The Clare People Archive

THERE was good news for the Irish beef sector last week with the news that the Minister of Agriculture and Land Affairs of the Republic of South Africa, Lulama Xingwana, had lift the ban on the importation of Irish beef. The ban, which has been in place since 2001, was lifted as a result of recommendation by South African experts who visited Ireland ETI ayeele

Commenting on the news, Irish Minister for Agriculture, Mary Coughlan, said that the positive news was the result of intensive efforts at political, diplomatic and technical Aon

She said that the Department of

Agriculture and the Irish Embassy in Pretoria have been working very closely on this issue for a number of years. During November 2006 the minister and her experts had a number of high-level meetings with South African cabinet members and their officials.

‘This is a very welcome decision as South Africa has been a traditional market for Irish beef. The decision by the competent authorities in the Republic of South Africa to re-open their market to Irish beef was taken following a detailed examination of the rigorous controls applied and reflects the high standards of food safety controls in place in Ireland,” she said.

TURP MR eK u bit Deane). @e ume RCOMmneloans

counterparts in South Africa had worked intensively on the technical documentation to facilitate trade and the necessary veterinary certificate had also been agreed.

Minister Coughlan also noted that senior veterinary officials from both sides have discussed detailed pro- posals for exchanges of skills and personnel to share best practice and experience in facing common chal- lenges in the food industry. Both Governments see the agri-food sec- tor as an important area with signifi- cant potential for trade growth and the creation of quality employment.

Senior experts will meet shortly to discuss an action plan on skills de- velopment.

Meanwhile, Minister Coughlan last

week welcomed the publication by the EU Commission of the Food and Veterinary Office mission to Brazil.

Coughlan said that this report will be very helpful in the overall process of ensuring equivalence. The minis- ter added that she was now calling for a discussion on the report within the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health.

A further FVO mission is taking place this month and Commissioner Kyprianou, who is responsible for health and consumer protection, has stated publicly that he will not hesi- tate to take appropriate protection measures if a product imported from a third country represents a risk for the health of EU consumers, live- stock or plants.

THE mix of foreign languages in Kilkee’s Stella Maris Hotel is grow- ing but it’s not because of the rapidly rising ratio of non-national workers that are now in the tourism trade.

“Italian is the latest language we have around the place,” says Ann Haugh, who took over the hotel nine years ago and has just doubled bed- room numbers to 20 in a major refur- bishment that added on a new restau- rant and cellar bar.

The Italians have joined German and Polish engineers engaged on the massive re-fit of the Moneypoint power station to bring down emis-

sions in the world-wide war against global warming.

Recalling that the building of Moneypoint cushioned the Kilkee resort through lean tourism years in the 1980s, Haugh said, “The power station 1s a mainstay of year-round LUIS UNL ISe

“We only close on Christmas Day and besides the Moneypoint engi- neers, the rest of the off-season trade comes from business travellers. In the summer peak, it’s back to the tra- ditional summer visitor business.”

Being a family-run business is the key to keeping the hotel operating throughout the year, the mother of four explains. Having managed a res-

taurant before, she and her butcher husband Martin took over the hotel. “I can turn my hand to cooking the breakfast and other meals in the less pressurised time of the year.” Daughter Michelle (27) not only co- manages the hotel with her mother but also set up the website for the business. Eldest son Eoin (23) looks after the bar and becomes boss to his father, who helps out at weekends. Even though their younger daugh- ters are not directly involved in the hotel, they get called into action whenever they are at home. Twenty-one-year-old Orla is train- ing to be a flight attendant with Ryanair while 18-year-old Emma is

going to be around the place for the next year because she injured her spine in just her second day at col- lege in Sligo.

“T only realised how much time the hotel takes up when all the re- furbishment was going on,’ Haugh confesses.

“Even though I was looking after the building programme most of the day, we had a normal family life the rest of the time. But that has all just gone since the hotel got back on Le ae

It helps that the pace and pressures are much reduced in the low season. “We still employ 14 people though,” Haugh adds.

THE people of Kilkee will not need to make the 70-mile round trip to Ennis this weekend to go to the mov- ies — because the cinema is coming to town.

Cinemobile was the second larg- est of the millennium projects, sur- passed only by the Dublin Spire, and the non-profit travelling cinema will set up in the car park beside Water- world on Friday for the weekend.

The mobile unit looks like an ordinary articulated truck but in less than an hour it converts into a

100-seater cinema. The aim is to make films accessible to audiences throughout the country. Cinemobile provides a diverse programme to a broad range of people, seeking to consolidate mainstream cinema au- diences while continuing to nurture a regional audience for art-house film, documentary film and archival film.

This year, the mobile moviedrome has also arrived in schools across the country with curriculum-based films. The cinema is fully heated, with air-conditioning and Dolby Surround Sound. Film selection is based on several criteria, the main

one being print availability. A cer- tain number of prints are available in the country when a film is released. Cinemobile must wait for a copy to become available from a distributor but it never screens films which ex- ceed Cert 15PG, another criteria for print selection.

It usually brings six films to each location, screening three times each day — early afternoon, matinee and evening. Films are constantly updat- ed to ensure audiences see the most recent films. Schools are provided with a list of curriculum-based titles from which they can programme the

machine. Groups are also invited to request titles of their choice and, if a print can be secured, a screening will be given. The films making their way to Kilkee this weekend are

KILKISHEN and O’Callaghan’s Mills people can rest easier in their beds knowing that there are now two defibrillators on hand should they be required in an emergency.

Kilkishen woman Mary Gallagh- er, along with Mike Hogan, Martin McMahon and Oliver Donnellan in O’Callaghan’s Mills, were the teams behind acquiring the machines. Training for the crews of volunteers who will look after them will begin on November 23.

Locals took part in a sponsored walk and the Bank of Ireland in Tulla sponsored €1,000 towards the machines, as one of their employees

lived in Kilkishen. The two machines, plus training, had to be funded to the tune of roughly €6,000. Between the walk and the bank’s gift, this money was raised.

The machines, when used by a properly trained person, can mean the difference between life and death in an emergency while waiting for some professional medical help to arrive.

“These machines are being put in place in a lot of communities, espe- cially where there are GAA grounds. People are concerned given the number of tragic deaths that there have been among young men playing sports,” said Gallagher.

Kilkishen and the Mills have be-

come the most recent among Clare communities to acquire the life-sav- ing equipment.

Mountshannon also recently pur- chased a defibrillator, as did Scariff, where concerns have been repeatedly voiced about the lack of a 24-hour ambulance service.

A present, the defibrillator teams are on the lookout for a central loca- tion for the machines and are looking forward to getting training in their use underway.

“It’s a two-night course and we are initially looking for 15 people in each area. No-one will be on call the whole time — we’ll draw up a rota once we have our volunteers,” added CRUE Ta toe

People volunteering for duty will also have a refresher course from the Red Cross every six months and, should any volunteer need to drop out or take time out, this won’t be a problem.

“The money we raise will initially cover the cost of training 15 people but we will be training more down the road,” said Gallagher.

Anyone interested in volunteering for the service should contact any of the organisers and bring a passport photograph of themselves along on the night for training .

A venue for the training course has yet to be decided and notices will then be posted locally when this has been done.

WORK on cleaning up Killaloe’s historic bridge is set to cost roughly € 100,000.

SW sTome bbs) em oro A (cot Oe CoMm AY ADO mmCe)o0t munities of Killaloe in east Clare and Ballina in Tipperary has become encrusted with weeds and foliage and will require careful treatment to remove when the project begins early next year. It’s also planned to

clean up the stonework. An initial plan to simply remove the vegetation couldn’t be acted on because a closer examination showed that the plants and weeds have taken root in the stone and just pulling them out could cause damage.

According to Sean Lenihan, sen- ior council engineer for the area, the bridge is also a protected heritage structure and measures would have to be put in place under the regula-

tions pertaining to these structures. Local councillors in the area were given details of the necessary repair work last summer.

After being told that the cost would be far greater than had previously been envisaged, councillors asked the engineer to get in touch with the Heritage Council in Kilkenny to see whether funding would be available.

Mr Lenihan contacted the group and was told that the Clare Local

Authority could apply under the Heritage Council’s Civic Structur- al Fund. He informed councillors this week that this money will be allocated in January and February of next year.

“There are maximum levels of grant aid available and extra money will probably have to be provided from the council’s own resources. But even so, work is expected to start in early 2008,” he said.

A NEW branch of the Clare County Library service will open its doors to the public in Scariff today.

Situated on the Mountshannon Road in the town, the modern and spacious building forms part of Clare County Library’s long-standing tar- get of providing a full-time branch library in every town with a popula- tion of more than 1,000.

The new branch will serve a population of more than 6,000 in Scariff and its hinterland. Clare Mayor Patricia McCarthy officially opened the new facility yesterday.

Noel Crowley, Clare County Librarian, said, “Staff hope the new library will be central to the life of

the local community and will become a cherished facility for the people of east Clare. It replaces the part- time service point which previously served residents of the Scariff area.

“The branch library will share the new premises with offices of Clare County Council, which means that the building will be a ‘one-stop-shop’ for the people of the Scariff area.”

In addition to a stock of more than 19,000 books, the new Scariff Library will hold CDs and DVDs, daily newspapers, magazines, for- eign language fiction, audio books and large print books.

Facilities on offer will include free internet and email, a community notice board, photocopying, an on- line public access catalogue and a

local studies reference and research section.

“Games for children such as chess, draughts and jigsaws are available, while children’s story time and craft sessions will run throughout the year — all creating an atmosphere of fun and learning for the children of the area and ensuring that this library will be a great place to visit,’ added SOO

It is envisaged that book clubs for adults and children will be set up in the near future. The building also houses an exhibition area and a com- munity meeting room.

The building has been designed and constructed with accessibility in mind. This includes provision of a platform lift and automated openers

on sensors to entrance doors, as well as ramped access and level access from the rear of the building.

Contrasting colours in floor finishes and pedestrian routes make it easier for those with colour-blindness or other sight problems

Caroline Aherne, recently appoint- ed assistant librarian at the library, remarked, ““Remember — this is your library. Come and check it out.”

The Scariff Library opening hours are: Monday 10am to lpm and 2pm to 5.30pm; Tuesday and Thursday 10am to 8pm; Wednesday and Fri- day 10am to 5.30pm; Saturday 10am

Koay eeF For abeasetee information, phone O61-922893 or — email

mailbox @clarelibrary.ie.

A FUN new series of music classes in which children will play games and compose their own pieces will open the door to a lifetime of enjoy- ing and making music, according to a local musician.

“Learning music improves lan- guage skills, maths, reasoning and spatial intelligence. However, it also should be creative and fun — this is sometimes forgotten in the way music is taught in schools and one-

to-one lessons,” said Killaloe violin- ist Diane Daly.

“The new Saturday Music Club will focus on the fun while develop- ing skills, understanding and abil- ity,’ she added.

The classes will be held in Diane’s house in the Glen — a beautiful and historic area in the foothills of the Slieve Bernagh Mountains, two miles outside Killaloe — and will involve creative games, composition, improvisation, singing, movement NOLO mebue-N ent R

Terms start in January 2008 and will run for 10 weeks. Daly is one of Ireland’s most respected violin- ists. A member of the Irish Cham- ber Orchestra, she has performed across the globe with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, Camerata Ireland, the European Union Cham- ber orchestra, the Killaloe quartet and many others.

In recent years she has built a paral- lel career as one of the country’s lead- ing music educationalists, running workshops in a variety of settings in

Ireland and the UK. Saturday Music Club will allow her to use these skills to benefit the children of her local community, she said.

She took her first degree at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in London and has _ post-graduate qualifications in performance, music education and community music. She is in wide demand as a teacher and workshop leader.

For further information, phone 061- 376639 or visit musicintheglen @ftml. ate

HUNDREDS of thousands of euro are being needlessly wasted each year on house insurance in Clare, ac- cording to new research released by the Financial Regulator.

Clare was one of just 7 counties specifically targeted by the Central Bank’s consumer watchdog, which is attempting to promote more con- Sumer awareness and competition in the home insurance sector.

The research focused on the cost of insuring a 4 bed detached house

in the county with a rebuild cost of €245,000. This sample house was described as being some 20 years old and was being insured along with contents to the value of €55,000.

The Financial Regulator discovered consumers who opted for the most expensive provider were paying out more than 60 percent each year more than those who opted for the cheap- est provider.

According to the survey, FBD In- surance offered the most expensive quote at €379.00 per year, Quinn Direct was the cheapest provider at

€236.64.

Other brokers quoted included Ea- gle Star (€356.90), AXA (€342.00), Hibernian Direct (€320.38), Allianz Direct (€301.44) and Royal and Sun Alliance Both (€263.53).

“The purpose of this survey was to show people the benefits that could be gained by taking the time to shop around. | mean, in the Clare survey there was as much as €140 difference between the quotes being offered by some insurers,” said a spokes woman from the Financial Regulator yester- day.

“It is an important thing for people to consider; there are real savings to be made but at the same time money can be thrown away needlessly.

“We would be encouraging people to shop around and ask for quotes for a number of providers to see who has the best quote for your own circum- stances. You really need to look at each quote on its own merits, and it doesn’t always follow that the cheap- est quote would necessarily be the one for you.”

The other counties targeted by the Financial Regulator for investigation

were Kerry, Tipperary, Waterford, Meath, Leitrim and Dublin.

Meanwhile, in a parallel survey, the Financial Regulator has discovered that only two insurers were willing to give content insurance for resi- dents in a rented accommodation.

In this survey, which was carried out in Galway City, only FBD and Quinn Direct offered quotes for con- tent with FBD offering the cheapest yearly quote.

Other insurers Hibernian, Allianz, AXA, Royal and Sun Alliance and Eagle Star declined to give a quote.

A NEW committee is to be established to advise on the future development of sporting facilities in Ennis.

Ennis Town Council is seeking to restructure the current committee, set up in 2003 to facilitate communi- cation and discussion on the develop- ment of sporting facilities in Ennis.

At the November meeting of Ennis Town Council Town Clerk Eddie Power stated that the council was also looking to hear from other sporting clubs and associations not currently represented.

The present committee is made up

of Ennis Town Council (three elect- ed members), Clare County Council (three elected members) and a rep- resentative from the GAA, athletics and Clare Soccer.

It is known that the Clare school- boys/girls soccer league is looking to have a voice on the committee, as are representatives from the Ennis Rugby Club.

SW slommere)cebeeDUnCcroMmmn Oelo(o1B00Tcs mmr: Dus attended by council staff and the senior staff officer and corporate services provide administrative sup- port. Nominations by both local authorities were made after the last local elections in 2004.

In his report, Power said, “One

of the county council representa- tives has been elected to the Dail in the 2007 General Election and consequently a vacancy has arisen on the committee. Other sporting codes use the council’s sporting facilities in addition to the associa- tions represented.”

“A skateboard park was opened re- cently which attracts a large number of skaters. It 1s important that there is a continuation of the successful communication links with the skat- ers. Participations in the committee would be beneficial in this regard.

“IT am proposing that the number of sporting bodies representatives be increased and that each body

be asked to confirm their existing representatives to the committee. Clare County Council should also nominate a member to fill the cas- ual vacancy referred to above. The sports facilities committee has a rep- resentational role through which the sporting bodies using the facilities have a structured communication fo- rum,” he added.

“The committee has an important promotional role to play in high- lighting the nature of the facilities available among sporting clubs and associations.

“The committee can further pro- mote additional facilities as these become available to use.”

is a brand-new eight-part series presented by the food writer and broadcaster. The — series

follows McKenna

around Ireland as she visits farm- ers’ markets, meeting artisan food producers and cooking dishes using ingredients which relate to the mak- ers she has just met.

McKenna visits a different market each week to meet and introduce the viewers to stall holders.

Concentrating on an individual stallholder’s farm or place of work, she then interviews them on their products.

The programme on Ennis will be screened in spring 2008 and will also feature the Kilrush Farmers’ Market, which takes place every Thursday in the market square.

Located in the upper Market Street public car park on Friday mornings from 8am to 2pm, the Ennis Farm- ers’ Market is a hive of activity.

The market has been up and running since 2004 and consists of a group of dedicated food producers and traders with a wide range of local, artisan and organic foods including meats, cheeses and local honey. Most of the produce is sourced in Clare, with some coming from _ nearby Tipperary.

Aoife NicGiollacoda Egan, pro- ducer of Cill Mhuire pure Irish hon- ey based in Derra, Kilkishen, said she hoped the visit would further

promote local interest in the Ennis Farmers’ Market.

During her visit McKenna also met Freddie Rynne, head chef of the Old Ground Hotel, to see how local produce plays such a prominent role in the hotel’s menu.

The programme will also take a look at the growth of the food industry in Clare, with the present- er visiting the premises of Inagh Cheesemakers and the nearby Biddy Early brewery.