The Clare People Archive

TWO County Clare hotels owned by West Clare hotelier John Burke received the highest accreditation available under the Green Hospitality Awards (GHA) programme.

As a result of the award this week, Clare is now the leading county for the Green Hospitality Awards programme, with almost half the country’s ‘green hotels’ in the county.

The Armada Hotel in Spanishpoint and Hotel Doolin successfully reduced their energy consumption by almost a third and reduced the amount of waste going to landfill by more than 60 per cent.

The Clare hotels join an elite group of just seven Irish hotels who possess Platinum accreditation under the hospitality sector’s only environmental accreditation programme, which is supported by the EPA through the National Waste Prevention programme.

The programme inspectors who judged both businesses noted that jointly they reduced water consumption by 38 per cent per guest, cut the amount of waste going to landfill by 62 per cent, and reduce electricity per guest by 28 per cent since joining the programme two years ago.

“The green programme has led to a consequential reduction in operating costs at both hotels and in doing so has enabled us to offer the best possible value to locals and tourists, which is critical in order to compete in the current marketplace,” explained Mr Burke.

“Furthermore this programme has a rigorous way of inspecting our approach to greater environmental issues such as reducing our carbon footprint and landfill waste levels, to our social responsibility approach to more local issues like how we contribute to local charitable and voluntary causes, and the support we show for local food suppliers. Our efforts over the past 12 months have seen us significantly improve on our Silver accreditations in 2012 for the Armada and Hotel Doolin.”

Clare is currently the leading county for the Green Hospitality Awards programme, with Dromoland hav- ing also achieved Platinum status in 2011. Three of the seven Irish hotels now in receipt of the GHA Platinum accreditation are Clare-based.

FINE Gael delegates at Friday’s night’s convention raised issues about a selection process some claimed “disempowered” the grass roots of the party. Others argued the process was unfair to certain nominees contesting the convention to select representatives for the party in the eight-seat West Clare constituency.

A directive was issued from the central executive of the party stating that three candidates were to be elected on the night.

There was a rider on the directive however that stated one candidate would have to be selected from the old Ennistymon area, and a second candidate selected from the Kildysert Electoral Area. Of the six nominees remaining after Cree’s Johnny Pilkington withdrew, just one – sitting county councillor Bill Slattery – came from the Ennistymon area.

County councillor Oliver Garry was the sole repetitive from the southern end of the constituency and so both councillors just required one vote to secure a place on the tickets.

Disgruntled delegates were annoyed that they were then limited to select just one candidate for this hotly-contested area, claiming it was undemocratic and limited their in- volvement in the selection process.

Supporters of Councillor Gabriel Keating felt that as the only other councillor nominated on the night he should not have been the only incumbent to go before the delegates.

More raised concerns that they were sidelined in the process and were not given true ownership of the process.

UNSUCCESSFUL nominees from Friday night’s West Clare Fine Gael convention are still hopeful that they could be added to the ticket.

During a contentious selection process, councillors Bill Slattery and Oliver Garry were selected under a geographical directive from headquarters.

Delegates then voted for a third candidate, with sitting county councillor Gabriel Keating getting the nod ahead of former Kilrush mayors Marian McMahon Jones and Ian Lynch and the current mayor of Kilkee Paddy Collins.

It is understood that the incumbent secured his place on the ticket by a tight margin, just ahead of Cllr McMahon Jones, who had a vote that was almost five times that of the nominee in third place.

A motion was put to the chairman of the convention Maurice Fitzgerald by former TD and current Trustee of the party Madeleine Taylor Quinn that a directive be sent to the central executive stating it is the wish of the local party that Cllr McMahon Jones be added to the ticket. This was seconded by a number of delegates.

Yesterday, Monday, Cllr McMahon Jones said she was extremely happy with her vote.

“I am absolutely delighted with the result. I would be very confident that I will be placed on the ticket,” she said adding that she believes she would be a strong candidate throughout the vast West Clare area.

Cllr Lynch has not given up hope of running in the election either.

“I don’t really know if they will be adding someone, they might just run three. I will just have to wait and see and in the meantime I will get behind the other three candidates,” he said.

Fine Gael has selected five candidates to contest the eight-seater Ennis area.

Those close to the party said that it is very likely that at least one if not two more candidates will be added to the ticket for the eight-seat West Clare Municipal Area, with one candidate more than likely to come from Kilrush.

However this decision will be at the sole discretion of the central executive of the party, who could opt to add a candidate who was not even nominated for convention.

Cree nominee to the convention Johnny Pilkington chose to withdraw from the race at the beginning of Friday night’s meeting.

KILLALOE was the fourth and last Fine Gael Local Election 2014 Convention held in Clare, and the third of the conventions to be concluded without the necessity of an election.

Last night (Monday) three candidates were nominated to contest the six-seat constituency that spans from Cappavilla in the south to Abbey in the north and is made up of the majority of the Killaloe area and part of the current Ennistymon area.

The three Fine Gael candidates nominated to contest the new Killaloe Municipal Area were three sitting councillors, mayor of Clare Cllr Joe Arkins at the north of the constitu- ency and Cllr Pat Burke and Cllr Joe Cooney from the current Killaloe area.

Sources close to the Fine Gael party said it was also possible that a fourth candidate would be added to the ticket by headquarters in the coming weeks.

As all of the Government party’s conventions are now concluded in the county, a special election committee will consider if more candidates will be added to the tickets, especially in three of the areas.

There are already five candidates selected to contest the eight-seat Ennis area, with an addition here less likely than in the other three.

Killaloe could see one more name added to the three incumbents in the coming weeks, with one or even two names to be added to the Shannon Municipal Area ticket to join Councillors John Crowe and Sean McLoughlin.

In West Clare at least one if not two candidates will also be added, with one candidate more than likely coming from the town of Kilrush.

COUNTY solicitor John Shaw takes up the role this week as President of the Law Society in Ireland, effectively head of the legal profession in Ireland, an organisation that has 14,000 members countrywide. He is the first Clare-based solicitor to hold the post since Michael Houlihan was elected president back in 1983.

Originally from Dundalk in Co Louth, John Shaw has practiced in Ennis since he qualified in 1984. He is currently a partner in the law firm Michael Houlihan & Partners and serves as solicitor to Clare County Council. He is also a former President of the Bar Association in Clare.

“I’m both delighted and honoured to be elected President of the Law Society of Ireland,” John told The Clare People this week. “I think it is also fitting that 30 years after Michael Houlihan held the presidency that it returns to Clare,” he added.

“During my year I will be based in Ennis and will probably spend a day or two a week in Dublin. There are many challenges facing the legal profession in Ireland and in particular I hope to liaise with the Minister for Justice on the Legal Services Regulation Bill which is currently being finalised.

“Thankfully I have huge support from Michael Houlihan and Partners, with 12 solicitors and five partners we are able to make arrangements to allow me carry out all my functions of the office and of course online technology will also make it easier. I am grateful too to county manager Tom Coughan who has also offered his co-operation towards my dual role,” John told us.

Married to Mary Nolan, herself a solicitor with Nicholas & Nolan Solicitors in Ennis, John, who lives in Ballybeg on Ennis’s Gort Road, has three children, Hannah, Ellen and Julie. Oldest daughter Hannah (23) is currently studying law at Blackhall Place in Dublin, continuing the family tradition, while Ellen (20) is studying physiotherapy in Trinity, with youngest daughter Julie (16) attending Rice College in Ennis.

Although hailing from Co Louth John has many Clare connections. He is a nephew of the late PJ and Ella Garvey (who passed away earlier this year) from Corrovorrin Green in Ennis. John is a noted sports follower and is a member of Lahinch Golf Club. He will serve a one-year term in the role up until November 2014.

THE Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark and Loop Head Peninsula finished as runners up to the Brazilian region of Benito in the ‘Best Destination for Responsible Tourism’ category of the 10th annual 2013 World Responsible Tourism Awards.

The Clare destinations were shortlisted alongside six other sustainable tourism destinations and organisations including Bhutan, Lithuania, Bonito (Brazil) Nature Park and Glacier Region Kaunertal (Austria), Mara Naboisho Conservancy (Kenya) and Valleys Regional Park (Wales).

The final result was announced on Wednesday at an awards ceremony, hosted by World Travel Market at the ExCeL London Exhibition and Convention Centre.

Representatives from both Clare destinations used the awards event as an opportunity to actively promote County Clare and the recently an- nounced Ryanair services at Shannon Airport. Loop Head Tourism and Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark hosted an information stand at the event, in conjunction with Tourism Ireland.

CLARE County Council intends to carry out work to upgrade a section of the Rocky Road to allow for greater pedestrian access to the Ballybeg area of Ennis.

Yesterday’s meeting of councillors in the Ennis East Electoral Area heard the council is looking to repave the road from the Rocky Road roundabout to Ballybeg.

Senior executive Engineer Eamon O’Dea told the meeting the council intends to improve of pedestrian access along the walking route.

Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind) said the route would be used if work was carried out to repair it.

Cllr Johnny Flynn said the route could also be popular with cyclists.

Mr O’Dea made the announcement of the council’s plans to upgrade the Rocky Road following discussion on a motion tabled by Cllr Paul Murphy (FG). The Clarecastle councillor requested the council “prioritise completing the footpath from Rockmount Cross to where it currently ends on the Kilrush Road and to also provide a pedestrian crossing”.

Cllr Murphy told the meeting he received a petition containing the signatures of 300 people living in the area.

“There are a lot of kids walking to school (new Ennis National School) in the area and a lot of residents are very concerned about how busy the road is,” he added.

Cllr Pat Daly (FF) said the area is a “fierce busy road”. “It is important the NRA provide the money for the footpaths,” he added.

Mr O’Dea said funding would have to be sought from the National Roads Authority (NRA) as the section of footpath is on a national secondary road.

He continued, “The cost of providing a footpath and public lighting would be in excess of € 80,000. There is uncontrolled pedestrian crossing at the Kilrush Road roundabout on the N68. There is an alternate pedestrian access in daylight hours to Ballybeg by using the Rocky Road and the pedestrian pelican crossing at the Rocky Road roundabout on the N85.”

Earlier, town manager and director of Service, Gerard Dollard told a meeting of councillors in the Ennis West Electoral Area, that discussions are ongoing with Airtricity on the provision of public lighting in the Beechpark housing estate.

Mr Dollard said the works could cost up to € 25,000 and the council would have to decide on how to fund it.

ALMOST 500 horses and dogs have been put down in the county so far this year by animal welfare services, a number that far exceeds figures for Central London.

As many as 452 dogs were euthanised by the ISPCC acting for Clare County Council, with 37 horses also put down during 2013 to date.

This is an average of 11 animals every week and more than one a day. According to figure released as many as 962 dogs and horses were impounded by agencies acting on behalf of Clare County Council.

The majority of the animals impounded or surrendered were dogs, with 915 canines taken in.

Of these 452 were re-homed including 148 who were re-claimed by owners.

FINE Gael selected two further candidates for 2014 Local Elections last night (Monday), as the two nominees from the Shannon area were added to the ticket.

There are just two nominees for the Shannon Selection Convention as Clare county councillors John Crowe and Sean McLoughlin were both nominated and selected without the need for an election.

It is now understood that the Fine Gael executive will add at least one if not two more candidates to contest the six-seat election.

On Friday night the party will select candidates for the new eight-seat West Clare constituency, with the Killaloe convention taking place on Monday next.

Fine Gael is the first of the political parties in Clare to select candidates for the local elections next May, with Labour stating it will hold its conventions by the end of the month.

Sinn Fein said that it is in the process of selecting candidates but has no dates or names as yet.

Fianna Fáil is expected to select its candidates between the end of November and the first week in January, beginning in the Shannon Municipal Area.

It is understood that the three councillors from the area will be nominated alongside newcomer Louise McNamara. Candidates will have until two weeks before the convention to put forward any nominees.

To be nominated for convention the candidate must have the support of one cumann or five individual members of the party.

In Ennis there are already up to 10 names being suggested as possible contenders for the party in the eightseat constituency, with a new look Killaloe area opening up possibilities for former councillors to return.

In West Clare the executive has suggested that the convention be divided into two separate district selection process to avoid the majority of the candidates coming from either the old Kilrush Electoral Area or Ennistymon Electoral Area.

Once again there is much speculation as to who will be put forward for convention.

The father of the council PJ Kelly has yet to decide if he will go before convention in a bid to serve for a fifth decade on the council. New names such as former GAA county board chairman Michael O’Neill and Ennis Chamber of Commerce CEO Rita McInerney are also been spoken about as possible contenders in West Clare for the party.

A CLARE secondary school was the subject of a suspected arson attack on Halloween night that resulted in the destruction of a resource classroom and significant damage to another. The interior of the prefab classroom at Ennis Community College was gutted in the blaze, which began shortly after 9pm on Thursday. Mindless thugs also took time to break windows in a second prefab unit, which is used for specialised classes for deaf students. Clare Fire Services were called to the scene at 9.10pm and worked hard to prevent the fire reaching the main building on the secondary school complex. Part of the nearby building suffered some external fire damage however, with part of the building also subjected to internal smoke damage. The intense heat from the fire also melted the PVC window frames. It is not yet known the cost of the damage, but a number of computers as well as the entire inside of the first prefab classroom was destroyed. There was no apparent attempt to set fire to the Unit for the Deaf after the windows were smashed with what is believe to have been a fire extinguisher. Gardaí sealed off and preserved the scene overnight while a full technical examination was carried out on Friday afternoon. Gardai in Ennis are continuing to investigate the fire, which they have described as suspicious. Two units of Ennis Fire Brigade also attended the fire at Ennis Community College. They were alerted to the incident by Munster Regional Communication System at 9.10pm and arrived at the scene just eight minutes later. The fire service got the fire under control in just over an hour and the “incident was closed down” at 10.28pm. Anyone with any information on the incident is asked to contact Ennis Garda Station.