Month: February 2008

THE quest for quiz glory began again in north Clare last week when a team from Doolin National School won their way through to the re- gional final of the All-Ireland Credit Union Quiz.

The quiz, which is the largest sin- gle quiz to take place in Ireland this year, has been dominated in recent years by teams from the north of the

county with Lisdoonvarna National School taking the national title in paul eToys

Indeed this year’s Doolin team will include one member of the Lisdoon- varna National School team which represented Munster at last year’s All-Ireland competition.

“Last weeks quiz was against kids in fifth and sixth class from around the county,” said Orla Burke from Doolin.

“I was in the Lisdoonvarna team last year who made it to the All-Ire- land final. It was great fun so hope- fully we can do well again this year and maybe even make it to the All- Ireland again.”

While Orla had the experience of last years competition, for fellow sixth class student, David Sims, this was his first taste of competitive quizzing.

“Some of the questions were really

hard but some of the other ones were okay,’ he said.

“This was my first year being in- volved in the quiz. The heat took place down in Ennistymon and there was 53 other teams from all over tak- ing part.”

For the third member of the team Keelan McMahon, liking subjects is the best way of studying them.

“T like geography and history and the capitals of all the countries a lot,” he said.

“I liked the sports questions as well. I think that it’s easier to study the subject you like so I really liked the sports questions.”

The youngest member of the team was David Nagle, who is the only fifth class pupil in the group.

‘After this we are going down to Limerick in March and if we do well there we will be going up to Dublin for the All-Ireland,” he said.

“There will be one or two other teams from Clare in the Limerick competition as well as loads of teams from all around Munster. I’m really looking forward to it.”

The Limerick Regional Final will take place on March 3 with the best two teams going forward to the All Ireland. More than 25,000 children from north and south of the border will compete in this years competi- nt

THE life and times of Jack Garrihy will be celebrated as part of this year Russell Memorial Weekend which begins in Doolin on Friday, Febru- 1 ae

Jack, who passed away at last years festival, was one of the founders of the memorial weekend, a friend to the Russells and one of the key fig- ures in Doolin’s development over the last hundred years.

As part of the festival launch, a spe- cial picture of Jack will be unveiled in the Russell Centre. The photo will be unveiled by Jack’s friend, Cllr Richard Nagle, while Jack’s grand-

daughters Aoibhean, Ailbe and Dao- ireann will perform songs from their erandfather’s repertoire in memory of his fine gift as a sean nos singer.

‘Jack was a neighbour of the Rus- sells and was one of the founders of the memorial weekend back in 1995. He died after the wreath laying cer- emony last year, he had just fulfilled his job and then he died,” said John Doorty.

“He had been training his neigh- bour, Patrick Sweeney, who was an- other neighbour of the Russells, to take over the job of the wreath lay- ing. He made sure that we had typed out the speech that he had to give and everything. He had been future

proofing the whole future of the fes- tival.”

Besides his involvement with Rus- sell Weekend, Jack is remembered as one of Doolin’s most prominent business people and community leaders.

“What Jack did was that he forged these links with the Aran Islands. It’s extraordinary, there are still people who come to Doolin from the Aran Islands. He was areal self made man, he started the trade back and forth with the islands,’ continued John.

“I remember when I went out to Inis Meain, everyone asked me did I know Jack Garrihy. Everyone out there knew him. If they wanted some-

thing he would get it for them. He looked after them, often time some of the fishermen would stay with him in Doolin for a day or two.”

Other highlights of the weekend include a concertina recital with Ro- nan O’Flaherty and Edel Fox, the Russell Concert featuring all local musicians, a traditional singing re- cital, a tin whistle and flute recital with Christy Barry and Colin Nee, set dancing with the Four Courts Céili Band and sessions throughout the weekend in Doolin’s pubs and hotels

For more on the weekend check out www.michorussellweekender.ie.

GORT will celebrate it’s first ever literary festival this May when a two-day long events hosted by the Western Writers’ Centre rolls into town. The festival, which 1s entitled The Forge at Gort – A Writers Gath- ering, will take place on March 28 and 29 at various locations around the town.

“We have called it the forge, which related to one of Yeat’s poems where he mentions the forge in Gort.

“That forge is still there in the main street in Gort,’ said Fred John- son, founder of the Cuirt Festival and member of the Western Writers’

Centre.

“The Western Writer Centre has or- ganised a lot of events in the western region. I was in Gort as we had or- ganised a reading for Evelyn Conlon the novelist, and I looked around and thought that Gort would be a lovely town to have a little festival in. The best way to do these thing is to start modestly, and have a small festival which reflects the literary history of Gort.”

One of the main aims of the festival is to take an all inclusive approach to literature.

“We will have poetry workshops, Christy O’Connor will be down to talk about his book on hurling “Last

Man Standing’, we are trying to keep it as open as possible,” continued Fred.

“The last thing that we would want is to have anything that is too elitist. We really want to be as all inclusive as possible. If anyone locally has ide- as and would like to get their group involved then we would love to hear from them.

“We have been in touch, for exam- ple, with the Brazilian community in Gort and we hope that we will be able to organise something with them. But if anyone has an idea, all they need to do is give us a shout.

“We are supported by the Arts Council, Galway City and County

Councils and Poetry Ireland but we are hoping for other sponsorship if it is forthcoming.”

The festival line-up so far includes novelist Geraldine Mills, poet Knute Skinner, a poetry workshop with poet Nessa O’Mahony, poetry read- ing with Frank Golden, a talk with Christy O’Connor, a reading for children and adults with Eddie Leni- han a workshop on poetry publish- ing, with the head of Salmon Poetry, Jessie Lendennie and The Rahaline Experiment, a drama by John Arden and Margaretta D’Arcy.

For more info check out www. twwe.ie or contact 091 533594 or westernwriters @eircom.net.

THE countdown is officially on for the Clare first ever walking mara- thon, which takes place in the Bur- ROOM BODY ENYA

The Clare Burren Marathon Chal- lenge, which is being organised by the Ballyvaughan-Fanore Walking Club, will take place on Saturday May 24 and organisers are expecting a treat for enthusiast who can exper!i- ence first hand some of Ireland most SOUR UI DMCC OMA

The marathon was launched in the Burren Coast Hotel in Ballyvaughan last Friday evening and organis- ers are hoping to help attract new visitors to discover the beauty of the Burren.

“We have everything you could

want from a walking marathon – up- hill, cross county – everything you ol tIKe Me bele

“The majority of marathons are on the flat on roads, and that is a bit bor- ing after awhile,” said Kevin McCor- mack of the Ballyvaughan-Fanore Walking Club.

“It’s ust as tough as running a mar- athon. The runners are trained fro running and the walkers are trained for walking, it’s still more than 26 miles. It’s a big challenge all the wneales

“We have great scenary for this walk. We have Galway Bay, we have the Aran Islands – on a clear day you can actually see as far as the lakes in Connemara so it’s a great route for anyone who is interested in nature and sight seeing.”

The marathon will coincide with the Burren in Bloom Festival in Bal- lyvaughan and will start and finish in the Burren Coast Hotel in Bally- vaughan.

It will start at 8am and will go cross country through a variety of different landscapes before arriving in Fanore.

The walker will then return via Black Head and the Green Road and back into Ballyvaughan.

The Ballyvaughan-Fanore Walking Club was set up in 2006 and has al- ready some 80 members drawn from all over the country.

“IT was always a walker I suppose and I have been away for year, But when I came back to Fanore here I ended up walking by myself. I got fed up of that and decided that I

would try and start off a club,” con- tinued Kevin.

“This is the very first walking marathon in Clare as far as I know anyway. But they have these walk- ing marathons all over the world. We have the ideal place for walking here. We have the Burren, there 1s no location like it for walking anywhere in the world.”

For more information check out www.bally vaughanfanorewalking- club.com

PROVING that education is about more than reading, writing and ‘rith- matic, students in the transition year in Scariff Community College have been throwing themselves – literally – into the wider learning experience.

The students have just finished a three-day stay in Petersburg Outdoor Education Centre in County Mayo. Outdoor cooking and dining were part of the experience.

The youngsters abandoned dry land for kayaking, canoeing, windsurfing, gorge walking and raft building.

Back on terra firma they went hill walking, orienteering and abseiling.

‘The weather was in our favour and this along with the positive at- titude of everybody left us with great memories,’ said co-ordinator Liam Sie

On another outing, the students learned what happens when you get on the wrong side of the law.

They took part in a mock court tri- al conduced by Mr James Fahy, SC, and did a law examination certified by Dublin’s Portobello College.

aUCe NAUOMCOLUUM MD SM Sy IDONICM Lol MmCIAULO(ONAS see jury Selection, a criminal trial and they had a very sobering visit to the cells as well as alook inside the van that transports prisoners be- tween the court and the jail.

“Something I hope will be repeated only in a professional capacity,” said Liam Coyle.

“We witnessed the full cross-sec- tion of life,’ said one of the students.

“Court staff, especially Ned, were very helpful in explaining proceed- ings and we are grateful to them.”

The nineteen students have also passed first, second and third ECDL tests.

The transition year tour, with fifth years, is to Barcelona on March 12 and students are preparing for work experience.

A programme on health and life- style issues devised by college chap- lain, Geraldine Condren went ahead

during the winter months and later an evening for parents was arranged so that they could hear presentations from contributors to the programme and open doors for discussions, with their children on issues that had been eI SLe B

Students took part in discussion workshops on_ relationships and sexuality, including an information session on STIs, the contributor be- ing Dr Conor Magee; on emotional health handled by Gerry Dobbins of the Outreach Programme of the Samaritans, and on Christian values and young people, directed by Fr Brendan Quinlivan, college chap- FETEOe

WHEN ‘Tulla woman, Kay Madden was told she had breast cancer, it was the most frightening news she had ever got.

But that was ten years ago and thankfully, she is now running her tenth annual coffee day to raise cash for a cause which gave her hope and support throughout her ordeal.

The Maddens would like everyone in the parish to come to visit them at 23 Main Street on Friday, February 22 between 10am and 10pm, to enjoy a cuppa and support a good cause.

Kay describes it as “a very low point” after she was diagnosed, op- erated on and struggling through nine months of chemotherapy and TecTeul@lAeles 1 Oh VA

But that summer she was contacted

by members of the Clare 250 mile Cycle organisation, offering Kay and her husband Pat a trip to Lourdes as part of their annual pilgrimage to bring 80 people with cancer to the JK emevubAteE

Organisers, John Dunne and Claire Nugent started the cycle and every year, dedicated cyclists, organisers and fundraisers raise money to bring very ill people on pilgrimage.

Kay had been nominated by Ger Treacy from Scariff and Patrick Kel- ly from Tulla to take part in the trip.

“It was the trip of a lifetime. We were So Well looked after and every- thing was arranged. And we got to meet with other people in the same boat and talk and maker friends. It was fabulous,” said Kay.

But the support which organisers, John Dunne and Claire Nugent gave

to Kay didn’t end when the plane touched down in Ireland again.

“T had to go to Dublin for radiother- apy for five weeks and they brought me up on Monday and back home again on Friday. It was amazing practical support. That’s what they do for people,” said Kay.

Throughout her battle with cancer, Kay got “immense support” from those involved in the Clare 250 as well as from good neighbours, fam- ily and those who looked after her medically.

“IT could not have managed with- out their kindness, help, dignity and support,” she said.

Kay says after the trip, she was lucky to have the support of two friends in Tulla – Lavender Wright and Sr Celia – who had battled with cancer Six years previously.

“The coffee morning fund-raiser was my husband’s idea. This is pay- back as far as we are concerned for all the help we’ve been given by the Clare 250. Now it’s become an annu- al event and a real parish day – peo- ple come and have coffee, they bring the kids, we have a laugh and talk. It’s a real get-together day.”

The Clare 250 is currently also rais- ing money to build a Cancer Centre for Clare in Ruan.

The centre would provide a drop in place initially where people di- agnosed with the disease can go to talk, meet others and get support and advice.

The project is currently at the plan- ning permission stage.

UNTIL the Leapfrog Creche and Montessori opened it’s doors in Tua- mngraney, parents had to take their tots twelve miles or more to be cared oe

This month, the busy facility is cel- ebrating it’s first birthday by having an official opening, because, says owner Sarah Ryan, “thing were too hectic to do anything about the open- ing before now.”

“It’s been an amazing twelve months but now that we’re settled, I just want to do something that will

acknowledge the parents and chil- dren who come to us.”

Sarah and husband Johnny decided to open the childcare facility when they were expecting their second child and it became clear that that the nearest purpose built facilities were miles away.

The fact that the pair were running a carpentry business was a huge help at the time in constructing the build- ing.

Now Leapfrog has 39 pre-school and 13 afterschool children all being cared for under the watchful eye of creche manager Claire Heaney and

her staff between 8am and 6.30pm each day.

The youngest of their charges is a five-month-old baby, “although this is unusual’, says Sarah.

“With better maternity leave enti- tlements, most babies come to us at around ten months, but if like me, you re self employed, you need a few hours every day to do things and par- ents need a facility where they can bring young babies.”

Leapfrog has baby, toddler, play- school, Montessori and after-school care and it’s little customers come from all over east Clare, from every-

where between Tulla and Whitegate.

“At the moment we’re full and we have a waiting list, so the opening isn’t to show off the créche, it’s just to celebrate the year that’s gone and getting up and running,’ said Sarah.

Local councillor, Joe Cooney, will be performing the official opening at the creche in Tuamgraney village on February 26.

PLANS are at an advanced stage for the redevelopment of Tulla court- house, with hopes that the building will be ready for community use in March. At the AGM of the Court- house Rejuvenation Committee last week, local clubs and organisations came along to give their suggestions about the make-over.

Committee Chairman, Bernard Mulcachy, said the evening proved “very helpful. We wanted input and there was a good response from the community groups and a few good

Suggestions. For instance, we hadn’t looked at wheelchair access to the stage although there is wheelchair access to the hall itself. That’s some- thing we can examine now. We got feedback on quite a few issues which we will be able to look at.”

Since the county council moved out in November to take possession of their new premises in Scariff, the committee have swung into action and now there is a new lighting and sound system, a complete repaint and redecoration of the former council offices and an extension to the build- ing to add an extra meeting room is

also underway.

Among the groups who will be us- ing the newly refurbished courthouse are the Tulla Drama Group, the musi- cal society, the GAA, who will use it for meetings and groups taking yoga lessons and other courses.

The Midnight Court Film Society, based in Scariff, are also considering having some screenings depending on local demand.

Funding for the project came large- ly from a grant from the Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism, which was allocated several years ago.

“We couldn’t use the grant straight

away because we were waiting for the council to move to their new of- fices. Luckily, the department gave us a lot of leeway,” said Bernard.

The total cost of the refurbishment project will be €120,000 and the grant will meet 80 per cent of that COST.

“We would hope that the facility will earn money to make up the dif- ference rather than put the cost back on the community,” said Bernard.

‘And it’s hoped that the community will be attending an open day at the end of March, once the bulk of the work has been done,” said Bernard.

A MEMORABLE 12 months for Ennis Track Club was crowned on Saturday when the club was named Munster Cross Country Club of the Nae

2007 was the most successful in the club’s 17 year history with the club taking home major honors at all lev- els in both track and field and cross eo) t nem mea Lo) TLE

The efforts of athletes and coach- es were recognised on Saturday in Dungarvan, Waterford at the Mun- ster Athletics awards.

The occasion held extre signifi- cance for Tom and Vera Dullaghan

who accepted the award on behalf of Ennis Track Club.

The Dullaghans are both founding members and are still actively in- volved with the club.

Ennis Track Club made history at the Munster Championships last year by becoming the first club to win the ladies novice title, ladies intermedi- ate title and ladies senior title at the Munster Championships.

The club also won the national men’s title and there was also success in the national under 12s champion- ships.

In total, the club won an aston- ishing 163 medal in track and field events and 275 medals in cross coun-

try events.

Club PRO Michael O’Brien said the year reflected the commitment of athletes and the huge contributions made by coaches and volounteers through the years.

“We are just small club that came from humble beginnings but have been lucky in that there has been a ereat group of very dedicated and talented people whop have been with the club since the start.

“Last year was definitely historic for us’. Ennis Track Club was formed in 1991 with the first committee meet- ing taking place in O’Keefe’s Bar Lifford.

That committee was made up

Gerry Hayes (president), Tom Casey (chairman), Maeve Casey (secretary) and Tom Dullaghan (treasurer).

The club made an instant impres- sion by finishing first in the women’s 4×400 relay at the Munster Champi- onships in Waterford.

Over the years the club has also produced athletes who have compet- ed on the international stage.

Rory Chesser and Liam Markham both represented Ireland at the U23 championships in Scotland.

The club now has over 100 mem- bers and six coaches Gerry Hayes, Pat Hogan, Deirdre Cahill, Mar- ian O’Loughlin, Jim Donnellan and Michael O’Brien.

THE work of staff and students at the Adult and Community Education Centre in Ennis has been described as essential to the success of the sec- ico) e

Speaking at the opening of the cen- tre’s new extension, Minister of State Sean Haughey praised the progress made by adult education providers in OE

Mr Haughey was in Clare to open centres in Shannon and Ennis, as part of the National Adult Learners Festival.

Referring to some last minute prep- arations for his visit to Ennis, Mr Haughey quipped “I was told to be late because there was sign to go up. If I have achieved nothing else by my visit to Ennis, then I have achieved Werelaae

The extension and _ re-develop- ment of the Adult and Community Education Centre in Clonroad, Ennis means more services can be provided as part of the Clare back to education initiative.

The centre provides learning op- portunities in reading and writing, language support, youthreach pro- gression, the Vocational Training Opportunities Scheme (VTOS) and family learning. Services include a creche, night classes, e-learning and adult learners guidance.

In Clare, there are currently 2,000 learners availing of adult basic edu- cation and a further 700 engaging in community education.

Mr Haughey said the centre provid- ed valuable learning opportunities. “This is particularly evident here in Ennis, where your Adult Basic Edu- cation Service provides great assist-

ance to adults returning to education, particularly those who did not get the chance to complete their secondary education. Work undertaken on the ground is absolutely essential to the success of the sector, and I am very much aware of this”.

“This expanded adult education centre will provide additional and valuable opportunities for learners in the Ennis area to create a better life themselves and their families”.

He added, “The Ennis Adult Edu- cation centre does a great job in providing that crucial support and I know that with your capabilities extended, many more opportunities will be available to you in this re- een Ke ae

Dr Sean Conlan, Education Of- ficer for Clare VEC, said significant strides had been made in the area of adult education.

‘Adult education used to be called the cinderella of education, because we were never invited to the ball. Now things are different, and in GET ucee tree or Dus CGUIT Dem Ne uome sr KMmolon significant investment in services”

Mr Haughey met with students, programme leaders, tutors and co- ordinators and received a painting from VTOS student Malcom Gay. Youthreach trainee Shirley Price and her daughter Brooke, who attends Cuan Aire Creche, presented Mr Je Ft tea teas

Music was provided by VTOS tutor Andrew Newland and the Founda- tion Ministry Choir.