The Clare People Archive

FIVE people – including two moth- ers – have appeared in court, charged in connection with a long-running ‘volatile’ traveller feud in Ennis.

Four of the five were arrested after a row broke out as parents brought children to school in Cloughleigh, last Friday morning. The fifth was arrested at Ennis courthouse later Were ee hVA

As allegations that members of one family awaited the other family out- side Ennis courthouse last Friday, security was tight as several gardai were deployed to the scene.

Before the court were Anne (43), Christopher (22) and Jim (18) Mon- gans, of Shalee Drive, Ennis, and Margaret (44) and Mary (20) Molloy, of Gordon Drive, all charged with engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour, at Cloughleigh Road, Ennis, last Friday morning.

Christopher Mongans is also ac-

cused of damaging Mary Molloy’s car.

The court heard from gardai that the charges arose from a ‘tense’ and ‘volatile’ feud between the two Dee e Sloe

“This is part of a feuding incident between the Molloys and the Mon- gans. It is ongoing, sporadic, over the past couple of years. Over the past 24 hours, it has escalated into violence occurring between both sides,” said Inspector Tom Kennedy, RON eUlan ites

He said it “boiled over” when par- ents were bringing their children to school that morning and resulted in one woman, Anne Mongans being taken to hospital with a head injury.

He appealed to Judge Joseph Man- gan to remand the accused in custo- dy, “to diffuse what is going on and to curtail them from fighting”.

“Outside the court, some of these parties are waiting for others. I have to be fearful. What happened this

morning could be a lot more seri- Ole

“It is escalating from damaging property to physical assaults. Insult- ing and degrading language is now escalating into physical contact and fighting,’ he added.

“I don’t think it’s in the capacity of any of the parties to hold their feel- ings in accordance with conditions set down,’ said Inspector Kennedy.

Solicitor for the Mongans, Tara Godfrey said, “There is a generali- sation made that if some members of each family are put 1n prison, this won’t continue. It will.”

The Molloys’ solicitor William Cahir said his clients were “not the ageressors” of the incident.

The case was adjourned for a number of hours. At 6pm, the judge asked had anything changed.

Mr Cahir said he had had a full consultation with his clients.

“Margaret Molloy is a mother of 11 and has never come to the atten-

tion of the court before. Her daugh- ter Mary never came to the attention of the court before. They are willing to abide by a curfew and any un- dertaking the court would impose,’ said Mr Cahir.

Ms Godfrey said she would concur with Mr Cahir.

She said, in the past, mediators were involved and she suggested that these people be contacted, in an effort to see if this option was open.

However Sergeant Paul Slattery then brought it to the court’s atten- tion that efforts had been made to get both parties together, during the day.

“I brought representatives of both parties together outside to try to come to some agreement. After that, I heard Anne Mongans engaging in threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour with a member of the op- posing family,” said Set Slattery.

“I was forced to intervene, to pre-

vent it escalating. There doesn’t seem to be any gra by either side to bury the hatchet,” he said.

Ms Godfrey said her client made an allegation about something that had been said, but that complaint had not been dealt with.

“It was a very serious threat, an immediate threat. The person that issued the threat is not before the court at the moment,” she said.

She said there was “resentment” if things said to her client were being ignored by the State.

“My client was provoked. There was a reason for her reaction,” she said.

Judge Joseph Mangan said it was “unusual” that the State would ask to remand people on public order charges in custody.

He remanded all five in custody, with consent to bail, to appear in court again later this week. They were ordered to keep away from each other and abide by curfews.

FOUR people who brought thou- sands of cigarettes home from their holidays have been fined in court.

Jean and Anthony Keogh, of Clounanna, Patrickswell, Limerick, appeared before Shannon District Court last week, arising out of an in- cident last December.

A Customs and Excise officer at Shannon airport told the court that Jean Keogh had more than 13,000 cigarettes, with Anthony Keogh had more than 12,000 cigarettes, on De- cember 13, 2006.

They had arrived in Shannon, from Malaga.

Jean Keogh told the court she was pleading guilty and said the ciga- rettes were for family.

The officer said he believed the

cigarettes were for resale as she told him it was her tenth trip to Spain that year and she is a non-smoker.

The customs officer said Anthony Keogh’s cigarettes “were not sourced in an official outlet in Spain’. He said that 800 cigarettes are allowed, per passenger.

Both were fined €500.

In a separate case, John and Mar- tina Reape, of Caladashan, Knock- more, Ballina, Mayo, were stopped after they arrived from Gran Canaria with more than 11,000 cigarettes, in October 2005.

Their solicitor said most of the cigarettes were a Spanish brand and that they had stocked up on cheap cigarettes. He said both accused were “very heavy smokers” and the cigarettes were not destined for sale. Both were fined €200.

A YOUNG man who suffered major teeth damage when he was kicked while on the ground has had to visit six consultants, a court has heard.

Owen Walsh was assaulted by Trevor McMahon, outside Sheil’s ga- rage, Gort Road, Ennis, in the early hours of August 25 last year.

McMahon (36) of Sandfield Centre, Ennis, has pleaded guilty to assault- ing Mr Walsh, causing him harm.

The case had previously been ad- journed to hear from the injured eva Ae

Mr Walsh’s mother Marian told Ennis District Court on Friday that her client has been to an orthodon- tist and five consultants, as a result of the damage to his teeth.

‘He got emergency treatment when

it happened. It’s going to cost a lot of money to get his teeth repaired,” she said.

Judge Joseph Mangan asked did her son intend to make a claim for eyeal ole y-leceyee

She replied, “He was hoping he would be compensated 1n some way, ’ but pointed out he had not engaged a solicitor.

The judge replied, “This court would like to assist you in the mat- ter of compensation but it would ap- pear you have taken no steps towards compensation. The defendant is also entitled to closure.”

He adjourned the case until next month and said, “Unless the injured party has taken some steps in the matter, I won’t concern myself any further with the matter of compen- sation.”

GORT is set to become a key indus- trial and residential hub for the en- tire Burren region following the an- nouncement that it 1s to be connected to the national gas pipeline.

The south Galway town has more than doubled its population in recent years with as many of 40 per cent of the inhabitants believed to be of Bra- Zilian origin.

This latest statement follows an- nouncements last year that Gort would receive two entrances on the

planned Gort-Crusheen bypass.

It is also planned that Gort will be a main stop when the Western Rail Corridor is reopened.

“We were very keen to see Gort added to the towns that were already earmarked to receive gas. Gas for Gort should significantly cut down on energy costs to businesses and consumers alike,’ said Dr Niamh Clune, head of the Gort Regional Al- liance for Community and the Envi- ronment (GRACE).

“Although it will mean some more disruption to the town’s roads and

pavements, at least the digging to in- stall all necessary services to benefit the future development of the whole town of Gort should be completed in the near future.”

GRACE were invited to take part in a feasibility study into the inclu- sion of Gort on the gas pipeline ear- lier this year when a group met with Bord Gais senior executives.

“IT am very pleased to hear that Gort has been selected to get natural gas. It will mean a very substantial saving for our hotel and new leisure centre, aS we are very dependent on

gas,’ said local businessman Michael O’Grady.

“O’Grady Construction Gort Ltd has just completed a housing scheme of 200 houses at Oranmore using natural gas. We know that the use of natural gas on our next housing scheme at Gort will be a big selling factor.

‘I am very happy to be associated with the GRACE Organisation in its efforts to bring gas to Gort.”

Bord Gais has undertaken an ex- tensive study to evaluate the exten- sion of the natural gas network to

new towns around the country since early 2006.

In November 2006, Phase One of the study was published and saw 11 towns along the route of the Mayo- Galway pipeline qualifying for con- nection to the network.

Construction has already com-

menced on this €40 million project. This announcement represents

Phase Two of the study, with six towns to be connected to the natural gas network at a cost of some €23 million.

PHARMACIES in Clare will close as a result of the decision of the HSE to alter the basis on which it pays phar- macies for dispensing medicines.

That is according to the President of the Irish Pharmaceutical Union (I[PU), Michael Guckian, who said the Government expected pharma- cists to dispense medicines to medi- cal cardholders for amounts nine per cent lower than they bought it.

“The HSE announcement means that many pharmacists will have to stop supporting the State medicine schemes because they want us to sell medicines ata loss. Others will close

and the loser will be patients up and down the country.”

Three weeks ago, the HSE an- nounced that it was altering the sys- tem of paying pharmacists from De- cember lI.

“The HSE decision was taken with- out regard for how it will impact on patients and on viability of local pharmacies in Clare,” said Mr Guck- Te nOe

Clare Pharmacist Feidhlim Hillery of Sean Hillery Pharmacists, Shan- non Airport, said “The HSE’s deci- sion, if implemented, will make the medical card scheme unviable for pharmacists to deliver from Decem- roan

“There are 34,552 medical card pa- tients in Clare. This is very worrying for local pharmacists. It will have a negative impact on patient care.

‘I have reviewed the impact of this decision on my business and I simply would not be in a position to provide medicines to patients at a loss from December,” he said.

Pharmacists are asking the HSE to reverse this decision and to get into meaningful talks on a new pharmacy contract with their trade union, the Irish Pharmaceutical Union.

“The HSE decision may lead to closures of pharmacies in many ru- ral and marginalised communities, which tend to have a higher propor-

tion of medical card patients. It will mean job losses in these communi- ties and longer distances for patients to travel to get their medicines if their local pharmacy closes down.

“For the pharmacies that do sur- vive, patients may also have to en- dure reduced opening hours and longer waiting times, as pharmacies may have to let staff go.

“Many medicines, such as insu- lin for diabetics, may no longer be as widely available as pharmacists would have to have to provide such medicines at a loss from December 1,” according to the IPU.

Many pharmacies have a huge dependence on the Medical Card

Scheme [GMS] or the Drug Pay- ments Scheme [DPS]. Government dictates whether the pharmacist can apply any margin to medicines sold under these schemes. In the case of the GMS, which accounts for about 76 per cent of medicines sold under the State schemes, the Government allows the pharmacist to earn no margin. Instead the Government pays the pharmacist a fee of €3.26 for each medicine dispensed.

In the case of drugs dispensed un- der the DPS, the Government pays a eross margin of 33 per cent on the cost of the drug – but this accounts for only about 25 per cent of the med- icines dispensed by pharmacists.

A CLARE councillor has asked the local authority to get legal advice on whether structures that don’t normal- ly need planning permission could be up for demolition if they are built on an indicative road line.

Cllr Cathal Crowe (FF) said that those with land crossed by a line that effectively sterilises that land for future road development are left in limbo when it comes to planning.

‘The northern distributor road in- dicative line runs through my area and there have been a number of applications refused on the basis of dake

Cllr Crowe said that there are farm- ers in areas like Clonlara who cannot expand or build structures such as slatted sheds, which would normally be exempt from planning permis- sion, because they don’t know what will happen later on.

He added that the council “needs to follow up and keep people informed when we have a public consultation on a road line. A line can be moved and I know a number of people who have gone to the trouble and expense of applying for permissions only to be refused because there 1s an indica- tive line through their land.”

Senior Executive Planner, Liam Conneally told the meeting that there is legislation which covers future in- frastructure development.

“If people need to know whether or not planning permission 1s required,

they can apply to the local authority and the process 1s speedy,” he said.

He added that there is good news in the offing in that the first phase of the Northern Distributor Road will begin shortly, with Limerick County Council taking the lead.

Cllr Crowe said he would like as- surances that the council will fol- low through thoroughly after public consultation meetings and that legal

advice would be taken on whether exempt structures can be demolished if they are on such sterilised land.

But Mayor of Clare, Cllr Patricia McCarthy, said she was sounding a warning bell about the legal advice.

She said it was not up to the coun- cil to pay to get legal advice for in- Cn aTAeLUE Tice

COUNCILLORS angry at what they describe as planning inconsistencies demanded to know last night “how long is a piece of ribbon?”’.

Cllr John Crowe (FG) had asked that a “detailed criteria for ribbon de- velopment in all areas be put before the council for its consideration”.

He said that there “appears to be no consistency in what defines ribbon development and people are being refused permission because of it.

‘For instance, when there 1s an 1n-

fill site that hasn’t been developed, a genuine local rural person should be able to build.

“The bottom line, is that local ru- ral people should be entitled to build homes.”

Cllr PJ Kelly (FF) said that, “In some places, people are told five houses is ribbon development. In other cases, they are told that it’s four. And in some cases, house number seven might be going in and ribbon CLAYeA Le) oy eatornlmp ye mon (oO ONSNLBLOITeOr

“Tt’s totally unfair. What I want to know is how long is a piece of rib-

bon?”

Cllr Cathal Crowe (FF) seconded Cllr Kelly’s motion.

He said that a “guideline is not a rule and it is definitely not a policy. J am aware of two people who are homeless in my area because of rib- bon development guidelines.

“They were refused permission to build and now they are on the coun- cil’s housing list.”

Cllr Martin Lafferty (Ind) said that it needs to be made clear that the “council is not responsible for the legislation on this – it’s our TDs up in

the Dail who are responsible.”

Members of the council asked to know, apart from numbers of hous- es, what other guidelines affect the eranting or denying of planning permissions to avoid ribbon develop- ment.

Council officials told the meeting that ribbon development is not to be encouraged as it is not in the interests of best planning.

Issues such as an excess of septic tanks and public health had to be considered. If a ribbon development oexexey ae (onc er-MVONT- DUMB Reco MUMBO oM NNN T(EN lc

of nowhere, then pressure comes on to provide public lighting and serv- ices where it is not economical to do so, councillors were told.

Cllr John Crowe said that his con- cern is for the inconsistencies with which the definition was being ap- plied, as this was affecting people’s ability to build homes and live in their own areas.

“If we are going to have a definition then it should be interpreted with consistency – the bottom line is that a genuine local rural person should be able to build.”

CLARE County Council is to pay tribute to one of the county’s most decorated sporting heroes.

Gymnast William Loughnane from Knockanovra, Clooney/Quin won six gold medals and one bronze at the Special Olympics World Games in Shanghai, China last week, and the local authority has agreed to pay him the ultimate local hour — a civic reception on November 12.

Loughnane also won bronze in the vault beating stiff competition from Russian gymnasts.

Councillors Pat Hayes (FF) and Pat Daly (FF) proposed that the man who won gold for Ireland in five cat- egories — including rings, pommel horse, parallel bars, horizontal bars and floor — be honoured.

“It is a huge achievement for Wil- liam and his family, continuing on from his success in the 2004 Olym- pics in Dublin,” said Cllr Daly.

William’s medal haul at the 2007 games equals the number of med- als he won at the 2004 games, which were held in Ireland.

William’s parents, Liam and Rose joined him in China and were among

a large Irish representation at the games.

Cllr Daly and Hayes also paid trib- ute Patrick O’Leary from Inagh who was a member of the five-a-side soc- om cre b eee

The team just missed out on a medal as they were beaten in the third place play-off by Mauritania from Africa.

The Irish contingent in Shanghai consisted of 141 athletes, 55 coaches, 200 volunteers and over 400 family members.

William qualified for the games in Belfast just over a year ago. Since then he concentrated on his prepara-

tion for the challenge in China.

The champion gymnast hopes to coach gymnastics himself in the fu- ture and puts a large part of his suc- cess down to St Clare’s School in Ennis where he learned his trade as a gymnast.

IT WAS justified. It was relentless. And most of all, for Lissycasey, it was historic.

The game itself wasn’t a pretty thing to watch, but with the cloak of success falling over them for the first time, that won’t matter to the new champions.

Perhaps the familiarity bred the dour nature of the game or maybe Lissycasey just got it right on the day. This was the third champion- ship meeting between the two in only twelve months and it was clear who had learned more in that time and who hungered more over the past year.

From the start, Lissycasey were

like lions targeting a gazelle. They sped out of the dressing rooms with- out a care for the usual pre-match sit down and smile for the camera. And coming back out after the half-time breather, their substitutes lined the entrance and roared their 15 back onto the field.

It was a frenzied approach and they compressed the life out of their op- ponents, pythonesque.

Throughout the field, the focus re- mained constant. With a couple of minutes left, Martin Daly turned to the umpire and asked how long till the final whistle. Daly believed there was still a quarter of an hour to ride out and couldn’t understand the game was nearly over. That was the sort of concentration and application

Wd eLoavaer-KOn

“Last year was a massive motiva- tion,’ said Declan Conway from a perch underneath the stand. “The pain we felt standing here last year, looking up at Alan [Malone] lifting the cup. That hurt us. It’s been on our minds ever since. But these boys stuck with it. They gave it everything, had the belief and got their reward.”

For those who gave the breakaway club life back in the early ‘60s, this was a day to savour. A day they de- To Mio1em

Men and women had _ travelled home from far afield to watch this one, undeterred by the county final of 2006. They’ll go back to their new lands later in the week happy with the knowledge that the club is

in good hands. Progressive and ready to be fed by the new breed of young- sters who fill the homes on their side of the parish.

Just after he held the Jack Daly cup over his head, the first Lissycasey clubman to do so, James Kelly said this band of footballers were no long- er the whipping boys of Clare.

To be fair, they never were, but Sunday’s win puts them among the county’s elite and now, they’ve a de- cent chance of scalping Kerry side Kilcummin in the Munster champi- onship at a Clare venue on November oF

THE threatened stoppage which would have grounded all Aer Lingus flights from today has been averted after marathon talks in the Labour Relations Commission.

The pilots had threatened to down tools in a row over pay and condi- tions for staff at the airline’s new bases in Belfast.

The agreement, reached early yes- terday, still has to be voted on but union bosses have said they will be recommending the deal.

The package also provides a frame- work for the opening of future bases on local terms and conditions, ac- cording to Aer Lingus.

The deal was reached after more than 20 hours of continuous negotia- tions at the LRC.

The two sides have reached an agreement on pension conditions and promotions based on seniority for pi- lots at the Belfast hub.

Had the 48 hour action gone ahead, passengers bound for and return- ing from to New York and Chicago would have been stranded.

As he left the talks, Labour Rela- tions Commission Chairman Kieran Mulvey said it was up to both sides to consider the proposals.

Aer Lingus Chief Executive Der- mot Mannion said he was delighted with the outcome of the talks, par-

ticularly for passengers.

Michael Landers, Assistant Gen- eral Secretary of IMPACT, said on balance it was a deal which could be recommended to its members.

Meanwhile, Ryanair has comment- ed on the European Commission’s confirmation that it has properly re- jected Aer Lingus’ request to force Ryanair to sell its stake in Aer Lin- gus on the basis that Ryanair has no influence or control in Aer Lingus.

“Given that Aer Lingus has twice rejected Ryanair’s request for an EGM, it is impossible for Aer Lingus to claim that Ryanair have any influ- ence or control over them. We pre- sume this initiative was designed to cover Aer Lingus’ embarrassment at a current share price of €2.35, which is 20 per cent less than Ryanair’s of- fer of €2.80 almost one year ago” the airline said in a statement.

The statement continued “sadly, Aer Lingus passengers continue to suffer higher fares and increased fuel surcharges as a result of the EU Commission’s prohibition of Rya- nair’s offer for Aer Lingus, which guaranteed to deliver those passen- gers lower fares and to remove fuel surcharges.”