The Clare People Archive

AFTER 10 long years, Father Ted is coming home. On February 28, 1998, comedy legend Dermot Morgan died suddenly, just days after completing the final episode in the third series of Fr Ted.

To mark the ten year anniversary of his passing, Fr Ted is returning to it’s spiritual home in north Clare next month for the second annual Ted Fest. The festival will this year be split between Inis Mor and Kil- fenora and will run from February 25 to March 3.

Kilfenora was one of the many places in north Clare used while shooting Fr Ted. Memorable scenes such as the Milk Float scene in Speed

3 and the Chinese Pub (Vaughan’s Bar) were all shot in the village.

“It happened by chance really. We had always been saying up here that we should bring Fr Ted back to Clare, to where it belongs. I’m a big Father Ted Fan, I know all the episodes in- side out, so the joined the Friends of Ted organisation. So people in the organisation kept asking where dif- ferent episodes were shot, and I was able to tell them,” said festival or- ganiser, Janet Cavanagh.

“So anyway my husband was in London at a rugby match and hap- pened to start talking to this guy called Fergal, who it turns out was the head of the Friends of Ted, the eroup who organise the festival in Inis Mor.

“SO we got in contact and decided to make one big event, involving both Inis Mor and Kilfenora, to mark the 10 year anniversary of Dermot Mor- gan’s death.”

The Kilfenora leg of this year’s fes- tival will kick off with Chinese Re- ception on Monday, February 25 in Vaughan’s Bar. Other events will in- clude the EcumeniCeili, a trad-disco, the Milk Float and banger parade, the Brick-fada, the first ever blondes only snakes and ladders competition, an evening with Father Ted writers Arthur Mathews and Graham Line- han and the all Ireland Elvis look- alike competition.

“IT wouldn’t want to give away too many secret about exactly how the events are going to take place,’ con-

tinued Janet. “It’s will be all about getting involved and we would ex- pect people to make the effort and get dressing up.”

Unfortunately, both legs of Ted Fest 2008 are already sold out. There will a large number of events which will be free and open to anyone who wants to come along.

Watch the Burren Section of the Clare People for weekly updates on Ted Fest and the 40 Days and 40 Night Milk Float challenge with Down Syndrome Ireland.

HUNDREDS of walkers are expect- ed in north Clare this May for the first ever walking marathon ever to take place in the county.

The Ballyvaughan-Fanore Walk- ing Club will host the Clare Burren Marathon Challenge on Sunday May 24, and organisers are expecting a treat for enthusiast who can experi- ence first hand some of Ireland most SURINDER OMA

The marathon will coincide with the Burren in Bloom Festival in Bal- ly vaughan and will finish in the in the Burren Coast Hotel in Ballyvaughan. It starts at 8am in the morning and

will go cross country through a va- riety of different landscapes before arriving in Fanore.

They return via Black Head and the Green Road and back into Bal- lyvaughan.

“It’s more of a challenge than a running marathon. Half of it will be done on road and half of it will be cross country. It’s the exact same distance as a marathon,” said Mary O’’ Brien of the Ballyvaughan-Fanore Walking Club.

“We will also have a half marathon route and a mini-marathon route available for people on the day.

‘In a marathon like the Dublin City Marathon you would have walker,

runners and elite runners and the route is always flat. This event is dif- ferent, you are talking about walking up hills and over many different ter- rains. It’s not an event for wearing runners, you would need a good pair of boots.”

The Ballyvaughan-Fanore Walking Club was set up in 2006 and has al- ready some 80 members drawn from all over the country.

The club was all the brian child of Kevin McCormack from Fanore who is a well seasoned walker himself. Now we have members from all over the place and organise walks each Sunday all year round,” continued Mary.

“For each walk we leave around 11 in the morning and we wouldn’t be back until half three or four. You bring some lunch with you and make a day out of it.

“We have walked in spots all around Clare and we will be going to Letterfrack and Kilkenny later in the year. The islands are a big thing for the Club. Each year so far we have gone for a walk to the Aran Islands in August. Last year we had 67 peo- ple in the Aran Islands. We walked on each of the islands throughout the weekend.”

For more information check out www.bally vaughanfanorewalking- club.com.

A QUESTION mark has been put on plans by All-Ireland winning Clare hurler, Niall Gilligan to press ahead with a €7 million housing develop- ment in Kilkee.

This follows local resident, Ray O’ Halloran lodging an appeal to An Bord Pleanala against a decision by Clare County Council to grant the Sixmilebridge man the go-ahead for the development.

Along with the Kilkee application, Mr Gilligan also has two separate planning applications for his home village of Sixmilebridge where he is seeking to construct 14 apartments, two shops and a pub.

The council has put those applica- tions on hold after seeking further in- formation on the two applications.

The Kilkee proposal faced a small number of objections and the council gave the go-ahead after Mr Gilligan lodged revised plans.

The site is zoned ‘residential’ and adjoins a third class road.

In his appeal, Mr O’Halloran of Dunlicky Road, Kilkee said he was shocked by the council decision as it showed no regard for the existing residents who are in situ for more than 25 years.

“The roadway is barely adequate for our needs at the moment and is certainly not sufficient for this pro- posed new development.

“T cannot believe that the additional information requested regarding the traffic was not addressed and that the traffic impact assessment was not carried out by a competent traffic management company.

The planning authority gave Mr Gilligan the go-ahead after ruling that the plan “would not seriously in- jure the amenities and would not be contrary to the proper planning and development”.

As part of the 38 conditions, the council ordered the omission of two homes. It is also seeking that Mr Gil- ligan pay €175,000 in levies towards public infrastructure and that the homes be the principal places of res1- dence of purchasers of the houses.

WITH a predicted 10 per cent de- crease in transatlantic traffic this April, chairman of the Shannon Airport Authority, Pat Shanahan be- lieves that the best way forward for the international airport 1s full inde- pendence as soon as possible.

The SAA chair told the Dail Trans- port Committee that Shannon Air- port’s maximum potential could only be achieved as an independent com- mercial State enterprise.

“We believe transatlantic traffic will decrease by 10 per cent this year, with fully open skies in April. However, we believe traffic will grow from that

level and have been proactive in try- ing to retain transatlantic carriers. A number of significant factors will help us to achieve our aims. We have intro- duced a winter incentive 50 per cent discount scheme on landing charges which has been well received by our year-round carriers,” he said.

This winter, there are four direct transatlantic services, as well as a fifth through Dublin Airport.

“Shannon Airport’s marketing role is to attract airlines,’ he added. ““We expect the Open Skies tourism mar- keting fund will help the marketing activities of those agencies to make it attractive for US customers to travel to the west of Ireland.”

Mr Shanahan said the full imple- mentation of the US customs and border protection (CBP) facility in Shannon, which provides immigra- tion and customs clearance, will also be an advantage.

During the period 2000 to 2004, traffic growth at the airport stagnated while costs escalated, but since the ap- pointment of the board of the authority in September 2004 and with the active Support and investment of the Dublin Airport Authority, traffic has grown by 50 per cent, a major restructuring programme has been implemented, annual cost savings of over €10 mil- lion have been secured and the airport is now trading profitably.

Mr Shanahan said, “We believe that if the airport is transferred debt-free and with finance to meet the initial capital infrastructure deficit, it will be able to operate profitably and cov- er its Ongoing capital requirements from cash flow. This means the air- port will be financially viable as an independent entity.”

He added that the key elements of the Shannon Airport plan submitted to the Departments of Transport and Finance last December have been independently validated and clearly demonstrate that the airport will be viable and profitable as a standalone business in the next 10 years and be- yond.

DECLAN Collier, CEO of the Dub- lin Airport Authority, came under strong criticism at the Dail Transport Committee as he defended his deci- sion not to inform the Shannon board of Aer Lingus’s plans to pull the Hea- throw route.

The DAA CEO said that when the Department of Transport contacted him in mid-June about Aer Lingus’s plan, the information was imparted in “strict confidence”’.

“At the time, Aer Lingus was the subject of a hostile takeover bid from Ryanair and it was critical that this

information was dealt with on a con- fidential basis,’ he said.

Clare Deputy Timmy Dooley (FF) asked, “What kind of action would Mr Collier take if he became aware that somebody was giving considera- tion to terminating a service 1f the sit- uation related to an airline other than Aer Lingus to Dublin Airport?”

“If I was given the information in the same circumstances as I received the information on Aer Lingus, I would have treated it in exactly the same way, said a defiant Mr Collier.

Deputy Dooley, however, did not accept the response.

“I do not think it 1s fair to view it

on the basis that the DAA is part of a large State organisation and that a hostile bid was in place. There are lines of demarcation. The Dublin Airport Authority 1s responsible for developing business at the airports. This was a commercial airline in a privatised environment and surely the lines of demarcation would not have put Mr Collier in that position?”’ he said.

Senator Shane Ross accused the DAA of regarding Shannon as its future competition and the news that Aer Lingus was withdrawing the Heathrow flight “was music to the authority’s ears because it would land

Shannon further in the manure”.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the Shannon Airport Authority, Pat Shanahan, said Aer Lingus had been offered the same deal as Ryanair as far back as 2004.

Deputy Pat Breen (FG) asked if any incentive was offered after the Rya- nair deal?

According to Mr Shanahan, the air- line was made aware that, on the ba- sis of our restructuring programme in particular, costs at the airport would decrease.

‘Aer Lingus was aware of that but never engaged with us on a detailed level about it,” he said.

A MAN who stole from a house in SIT VeTLOMPOMWZO OOM ome Bao lesetcm ert been jailed for six months.

Greg Tuite (31), of Herbert Grove, Castletroy View, Limerick, pleaded guilty to stealing a PlayStation, five PlayStation games, six DVDs, a mo- bile phone and €100 cash from a

house at Cronan Lawn, Shannon, on October 14, 2005.

Detective Garda Andrew Hayes told Shannon District Court that the owner of the house where Tuite was renting complained to gardai that Some items had been stolen from the house.

Dt Gda Hayes said as part of the investigation, he viewed CCTV foot-

age from a computer game shop in | Bibeeterale) Gy sen emcieledi ioe ma slom-lere nies selling the PlayStation and two mem- ory cards to another man.

He said the value of the items stolen amounted to €816 and €400 of this was recovered.

Defending solicitor Caitriona Car- mody said her client had been under serious financial pressure and needed

TCO) eLeAs

Judge Joseph Mangan asked was there compensation in court and was told there wasn’t.

The judge refused an application for free legal aid, after he heard Tuite had recently taken up employment.

He imposed a six-month jail term and fixed a bond – including Tuite’s own surety of €5,000; €2,500 of

which was to be lodged – in the event of an appeal.

However, the solicitor said her cli- ent had no savings and was not go- ing to be able to come up with the money.

Judge Mangan replied that the case had been before the court since April 2007. “My order stands,” said the judge.

TWO men who were caught with a scissors and kitchen knife claimed they were carrying them “for self- protection” as one of them had been badly assaulted previously.

Patryk Dej (22), of Bru na Sionna, was convicted of possession of a sharply pointed scissors, at Shannon

Town centre, on November 17 last.

Zenek Moroniski (26), of 9SA Bo- heron, Newmarket-on-Fergus, was convicted of possession of a knife with a sharply pointed blade, at Tul- lyvarraga, Shannon, on the same CPI Kes

Inspector Tom Kennedy told Shan- non District Court that the two were intoxicated outside Murphy Brown’s

pub in Shannon. One was found in possession of the scissors and the other with a kitchen knife.

Defending solicitor Jenny Fitzgib- bon said Dey had had his jaw broken in two places in an attack prior to this incident and had become paranoid as a result.

‘He was very much afraid he would be attacked again. He had a scissors

on him only for self-protection,” she Sr AKOE

She said Moroniski was accompa- nying Dej on the night and was “very much aware” of the previous attack.

“The kitchen knife was strictly for self-protection. He didn’t believe it was unlawful,” said the solicitor.

She said both men had drank a bot- tle of vodka each and were paranoid.

Judge Joseph Mangan asked was this paranoia caused by drink and was told it was. Both men told the court they have not drank since the night of the offence. However, In- spector Kennedy said, “I would 1m- agine that’s a bit of a fairytale.”

The case was adjourned to establish if either have previous convictions in Poland.

A YOUNG woman has admitted pulling her pregnant sister-in-law’s hair, in what her solicitor said was “a moment of madness’”’.

Ann Marie O’Loughlin, of Davitt Terrace, Ennis, was convicted of as-

saulting Donna McDonagh in Ennis, on July 6 last year.

Garda Breda Cronin told Ennis District Court that Donna McDonagh had complained to gardai that Ann Marie O’Loughlin had assaulted her. Donna McDonagh was four months Ovusrca tT-VOL MENA Som BUNS TCR

“She grabbed me from behind and tried to kick me into the stomach,” Donna McDonagh told the court.

Defending solicitor Tara Godfrey said her client, a mother-of-five, “wasn’t in her right mind”. She asked that the Probation Act be applied.

Judge Joseph Mangan replied, “‘Ap-

ply the Probation Act for assaulting a joy ueyea OreDOL AMY epee T0 eam

Ms Godfrey said it was “a moment of madness” on her client’s part. Judge Mangan adjourned the case for preparation of a psychiatric report.

“The intention as of now is custo- dial,” said the judge.

A FORMER Killaloe doctor who was charged with 18 offences last month, including defrauding termi- nally ill cancer patients, faced a fur- ther 26 charges yesterday (Monday).

Pascal Carmody (60) of Bally- cuggaran, Killaloe, was originally arrested on December 17 last and charged with 18 offences.

These charges included defrauding three terminally ill cancer patients of between €100 and €20,000 between January 2001 and December 2002.

At Killaloe District Court yester- day, Detective Sergeant Oliver Nevin gave evidence of arresting Mr Car- mody at Cullina, Ballina, County Tipperary, and charging him with 26 additional offences.

The accused made no reply in re- sponse to the charges.

The alleged offences include steal- ing cheques and obtaining monies under false pretences, contrary to the Feo aa

Mr Carmody is also accused of deception, contrary to the Criminal Justice Theft and Fraud Act.

The original 18 offences are similar to the new ones preferred yesterday and involve six alleged injured par- ties in total.

All the offences are alleged to have occurred at a clinic in east Clare. Some of the charges allege that the

former GP obtained money “by false- ly pretending that cancer would be cured by photodynamic treatment.” In court yesterday, the State did not object to the accused being remand-

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Judge Joseph Mangan remanded Mr Carmody on continuing bail to appear in court in March, for service

of the Book of Evidence.

A FORMER heroin addict has told a court she lost everything during a two-year spell and wants to get her life back together, having undergone a detox programme.

Anett Hausmann (30), of Bishop’s Court, Ennis, pleaded guilty to pos- session of heroin, on May 16, 2006.

Sergeant John Brennan told Ennis Circuit Court that as a result of in- formation, a taxi was intercepted at Ballina, Killaloe.

Two people were taken to Shannon Garda Station, where the accused

handed over a quantity of heroin which she had concealed internally. The street value of the drugs was €555.

“She was being used by another person to convey drugs from Dub- lin to Ennis. We were concerned she was keeping company with this indi- vidual,” said Sgt Brennan.

At a previous sitting of the court, Hausmann pleaded guilty and gardai expressed concerns in court last July about the company she was keeping.

Ennis Circuit Court heard last week that Hausmann left Shannon Airport for Stanstead on July 29 last. She

then travelled to her native Germany, where she stayed for some time. The court was told she had previously injected heroin, but has not used it since July.

In September, gardai in Ennis be- came aware that she had returned to the town.

“She hasn’t come to the notice of gardai, but we are aware she is in the company of heroin abusers,” said Sgt Brennan.

Hausmann’s barrister Pat Whyms said his client went into a four-week detox programme in Germany. He said she had been living in Ireland

for more than seven years and want- ed to return to her friends here. Judge Carroll Moran said, “She is entitled to be here.”

Hausmann told the court that she had stayed with a former associate for just two nights when she returned, but since moved to another address in Ennis. “I have lost everything over the past two years. I hope to start again where I left off,’ she said.

Judge Moran said the case “mer- its the intervention of the Probation service. He told her to co-operate with the Probation service, and ad- journed the case until March.