Month: June 2007

LEAVING cert students get the chance to blow of some steam next weekend when the Q-ness festival hits venues in Ennis and Shannon

Hosted by Clare Youth Services, Q-Ness is a post leaving cert festival of fun and relaxation that will take place from Friday, June 22, to Sun- day, June 24.

The idea behind it is that it offers exam students the opportunity to relax after the stressful period of Leaving Cert exams. Q-Ness is the brainchild of four students from En- nis who felt that every year there was a big anti-climax in the aftermath of the summer exams.

The programme begins in Shannon on Friday night with a concert in the Respond building in Rineanna.

Saturday will feature a full day of activities at the Clare Youth Service on Carmody Street. The now legen- dary “Outdoor Exam Bash” will start at 3pm and will feature over 12 local bands. There will be an eclectic mix of music, with all tastes (bar classi- cal) catered for which is guaranteed ORS NoMeDONE

This will be followed by a barbe- cue before the proceedings move in- doors for a more mellow and relax- ing Acoustic Gig within the walls of the Clare Youth Service. Places are limited so it’s advisable to grab your seat early.

To top off the festivities Glor will play host to the proceedings on Sun- day.

Running from 7.30pm to 9.30pm the event will feature DJs, a Video Jockey, Sumo Wrestling, Gladiators, Cult Movies, Music, Madness, May- hem & a touch of mystery. Jonelle Mannion, Leaving Cert Student at Colaiste Mhuire explained students were fed up with the lack of post leaving cert activities in the county and decided to take matters into their own hands.

She said, “Students spend two years preparing for a set of exams that are over in the space of two weeks. They then find themselves facing into the long hot summer waiting for results.

Allin all, the whole thing boils down to quite a lot of stress. We decided that the best way to mark the end of the exams was to take all the things that people like to do to unwind and bring them all together in one big event”.

Glen Guilfoyle, Clare Youth Serv- ice said: “The weekend will kick off with a gig in Shannon. This will take place in the Respond Building in R1- neanna from 6.30pm to 9.30pm and will also feature a barbecue at the newly developed Kick Back Café”’.

Tickets cost €20 and are available from glor box office. The event is strictly alcohol and drug free. More information available from: http://q-nessl.bebo.com

THE disposal of a key community position in Shannon, allied to the lo- cal sergeant being moved from the town, are indicators that locals are being neglected.

That’s according to Independent councillor Gerry Flynn, who said he was disappointed to hear that the Sergeant-in-Charge of Shannon Garda Station moved to Ennis Garda Station last week.

Sergeant Dermot O’Connor, who had held the post for two years, 1s now stationed in the Chief Superin- tendent’s office at Ennis Garda Sta- tion. He replaced Sergeant Seamus

Ruane, who has been promoted to the rank of inspector. The vacancy created in Shannon will be filled within weeks.

Earlier this year, Clare County Council did not renew Develop- ment Officer Padraig McCormaic’s contract, which he had held for four years.

He had held a key post in Shan- non, where he had played an integral role on many committees and was involved in several projects which were seen as a major benefit to the town.

Councillor Flynn said the people of the town feel very concerned that Sergeant O’Connor has left, while

the crucial Development Officer’s role has been discontinued.

“We need a continuing of personnel at Shannon Garda Station. We are not getting that as Shannon is being used as a training ground. Shannon is growing, yet we are a sub-station of Ennis. Ennistymon, Kilrush and Killaloe all have their own district stations. It is not good medicine here for us in Shannon,” said Cllr Flynn.

“If we had a situation where Shan- non was a district station with a su- perintendent, they would stay and there would be more continuation,” he added.

He said that the people of Shannon have not been informed who will

take over Mr McCormaic’s work.

“A lot of the projects he was in- volved in will fall, while the loss of the sergeant-in-charge will have huge repercussions for the local area,” he Sr BKGE

Cllr Flynn believes that Shannon should be afforded the status of dis- trict garda station, while substations should be created in Newmarket-on- Fergus and Sixmilebridge.

“What we have in Sixmilebridge and Newmarket-on-Fergus are not even substations. There are huge social issues in the community. Rob- beries are becoming more frequency and we need stability in policing in the area,’ he said.

THE success enjoyed by local gov- ernment in Shannon over the past 25 years was celebrated, when council- lors – past and present – gathered to- gether last week.

At a special function to mark the 25th anniversary of the establishment of local government in the town, spe- cial tributes were paid to Town Clerk Tomas MacCormaic and Councillor Patricia McCarthy (Independent). Both have been involved with the lo- cal authority since its inception.

Current councillors were joined in the celebrations by former council- lors, including the first chairman of the local authority in the town Brendan Regan and Pat O’Brien, who was among the first elected mem- bers.

Shannon Town Manager Ger Dol- lard said he was proud that two ma- jor projects, which have been “in the blocks” for some time, are nearing CeO eF

One of those, the €3.5 million Shan- non Southern Primary Road project will open to traffic within a week and will be officially opened in July.

The other major project, the Shan- non Recycling Centre in Smithstown, will also be open for business this Ssseloe

Mr Dollard told the group that “a debt of gratitude” was owed to those who set up Shannon Town Commis- sion, back in 1982.

“That sense of community 1s still in Shannon,” said Mr Dollard.

He said that since Clare County Council took over the running of the town in 2004, a strong link between

the town authority and the county council has been maintained.

The mayor of Shannon, Councillor Tony McMahon (Labour), pointed out that the town has grown signifi- cantly over the years.

“It is a sign of the times in the de- velopment of Shannon that Shannon has progressed to the stage where we need to look at our boundaries. That is a sign of growth. It is a very posi- tive thing that Shannon has grown to that degree,” said Cllr McMahon.

He said the local authority is a “master of our own destiny” in look- ing ahead to the future status of the reaa

“We long for the day when Shannon has a different status. We do want to see that in the future,’ he said.

He expressed hope that the views of the people of Shannon are taken

into consideration, in the event of a proposed overhaul of the town taking se eeleres

Councillor Patricia McCarthy said she was honoured to be present, hav- ing represented the people of Shan- non at local authority level for the past 25 years.

“T first heard of Shannon in 1959. That was when my father moved us from Kilrush to take up a post in Sixmilebridge station. I always thank my family for that decision,’ she nee

“We all came to Shannon to make our home in Shannon. People always made us feel welcome,’ she added.

Addressing County Manager Alec Fleming, Cllr McCarthy said, “I still think he should evolve a budget each year for us to decide on how to spend on the town.”

STRESSED out exam students in Shannon have had the opportunity to relax in a friendly environment over the past few weeks, in their very own café!

The Kick Back café opened in Feb- ruary, specifically geared towards those between the ages of 16 and 21. It has been a hive of activity during weekends, over the past few months.

Students sitting the Junior and Leaving Certificates this year have taken the opportunity to reflect on their various exams, in the café.

Exam students mingled with volun- teers and other non-exam students, in a friendly and relaxed environment.

The café is run by Shannon Youth Office and the organisers were very happy with its success.

Shannon Youth Worker Cathal Dil- lon said the café has been running very well.

“We had an average of 18 people attending, which is good, and they seemed to really like having the chance to unwind with their pals af- ter the exams were over,” said Cathal DIU eye

All of those who attended the café over the past few weeks paid glowing tributes.

‘This cafe 1s just what we need, a place to chill and relax after the ex- ams, it’s so cool,” said Junior Cert student Hayley.

Another Junior Cert student, Si- mon, pointed out that the refresh- ments were particularly nice!

“IT love the cafe as its really relax- ing, I love the hot chocolate especial- ly,” he said.

His classmate Estelle said, ““The cafe is a fun place to hang with friends, its a place where teens can relax, its great.”

“I love coming here, the youth information boards here are very helpful,’ said another exam student, Lindsay.

Aine, who a fourth year student and a volunteer at the café, was delighted with her chance to help out.

“LT enjoy working at the exam cafe! I get on great with the customers and I

think its a relaxing place for students to come after exams. I hope it will still be around when I’m doing my leaving,” she said.

Grainne, who was a volunteer with the group over the past few weeks, enjoyed her role.

“Volunteering in the cafe was a great experience, and I will definitely do it again. I thinks it’s great for the exam students to have such an outlet to unwind after important exams and relieve the pressure,” she said.

THE future of an ambulance base for Shannon must be clarified as a matter of urgency, according to the mayor of Shannon.

Councillor Tony McMahon (La- bour) is seeking clarification on the issue, which has been on the cards for a long time.

A letter, sent by Acting Chief Am- bulance Officer Pat Daly to Shannon Town Clerk Tomas McCormaic last month, said that a spatial analysis will be carried out on the service in the Mid west area in the near fu- REN Ken

Mr Daly stated that future capital infrastructural developments will

be reviewed and prioritised on a na- tional basis.

He said that a review was commis- sioned in December 2003 and com- pleted in September 2004. Propos- als included in the review included an ambulance station for Shannon.

‘However, this was prior to the es- tablishment of a national ambulance service,’ said Mr Daly, in his letter.

Councillor McMahon said Shan- non has been identified as needing an ambulance base, but progress has not been forthcoming.

“Just because the responsibility for the service has been moved to an- other body doesn’t mean our needs have changed,’ said Cllr McMahon.

He said that a spatial analysis was

“nonsense”.

“What has a spatial analysis got to do with a service of that nature in Shannon?” he asked.

“It 1s another example of the typi- cal kind of thing that is done to Shannon. There are a lot of reasons why there should be an ambulance in Shannon. What I am talking about is a service to get people from A to B. I don’t care what they call it, an ambulance car or a helicopter,’ he added.

Last year, the Shannon Ambulance Action Group collected signatures for a petition, demanding that plans for an ambulance base be situated in the town. They are concerned that no major progress has been made,

since then.

Green Party councillor Brian Meaney said he will raise the issue at a meeting of the Health Service Executive later this month.

He pointed out that the key issue is quick response times, rather than the location of the ambulance bases.

“IT would be very concerned if there are issues in relation to response times,” said Cllr Meaney.

“Essentially it doesn’t matter where the ambulance station is. If there is a disparity between response times across the county, then there 1s an 1s- Sue,’ he said.

“There is an ongoing review of the ambulance services in the region,’ he added.

WEST Clare is to play host to what promises to be one of the most excit- ing events in the Irish music calendar

this year.

Sony Ericsson and MCD are launching the “new boutique music and surfing festival” in The Lodge at Doonbeg Golf Club tomorrow

QU eretiTeeE ASF

Details of the event remain a close- ly guarded secret among organisers but The Clare People has learnt that a three-day music and surfing festi-

val is planned in the coastal towns of Kilkee and Doonbeg.

Surfing will be organised during the day at the White Stand beach in Doonbeg while the concerts will be held at night in the popular tourist resort of Kilkee.

Among the acts rumoured to per- form at the concert are Republic of Loose and The Blizzards.

Speculation also suggests that Ocean Colour Scene, who were originally scheduled to appear at the launch, may also be playing at the event.

Republic of Loose, The Blizzard and a new band called “28 Cos- tumes” are to visit Doonbeg for the launch during which the date of the event and further details will be re- vealed for the first time.

Meanwhile a series of events have been announced to mark the home- coming of Clare hurler Tony Griffin. Saturday June 30 will see a major celebration of life, sport and peo- ple with events organised by Ennis Street Festival, Clare Community Games and the Tony Griffin Cycle. On Saturday morning Griffin will begin the final leg of his epic 7,000

mile trip which started in Canada and ends with a cycle from Dublin to Ennis. The day begins with the finals of the Clare Community Games in Ennis. The finals are preceded by a parade from Station Road in Ennis to the courthouse.

Details have also been revealed of another festival to hit the streets of Ennis on the same weekend. The En- nis Street Festival will take place in the town on Sunday July 1 from 12 pm until late. Music, dance, work- shops, story telling, magicians, pup- pets, art exhibitions, street entertain- ment, pub gigs and an outdoor gig rig will be held in the Upper Market area.

Griffin and his group are due to arrive back to Ennis at about 4pm. The celebrations kick off later that evening in the West County Hotel.

Further information on the weekend can be found at www.ennisstreetfes- tival.com and www.tonygriffinfoun- dation.com

DUMPERS who foist their rubbish on others and dump their bin bags in beauty spots will be getting a taste of their own medicine if a local coun- cillor gets his way.

After another weekend in which bags and bundles of litter were dumped by the roadside in Meelick, an angry Councillor Cathal Crowe has threatened to trace the culprits and dump the rubbish back on their doorsteps.

‘“Meelick was once again scourged with litter dumping last weekend. Bags of litter and several bundles of loose litter were dropped at roadsides

in the Knockroe and Cappantymore areas of Meelick,’ the councillor nee

“The dumping of litter in this lo- cality has become a very serious and disgusting problem. At least once a week I am in contact with Clare County Council’s environmental pa- trol wardens regarding dump sites in the south east Clare area,’ he said.

Cllr Crowe said that he wants peo- ple to fight back by taking numbers of the cars dumpers and reporting aetoeee

“I would urge people to be vigilant of any vehicles pulling trailers or pick-up trucks driving suspiciously in the locality,’ he said.

And the councillor said he would personally go one step further. “I re- call hearing a story some years ago about a farmer who found an address whilst rummaging through bags of domestic waste dumped on his land. He brought the bags to this address and dropped them right at the front door. I am extremely fed up with the extent of dumping 1n our locality and I may well consider taking a similar approach in the future.”

Cllr Crowe said that while the council’s staff are doing “Trojan work” to keep on top of the litter problem, the reality is that many of the people who dump are undeterred y litter fines.

“It might be time for some of them to get a taste of their own medicine,” he said.

The councillor had recently to call in the local authority’s environment department because of the number of cars being abandoned and burned out at the side of the road in Meelick and Parteen.

After contacting the local authority with a complaint that the cars were being left in situ for too long, he was told that the regulations require that a vehicle be left for a number of days to give the owner a chance to recover 1

Only after that can the cars be tak- en away, the councillor was told.

A TOUCH of midsummer madness is coming to Clonlara on Saturday next, June 23.

That’s the day of the first Clonlara Midsummer Festival and there’s go- ing to be heaps of family fun on of- oe

All the action takes place in or around the Angler’s Rest, Doonass from 3pm, starting with a fancy dress parade.

There will be fun and games and

music throughout the day, including seven-a-side football matches be- tween local pubs and ladies football.

The charity event of the day will be a Duck Race and it’s hoped to sell 800 ducks in aid of Milford Hospice. Ducks are already being sold but there will be some available on the day.

Music will be from the set your toes tapping Brendan Hearty Cajun Band who will swing into action around 9pm.

The day is being organised by the

Clonlara ICA but ICA member, Fio- na McKeon stresses that it’s not just about or for the ICA.

“We wanted to organise something that would be fun for the whole com- munity and we want people to come out and join in. We’ve tried to order some nice weather so hopefully, we ll be able to have a barbeque on the day as well as sack and egg and spoon races and fun competitions TTC) aYan de wenan ero

Buskers have also been invited to come along and entertain people at

the event and there promises to be a great atmosphere.

The organisers are hoping this will be the first of many Clonlara Mid- summer Festivals.

“We’re looking forward to a great day out for all the family and we want everyone to come along and have a good time. There’ll be food, fun and music and the charity duck race should raise some money for the hospice. We’re hoping it will be a great community get-together,” said Fiona.

NEWS that a €30,000 grant has been allocated to help refurbish a GAA building which can then be used by community groups has been warmly welcomed in Killaloe.

Last week, outgoing Environment Munister, Dick Roche announced al- locations of grants under the Social and Community Facilities scheme.

The project to refurbish and im- prove the building on the GAA erounds was granted €30,000 under the scheme.

Other Clare projects which got matching funding were the Shan- non Community Leisure Centre, the respite services for the elderly run by the support group for Raheen Hospi-

tal, Kilfenora Community Hall and the Cooraclare Community Grave- yard.

The money will help provide new windows, plastering, a heating sys- tem and a new kitchen for the build- ing, which will be used by the GAA but which will now also be available for community groups and local meetings.

The club chairman, Naoise Lawlor, said they are “absolutely delighted” with the allocation.

“We had already made a start be- cause we were fund-raising ourselves but this will be a big help. It’s the first time anyone has come forward with this level of financial help.”

The aim of the project is to make the space comfortable for commu-

nity use and this involves putting in a new kitchen, a heating system, plumbing, rewiring, new windows and a total redecoration job.

“There’s a fair bit of work involved. Apart from just doing up the build- ing, you have to provide car parking and public lighting. There’s more involved than you might think. Until now, what we did was to raise some money and get a bit done the wait un- til we had a bit more raised to carry on,” he said.

Naoise said he wants to extend the thanks of all involved in the club to local councillor, Tony O’Brien.

‘He pushed hard for us to get this erant and he’s been very supportive of us. We’re very grateful to him,” the chairman said.

Cllr O’Brien said that he is very pleased that the money has been al- located to the project. “The people involved are putting a huge effort in themselves. And this will be a facility for the whole community Where meetings and activities can take place. We had the application in for the last few months and I’m very pleased it was granted. It’s a project that will make a difference to a lot of voluntary groups in Killaloe,’ he said.

THE Ennis-based company, Mangan Brothers Wholesalers, is once again the top locally owned company in Clare according to a new survey.

Mangan Brothers, measured in terms of business size, 1s one of 24 Clare-based companies listed in Ire- land’s top 1,000 companies.

The company came in at 219 on the list with a turnover of €192 mil- lion to the end of 2005 while Cement Roadstone Holdings (CRH) was once again the top ranked company with a turnover of €18 billion.

Employing 263 people, Mangan

Brothers enjoys a comparatively low profile and has outlets in Galway, Tullamore, Sligo and Letterkenny. Its headquarters are located at Ashline on Ennis’s Kilrush Road.

It was one of only four locally owned companies in the 24 firms featured in the survey.

The top Clare-based multi-national is Tyco Electronics in Shannon with a €1 billion turnover to the end of September 2005 and 285 Clare em- ployees.

Tyco Electronics is one of 13 com- panies based in the Shannon Free Zone that feature in the survey.

The next largest firm in the Shan-

non Free Zone, Element Six — for- merly De Beers — is ranked 198 on the list.

Element Six had a turnover of €214 million in 2005 – a loss of €7 million – and employed 533 people.

Other companies that appeared in the top five included the US-owned computer parts menufacturer Avo- Cone

Avocent had a turnover of €166 million to the end of 2006 including a profit of €36 million. The company employs 170 people.

Molex Ireland was at number six with a turnover of €122 million to the end of June 2006 and a profit of

around €3 million.

Other top ten companies included Roche Ireland with a turnover of €118 million, Enterasys Network with a turnover of €117 million and GE Commercial Services with a €112 million turnover.

Other companies on the list includ- ed: RSA Security Ireland, Shannon Engine Support, Finsa Forest Prod- ucts, Brian McCarthy Contractors Ltd, Whelan Limestone Quarries, Olympus Diagnostica, Clare Marts, EI Electronics, Shannon Aerospace, GE Sensing, Organic Lens, Lynch Hotels, Schwarz Pharma, Microsemi and T Sheils.