Month: March 2007

THE Athletics Association of Ire- land All-Ireland Inter Club Cross Country Championships was held in Sligo Racecourse and hosted by Sli- go AC on an excellent cross country course.

With heavy underfoot conditions a number of athletes found it very tough going and Orla O’Mahoney once again had to settle for that number four spot in the senior ladies.

Seamus Power produced a great ef- fort until the final lap where he was in fourth position and once again that final lap was too much. He jogged home in 12th place.

The junior men’s race was run over a distance of 8,00Q0metres and the star of the show here was John Coughlan, Metro St Bridget’s, son of Eamon Coughlan. He was one of the brightest stars of Irish athletics at the All-Ireland Schools Cross Country Championship two weeks ago and he captured another big title beating David Flynn, Clonliffe Harriers, and David Rooney, Raheny Shamrocks.

Ennis Track Club were well rep- resented with Brian McGinley pro- ducing a mighty performance and coming home in 22nd position. He has another year in this grade and he was followed home by David Quinn (38), Sean O’Flynn (50) and Stephen McGinley (52). This gave Ennis Track eighth place overall on 162 points, victory going to St Malachys Belfast on 43 points.

Mary Cullen, North Sligo, finalist in the European 3,000 metres indoor championships last week was among the leading contenders for the senior ladies 8,000 metres title.

With one lap to go Fionualla Britton, Sli Chulinn, Wicklow, made a very decisive move and went well clear of the field to take this title. Deir- dre Byrne, Sli Chulinn, was having a great battle with Orla O’ Mahoney, Ennis and Raheny Shamrocks, but the Wicklow girl had too much power on the final uphill stretch to the finish and once again the Clare girl had to settle for fourth position.

With just one month to the World Cross Country Championships in Kenya these championships were always going to be very well con- tested. Last years title holder Garry

Murray, Letterkenny, was going into these championships with a massive amount of training runs of over 100 miles a week along with Mark Ken- neally, Clonliffe Harriers, and after

two big laps these two athletes were at the front.

They took this race out at a blister- ing pace and on the second lap of the six the field of over 150 athletes were well strung out. Peter Mat- thews, Dundrum South Dublin, Joe Sweeney, St Malachy’s and Seamus Power, Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare, were in the next chasing group along with local athlete David Kelly, Sligo, Killian Lonergan, Clonliffe Harriers, and Brian Maher, Kilkenny City Harriers.

Two laps from the finish Murray and Kenneally made another surge on the downhill stretch and opened a big gap on Sweeney with Power working hard. He was well in con- tention with two laps remaining with Brian Maher having a very big race as he had moved into the the top six along with Kelly.

Over the final lap the Letterkenny man Murray showed his class when he went well clear. With 5Ometres of a gap he crossed the finishing line in fine style with Kenneally taking the silver medal and Sweeney running a big last lap to take the bronze medal ahead of Kelly and a surprise fifth Brian Maher.

The fast pace over the early laps took its toll on Seamus Power and he was feeling the full effects over the last lap. He was putting in a big ef- forts and he looked dead on his feet. Many onlookers thought he would not finish, but he never gives up and finished in 12th place.

The junior ladies race over 6,000 metres was a classic with Dundrum South Dublin athletes dominating this race from start to finish with victory going to Rebecca French- O’Carroll, second was Suzanne Huet and third was Bryony Triston.

Our own 17-year-old and Clare jun- ior cross-country champion Claire Madigan, St John’s, finished in eighth position.

THE ADARE 10k road race organ- ised by West Limerick Athletic Club was held in dreadful weather condi- tions over the weekend. Despite this, over 200 athletes went to the starting line.

There were outstanding perform- ances from a number Clare athletes. Loretta Duggan, St Mary’s, last years title holder came home in a very good third position in the senior ladies with last years runner-up taking the title in 41.48mins. Marian Burke, St Mary’s, was fourth, Siobhan Lennon, Ennis Track, fifth, and Deirdre Daly, Ennis Track, was sixth. The team t1- tle went to St Mary’s.

Jason Fahy, Olympic Harriers, made a big return after being out with a shoulder injury to finish sec- ond with victory going to Cian Mur- phy, Iveragh, in 32.29mins.

GSE Te eka elroy E verre Koe corded a great victory in the masters

ladies O45 with another Clare ath- lete, Maura Falsey, Kilmurry Ibrick- ane/North Clare, second.

In the masters men O50 Michael Harvey, Kilmurry Ibrickane/North Clare, ran a fine race to finish second with victory going to Gerard Mul- lane, Bilboa.

Clare athletes were well represent- ed in this very big field. The heavy rain at the start made running con- ditions very difficult. Paul Buckley, Ferbane, County Offaly, led the big field out over the first 5k with Cian Murphy, Iveragh, and Jason Fahy in close contact. This was always going to a battle of the fittest in these test- ing conditions.

Brian Murphy, Marian, along with Thomas Walsh and James Murphy, Tulla, were running very well and coming through the field as it entered into the final three miles. At the four mile mark Cian Murphy was mak- ing his presence felt as he began to take over the lead with Fahy right

on his shoulder. Over the final mile the Kerry man pulled away on the slight uphill stretch to claim victory in 32.29mins. Fahy ran very well to take second in 32.39mins with third place going to Paul Buckley in 32.44mins. Brian Murphy, Marian, finished 11th in 34.04mins.

The O50 title went to Gerard Mul- lane, Bilboa, in 36.49mins. A close second was Michael Harvey, Kil- murry Ibrickane/North Clare, in 37.28mins. Third was Dermot Mo- ran, St Mary’s, in 43.24mins.

The Clare ladies were very much to the fore with Tracy Roche, Dooneen, last years runner-up, going into bat- tle with Loretta Duggan, St Mary’s, last years title holder Catherine Con- way, Limerick.

Over the first two miles these three were well in control at the front with Marian Burke, St Mary’s, running her first 1Ok road race, leading the next chasing group that included Siobhan Lennon and Deirdre Daly,

Ennis Track, with St Mary’s packing well for the team contest with Hillary Cunningham also in the top 20.

The final 5k of this race developed into a great contest. Tracy Roche be- gan to take a slight lead on Loretta Duggan with Catherine Conway coming under pressure in third spot. Over the final mile it was anybodys race. Roche, with the wind at her back, upped the tempo and crossed the finishing line to take the title in 41.48mins with Catherine Conway coming with late burst to take second spot in 42.34mins.

Loreta Duggan was a very close third in 42.39mins and they were followed home by Marian Burke, St Mary’s, with fifth, Siobhan Lennon, and sixth, Deirdre Daly.

St Mary’s packed well to capture the team title with Loretta Duggan, Marian Burke and Hillary Cunning- ham clocking a total of 39points. Second were Limerick Country Club on 59points.

HALF of Clare’s primary school children are in overcrowded class- rooms.

As many as 71 per cent of pupils in the greater Ennis and Shannon area are being taught in classes larger than the approved number.

Declan Kelleher, the INTO District Representative, released the figures for the first time at a public meeting on the class-size situation. He stated that 36.3 per cent of primary pupils

in the two areas were in classes of 30 to 34.

Seven per cent were in classes of 35 and some 27.4 per cent were in classes of up to 29 pupils.

“This was a clear indictment of how primary education resourc- ing has been neglected for so long by so many governments,” said Mr Kelleher. “Outside of the Ennis and Shannon areas, there were also plenty of examples of large classes and, in many instances, pupils were in smaller schools in multi-classes,

where not alone is the pupil trying to cope with an overcrowded class- room, but she or he is also trying to cope with two, three or even four dif- ferent classes within the same class- room,” he added.

“The overall primary system re- mains the least funded of all sec- tors within education, with primary class size 1n Ireland being the second worst in the entire EU.”

“The Department of Children are currently examining a proposal to introduce after-school care into pri-

mary schools but at a ratio of one adult supervisor to 15 pupils. How come it is acceptable, therefore, to have the child in an overcrowded class of 30 pupils during the school CF haan t(omr- 0s) .Co16

Sean McMahon, Principal of Mul- lagh National School and incoming INTO executive representative for Clare, said there were hundreds of pupils in overcrowded classrooms in west and north Clare and these schools also had full-time teaching principals.

Class size is both an urban and rural issue according to the teachers and parents who attended the meeting in the Oakwood Arms in Shannon on Thursday. Principal of Bansha Na- tional School, Martina Sexton, told the meeting that her school had 54 pupils, with just two teachers look- ing after all eight classes.

The Department of Education and Science had turned down their ap- peal for an additional teacher.

In many instances highlighted, there were pupils with special education needs in overcrowded classrooms, or rooms with multiple classes, who frequently required one-on-one at- Kone te

Pupils whose first language was not English also have to cope with the large class sizes.

GENERAL election candidates have been warned that the issue of class sizes would meet them at every door- step in Clare.

Sheila Noonan, Deputy General Secretary of the INTO, told the Clare meeting on the issue that parents, teachers and all concerned with pri- mary class size must question every canvasser who called to the door.

Ann McMahon, Principal of New- market National School but speaking as a parent, said that if animals were in classrooms in groups of 35 or 36, the ISPCA would be called in to take action against overcrowding.

Chairperson of Ennis National School Parents Association, Aine Ni Riain stated that there were serious health issues surrounding the whole issue of overcrowded classrooms, and while it was a very exciting time educationally for children, large class sizes were blighting it.

Daithi O Byrne, a parent from Clonmoney National School, said politicians must realize the solidar- ity that existed between parents and teachers on the class-size issue.

Fr Gerry Kenny, Killaloe Diocesan Secretary and representative of the Catholic Primary Managers Associa- tion, lent his support to the campaign to cut class sizes.

He also outlined the support of Bishop Willie Walsh, patron of 150 primary schools in the Killaloe Dio- cese, for the campaign and stated that the Department of Education needed to plan for lower class sizes in all new school buildings.

Minister for Labour Affairs Tony Killeen (FF) told the meeting that he would take a clear message to the Taoiseach from Shannon that not enough had been done on the issue of class size.

Senators Brendan Daly (FF) and Timmy Dooley (FF) also undertook to represent and support the views of the meeting on the issue, as did La- bour candidate Pascal Fitzgerald.

Fine Gael election candidates Cllr Joe Carey, Cllr Tony Mulcahy and Cllr Madeleine Taylor-Quinn said that their party would publish a policy document dealing with class size in primary schools, while party TD Pat Breen pointed out that there would be 58,000 more primary pu- piuls within the system by 2012.

Deputy James Breen (Ind) said in- dependent TDs had outlined their unified support for a year by year re- duction in class size to bring classes down to 20 as promised by the cur- rent Government.

The Green Party and their candi- date in Clare, Cllr Brian Meaney, supported this policy.

THE courting of the farming vote continued this week with two Clare General Election candidates making statement on the Farm Waste Man- agement Scheme.

Deputy Pat Breen (FG) and Sena- tor Timmy Dooley (FF) both issued statements on Thursday, calling for the Minister for Agriculture, Mary Coughlan, to extend the application deadline for the Farm Waste Man- agement Scheme.

Early-bird Dooley was first off the mark with a statement calling for farmers to be given more time to get their planning applications together.

“In the past few days, I met the Minister for Agriculture, Mary

Coughlan, to outline to her the prob- lems that farmers in Clare are ex- periencing in making the March 31 deadline,” he said.

“By that date, farmers must have the full details of their planning applica- tions supplied to the Department of Agriculture under the popular Farm Waste Management Scheme.

‘The scheme has been such a suc- cess, with the 60 per cent or more grants available, that agricultural ad- visors, Who help farmers with their plans, are struggling to get through the workload,” the Fianna Fail can- didate continued.

“As a result, farmers are at risk of losing out by not having their plan- ning applications in by the current deadline.”

He goes on to say that he has asked the Minister to extend the deadline by a full three months.

“This would, I believe, be a fair compromise and bring the submis- sion deadline into line with the Department’s final date for the al- teration of plans already submitted or approved,” he continued. “Some 2,600 farmers in Clare have applied under the scheme for new on-farm facilities.”

A mere 15 minutes later, Fine Gael’s Pat Breen was off the mark, saying there was simply not enough consultants available to assist with the huge volume of applications.

“IT am calling on Minister Cough- lan to take into account the very real problems that farmers are experi-

encing in respect of applying for the Farm Waste Management Scheme,” he said.

“They are caught between a rock and a hard place as the deadline is looming but a shortage of consult- ants means that a significant number of applicants will not be able to meet the deadline.”

Alas, Deputy Breen called for a slightly more modest extention of just two months.

“I am not asking the Minister to provide special treatment for any- one,’ he continued. “Rather, I am asking her to consider the real situ- ation on the ground and taking into account the shortage of consultants, and extend the application deadline until the end of May.”

CLARE farmer and chairperson of the ICMSA’s Beef and Cattle Com- mittee, Martin McMahon, has called for immediate action to be taken or the plight of winter finishers could seriously damage the beef sector.

He stated this week that given the current beef prices and the substan- tially higher input costs this year, the problem of winter finishers could seriously damage the future of the entire beef sector.

‘There are two main and intercon-

nected issues causing concern at the present time. These are the price of cattle and the problems of slaughter- ing heavier cattle,’ he said.

‘Farmers have fed cattle expensive feed to get them ready for slaughter this spring when, without any notice or indication from the meat plants, cattle over a certain weight are being discounted and are becoming hard to sell.

“The ICMSA considered this to be totally unacceptable and almost suaranteed to force committed peo- ple out of the business. Farmers can-

not operate in a business environ- ment where new issues and policies are introduced overnight.”

McMahon has called on meat plants to discontinue this policy against heavier cattle for 2007. He called on the whole industry, and not just the farmers, to address this issue going forward.

“The matter of price was perfectly straightforward — winter finishers are unable to make a profit at current prices. Irish beef prices have not in- creased this year, with the price of certain cattle having fallen and con-

tinuing to fall,” he said.

“Input costs, most particularly feed costs, have increased substantially this year and Irish beef farmers were particularly irritated by the fact that UK beef prices are up 10 per cent on this time last year, while Irish prices were static or falling. Who could ex- plain such a discrepancy?”’

He concluded by calling on the meat plants to realise and act on the fact that 1f they didn’t pass back a de- cent price to their suppliers then the very future of Ireland’s winter finish- ers must be called into question.

WELL IN excess of 40 afford- able houses are to be built at Cluain Airne in Shannon, 1n an effort to re- duce the housing waiting list in the town, it has emerged.

Members of the town council were told last week that a density of 80 houses was suggested for the area, but that it was unlikely 80 would ac- tually be built there.

Several councillors expressed their concerns that 80 houses may be built Wo Ron

Town manager, Ger Dollard was asked to clarify the position and he pointed out that a design team had

not yet been appointed.

“In the absence of this, we are all talking in a vacuum,” he said, add- ing that the density of housing on the site in question would be “well in excess of 40”.

He said there are currently more than 200 people on the affordable waiting list in the town.

Councillor Patricia McCarthy (In- dependent) said she did not like be- ing told that there were in excess of 200 people on the affordable list.

“It is like playing one off the other. .. If you don’t do this, there is a con- sequence,’ she said.

The mayor of Shannon, Cllr Tony McMahon (Labour) said this would

equate to “intrusion” for the local residents.

‘The parking issue has been going on for years. This is going to be a frightening experience for the peo- ple of that area,” he said.

CUlr Sean McLoughlin (FG) said he would be disappointed to hear that there were plans to build more than 40 houses there, as traffic 1s al- ready busy in the area.

Cllr Gerry Flynn said that people living in Cluain Airne were worried that their green area was going to be taken away from them.

He said that there are 178 houses in Cluain Airne and 167 across the road in Tradaree. “We all know a

new estate will bring extra traffic,” he said.

“Just because the Government says extra houses should be provided, it is not about throwing people in on top of each other,” he said.

Cllr Mike McKee (Independent) said this should not be “pushed on to eTom Reha LO (CINTA

“Even when residents heard of 40, they were horrified,’ he said.

Cllr Geraldine Lambert said “a density like that is way too high”.

Mr Dollard responded to the coun- cillors’ concerns by pointing out, “You will not see 80 houses in this scheme, but for it to be viable (densi- ty), it will have to be more than 40.”

ILLEGAL parking of caravans in Shannon is posing huge problems for the people of the town and flies in the face of the county’s Traveller Accommodation Programme.

That was the view expressed at a meeting of Shannon Town Council last week, where councillors hit out at the trend of illegal parking.

Councillor Patricia McCarthy (Independent) called for a height restriction barrier to be placed at the entrance to the laneway, ad- jacent to the Shannon Olympic yiKe ee

She said while she does not want to see the town being “fenced off”,

parking restrictions should be put in place there, as it is “too easy to open the gate and get in there”.

“There is very obviously a loop- hole in the legislation, where some- body who has accommodation can up and leave,” said Cllr McCarthy.

“Unauthorised and illegal park- ing is detrimental to Clare County Council’s Traveller Accommoda- tion Programme,” she said.

Cllr Gerry Flynna (Independent) said, “There is a huge problem of illegal parking all over the town. There doesn’t seem to be legisla- tion there to deal with it at a local level. I think it 1s a huge problem.”

Cllr Tony Mulcahy (FG) said it appears that some areas are ex-

posed to “this type of behaviour” which is not acceptable.

“If there are areas with a history of this type of parking, we should be protecting these areas,” he said.

Clir Greg Duff (Labour) agreed with this view and pointed out that there was “a long history” of this type of behaviour.

He said if a barrier was put in place beside the Shannon Olympic pitch, he would be afraid that the problem would just move a short distance down the road.

Cllr Mike McKee (Independent) agreed with this and said he felt that if one area was blocked off, then another area would be used to park caravans.

Clir Sean Hillery (FF) made the point that Travellers should be in- tegrated, “but in a controlled man- ner”.

Shannon’s mayor, Cllr Tony Mc- Mahon (Labour) said Shannon ap- pears to be getting “a right lash- ing’, in relation to illegal parking.

‘The whole issue needs to be re- visited. There is no use in us trying to provide accommodation, if we have new people on the block next week looking for accommodation,” he said.

“It has to be addressed at national level. It is doing no good for either the settled community or the trav- elling community,” said Cllr Mc- Mahon.

EDITH Van Burgh decided to change her lifestyle last year. She had spent her life living in The Netherlands, where she was born and bred. Edith knew that, at 46, the time was right to move to another country. She had al- ways had a love of Ireland and when she saw a job advertised in Shannon company Digital River, she decided to apply.

From her home in The Netherlands, Edith sent off her application and was delighted to get the job. In February 2006, she packed her life into a few Suitcases, bade farewell to her native country and headed for Shannon.

Edith had always had a preference for the west coast of Ireland and was

thrilled when she found her dream job in the Digital River call centre in Shannon.

And Shannon did not disappoint Edith. Given that Shannon is home to hundreds of people from all over Ireland and overseas, there was eve- ry chance that she was going to settle in quite fast and that is exactly what happened.

Although she misses her husband Taco – she is hopeful he will leave his job in the fire department in The Netherlands and join her in Shannon later this year – she is delighted to have made the move to Ireland.

“It was not difficult to settled in. The social side is very easy. I speak English, but it would be very differ- ent if I didn’t. It is not hard to talk to

people here,” she said.

Through her work at the interna- tional call centre, Edith has got in contact with various people of dif- ferent nationalities – including from her native country – and this has also helped her settle in to Shannon.

She believes that she would not have settled in to Shannon as quickly if she had been younger when she took the decision to move here.

“T imagine there is not a lot to do for young people in Shannon, but for me, there are a lot of things to do,” she said.

Asked does she miss home, she replied, “I am home…of course you miss some things, but Iam not home- sick. I plan to stay here.”

‘Ireland has much more space than

The Netherlands. I like Irish people. They are more gentle than Dutch people. I have waited for 20 years for an opportunity like this,’ she beamed.

Edith is just one of the many people who have chosen to move to Shan- non and start a life there. Locals are keen to embrace the outsiders into their community.

THE high number of foreign nation- als living in Shannon its reflected in the establishment of a new group, which aims to integrate newcomers to the town.

‘Le Chéile na Sionna’ was set up last week and its aim is to ‘foster the integration of all ethnic groups through enjoyable contact’.

The interest in setting up the group came after a programme on Shan- non Community Radio – called “The New Irish’ – which encouraged the new residents in the town to get in- volved.

This programme ran two years ago

and expanded last year to include lo- cal Shannon residents. Everybody who was involved in the programme expressed an interest in developing the friendships they had experienced and the idea of setting up Le Chéile emanated from that.

A committee, chaired by Trish Fal- lon, was set up and the wheels were put in motion. The local Family Re- source Centre agreed to facilitate the eroup and Shannon Town Council provided a €200 community grant.

More than 30 people attended the launch of the new project last week and all of those present were very Supportive of the idea.

The mayor of Shannon, Councillor

Tony McMahon is behind the project and was keen to see it set up during his year-long tenure as mayor of the town. He is optimistic that it should have a social and entertainment fo- CnISS

Trish Fallon said non-nationals liv- ing in Shannon were keen to have some form of a social outlet.

“It would be like an international club. We thought we could use the Family Resource Centre in Rineanna Hall, or we could meet once a week in a coffee shop. We aimed to have two monthly social gatherings. The Irish club in Shannon has agreed to joys ar-D es Dw e mp ONESd eLiMMmnSOCoMCT- BLO

“Through this, people can form

friendships and help each other in- formally. It will be good for people to get out of their own group. We all have to make an effort to join some- thing and we will try to stay away from a formal environment,” she pointed out.

“It will go whatever direction peo- ple want it to go. The main thing is to be totally open, regardless of na- tionality, creed, etc. It 1s good for the Shannon people too,” added Ms Sion

She said that for the new group to become a success, “everybody has to make an effort. Integration is a two- way thing. We will all change as a Ken U 0 ae