The Clare People Archive

THE fifth annual sponsored slim-in in aid of orphans in Belarus will be launched in Ennis this week.

This unique fundraiser invites participants to lose weight over an eight -week period, from October 24 to December 12, in order to raise money for a Belarussian orphanage. The event will be launched at the West County Hotel.

Anyone looking to take up the challenge can raise money from sponsorship cards by agreeing to lose a certain amount of weight over the eight-week period.

Around 40 people take part each year and organisers are hoping to build on that number for this year’s event. A guest speaker will address participants each week on a wide range of topics including health is- sues, beauty and alternative rem- re Behe

All funds raised from previous events have gone directly towards improving the living conditions of children living in orphanages in BYor-VabESE

The money raised this year will be brought directly to Belarus by mem- bers of the Chernobyl Orphanage Development Programme.

A spokesperson for the organisa- tion urged people to get involved SUNN Noon O01

“These children have no parents and live in appalling conditions, so let’s show them we care,” she said.

The group will also spread Christ- mas cheer by taking Santa to chil- dren who have nothing.

The efforts of the Chernobyl Or- phanage Development Programme is targeted at the 13,000 orphans who live in 57 orphanages across Belarus, often without access to even basic facilities such as toilets or showers.

Most recently, the programme has taken on the redevelopment of

Besangovichi Orphanage in the north of the country. The orphanage, which is in the worst condition of any in the country, is home to 164 children with special needs.

Having already replaced the beds and furniture, restocked the medi- cal clinic and library, renovated the laundry and put in a new playground, the programme 1s hoping to put a new roof on the orphanage. This project will cost up to £100,000.

People are urged to get their friends involved with the slim-in or seek sponsorship from pubs and clubs.

For more information, contact Mary on 087 6438764.

THIRTY FIVE years of music and dance were celebrated Friday night When musicians and singers from across Clare gathered in Fahy Hall.

A cornerstone of traditional Irish music and culture, Fahy Hall has been home to the Doora Barefield of Comhaltas Ceolteoiri Eireann since PA

Before eventually settling on Fahy Hall, the first meeting of the branch was held in the old parochial house of the Greengrove in Roslevan. After that the branch led a sort of nomadic existence, meeting up in different houses in the local area.

The branch then moved up to Bob-

by Kennedy’s house on the Tulla Road and from there to Scanlon’s near Gaurus Mills.

In the late 70s the decision was taken that the branch should look for a permanent home. Colm Fahy, a member of the Branch, very kindly donated the site for the hall, and it has been home to the Doora Bare- field branch ever since, becoming a focal point in the community in the ROSE

Members of the branch together with friends and neighbours built the hall on a voluntary basis.

Frank Custy, who was then County Chairman gave the branch great en- couragement and funds were raised through ceils in Toonagh hall, a sil-

ver circle, raffles, sales of work etc.

The County Council also gave a grant towards the hall. Music and set dancing classes and sesiuins were the main activities in the hall in the early years with the Youth Club and step dancing classes coming on stream later on.

The hall has also been ussed for Saturday evening mass for some years now.

The first officers of the branch were chairman Lot O’Halloran, sec- retary Mary McNamara, treasurer Phil Nugent. Of the original mem- bers involved when the branch was established, three are still involved today, Mary O’Halloran and Joe and Mary Keary. The present officers of

the branch are chairman John Ly- ons, secretary Clare Deloughrey and treasurer Marjorie Molloy.

Friday night saw many former members and friends reunite and re- mains about the craic had at all the ceilis and sesiuns down the years.

The bill contained some of the best known singers and musicians in Clare. Those taking part includ- ed Tara Breen, Christy McNamara, Paddy Canny with his grandchildren and Denis Liddy’s ul5 ceili who came second at the All-Ireland in Tullamore.

Singers included Joe Keary and Michael O’Brien. The occasion was presided over by MC for the night Joe Queally.

RESIDENTS living close to a dan- gerous bend in Kilmurry are infuri- ated that Clare County Council is not making funds available for the provi- sion of footpaths in the locality.

At an area meeting of Clare County Council last week, Cllr John Crowe suggested that footpaths in Kilmurry eTom KALA Le0 8

Executive Engineer with the coun- cil, Michael Healy’s response was simple. He pointed out that the funds were not available. “At present, Clare County Council is not in a position to provide additional footpaths in Kil- murry village,” he said.

He pointed out that his estimate for providing 330 metres of a two-me-

tre wide footpath between Neenan’s grocery shop and the entrance to the housing estate on the regional R462 would be almost €70,000.

The estimated cost of a footpath, with associated lighting along the Kilmurry to Enagh road, would be €53,750.

‘The only finance available to con- struct footpaths in Kilmurry is un- der the Discretionary Improvement Grant. In 2007, the total allocation for maintenance and provision of footpaths under this grant for the whole of the Shannon electoral area was €55,000. This money is being spent in heavily populated areas such as Shannon, Sixmilebridge and New- market-on-Fergus, where the need is greatest. Iam unable to provide foot-

paths in Kilmurry because the funds are simply unavailable.”

He went on to say that the “limited” funds available to him for footpaths will go towards Shannon, Newmar- ket-on-Fergus and Sixmilebridge, for the foreseeable future.

Local resident, Mairead Guest, who lives close to a notoriously danger- ous bend on the road, is angered by what she says is the council’s neglect of Kilmurry.

“Tam very annoyed. We are forgot- ten about. How come it is going to cost €100,000 to put footpaths in place?

“We were hoping for something. We organised a petition last year, but still nothing is being done. It will just take somebody to be killed be-

fore they do anything.

“When they are collecting money, we are included in the Sixmilebridge area, but when there is money being spent, we are always left out,’ said Ms Guest.

A year ago, Ms Guest expressed her concerns about the dangers of a bend, close to her home.

While the council has put danger signs in place, she remains unhappy with the situation.

“Signs were put up and already one has been damaged. We still hear the screeches of brakes there at night. The road has been widened coming up to my house and that has made everything faster coming into the bend. It is worse than it had been previously,” she said.

A YOUNG Clooney athlete’s vi- brant smile will light up the stage this weekend, when she receives a Clare Community Games All-Star.

12-year-old Aisling Corbett struck gold in handball at the Community Games in Mosney, during the sum- mer. She was on the Clooney/Quin team of five, which scooped the prestigious accolades, in the under- 13 category.

Aisling’s all-round enthusiasm for sport will see her winning her first All-Star and is eagerly anticipating the awards night.

“IT am excited, definitely. I will probably be nervous on Friday night though, as loads of my friends are coming,’ said Aisling, who referred to her gold medal win as “class”.

The award for handball 1s particu- larly pleasing, given that she just started playing the sport three years

ago. She regularly plays at the local handball alley in Clooney.

She is also a keen competitor in camogie, ladies football and run- ning, while off the sportsfield she en- joys playing the piano and fiddle.

She plays under-14, under-16 and minor camogie with Clooney/Quin, while she played with the local un- der-12 hurling team this year.

She also plays soccer, ladies foot- ball and camogie with St Flannan’s College, Ennis, where she is a first year student.

So busy is Aisling that she rarely has a free evening. Her proud mum Yvonne is her ‘taxi driver’, ferry- ing her around to the various sports events.

Yvonne says Aisling has been a keen sporting enthusiast since the age of just seven.

“She started playing football and camogie at the age of seven. She still plays and loves all sports. She loves

team sports. Aisling would be very sociable and outgoing. She always goes out and plays really hard for her team. She is very determined and is always willing to play,” she said.

Sport is a dominant feature in the Corbett family. Her father John is a keen GAA enthusiast and trains vari- ous teams. Her sister Saidhbhe (13) and brother Tadhg (11) also enjoy playing sport, while her younger sis- ter Roisin (6) has just started gym- ERO Leh

Aisling is one of 22 young athletes from the Shannon region who will honoured at the Community Games awards next Friday night.

The others are Orlaith Duggan, Clooney/Quin, (athletics); Thomas Dineen, Shannon (basketball); Laura McMahon, Newmarket-on-Fergus (camogie); James Danagher, Shan- non (chess); Karl Fitzmaurice, Shan- non (chess); Kelly Finnegan, Sixmi- lebridge. Kilmurry (culture corner);

Paula Loughnane, Quin/Clooney (cycling); Daniel Clair, Shannon (football); Naomi Lorrigan, Quin/ Clooney (handball); Keith Hogan, Quin/Clooney (olympic handball); Cormac O’Neill, Cratloe (tennis); Conor Cahill, Sixmuilebridge/Kil- murry (hurling); Jason O’Leary, Quin/Clooney (pitch and putt); Ciara Hallissey, Cratloe (rounders), Chloe Wars Ssixmuilebridge/Kilmurry (rounders); Noel Purcell, Sixmile- bridge/Kilmurry (rounders); Toni Lagan, Shannon (soccer); Daire Kel- ly, Quin/Clooney (indoor soccer); Eimear Wolfe, Sixmilebridge/Kil- murry (Swimming); Shauna Kerin, Sixmilebrige/Kilmurry (variety) and Stephen O’Dea, Sixmilebridge/Kil- murry (variety).

A ROAD fatality is unavoidable at a dangerous junction in Shannon, un- less steps are taken to address traffic eyuele) (othe

That was the stark warning uttered by local councillor Tony Mulcahy (FG), who spoke of his concern re- lating to the Aidan Park junction in SJerVeveeyee

He said last week that there had been four accidents at the junction

over the previous seven days.

“We are going to have to come up with a permanent solution. Someone is going to be killed there. There are peak times, morning, lunch and six o’clock in the evening. We have to come up with a freeflow system. It has to be resolved sooner rather than later,’ he said.

Senior Executive Engineer Donal Hogan responded by suggesting a short-term solution.

“In the short term, we can see what

improvements we can make with traf- fic lights. There are no opportunities to put in extra phases on the traffic lights that are there, but we can get a larger traffic controller, which would allow improvements,” he said.

“It is the right turn movements that is causing the problem,” he added.

Cllr Mulcahy replied, “The Station Road in Ennis is one of the busiest roads in the county, if not the busi- est. There are no lights there, but the traffic flows through. There is talk of

roundabouts. Basically it is a lump of tarmac in the middle of the road.”

Cllr Gerry Flynn (Ind) said the question of improving existing traf- fic lights has been mentioned before.

“T’ve heard that before, about the frequency of lights, but that won’t change the amount of traffic com- ing through. Maybe you could get the road section to draw up some proposal for the Aidan Park area and then let us try and come up with the funding.”

THE details of this year’s winter Cultural and Heritage Programme at Coole Park will be announced later today at a ceremony at the Coole Park Visitor Centre in Gort.

The Friends of Coole will host the official launch of the programme, which has been compiled in part- nership with the National Parks and Wildlife Services, Galway County Council, Galway Rural Develop- ment, Galway Education Centre and Failte Ireland West.

Each year the Coole Park Cultural Programme aims to provide a series of quality multi-disciplinary arts and

heritage events to as wide local au- dience as possible in a site that has national and international cultural Status.

This is the second cultural pro- gramme to take place in Coole this year following the highly success- ful spring programme earlier this year. Both the winter and spring programmes endeavour to showcase locally based artists and provide lec- tures on locally based topics.

The programme was initiated in 2005 on a pilot basis and it’s success to date is largely due to the strong partnership of agencies and active community involvement in its organ- isation, delivery and support.

This year’s winter programme will focus on integrating arts, culture and education with a series of events for adults, young people and families. Drama, heritage, music and poetry will feature in the new programme of events taking place between now Neem @isbuneettane

Coole Park is a nature reserve and former home of Lady Gregory. The park contains extensive woodlands and a series of turloughs with six kil- ometers of signposted nature trails plus a formal walled garden.

The walled garden contains an au- tograph tree that is engraved with initials of many of the leading fig- ures of the Irish Literary Revival

who were personal friends of Lady Gregory including William Butler Yeats, Edward Martyn, George Ber- nard Shaw, John Millington Synge and Sean O’Casey.

Coole Park is part of the Coole- Garryland Complex Special Area of Conservation and the whole of the park is designated a special protec- tion area for birds.

The winter Cultural and Heritage Programme 2007 will be launched today, Tuesday, October 23 at the Coole Park Visitor Centre in Gort at 3.30pm. Details of the winter pro- gramme brochure will be available at the ceremony later today. All are welcome to attend.

IS IT A BIRD? Is it a plane? No, it’s Superman and his mates, and they’re pushing a engine-less Mini Cooper through the streets of Gort.

No, it’s not a scene for Tim Bur- ton’s latest film, instead this Friday two teams of local lads will dress up and push two Mini-Coopers through the streets of Gort.

This daring deed, which will see a team of heroes race a team of vil- lains, is all in aid of this year’s Peo- ple in Need telethon.

“It started with myself and Ross O’Donnell, a guy I work with. We were having a bit of a laugh and we said that we would do something for the ‘Telethon,’ said Brian Bourke

(hero).

“The idea came about pushing the two mini-cars. The idea went from there and we decided that we would have a bit of craic with it and dress up. I don’t know where the idea of the super heroes came from but I Wee ULM oom OMA RETIT OLA

“We are going to have a good team and a bad team, good versus evil, and we will raise as much money as we can.”

The teams will race from the Gort hurling field on the Tubber Road and are expected to arrive in the square in Gort at 4.30pm this Friday, Octo- ber 26.

“Oh ya, it’ll be a competitive race. We should have five or six heroes and villains on each team in full cos-

tume. It will be competitive, there is no doubt about that. We will have Su- perman and Spider-man on the good team and the Joker and the Penguin on the evil side.

“There is a guy in the town called Seamus Daly and he has a number of Mini Coopers and he is going to give us two of them. One of them is driveable but I don’t think there is an engine in the other one so that will be lighter to push, I think the heroes will be pushing that one.”

The heroes and villains will be raising money for the people in need dev uelUtcaam aslo bupe-leen

“There will be plenty of buckets around on the day for people to do- nate money. We have cards and buck- ets in the local businesses around the

town and people can just call into them if they want to donate money,” continued Bourke.

“The money raised locally around the area stays local which should be an incentive to donate. We would like to thank the people from the Tel- ethon for all their support, the Gardai who are helping us and blocking off the streets for the race and the people of Gort for all the support they have given up.’

The Bishop of Killaloe, Dr Willie Walsh, has raised the possibility of a sell-off of Church-owned lands across the diocese, though stressed that there will be no sudden sale.

Dr Walsh has revealed that he has initiated a consultation amongst the diocese’s priests, a diocesan pastoral council and “asked a small sub-com- mittee to look at that whole issue of how do we apply Gospel values to our property and whatever finance we may have available to us”.

After confirming that the diocese had donated 15 acres of land for the

development of a daycare centre and housing for the elderly in Ennis, Dr Walsh said that the Church “is not in the business of profit-making”.

After giving away lands valued at €10 million to provide services for Ennis’s elderly population, Dr Walsh said, “I am perfectly sure that the Church holding a lot of land for itself is not in any way part of the Gospel.

“What I’m sure of is that it has an obligation to act responsibly. We are not going to be disposing of all the property suddenly.

“There is the whole question of the employment of lay people in our Church with the diminishing number

of priests.

“We have already increased the number of lay people, but there will be more lay people employed by the Church. Some of the finance needed for that will be got from the sale of some property.

“It was a past generation that passed this land onto us. We have an obliga- tions to future generations to in some way pass on some of that property to future generations.

“At the moment, the discussions are in initial stages, but I would visualise that it would be ongoing and these people would be regularly asked for their views and those views would be

fed into the diocesan trust who are ultimately responsible for decision- making in this area.

“One would need the wisdom of Solomon in some ways to be sure to know what to do in particular situ- ations.

“I haven’t a fully formed view of the long term and I would prefer to wait and let people mull over these things, discuss them and look at the continuing needs of the diocese.

“If someone 20 years ago decided to sell off all the property, we would have a serious difficulty in employ- ing more people nowadays,’ Bishop Walsh added.

GORT women are being offered the chance to influence public policy, both locally and nationally, by taking part in a study focusing on women’s needs in the area.

The Gort Women’s Equality Net- work (GWEN) will host two public meetings this week in the Lady Gre- gory Hotel, where they hope to iden- tify barriers to women being able to participate in decision-making proc- esses at a local level.

The study, created by Dr Niamh Clune and Douglas Johnson of the Gort Regional Alliance for Community and Environment (GRACE) in partnership with the Family Resource Centre, will also examine why more local women do not avail of further education or participate in the workforce.

“It 1s a study into women’s needs. The target is unemployed women, women who are not on the live reg- ister. The purpose of it is to find dif- ferent ways of getting them back into the jobs market. We are trying to tar- get venerable groups, single mothers

or people who are having difficulty finding a job for whatever reason,” said Mr Johnson.

“We are holding two separate public meetings – an evening meeting and a morning meeting. The purpose of this is to accommodate people who cannot make one or other of the meetings.

“We are also using one-to-one inter- views on an ongoing basis. We train- ing some of the women as interview- ers and they then interview the other women on a one-to-one basic. This is in order to make it a more comforta- ble experience for the women, so they feel comfortable and we get a more

spontaneous answer.’

The research has been ongoing all year in Gort and all available data will be compiled next month and presented to interested parties lo- cally and nationally.

“We are hoping to have the report finished for the second week in De- cember. We will be presenting the information to interested parties and distributing copies of the report to people like the local VEC and Health Board,’ continued Mr Johnson.

“We will also look at mainstream- ing the findings so they can be used in the formation of Government policy in different departments. We will look to influence local employers, encour- age them and examine their practices and, 1f possible, change them to fit with the needs of these women.”

GWEN will host two public meet- ings, on Wednesday, October 24 from 7.30pm to 9pm and on Thursday, Oc- tober 25 from llam to 12.30pm in the Lady Gregory Hotel in Gort.

CRATLOE man Eamon Dillon is hoping that his goose will be cooked on Saturday October 27.

But far from that being a peculiar anticipation of his downfall, Eamon and his fellow members the Wild Geese Barbecue Team will be cook- ing a goose as they represent Ireland at the World Barbecue Champion- ship in Tennessee.

Lynchburg, a sleepy backwater and home of the famous whiskey, will provide the backdrop for the Jack Daniels World Barbecue Competi- tion where over 10,000 spectators will flock to watch 65 international teams pit their culinary skills against each other. Team entry is by invita- tion only and competitors are re- quired to have won a recognised state or national championship. The Irish team comprises of Tara Harti- gan, Gerry Dillon, Patrick O’ Sulli- van (Capt.) and Eamon Dillon.

The Wild Geese Barbecue Team was formed in Limerick in 1999. From the outset the team has com- peted at the highest levels in Ger- many, Switzerland and the United States. Following their success at the World Barbecue competition in 2001, and again in 2003, the Irish BBQ Association was established to promote best cooking practice and from this, the genesis of Limerick’s highly successful annual Riverfeast International BBQ event.

Each team is required to cook a

whole pork shoulder, two racks of ribs, a chicken and a whole beef bris- ket. The meats chosen are specifi- cally designed to test the skills and expertise of the most avid BBQ en- thusiast and can take between 5 and 10 hours to cook and prepare.

Every cook knows how difficult it 1s to cook a goose even in a convention- al oven as the bird spits gallons of fat under heat making it a very volatile choice for the barbie.

“IT have roasted 20Ib turkeys in the past but a goose 1s different” said Ea- mon. “Unless you are very careful, the fat will drip on to the hot coals and the whole thing will spontane-

ously combust, transforming the goose into a phoenix.”

The Irish goose will be stuffed with traditional Irish garden vegetables, walnuts and berries which have been soaked overnight in local Bunratty mead. The team of experienced bar- becue chefs has been in training for several months to cook their goose just right.