The Clare People Archive

ALLEGATIONS over the disappear- ance of three old fireplaces and the discovery of animal carcasses at the farm of the late Michael O’ Halloran underlined the bitter divide between the two sides in the land dispute at Ennis Circuit Court last Friday.

In evidence, sister of the late Stanley and Michael O’Halloran, Ida Rohan told the court that three fire-

places and an antique dining room table disappeared from the home after Michael was taken into care at Our Lady’s psychiatric hospital in Ennis. Before Judge Harvey Kenny, Ms Rohan said, “Everyone was ques- tioning who took them.”

Asked did she know who took the tables, Ms Rohan said that her late brother, Stanley was seen at an antique dealer’s shop in Limerick around that time.

However, this provoked an angry response from Stanley’s wife, Marie O’Halloran when she took the stand to give evidence.

She said, “Stanley didn’t touch one thing. Under no circumstances did we take anything that belonged to Michael. The fireplaces were prob- ably taken by ‘Travellers. For Ida Rohan to say 1n any way that Stanley took anything is a downright lie. Stanley O’Halloran never stole that

much (holding up and pressing her thumb and forefinger together) in his life.”

Mrs Rohan also alleged that Michael’s lands that were taken over by Stanley “are deplorable. It doesn’t do me any good to go back there”.

Mrs Rohan said that in May 2005 When she returned to the farm with auctioneer, John de Courcy, she spotted two animal carcasses on the lands. She said, “One ewe was left to

rot. It was disgusting.”

Asked to respond, in evidence, Mrs O’Halloran said, “That is being said to blacken me. In the summer of 2005, I spent five to six weeks at the regional hospital. I was sick.”

She added, “Ida Rohan claimed that Stanley didn’t pay for his mother’s funeral as well. She has caused a lot of hurt and trouble.” Mrs O’Halloran said, “My husband, Stanley didn’t trust his sisters not one iota.”

THE upcoming Bank Holiday week- end means a curtailed fixture list in this week’s schoolboy soccer pro- eramme.

League officials have decided to cut back on the amount of games played this weekend.

Twelve games are down for decision this week with no games expected to be played over the weekend.

Tonight Fern Celtic could go clear

at top of the under 16 league should they beat Newtown in Ballycasey.

However a win for the home team could see them draw level at the top of the table with early leader Avenue United.

Turnpike Rovers take on Bridge United at Lees with both sides look- ing to get their first points on the board.

On Thursday the under 11 league takes centre stage with games taking place in all three divisions.

Ennis Town A take on Lifford at Lees Road while at the same venue Avenue United A face Moher Celtic.

Meanwhile the early pacesetters in Division three St Pat’s have the night off with Avenue United C taking on Cratloe Celtic and Lifford B battling second place Burren United.

In the under 13 Division One Av- enue United A and Ennis Town A meet at Lees Road with Mountshan- non Celtic traveling to the Cassidy Park, the new home of Lifford.

A 21-year-old man who took part in a frenzied knife attack on two Lithua- nian brothers, which “could have re- sulted in a fatality”, has been jailed for four years.

David O’Loughlin, Finian Park, Shannon, pleaded guilty to assault causing harm to Arturas and Aivaras Segzda at Tullyvarraga, Shannon, on December 9, 2005.

The 21-year-old confronted the two Lithuanian men in an area known as

the Black Path and assaulted them with a knife, because he wrongly be- lieved they had raped his sister.

The two suffered multiple stab wounds. The court heard that Aivar- as was Stabbed in the neck, head and Shoulder, while Arturas was stabbed in the stomach and shoulder.

Limerick Circuit Court heard yes- terday that the brothers did not return to work until the following February because of their injuries and with no money, they were both evicted from their accommodation.

Before imposing sentence yester- day Judge Carroll Moran said Mr O’Loughlin lost control in the fren- Zied knife attack because he wrongly believed the two brothers had raped his sister, which was untrue.

“It’s debatable whether this is a mitigating fact at all and even if it was true he (Mr O’Loughlin) 1s not entitled to take the law into his own hands,” said Judge Moran.

The judge said Mr O’Loughlin could have killed Arturas Segzda and “would have done so if the blade

on the knife had been longer”.

According to Garda evidence the defendant, who has previous convic- tions, has a “fixation with knives” and is a habitual drinker.

Mr O’Loughlin has two previous convictions for serious assault and is still serving a three and a half year sentence imposed for the stabbing of a young man in Ennis in June 2005, the court heard.

Judge Moran imposed a four-year sentence on the latest charge.

He also imposed an 18 month sus-

pended sentence on a young mother of two who was charged with a less serious offence arising out of the Same incident.

Jessica O’Leary, (22), was found in possession of a screwdriver on the day of the attack but there was no evidence to suggest she used the weapon, the court heard.

Judge Moran said the circumstanc- es between the two accused parties were “entirely different’ and sus- pended Ms O’Leary’s 18 month sen- tence.

A MAN who purchased a site in Cratloe more than 30 years ago only to discover some years later it had been sold a second time to a former member of Clare County Council has been awarded €80,000 in dam- ages as well as his costs.

Michael Costelloe, originally from County Kerry, initiated legal pro- ceedings against two defendants in the case — the executors of the estate of the late Mr Thomas Flan- nery of Brickhill East, Cratloe, from who he originally bought the site, and former Clare county councillor, Joe O’Gorman. The case was heard on Thursday at Ennis Circuit Civil

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Mr Costelloe was working in Shan- non in 1973 when he purchased the half-acre site from Thomas Flannery, at a cost of £1,500.

Mr Costelloe had sought planning permission to build on the site. How- ever, Clare County Council rejected his application. Mr Costelloe was granted permission on appeal, but he later moved to County Kerry to work and didn’t get to build his new home.

While living in Glin in County Limerick, Mr Costelloe made regu- lar trips to Cratloe to visit the site. During this time, solicitors for Mr Costelloe had attempted to register the property with the Land Registry.

The site was never registered offi- cially and remained in the name of Mr Flannery.

One of the solicitors who acted for Mr Costelloe in the 1980s was Joseph Mangan who was later made a judge of the District Court.

Mr Mangan handed Mr Costelloe’s file over to another solicitor when he gave up his practice to take up his position in the District Court. While listed as a witness, Judge Mangan was not called to give evidence.

It was during a site visit in 1997 that Mr Costelloe discovered that a house was being constructed on the site he had purchased. He immediately con- tacted his solicitor.

It emerged that in 1989 the same

plot of land was sold along with 8 more acres to Joe O’Gorman who at the time was a member of Clare County Council, for £10,000.

The court heard that the transac- tion was dealt with in a “one stop aCe) oMmmont-vevelss mm-ViCO MnO er-lM\y bum mItTebeomy did not engage his own solicitor to oversee the deal. Mr O’Gorman took Mr Flannery (then 79 years old) to the councillor’s solicitor in Scariff where the deal was completed during the short visit. Judge Harvey Kenny described the transaction as “very ir- Korea bd eB ae

He said that there was no evidence the Mr O’Gorman was aware that part of the land had been sold pre- viously to Mr Costelloe. But if Mr

O’Gorman had investigated the his- tory of the site he would have seen that Mr Costelloe had sought per- mission to build there. The judge also said that despite denying so, Mr O’Gorman must have seen marking posts placed on the land by Mr Cos- telloe’s engineers.

While Mr O’Gorman claimed he purchased the land for agricultural use, he later sold seven sites on the property and gave two acres to his son. The court heard that the site Mr Costelloe purchased for £1,500 would be worth €250,000 today.

Judge Kenny awarded damages of €80,000 to Mr Costelloe and ordered that the plaintiff’s costs to be covered by both defendants in the case.

CLARE volleyball team CbPhoto.ie will feature in RTE2’s coverage of the Coca Cola Beach Volleyball Fes- tival on Monday, August 6.

CbPhoto.ie won the tournament which was played earlier this sum- mer in Bray.

This was the biggest beach tour- nament held in Ireland to date and is proving to be very important, at- tracting international players from the USA and Australia.

Daniel Apanowicz and Slawek Wrzesniak represented CbPhoto.ie volleyball club in the mens tourna- ment, while Lina Klim took part in the womens tournament.

The mens pair are currently ranked in the top three in the beach circuit

with Lina is actually the leading wo- mens player in the country.

These players are concentrating on the beach circuit at present until the indoor competition restarts in Octo- ber. It is a fantastic result for the club to win this prestigious tournament in Bray which has now become a ma- jor attraction and part of the Annual Bray Festival.

OB Sport (RTE2) on Bank Holiday Monday at 8.30pm will show the lo- cal side 1n action as well as some in- ternational players in this fast grow- ing sport of volleyball.

CbPhoto.ie volleyball club is also welcoming new players at all levels for indoor volleyball or beach volley- ball at present and for information check out cbphoto.ie/volleyball or send a text to 085 7681838.

THE Dermot Power and Kildysart Cultural Festival four mile open road race and fun walk sponsored by Clare Oil Co Ltd will take place this Friday evening, August 3, around the roads of Kildysart starting with the walk at 7pm and the road race at 7.30pm.

Entries will be taken at the Com- munity Centre in Kildysart and their will be t-shirts to all competitors.

This will be the fifth annual road race around the roads of Kildysart and many of the well known stars will be taking part.

John Downes, Donore Harriers, Brian Maher, Kilkenny City Harri- ers, Gerry Ryan, Galway City Harri- ers, Dermot Galvin, St John’s (runner up three years ago) will take part.

Former Inter Club Cross Country Champion and nine times All-Ire- land Inter Counties Cross Country Champion and defending his title and going for five straight wins in a row will be Seamus Power, Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare.

He will be looking to big local sup- port to retain his crown from his former training partner Peter Mat- thews and Cormac Smith, both Dun-

drum South Dublin.

Also in contention will be James Liddane, Tulla, who finished second in the Dundrum 10k Road Race a few weeks ago. Other leading contend- ers will be Brian Murphy, Marian,

Rory Chesser, Michael Maher, Dav- id Quinn, all Ennis Track, Eugene Moynihan, Marian, Michael Harvey, James Kenny, Donal Howley, Kil- murry I[brickane/North Clare, Ger- ard Mullane, Tom Blackburn, both

of Bilboa AC, Limerick, Mick Rice Athenry, and the Clare hill running champion, James McIntyre, Tulla.

In the team contest Galway City Harriers will start as favourites from the host club Kilmurry Ibrickane/ North Clare, Tulla, Bilboa, West Limerick, St Mary’s, Ennis Track Club, and Marian.

The ladies race will be a very com- petitive race with many fine athletes in contention. The girls to watch will be the Cork Marathon champion Tracy Guilfoyle, Kilnaboy, and her training partner Veronica Colleran, Ennis Track Club, the 2005 cham- pion. Also in contention will be Sue Garrahy, Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare, the road specialist Loretta Duggan, St Mary’s, who has pro- duced outstanding performances re- cently in Dundrum, along with Mar1i- an Burke, St Mary’s, Cushla Murphy Hehir, Marian, Maura Falsey, Sile O’Loughlin, both Kilmurry Ibrick- ane/North Clare, Margaret Ryan and Frances Guilfoyle, Kilnaboy, Mar- ion O’Loughlin, Ennis Track Club, Bernie Kelly, Galway City Harriers, and Ciara Hassett, Marian.

The ladies team award will be well contested between Ennis Track Club,

Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare, St Mary’s, Marian, and West Limerick.

WHEN Adam Coleman, director of Lahinch-based business _ solutions company, Interventions took the helm at A Clare Industry Service Tourism (ACIST) skillnet, the aim was to provide training for 435 peo- ple in the first two years.

Six months short of that target they have trained 536 with more courses in the pipeline.

Interventions is the training bro- kerage for ACIST and has organ- ised all kinds of training for the 70 companies which are now on board and now Limerick and Galway based businesses are also joining.

The organisation has become so succesfull that it has been decided to hold open recruitment days with plans being laid to apply for addi- tional funding from Skillsnet Ltd, through the Department of Enter- prise and Employment.

ACIST, which is a not for profit organisation, set up with a training and business networking grant of €300,000 from the Skillsnet parent body.

Member companies pay a small joining fee but the returns are worth every penny, says Interventions D1- rector, Coleman.

“What we provide is training and development across the board, tai- lored to the individual company’s needs. It’s training that small compa- nies, particularly, could never access with this kind of subsidisation.”

An example of that access was the

arranged two day visit last year of French cheese making guru, Jamal Kebchaoui, who gave instruction to two cheesmaking companies which are members of Acist. And a follow- up tarining visit is planned for later this year.

A keystone of the ACIST mindset is that they “engage expert trainers – people who been there and done that, actually worked and suceeded

in thier field’, said Coleman.

Companies involved vary from the huge multi-nationals such as Gen- worth to the three surf schools in Clare and companies which make chocolate, market goods, provide lifting machinery or hotels, pubs and restaurants.

ACIST tailors training to the needs of each member company as well as organising networking events and

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Two major courses run by ACIST are the Applied Management and Applied Marketing courses, which can be done in modules and one of the latest initiatives from the organi- sation is the Loyalty Programme, with which companies and services give discounts to other members, en- couraging members to do business with each other and network.

ACIST has even also organised English language courses for polish workers and are planning to organ- ise Polish classes for members in September. “It’s a training need and we re meeting it”, said Coleman.

The bottom line, Coleman stresses, is that membership is a win/win situ- ation for businesses. “Our brief is to see how we can work with compa- nies to improve their situation. They can take advantage of training and development opportunities which are organised to to suit their needs, in their time and conducted locally.”

The ACIST expose days are being held in Genworth Financial Offices in Shannon on July 25 between 4pm and 8pm and in the Temple Gate Ho- tel in Ennis, also from 4pm to 8pm.

Everyone is welcome and Coleman predicts a large rise 1n companies wanting to join.

“Training can start at any time that the members want after joining but it would be important that new mem- bers sign up soon, because we need to do a trainig needs analysis with each new company very soon, as we will be reapplying for funding.”

Further information available at www.skillsacist.com.

THERE are opportunities for third level graduates and highly skilled staff to work in rural enterprises in the west of Ireland. That’s one of the key points to emerge from new re- search by the Western Development Commission (WDC) on rural enter- prises in the West.

The WDC’s publication “Rural Businesses at Work” concludes that retaining and attracting young peo- ple to rural areas is critical to the continued growth of rural enter- prises and for the establishment of new businesses in such areas. Rural enterprises are at the heart of the Western Region’s future given that 68 per cent of its population live in rural areas, compared with 39 per cent of the population of the state. While in county Clare, 67 per cent of the population is rural.

Speaking at the launch of the publi- cation, Gillian Buckley Chief Execu- tive of the WDC said “Our research shows that there is a close fit between the needs of employers and of staff. SW ilorteomalbeveubercmolbnsen lento wm DOMMEDesDErDee eas have a demand for graduates and Skilled workers, while the WDC’s LookWest.ie campaign shows that many skilled workers have a strong desire to work and live in the West”.

Buckley added, “Recent CSO fig-

ures showed 16 per cent of adults in county Clare have a third level de- gree. This is positive news for enter- prises in the county as it provides a pool of locally available, highly edu- cated workers”.

The new WDC publication profiles ten businesses in different sectors including traditional and high-tech manufacturing, professional servic- es, natural resources, internationally traded services, tourism, retail, and the creative and construction indus- tries. The profiles show the diversity of firms operating in rural Ireland and give an insight into how they operate, including how and why they first came into being.

“This study lifts the lid on rural enterprises,’ said Buckley. “It shows that it is possible nowadays to run a successful business in almost any sector in rural Ireland, particularly if you have access to the latest in- formation technology and can net- work easily with customers, suppli- ers and peers. It also underlines the importance of high speed, affordable broadband to rural areas. It 1s essen- tial that universal broadband access be a national priority and hopefully the National Broadband Scheme an- nounced earlier this year will be ful- ly implemented as soon as possible’”’, she added.

The Skillnets initiative was _ par-

ticularly praised by those involved in the study because it delivers training for small businesses without requir- ing long distance travel, as well as providing an opportunity to network with other business people in a simi- lar situation.

“When a small business owner wants to attend training that only takes place in Dublin there are sev- eral costs; the cost of the training, the cost of travelling to Dublin and the cost of being away from the business for two or three days. Small busi- nesses are more likely to upskill if they can do it locally without losing days for travel,” Buckley said.

For those companies who primarily service the Irish market, the key con- cern was how a general slowdown in the national economy would affect their performance. Given the signifi- cant role of businesses that largely depend on the local market, particu- larly in rural towns and villages, this is a very real concern for the viability of rural economies generally.

“The research shows that the rural economy can sustain a broad range of different enterprise models but that there are gaps in infrastructure that must be addressed if they are to grow and if new enterprises are to set up in rural areas,” Buckley said.

SHERRY FitzGerald Hussey Mad- den, Ennistymon, has just launched a new development of homes locat- ed on School Road, Lahinch, with prices ranging from €290,000 to €450,000. Being sold off-plans, the 77 houses in this development are due for completion within 18 to 24

months.

In close proximity to Lahinch beach and golf course, selling agent Evelyn Madden explained, “these houses are situated on an elevated site and will offer excellent sea or countryside views. She added, “designed by char- tered architect Bernard O’Loughlin and under construction with home bond guarantees, this development

consists of a 77 homes, including de- tached, semi-detached and a court- yard style development, together with with a spacious creche”.

With nine different house types to choose from, this development is ide- al for those seeking a family home with all the advantages of living in a village combined with a coastal location. The development is within

strolling distance of Lahinch prima- ry school and is very close to shops, restaurants and other amenities. These houses will be sold in turn key condition and will include so- lar panels, oil fired central heating, wooden floors, tiling, bathroom suites and fireplaces as well as fully fitted kitchens. All external works will be completed including tar-

maced drives, lawns and communal ereens.

House specs on this development range from a three bedroom 957 sq ft terraced house priced at €290,000, through to the top end detached four bedroom homes encompassing 2,131 sq {t, priced at €450,000.

For full details contact 065 7072833.

IT looks increasingly likely that the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Mary Coughlan, will face many of the same challenges in her second term of office as she did in her first.

One issue that shows no sign of res- olution is the ongoing issue concern- ing BSE testing. Coughlan has come under renewed pressure to move on the issue of compensation for the cost of testing animals between 30 ZNeCe melo mse leyelaetce

Last week Clare farmer and Chair-

man of the ICMSA Beef and Cattle Committee, Martin McMahon, stat- ed that in line with the commitment given under “Towards 2016”, the De- partment should immediately agree to fund the cost of BSE testing cattle between 30 and 36 months until such time as EU legislation is changed to remove the requirement.

According to Martin McMahon, under the terms of Towards 2016, a commitment was secured that the Government would seek a higher age for BSE testing. The ICMSA has stated that it is very disappointed with the slow progress being made

on this matter with a conclusion now unlikely until well into 2008 at EU Aron

The Beef Chairman said that the matter was “perfectly simple – farm- ers cannot continue to carry this cost’.

“At a time when beef farmers are under severe pressure on prices and costs, it 1s essential that regulatory costs be kept to a minimum. BSE testing of cattle between 30 and 36 months cost farmers nearly €6 mil- lion in 2006 and farmers now want to see this cost removed immediate- ly,” he said.

“Given the delay at EU level in ad- dressing the BSE testing age and as recognition of the problems facing beef producers at this time, the IC- MSA 1s proposing that the Minister should immediately fund the full cost of BSE testing cattle between 30 and 36 months.

This would represent a one-off cost only as it would no longer be required once the EU rises the age of BSE test- ing. It would, however, immediately meet the commitment give under ‘Towards 2016’ and would remove a substantial cost on beef farmers at this time of depressed prices.”