Month: June 2007

CONSTRUCTION work on_ the €204 million Gort Crusheen bypass moved a step closer yesterday with An Bord Pleanala confirming the Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) for the scheme.

The planning board also confirmed the Environment Impact Statement (EIS) for the project.

However, confirmation of the CPO does not include the provision of a second access road into Gort that

was being sought by local groups in the Gort area.

The lead agency in the scheme, Galway County Council, will now take the next steps to compulsorily acquire almost 500 acres of land contained in 103 farms along the 22km route.

Galway County Council has al- ready initiated the tendering process for the scheme.

The scheme will also involve the severance of 845 acres of farmland.

In its decision, An Bord Pleanala

stated that the construction of the route would be in accordance with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area and would not result in significant adverse ef- fects on the environment.

The overall cost of the scheme is €209 million, with construction costs put at €156 million.

A spokesman for the National Roads Authority (NRA) said yes- terday that construction was due to commence by the middle of next year and the construction phase

would last between two and a half and three years.

On the need for a second access junction into Gort Road, the board inspector stated, “The current pro- posal provides for only one access to Gort at Ballinger’s corner on the north east of the town.

‘The submission by Gort Regional Alliance for Community and Envi- ronment related to the need for a sec- ond limited type access at the point at which the proposed route crosses the Gort-Tubber Road.

“It is considered that the capacity of the junction as proposed, taken with the intention to build a com- plete grade — separated junction at Ballinger’s Corner with a future ex- tension of the scheme – is adequate for the current and projected traffic NO) LUN aa Shee

Much of the road passes through a karst landscape. The route will pass within 300 metres and 3km of nine designated Special Areas of Conser- vation (SAC) or National Heritage Areas (NHAs).

JUNIOR minister Tony Killeen has joined the chorus of disapproval at plans to construct a five-storey apart- ment block overlooking the prom in Lahinch.

Lahinch Community Council and residents from across the seaside resort have expressed their opposi- tion to plans by Seamus Carroll to develop a €3 million complex that involves demolishing the existing McDonald’s amusement arcade. He wishes to construct a_ five-storey building including 20 apartments, 18 duplex units and six ground-floor retail units.

Now, in a written representation to the council’s planning department, Minister Killeen states that he shares many of the residents’ concerns in relation to the height and design of the proposed structure.

“The proposed development would appear to be premature and in con- flict with the provisions of the Clare County Development Plan,” he said.

Local businessman, Donogh O’Loughlin, in a personal objection states, “The proposed development of an apartment block of such mass

and bulk is not in keeping with the character of Lahinch, a unique sea- side village in the west of Ireland… Such parking facilities are entirely inappropriate given the proposed size and location of the building.”

Businessman Austin Slattery has also expressed his opposition to the proposal.

“The proposed development of 36 apartments is, given its scale and size, entirely inappropriate for La- hinch prom. It is, in my opinion, an overdevelopment of the site,” he stated. Mr Slattery said that existing car-parking was inadequate to cope with a development of this size.

“The existing water and sewerage facilities in Lahinch are unable to cope with the demands placed on them at present. The proposed devel- opment will generate considerable additional traffic and the road infra- structure and parking facilities are unable to cope with traffic generated in Lahinch.”

Mr Slattery added that “the design, scope and scale of the development is totally inappropriate to a seaside resort on the west coast of Ireland”.

A decision is due on the application later this month.

, it is simple, pa- tients can’t survive without dialysis”. Ms Eustace was reacting to news that there was no longer any room in the Haemodialysis Unit of the Mid Western Regional Hospital, Limer- ick, to treat new renal patients who require the life-saving treatment.

While the HSE has sourced tempo- rary additional capacity in Tullam- ore, Tralee and Galway to accom- modate the immediate needs of new renal dialysis patients from Clare, Ms Eustace said this means long, stressful journeys for already very ill patients.

Ms Eustace explained that as many as 30 people in Clare are receiving dialysis three times a week.

For many pre-dialysis patients who will eventually need the service, it will mean needless hours on the

Key-Neb

The Irish Kidney Association has suggested that the dialysis unit in Tullamore be moved to Limerick When the hospital closes and it be- comes obsolete.

A new 17-station dialysis unit has already been accounted for in Tul- lamore’s new hospital.

The CEO of the Irish Kidney As- sociation has met with the HSE to discuss moving the 10 modern ma- chines to Limerick to raise the dialy- sis station capacity there almost 1m-

mediately from 11 to 21. The Health Service Executive promised to con- sider the proposal.

“The National Hospitals Office (NHO) has already had initial dis- cussions with the renal unit in Tul- lamore in relation to this matter and will evaluate transferring this unit once it is freed up in Tullamore,” a spokesperson for the HSE said.

He said the NHO had met with re- nal unit personnel in Limerick in re- lation to the current capacity issues at the unit.

“Several options have been ex- plored with the HSE and discussions are ongoing with a view to finding a solution that provides patients with the most appropriate access to the Tos MTA Lew MLO enict- 9 AVA

“The medium-term plan is to in- crease the number of dialysis stations in Limerick from 11 to 25.

“This will require additional capi- tal infrastructure and proposals are being considered as part as the HSE Capital Plan,’ the spokesman con- cluded.

EUROPE’S first ever large-scale au- dit of farm machinery is about to get underway in Clare.

The Clare Farm Machinery Audit aims to document unprotected early agricultural machinery and to estab- lish a strategy for the conservation of such items as seed drills, harrows, ploughs and rollers, horse carts and harvesting and haymaking machin- ery.

The Clare Heritage Office recently secured funding from the Heritage Council and Clare County Council to conduct the project.

East Clare-based — consultants Minogue Associates have been ap- pointed to conduct the audit. Re- orTKONSHUCMA YON MLO CCNLBE Rare TELOMmereyeel ODE Le an inventory of agricultural machin- ery in Clare and will allow for the future analysis of issues surrounding the future protection and role of farm machinery for education, historical awareness and museum and heritage centre accessibility.

“This tradition has bequeathed a significant amount of farm machin- ery dating from the late 19th- and early to mid-twentieth centuries,” explained Acting Clare Heritage Of- ficer, Tomas Mac Conmara.

THE tragic drowning of a man while swimming in Spanish Point last week has left the people of Cratloe in shock.

John Harrington (58), a father- of-three, drowned at teatime on Mere See E RA

Mr Harrington, who was originally from Newport, County Tipperary, had been swimming alone when he got into difficulty.

Two local surfers took his body ashore but efforts to resuscitate him failed and he died later.

Mr Harrington, a carpenter, had been staying at his family’s mobile home in Spanish Point during an early summer break. His wife, Kath- leen, had been due to join him on the holiday the following morning. The couple had spoken on the telephone Were rhe

Mr Harrington, a keen GAA fan, had planned to go to the Munster Senior Hurling Championship game between his native Tipperary and Limerick at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick on Sunday.

He was born in Tipperary and moved to Cratloe several years ago. His wife Kathleen hails from the lo-

cal area.

He was known locally as a talented musician and played the accordion in the local church and during senior citizens parties with members of his family. He was also involved in the GAA and community games locally and was a regular Mass-goer.

Cratloe parish priest, Fr Liam En- right, said the local community was in shock at Mr Harrington’s death.

“John’s death has come as an aw- ful shock to us all. He adored his family. He was very quiet and loyal and was a good musician. He was a great worker. He did everything for his family and made sure his three children furthered their careers.

‘He painted his house on Tuesday morning and headed to Spanish Point for a few days that evening,” said Fr JSyavwesd elm

‘He was well used to the area (Spanish Point) and was generally very careful. He used to go there eve- ry year to the Willie Clancy Summer School,” he added.

Mr Harrington is survived by his mother Peg, wife Kathleen (nee Chaplin), daughters Eimear and Orla, son Colm, brothers Michael and sis- ters Kathleen, Mary Bernadette and Geraldine.

“The Green Party are not using a demand for an end to troop stops at Shannon as a pre-condition for enter- ing coalition. There was never going to be pre-conditions.”

Green Party policy states the party is “committed to ending the use of Shannon Airport by US military forces involved in the war in Iraq and insists that any aircraft suspected of involvement in illegal movements of prisoners must be searched”.

Party chairman and spokesperson on foreign affairs, John Gormley TD, was in the vanguard of opposition to troop landings at the airport, even before war was declared by President Bush in March 2003.

In January of that year, Deputy Gormley visited Shannon in solidar- ity with those who had established a peace camp on the perimeter of the airport, while as late as this Febru- ary he stated that “Shannon Airport is now, for all intents and purposes, a US military airport”.

However, Deputy Gormley’s ad- mission that he “couldn’t stand five more years of opposition” is one of the factors in the abandonment of the Shannon Airport policy.

The first break with party policy came in Clare when election candi- date, Councillor Brian Meaney said, “I personally believe that allowing the use of Shannon would be in the best interests of getting the Ameri- cans out of the mess they have cre- ated in Iraq”.

Now, as negotiations on the forma- tion of the Government reach their critical stage, the Green leadership have taken Cllr Meaney’s lead.

CONCERNS have been expressed that the announcement by Dell of a global reduction in jobs could have far reaching consequences for the economy of the Midwest.

As well as the 3,000 jobs created directly by Dell in Limerick, a fur- ther 20,000 reliant on the success of the company in the Midwest region remain under threat.

Thousands of jobs in sub-supply companies throughout the Midwest are reliant on Dell business for sur- vival.

The expectation that 450 Dell jobs in Ireland are to go within 12 months has sent shock waves through the business community in the Shannon Kosta (eye

The Chief Executive of the Cham- ber of Commerce in Limerick, Maria Kelly, has said the announcement by Dell of a global reduction in jobs is a cause for concern in Limerick and the wider Midwest region.

She said some sort of announcement was expected from Dell to realign its global business after it was overtaken as the number one PC manufacturer in the world by Hewlett Packard.

It is anticipated that some cuts are

likely to be achieved by leaving po- sitions vacant and voluntary redun- CP bates tee

The company also employs 1,500 people in Cherrywood in South, County Dublin.

Dell is expected to cut its Irish workforce by up to 450 over the coming 12 months as part of a global drive to cut costs.

Last week, the company announced that it is to shed 8,800 jobs world- wide, amounting to about 10 per cent of its global workforce.

In a statement, the company’s Chief Executive, Michael Dell, said the re- dundancies would be across all re- gions and departments.

However, the company stressed that no final decision had been made on the number of job losses in Ireland.

The company will open a second factory in Europe this autumn at Lodz in Poland. Dell has stated that the Lodz facility is being opened to complement existing operations in Limerick. Dell’s second European factory, at Lodz in Poland, will open this autumn.

The company has always main- tained that facility would comple- ment the Limerick operation rather than replace it.

CLARE jockey Kieren Fallon takes his fight for racing justice to the Brit- ish High Court this Tuesday in a bid to have fixing allegations levelled against him by City of London Police thrown out.

Lawyers representing the Ballinru- an legend, who is six times champion jockey in England and a three-time Epsom Derby winner, are confident OE DE AAU NTSANO LemOd OT-DuUcXoiMO DRANK oLem

This would clear the way for Fal- lon’s return to the saddle on the Brit- ish circuit for the Aidan O’Brien sta- ble. It comes in the same week that he’s due to return to action in Ireland at this Thursday’s seven-race card in

Tipperary after serving a six-month ban for failing a drugs test.

In July 2006, Fallon, along with seven others, was charged with con- spiring to defraud the internet bet- ting exchange, Betfair. They were charged with “offences relating to allegations of fixing the outcome of horse races between December l, 2002, and September 2, 2004, and money laundering”.

Fallon’s license to ride was sus- pended by the British Jockey Club who imposed a ban on riding on Brit- ish tracks until his trial for “allega- tions of race fixing” is over. This trial is due to take place in September.

However, Fallon’s exile from racing was extended to a worldwide ban last

November when the French racing authority, France Galop, suspended him after testing positive for a pro- hibited substance.

Throughout this turbulent period, the Coolmore Stud operation – who retained Fallon’s services to ride for the Aidan O’Brien stable in Bally- doyle – have remained loyal, backing his fight against British injustice.

“We remain very supportive of K1- eren,’ said Coolmore’s Michael Ta- bor. ““We always have been, and we still are. Obviously people are talk- ing, everyone seems to have a point of view, but I can assure you we are unanimous. Nothing has changed.

“When things go wrong, that’s when you have to show strength, to

keep on the straight and narrow. He’s over 21, like all of us. We all have to take responsibility for our ac- tions. We are all still with him. We feel very sympathetic. If we didn’t, it would be over,’ he added.

Fallon himself says he has plenty of reason to look forward. “I have really good people around me and I can’t wait to get back,” he says.

The comeback happens this week — in Ireland, then Britain he hopes, then the world. The greatest jockey of his generation is raring to go.

A 71-YEAR-OLD Cooraclare man lost his life when he was knocked down crossing the road in Lissycasey last year, an inquest has heard.

Father-of-five Sean Gallagher was killed at Decomade, Lissycasey, on the night of April 17, 2006, while on his way to a dancing session, En- nis Coroner’s Court was told last Wednesday.

Sean’s son Shane said he had been at his parents’ home in Kilmacduane, Cooraclare that evening. He said his father, a retired carpenter, left the house to go dancing at the Boree Log pub in Lissycasey at around 9.15pm.

Shane passed that pub at 10pm and saw that a crowd had gathered. He continued on his way home and later heard that there had been an accident, involving a man from Cooraclare.

Shortly after he arrived home, two

gardai arrived at the front door with the devastating news that his father had been killed.

The inquest heard that Patrick Keane went to the Boree Log that night arriving at around 9.55pm. He got out of his car and said he saw Sean Gallagher getting out of his car, on the opposite side of the road. He was standing near the pub when he heard a loud bang behind him.

“T started running. I knew when I

saw him he was dead. People started coming out of the pub,” he said, in his deposition.

Sergeant Frank Naughton went to the scene of the accident that night. He said the body of a man was on the ground on the road on the Ennis side of the pub. He was told he had been struck by a car as he crossed the road.

Pathologist Dr Peter Fawl carried out an autopsy on the body of Mr Gallagher at Limerick Regional Hos-

pital. He said his opinion was that Mr Gallagher died due to shock, second- ary to multiple injuries, consistent with having been involved in a road traffic accident.

Coroner Isobel O’Dea suggested a verdict of accidental death and the jury agreed with this recommenda- tion. She expressed sympathy to the Gallagher family. ““To come on and see the accident must have been hor- rific,” she said.

A YOUNG man lost his life after his car veered off the road and hit a sign just moments after he complained about feeling unwell. Peter McGov- ern, (39), a mechanic, from Deco- made, Lissycasey, died in a single- car accident on August 27 last year. Ennis Coroner’s Court heard last week from John Hill who said he met

Mr McGovern, who was his neigh- bour, at a football blitz in Lissycasey that afternoon.

He said Mr McGovern complained of a pain on his right-hand side, low down on the stomach area. He said he suggested to Mr McGovern to get medical attention and he said he would attend Shannondoc.

Martin Bosowsla said he was driv- ing along behind Mr McGovern’s car

on the main road near Lissycasey.

He said Mr McGovern’s car veered onto the hard shoulder on the left- hand side. He said he veered in twice and, at the Maxol filling station, he hit a sign.

Mr McGovern’s wife Marie said he had left their home in Lissycasey on the morning in question to go to Mass.

She later went to the football pitch

with their son and daughter. She saw her husband at the pitch. She was later informed that her husband had been involved in an accident.

Garda David Connolly attended the scene of the accident. He said Mr McGovern’s car was embedded in a sign outside the forecourt of the ga- eh Xen

Pathologist Dr James O’Driscoll carried out a post-mortem examina-

tion on Mr McGovern’s body. He said that death was due to shock and haemorrhage in association with multiple injuries.

“It was possible he had acute cardiac pain while driving along,” he said.

A verdict of accidental death was returned by the jury. Coroner Iso- bel O’ Dea said that Mr McGovern’s death, at such a young age, was “very sad and tragic”.