and limestone grassland ecology.

The penultimate talk in the series will focus on the rich geological di- versity of the Burren Region. The

talk is entitled “Rocks and Land- forms – The Geodiveristy of the Bur- ot

The speaker in this case is Mat- thew Parkes, assistant keeper of the National History Museum in Dub- lin with special responsibility for its geological collections.

THE Clare-based Irish Seed Savers Association, 1n association with Tea- gasc, organised a series of biodiver- sity walks which took place across the country last week. The walks were organised to highlight the larg- est planting of hedgerow in the his- tory of the Irish state.

Nationwide, farmers are busy planting hedgerows on their land, with 15,000 expected to plant an in- credible length of 5,000 km of new native Irish hedgerows in the next KAW (erase

According to Teagasc this will change the landscape of every parish in Ireland as farmers participate in

the REPS 3 and REPS 4 schemes.

More than 25 farm walks will take place around the country between now and the end of February.

The Teagasc walks will demonstrate best practice in hedgerow planting and maintenance. A full range of na- tive Irish hedgerow species are being planted on farms, including whiteth- orn, holly, hazel, spindle, guelder rose and blackthorn.

“Correct planting methods and maintenance will ensure the estab- lishment and survival of all these new hedges,’ said Tim Hyde, Tea- gasc environment expert.

“This is the start of widespread planting in the countryside so it 1s important to get it right first time.

All the stages, including cultivation, planting, pruning, weed control and fencing, will be featured.”

Most Irish hedgerows were planted in the 1700s and 1800s. Acts of Par- liament were then passed, making it obligatory for landowners to plant hedgerows at that time. Hedgerows along townland boundaries often date from medieval times or earlier.

Over time if hedgerows are not managed they grow into an escaped hedgerow with a thin, gappy base. One management option for such hedgerows under REPS is to rejuve- nate by laying or coppicing.

A further 2,800 km of existing hedgerows will be rejuvenated, and the skill of hedge laying will be

CC aaeyeOecIKceMmDOMBOOT- DIN AMGOleII Non MEvaN a number of events contractors will demonstrate coppicing with a circu- JE Tansy- Me

A range of other demonstrations/ stands will also be presented at this series of Teagasc Biodiversity walks, and may include broadleaved tree planting, traditional orchards, LIN- NET crops for wildlife, The Hen Harrier Scheme and slurry injection methods.

The walks are being held in as- sociation with Coillte Nurseries, Seed Savers, the Hedge Laying As- sociation of Ireland, the Professional Contractors Association of Ireland and others. A full schedule can be viewed on www.teagasc.ie

WHAT started as an archaeology weekend back in 1987 has trans- formed into one of the cultural and social highlights of the year in north OE

As the Burren Spring Conference prepares to celebrate its 21st birthday this weekend, regular attendees are marking the occasion by remember- ing the origins of the event.

The festivals began as informal gatherings organised by the late Michael Green in Hylands Hotel, Ballyvaughan in the early 1980s. It wasn’t until 1987 that Mr Green, along with George Cunningham, hosted the first formal Burren Spring Soc

“We thought it would be a good idea to organise the conference in Febru- ary, at a time when there wouldn’t be that many tourists around,” said founder George Cunningham.

“We had the best of Irish scholar- ship, principally on topics related to the Burren. We devised a structure of lectures on the Friday, and had the dawn walk on the Saturday morning before breakfast, then lectures and Jno Ce IO

“They were very pleasant occa- sions, and we had a lot of repeat visi- tors. They were tremendous events.”

With the foundation of the Burren College of Art, the conference grew and moved from Hylands to the lec- ture halls of the college and the new- ly restored Newtown Castle.

“Following Michael’s death there was a change of emphasis,’ contin- ued Mr Cunningham. “For the last number of year there has been a dif- ferent convener each year, and a cen- tral topic.

“It has become less archaeologi- cal and historic and more socially based. It has a much broader aspect to it now.

“The whole Burren itself is attrac- tive at any time, but particularly so in the beginning of February. That time of the year gives a different perspec- tive of the Burren.

“Most of the people who came to the conference would have been peo- ple who were deeply interested in the Burren and wanted to explore it in a CUES KoKS LMNs: h Ae

This year’s conference, which is convened by Ann Byrne from NUI Galway, focuses on the idea of sto- ries and the ways in which they are passed on and retold.

The conference, entitled ‘°Narra- tives of People and Place: Burren Stories, Told and Untold’, takes place this weekend.

Expert speakers include Daithi O hOgain of the Department of Irish Folklore in UCD, writers Ré O Laighleis and Kieran Sheedy, Celtic Scholar Sean O Duinin, Lelia Doolin and Donnachada O’Corrain.

SUSI SeRCibeCoKone chm PIMs INN Oats people of rural Clare are viewed by outsiders forms the subject of a new installation which opened last week at the X-PO project in Kilnaboy.

Mr and Mrs Krab’s Utopia is a vid- eo-based installation by east Clare artist Amanda Dunsmore, which ex- plores the opinions of a Dutch cou- ple who have made rural Clare their home.

The installation came about as part of Clare County Council’s Ground Up Project, in which Dunsmore con- ducted a series of interviews with people who have moved into the ru-

ral areas of the county.

“Mr and Mrs Krab were perfect for this project, they are such open and endearing people. They have led an interesting life themselves before they got to Clare and they are very straight with their opinions, but also quite humorous,” said Amanda.

“They had had a very tough time working in Holland. Mr Krab had been suffering from depression. But they came on holiday to Clare and suddenly the depression lifted. After that holiday it became their dream to come and live in Ireland.

“They also have a unique view of how rural Ireland has changed over the last number of years: from the

amount of time that people have to the changes that have come around with drugs in rural Ireland.”

Mr and Mrs Krab’s Utopia is the latest exhibition to take up residency as part of the X-PO Project in the old Kilnaboy post office. The project, which is the brainchild of local artist Deirdre O’Mahony, is attempting to reactivate and record the community interaction that once formed around local post offices.

“It is always interesting to get an outsiders perspective of ourselves,” continued Amanda. “As part of this installation I recreated the post of- fice counter from three of the origi- nal drawers.

“The video piece is being shown on a very small monitor in the top drawer. All the technology is hidden, so when you walk in you hear the sound and you have to go over to the counter, open the drawer and watch the video.”

Meanwhile, Local Ground, an exhi- bition by Deirdre O’Mahony, is cur- rently running in the Siamsa Tire in Kerry. In this exhibition O’ Mahony examines the reality of rural life in the light of social and ecological changes in the west of Ireland.

X-PO is open from 2-5pm daily and is funded by the Arts Council, an Chomhairle Ealaionn and Super- Valu.

GORT is slowly but surely working its way to the top of Ireland’s festival calendar, following the announce- ment last week that the Life Festival will return to the town this year.

Taking up residence in Lough Cutra Castle from July 4 to 6, it’s expected to attract thousands of music lovers and revellers to the area.

Over the last two years the Life Fes- tival has built up a loyal and growing following. Organisers have focussed

on quality over quantity, with a very limited number of tickets on sale and a luxurious festival experience guar- anteed.

Marketing itself as an alternative to the major festivals, Life fills its stages with quality electronic and tradition- al acts: everything from European psytrance, reggae and world music to minimal techno, folk and trad.

This year the scope of festivities has expanded even further with more non-musical features, such as artistic and culture events. The line-up for

2008 is as yet unknown but last year’s performers included Phil Hartnoll from Orbital and Ronan O’Snodaigh from Kila. A number of high-profile acts are expected to be announced over the coming months.

Organisers are also offering local acts the chance to gain a place on the bill and are calling on artists, bands, DJs, fire performers, jugglers, stilt walkers, theatre performers and oth- er colourful people to put themselves forward. Application forms will be available from early next month.

A limited amount of discount tick- ets are currently available on the fes- tival website, www.life-festival.com. Early bird revellers can purchase special Trusting Life Tickets from €75 plus booking fees and VAT.

These are limited and available on a first come, first served basis. The remainder of the tickets will be re- leased on a staggered basis through- out spring. Allocations of full three-day tickets will be released on February | (€90), March 1 (€110) and May | (€130).

PRIMARY school children from all over north Clare and south Galway are returning to school this month with a new and exciting subject light- ing up the curriculum. Hundreds of children from nine schools through- out the region are getting their teeth into anew course which teaches them all about the landscape, ecology and rich history of the Burren.

The Eco-Beo – My Burren Herit- age education programme, which is being delivered by Burrenbeo, with Support from the Burren Connect Project, will take place between Jan- uary and June of this year.

Specially trained experts will offer children the chance to explore the animals, plants, monuments, land- scape and culture of the Burren in a fun and friendly classroom atmos-

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The Eco-Beo concept was original- ly developed by Burrenbeo, which rolled out the programme to six Bur- ren schools in 2004.

‘“Burrenbeo has worked for the last five years to support the development of new education models that will help people understand how impor- tant it is to conserve what’s left of Ireland’s special places like the Bur- ren,’ said Ann O’Connor of Burren- beo.

‘“Eco-Beo is a unique course be- cause it immerses children in their local heritage over a period of months, adopts new technologies and top educators to do so.”

Course tutors, including Gordan D’arcy, Zena Hoctor and Brendan Dunford, all of whom are experts in their individual areas, will deliver the modules.

Students will also be taken on Bur- ren field trips, where they will have the opportunity to explore the region first hand and put their new-found knowledge to the test. As well as ex- citing field trips and class lectures, Burrenbeo utilises new technology and interactivity as a basis for effec- tive education.

“We hope to find new ways to roll out virtual classrooms to support learners and encourage users to learn through participation and experi- mentation. In a way it’s like subvert- ing the screen that so dominates chil- dren’s lives today,” continued Ann.

‘We hope that through our work lo- cal children will take ownership of their heritage and reconnect with na- ture and the Burren – a place that has to be Ireland’s most perfect learning STOMANRO ev ee tole

Primary school children from Kin-

vara, Kilnaboy, New Quay, Corofin, Kilfenora, Doorus, Kilshanny, Tub- ber and Boston will all take part in this years programme while Bur- renbeo and the Burren Connect Project are actively seeking funding to extend the course to other Burren schools in 2008 and 2009.

To learn more about this and the other work of Burrenbeo check out Wwww.burrenbeo.com, e-mail info@burrenbeo.com or contact the Burren Connect programme Carol Gleeson at cgleeson@burren.ie or 065 7072296.

CALLS have been made for a resi- dent garda to fight the drugs scourge in east Clare.

Cllr Pat Hayes asked that a member of the force trained in drug detec- tion be assigned to the area to help prevent young people from becom- ing embroiled in the evil trade. The councillor was speaking at a meeting of the Scariff Area Committee of the county council, to which a senior garda officer had been invited.

Superintendent Tony Kennelly was attending the meeting to discuss crime in east Clare.

He told councillors that “while there is a drugs problem in east

Clare, just like anywhere else nowa- days, the worst thing we could do is create a scare situation. There is not a huge problem in east Clare but the area 1S close to Limerick, Ennis and Galway which allows access.”

The superintendent said that gardai are about to embark on a programme of talks for schools on the dangers of orbs

“Drug abuse is a social problem and where young people get involved, out attitude is to try to avoid criminal- ising them the first time. We have recourse instead to options like the junior liason officer programme.

Cllr Hayes said that it would be “very important that we get a garda based in east Clare. The people who

are dealing drugs don’t see this as a social problem – they see it as a busi- en

Cllr Joe Cooney supported Cllr Hayes’ call and added that “parents are very concerned about the issue but a lot of the time they don’t know how to explain it to their children because they don’t know anything about drugs. Would it be possible for gardai to arrange a talk aimed at eyes vaee

Supt Kennelly said he would pro- vide a speaker if any parents or com- munity groups are interested.

He also updated councillors on oth- er crime issues in the area and told the meeting that it’s believed that a gang which came to east Clare from

outside the east Clare area to commit a spate of burglaries have now been caught. He also told councillors that measures which have been put in place to tackle speeding by “boy rac- ers’ 1S proving effective.

‘We set up operations to deal with this problem because east Clare was being targeted. We’re helped with a change in legislation which allows us to seize their cars if they don’t com- ply.”

The superintendent said that the overall picture for crime levels in east Clare spells good news.

“Normally at this time of year with the dark evenings, we would see a spike in crime rates but that hasn’t been the case,” he said.