Month: October 2007

A NEW blueprint for the west Clare capital is to go before its people to comment upon and possibly amend, before it is returned to the town councillors and signed into law.

The Draft Kilrush Development Plan 2008 – 2014 will set out an over- all strategy for the proper planning and sustainable development of Kil- rush town including Cappa.

It will replace the Kilrush Develop- ment Plan 2002, 1998 and the Draft Development Plan 1993 and will last for six years from the date of its adoption.

The aim of the plan is to develop policies and proposals for the proper planning and development of the area; provide a detailed and consist- ent framework for determining plan- ning applications; provide a basis for co-ordinating public and private de- velopment throughout the area; and bring planning issues before the pub- lic for consideration and debate.

The plan must also inform resi- dents, property/land owners and de- velopers how their interests will be affected during the life of the plan making it essential reading for all those the live and work in the town council geographical area.

The Planning and Development Act 2000 requires a statutory noti- fication of the Planning Authority’s intention to prepare a Development Plan. In addition to this requirement, the council undertook a comprehen- sive programme of public consulta- tion and sought to engage all sectors of the population in the plan review process at an early stage.

The consultation approach involved a public consultation information event with workshop, held in the Community School, Kilrush.

A series of workshops were also held with community groups, the business community and _ service providers. An issues paper was pro- duced and circulated which included a consultation response form.

All the hard work to date and input by the local people by responding to this process has been considered by the planning authority in adopting the draft plan.

The managers report on the public consultation process was considered by the council and the managers rec- ommendations with directions issued by the members or the council.

The plan soon to go on display must by law conserve natural re-

sources and natural and cultural her- itage; pursue social and economic inclusion through partnership, par- ticipation and equality of access to services, transport, housing and employment; shape new develop- ment patterns in ways which reduce private car dependency and increase the attractiveness of the plan area for economic growth and in particular for tourism; and optimise the use of already developed areas while mak-

ing them more attractive places to i S(0)U ar NEO EA Lor

The draft plan will be on display until January 4 1n Kilrush Town Hall, Clare County Council Planning Sec- tion, Ennis, DeValera Library, Ennis, Local Study Centre the Manse Ennis and Kilrush and on the council web- site Www.clarecoco.ie.

ON FRIDAY night next, 15 commu- nity games participants from west Clare will be among those honoured at the Clare Community Games All Star awards.

Among the All Stars is Kieran Magner from the Cross/Carrigaholt area. The 14-year-old student at St Joseph’s Community School Kil- kee could not find his niche in the running section of the community games, but determined to compete he took up the shot putt just two years ago.

During his first year of compet-

ing he won the county final, so this second year he was determined to go one step further.

The young teen trained under the watchful eye of Kilmihil man John Devine and practiced every day dur- ing the summer.

All the hard work paid off when he won Silver in the All Ireland in Mos- eae

A keen rugby player and talented musician Kieran was also part of the Naoimh Eoin under 14 team that won the county championship.

Three of his four brothers also play for the GAA club.

The 14 other west Clare communi-

ty game participants to be honoured on the night include Marathon run- ner Liam Markham from Kilmurry McMahon/Labasheeda and under 16 basketball player Sally Glynn from Kilrush, who also holds an All Ire- land U/16B Ladies football medal with her local club.

Laura Egan from Kilmihil who is now a member of the Under-12 team will be honoured for her cross-coun- try running as will Conor Madigan from Kilrush who was part of the County U/12 football winning team.

Harp player Grainne Harvey from Cross/Carrigaholt will be _ recog- nised for her football playing abili-

ties while Becky O’Donnell from Kildysart is a talented gymnast. Kilmihil has four more sporting heroes in the line up including Bri- an Waters, Michael Keating, Dean Cleary and Pauric O’Gorman. Seamus Collins is from Ballyna- cally/Lissycasey and 1s a talented set dancer, while Laura McGuane and Niamh Cahill both from the Kilma- ley/Inch/Connolly area are receiving an All Star for their soccer playing. The last in the west Clare list is Doonbeg’s Sean Conway. Although he is a fan of soccer play- er Wayne Rooney he is being hon- oured for his swimming talent.

SUPERVALU Kilrush has displayed a decade of cleanliness and hygiene.

The supermarket owned by Queal- ly’s was awarded for its polished performance at a special ceremony in Dublin.

The supermarket won the prestig- ious Excellence Ireland ten year Na- tional Hygiene Mark Award at the annual National Quality and Excel- lence Awards which was organised by the Excellence Ireland Quality Association (EIQA).

The Excellence Ireland Hygiene and Food Safety certificate pro- gramme provides independent veri- fication of the highest standards of hygiene and food safety in the food sector, so for SuperValu, Kilrush to

receive this award for the past ten years was no small achievement.

The supermarket had to excel through the most rigorous of audit and assessment programmes de- signed to produce long-term under- standing and commitment to quality in every aspect of the business.

The award was presented to Paul Queally and Denis Nolan by Paul O’Grady, Managing Director, and Excellence Ireland Quality Associa- nee

Mr Nolan was in no doubt who was due the credit for such an achieve- ment.

“Winning the National Hygiene and Food Safety award is one of our key business objectives each year and everyone who works here plays a part in striving for this. The bar for

excellence is raised each year and the team have certainly responded to the benchmarks put in place. Our customers have very high expecta- tions, which we work hard to ensure they are achieved on a daily basis,” he said.

Congratulating the Kilrush super- market Donal Horgan, SuperValu Managing Director, said that quality and hygiene were top priorities for Supervalu Kilrush therefore, it was no coincidence that it consistently received awards in retail hygiene and food safety.

“It 1s a tremendous achievement for Queally’s Kilrush to receive the 10 years National Hygiene Award. It demonstrates their consistent at- tention to detail and commitment to putting in place top class quality

and hygiene systems. Quality is and always will be at the heart of every- thing we do. Queally Supervalu in- vest hugely, both time and money, in ensuring the highest possible hygiene standards and food safety measures. For SuperValu, Kilrush to maintain such high standards ten years in a row takes an enormous amount of hard work and dedication from the owners, managers and staff,’ he SrHKOe

COUNCILLOR Cathal Crowe has been given a commitment from one of the main contractors in the Shan- non Tunnel construction that they will carry out repairs to roads in east OE

After meeting with representatives of the Roadstone company last week, Cllr Crowe said he was “given a firm commitment that they will carry out repair work on the Woodcockhill Road. I requested the meeting to

discuss the much deteiorated Wood- cockhill Road. My meeting with the official lasted for almost an hour and during this time we drove the length of the road and surveyed it’s various bad points.”

The councillor said that he has been raising concerns regarding the state of Phairs Road and the Wood- cockhill Road for the past year. He had met with a number of residents in the locality on several occasions “and their frustration 1s palpable. Many people living in the area have

complained to me not only about the poor condition of the road but also the untold damage that heavy good vehicles are causing to their front boundary walls. There can be no de- nying that most of the damage caused to these roads has been inflicted by the countless trucks that carry sand and gravel from the Woodcockhill sandpit to the nearby construction site of the Shannon Tunnel.”

At a council meeting last Decem- ber, Cllr Crowe tabled a motion call- ing for a fund to be set up to provide

for the immediate restoration and ongoing repair of Phairs Road. “I believe that the financing of any re- pair work should be the responsibil- ity of the relevant authorities / bodies involved in the construction of the Shannon Tunnel. The Shannon Tun- nel is a project of national impor- tance and whilst nobody in Meelick wants to get in the way of progress we feel that something urgent needs to be done to ensure that our local roads are restored to an appropriate standard.”

IT WAS a proud day at St Mochulla’s National School in Tulla on Friday when staff and pupils raised their second Green Flag.

The school took their energy use to task to earn the accolade and in the process, cut their power and heating bills by 12.5 per cent.

“Staff parents and pupils were all involved,” said school Principal, Bri- an lorpey.

The pupils designed draught ex- cluders for the doors while reflective

panels were put behind all the radia- tors in the school.

Children formed an SOS – switch off switches – squad and patrolled the school in the morning to make sure there were no lights burning un- necessarily and did the same at going home time to ensure that computers and electrical equipment was not left on standby.

The staff room boiler was fitted with a timer and the schools ther- mostats were regularly monitored to make sure the heat had not been turned up too much.

“A parent came in and gave us a talk about how he is saving energy in his house with things like solar panels – it was very interesting,” said Brian.

Tulla Goalie, Phillip Brennan, did the honours in raising the flag at a special ceremony on Friday.

The school got it’s first Green Flag two years ago after the staff and 262 pupils got involved in reducing the school’s waste mountain.

The Green Flag scheme 1s approved by An Tasice in conjunction with lo- cal authorities and Clare County

Council came to the school to in- spect and approve the energy savings before the flag could be awarded.

And the clean, green school won’t stop there. “Having achieved our second flag, we’re now moving to get our third which is for reducing water waste,’ said Brian.

WORKERS at Moneypoint are pre- paring to strike after talks between the Technical Engineering and Elec- trical Union (TEEU) and the ESB failed to resolve a dispute over pay arrears and security of employment for 200 Polish workers.

The workers employed by ZRE Katowicz, a subcontracting com- pany working on the environmen- tal retro-fit project at the 900 mega- watt station, have not been paid for six weeks and were turned away

from the power station when they turned up for work on Friday morn- ing last.

A second shift of the Polish work- ers was turned away yesterday morn- ing as Lentjes, the German-based company employed by the ESB to carry out the €384 million project, had terminated ZRE’s contact.

In serving strike notice, TEEU’s General Secretary Designate, Eamon Devoy, warned the ESB that should it “continue to refuse to engage in meaningful discussions” the union would immediately initiate a cam-

paign of industrial action.

It is now feared that if other mem- bers of the union come out in support of their colleagues and the action escalates, there could be a knock-on effect for local power supplies.

“A very serious and disturbing de- velopment has taken place on the ESB Moneypoint site with the con- sequences that approximately 200 workers, members of the TEEU, are being displaced from their place of work to be replaced by other workers without consultation or discussion with their union.

“It appears from our informa- tion that it is proposed to replace the workers by engaging a new sub-contractor with an alternative workforce in breach of your legal obligations under TUPE (Transfer of Undertakings Regulations), and in a disgraceful disregard of any ob- ligations to the employees or proce- dures,’ the union told the ESB in a letter last night.

The letter added that the work- ers had not been paid their wages for over six weeks and been denied some of their other legal entitlements

for Over a year.

As aresult, some face destitution.

In a statement, the ESB said it had met all its obligations including proper payments to its contractor Lentjes, who sub-contracted ZRE to carry out mechanical works on the project.

“ESB at all times acted in accord- ance with the terms of its contract and at all times upheld Irish and EU employment law,’ it said.

Both parties are to take part in bi- lateral meetings this morning at the Labour Relation Commission.

THE fifth annual sponsored slim-in in aid of orphans in Belarus will be launched in Ennis this week.

This unique fundraiser invites participants to lose weight over an eight -week period, from October 24 to December 12, in order to raise money for a Belarussian orphanage. The event will be launched at the West County Hotel.

Anyone looking to take up the challenge can raise money from sponsorship cards by agreeing to lose a certain amount of weight over the eight-week period.

Around 40 people take part each year and organisers are hoping to build on that number for this year’s event. A guest speaker will address participants each week on a wide range of topics including health is- sues, beauty and alternative rem- re Behe

All funds raised from previous events have gone directly towards improving the living conditions of children living in orphanages in BYor-VabESE

The money raised this year will be brought directly to Belarus by mem- bers of the Chernobyl Orphanage Development Programme.

A spokesperson for the organisa- tion urged people to get involved SUNN Noon O01

“These children have no parents and live in appalling conditions, so let’s show them we care,” she said.

The group will also spread Christ- mas cheer by taking Santa to chil- dren who have nothing.

The efforts of the Chernobyl Or- phanage Development Programme is targeted at the 13,000 orphans who live in 57 orphanages across Belarus, often without access to even basic facilities such as toilets or showers.

Most recently, the programme has taken on the redevelopment of

Besangovichi Orphanage in the north of the country. The orphanage, which is in the worst condition of any in the country, is home to 164 children with special needs.

Having already replaced the beds and furniture, restocked the medi- cal clinic and library, renovated the laundry and put in a new playground, the programme 1s hoping to put a new roof on the orphanage. This project will cost up to £100,000.

People are urged to get their friends involved with the slim-in or seek sponsorship from pubs and clubs.

For more information, contact Mary on 087 6438764.

THIRTY FIVE years of music and dance were celebrated Friday night When musicians and singers from across Clare gathered in Fahy Hall.

A cornerstone of traditional Irish music and culture, Fahy Hall has been home to the Doora Barefield of Comhaltas Ceolteoiri Eireann since PA

Before eventually settling on Fahy Hall, the first meeting of the branch was held in the old parochial house of the Greengrove in Roslevan. After that the branch led a sort of nomadic existence, meeting up in different houses in the local area.

The branch then moved up to Bob-

by Kennedy’s house on the Tulla Road and from there to Scanlon’s near Gaurus Mills.

In the late 70s the decision was taken that the branch should look for a permanent home. Colm Fahy, a member of the Branch, very kindly donated the site for the hall, and it has been home to the Doora Bare- field branch ever since, becoming a focal point in the community in the ROSE

Members of the branch together with friends and neighbours built the hall on a voluntary basis.

Frank Custy, who was then County Chairman gave the branch great en- couragement and funds were raised through ceils in Toonagh hall, a sil-

ver circle, raffles, sales of work etc.

The County Council also gave a grant towards the hall. Music and set dancing classes and sesiuins were the main activities in the hall in the early years with the Youth Club and step dancing classes coming on stream later on.

The hall has also been ussed for Saturday evening mass for some years now.

The first officers of the branch were chairman Lot O’Halloran, sec- retary Mary McNamara, treasurer Phil Nugent. Of the original mem- bers involved when the branch was established, three are still involved today, Mary O’Halloran and Joe and Mary Keary. The present officers of

the branch are chairman John Ly- ons, secretary Clare Deloughrey and treasurer Marjorie Molloy.

Friday night saw many former members and friends reunite and re- mains about the craic had at all the ceilis and sesiuns down the years.

The bill contained some of the best known singers and musicians in Clare. Those taking part includ- ed Tara Breen, Christy McNamara, Paddy Canny with his grandchildren and Denis Liddy’s ul5 ceili who came second at the All-Ireland in Tullamore.

Singers included Joe Keary and Michael O’Brien. The occasion was presided over by MC for the night Joe Queally.

RESIDENTS living close to a dan- gerous bend in Kilmurry are infuri- ated that Clare County Council is not making funds available for the provi- sion of footpaths in the locality.

At an area meeting of Clare County Council last week, Cllr John Crowe suggested that footpaths in Kilmurry eTom KALA Le0 8

Executive Engineer with the coun- cil, Michael Healy’s response was simple. He pointed out that the funds were not available. “At present, Clare County Council is not in a position to provide additional footpaths in Kil- murry village,” he said.

He pointed out that his estimate for providing 330 metres of a two-me-

tre wide footpath between Neenan’s grocery shop and the entrance to the housing estate on the regional R462 would be almost €70,000.

The estimated cost of a footpath, with associated lighting along the Kilmurry to Enagh road, would be €53,750.

‘The only finance available to con- struct footpaths in Kilmurry is un- der the Discretionary Improvement Grant. In 2007, the total allocation for maintenance and provision of footpaths under this grant for the whole of the Shannon electoral area was €55,000. This money is being spent in heavily populated areas such as Shannon, Sixmilebridge and New- market-on-Fergus, where the need is greatest. Iam unable to provide foot-

paths in Kilmurry because the funds are simply unavailable.”

He went on to say that the “limited” funds available to him for footpaths will go towards Shannon, Newmar- ket-on-Fergus and Sixmilebridge, for the foreseeable future.

Local resident, Mairead Guest, who lives close to a notoriously danger- ous bend on the road, is angered by what she says is the council’s neglect of Kilmurry.

“Tam very annoyed. We are forgot- ten about. How come it is going to cost €100,000 to put footpaths in place?

“We were hoping for something. We organised a petition last year, but still nothing is being done. It will just take somebody to be killed be-

fore they do anything.

“When they are collecting money, we are included in the Sixmilebridge area, but when there is money being spent, we are always left out,’ said Ms Guest.

A year ago, Ms Guest expressed her concerns about the dangers of a bend, close to her home.

While the council has put danger signs in place, she remains unhappy with the situation.

“Signs were put up and already one has been damaged. We still hear the screeches of brakes there at night. The road has been widened coming up to my house and that has made everything faster coming into the bend. It is worse than it had been previously,” she said.

A YOUNG Clooney athlete’s vi- brant smile will light up the stage this weekend, when she receives a Clare Community Games All-Star.

12-year-old Aisling Corbett struck gold in handball at the Community Games in Mosney, during the sum- mer. She was on the Clooney/Quin team of five, which scooped the prestigious accolades, in the under- 13 category.

Aisling’s all-round enthusiasm for sport will see her winning her first All-Star and is eagerly anticipating the awards night.

“IT am excited, definitely. I will probably be nervous on Friday night though, as loads of my friends are coming,’ said Aisling, who referred to her gold medal win as “class”.

The award for handball 1s particu- larly pleasing, given that she just started playing the sport three years

ago. She regularly plays at the local handball alley in Clooney.

She is also a keen competitor in camogie, ladies football and run- ning, while off the sportsfield she en- joys playing the piano and fiddle.

She plays under-14, under-16 and minor camogie with Clooney/Quin, while she played with the local un- der-12 hurling team this year.

She also plays soccer, ladies foot- ball and camogie with St Flannan’s College, Ennis, where she is a first year student.

So busy is Aisling that she rarely has a free evening. Her proud mum Yvonne is her ‘taxi driver’, ferry- ing her around to the various sports events.

Yvonne says Aisling has been a keen sporting enthusiast since the age of just seven.

“She started playing football and camogie at the age of seven. She still plays and loves all sports. She loves

team sports. Aisling would be very sociable and outgoing. She always goes out and plays really hard for her team. She is very determined and is always willing to play,” she said.

Sport is a dominant feature in the Corbett family. Her father John is a keen GAA enthusiast and trains vari- ous teams. Her sister Saidhbhe (13) and brother Tadhg (11) also enjoy playing sport, while her younger sis- ter Roisin (6) has just started gym- ERO Leh

Aisling is one of 22 young athletes from the Shannon region who will honoured at the Community Games awards next Friday night.

The others are Orlaith Duggan, Clooney/Quin, (athletics); Thomas Dineen, Shannon (basketball); Laura McMahon, Newmarket-on-Fergus (camogie); James Danagher, Shan- non (chess); Karl Fitzmaurice, Shan- non (chess); Kelly Finnegan, Sixmi- lebridge. Kilmurry (culture corner);

Paula Loughnane, Quin/Clooney (cycling); Daniel Clair, Shannon (football); Naomi Lorrigan, Quin/ Clooney (handball); Keith Hogan, Quin/Clooney (olympic handball); Cormac O’Neill, Cratloe (tennis); Conor Cahill, Sixmuilebridge/Kil- murry (hurling); Jason O’Leary, Quin/Clooney (pitch and putt); Ciara Hallissey, Cratloe (rounders), Chloe Wars Ssixmuilebridge/Kilmurry (rounders); Noel Purcell, Sixmile- bridge/Kilmurry (rounders); Toni Lagan, Shannon (soccer); Daire Kel- ly, Quin/Clooney (indoor soccer); Eimear Wolfe, Sixmilebridge/Kil- murry (Swimming); Shauna Kerin, Sixmilebrige/Kilmurry (variety) and Stephen O’Dea, Sixmilebridge/Kil- murry (variety).