Month: February 2008

AN TAISCE and other groups have voiced opposition to plans to develop a small scale visitor centre to serve the recently opened Pol an Ionain cave in Doolin.

The cave contains what is reputedly the largest hanging free stalactite in the world.

Three years ago, John and Helen Browne, secured planning permis- sion to open the cave despite opposi- tion from An Taisce and the Pol an Jonain Action Group.

Since the cave opened, a bus has transferred visitors to the site from nearby Doolin. The original plan- ning application did not include the visitor centre which is described as a reception building that includes a shop, café and display area.

An Taisce Heritage Officer, Ian Lumley, stated that the application “warrants summary rejection”.

“It abrogates entirely the principle and consideration on which the pre- vious application was granted. The effect of the proposal would be to create a range of significant site im- pacts which would contravene the entire basis on which the previous consent was granted and the mitiga- tion measures contained in the en- vironmental impact statement for the scheme which form part of the legal

consent.”

Gabriel Casey of the Pol an Ionain Action Group claimed the applica- tion was “for a very large develop- ment” in a vulnerable, unspoilt area.

He suggests that the Pol an Ionain enterprise may threaten 103 jobs at Ailwee Cave, 13 miles away.

The Speleological Union of Ireland (SUI), which represents cavers and speleologists, has also objected cit- ing “the uniqueness of the great Sta- lactite and the need to be absolutely sure of its conservation.”

The SUI claims that “surface de- velopment will have an impact below ground. While we note that the cur- rent application includes a bio-cycle sewage treatment plant there seems to be no treatment for surface run-off water from the car park.

“Further development will inevita- bly lead to greater numbers of visi- tors with greater impact on the at- mosphere in the cave chamber with potential effects on the great stalac- tite.

“SUI is not opposed to showcave developments and indeed welcomes the education of the public about caves. However, we consider Pol an Jonain is not a suitable site for devel- opment because it is based on the de- velopment of one unique, irreplace- able feature and raises too many unnecessary threats to it”.

has obtained the

figures in the wake of Garda statistics

last week which stressed that domes-

tic violence incidents in the county had soared over the past two years.

Some 76 people attended Clare

Haven drop-in centres in Ennis, Kil- rush, Shannon, Scariff and Ennisty- mon for the first time last year. While most of those were in Ennis, several new cases presented throughout the county.

The need for the service in Shan- non, in particular, increased sig- nificantly last year. In response prompted Clare Haven increased its presence in its outreach centre there. Some 106 people were seen at the Shannon centre, the majority of them being ongoing clients. Some 58 peo- ple attended the Kilrush centre, 19 attended in Ennistymon, while 23 at- tended the Scariff centre.

Clare Haven accompanied 104

women to court last year. Each of those cases took an average of 25 hours preparation, support and ac- companiment. The centre also pro- vided telephone support to hundreds of women in need.

Eileen Murphy of Clare Haven said there had been a huge increase in de- mand for support over the past few years. The refuge, which has six fam- ily units, was full throughout 2007. Staff had to send women to other ref- uges throughout the country.

She said that victims of domestic abuse were more willing to come forward than in the past but a lack of awareness about the availability of support remained. The need for the

Support was obvious throughout the year.

“During the past two years, there has been demand right across the year. Previously, Easter, St Patrick’s Day and Christmas were the main times but now it is right across the board,’ said Ms Murphy.

She stressed that those in need of help should not feel that they had to attend Clare Haven on a residential basis. The drop-in centre is available to those who wish to check their op- tions.

Anyone suffering domestic vio- lence should contact Clare Haven’s 24-hour helpline on 065 6822435 or check out www.clarehaven.ie.

has learned.

This revelation comes following the discovery of a 6 mile wide spill- age, located some 60 miles of Loop Head on Sunday morning.

The spill, which was discovered by a Norwegian pollution control satel- lite, is believed to comprise of diesel and is moving slowly northwards.

“It has been flagged at EU level that Ireland doesn’t have an oil pollution response strategy, and we need one.

This is a relatively small oil spill but if there was a big one we have no of- ficial plan for what to do,” said Simon Berrow, Project Manager of Shannon Dolphin and Wildlife Foundation.

“To be honest, there is no govern- ment policy to do with how to deal with oil spills. JI think the Wildlife Service are responsible for it but they don’t really have a policy for how to deal with the oiled birds because they say it is a welfare issue and not a conservation issue.”

While the origin of the oil slick re- main a mystery, authorities are hope- ful that it will break up naturally. It has however, claimed it’s first victims

with some 20 birds discovered dead in and around the Doolin yesterday.

The birds were discovered with ex- tensive o1]1 damage and it is believed that they came in contact with the slick while out to sea and made their way to land where they died.

“The local fishermen have been reporting seeing a number of oiled up birds either dead or severely in- jured. They were mostly guillemots but there were also some cormorants and gulls,” said Doolin based bird- watcher Jamie Storer.

‘There is no sign of oil on shore just yet so I would assume that the birds have come in contact with the

oil out to see.

“Once a bird gets oil on them there is a very low success rate. Usually by the time they are found are too far gone to be rescued. Cleaning bird is a very labour intensive thing and once they are cleaned there is still only a very small chance that they will sur- vive.

“Our concern here isn’t really for 20 or 30 birds, it’s a very small amount compared to the total population in the area. The real concern is for the slick that is out there and what might happen if it comes onshore. Nobody really seems to know what the pro- cedure is.”

CLARE county councillors will at- tempt to reunite communities and parishes as they consider the bound- ary division for the next local elec- tion — just 16 months away.

The members as well as the general public are invited to make submis- sions to the Boundary Committee set up by the Minister for the Environ- ment and Local Government John Gormley and charged with reviewing local electoral areas.

This review will take into account population changes since the last re-

view in 1998.

The committee will then report to the minister by June 20 so that he can make any changes he deems fit.

At last evenings meeting of Clare County Council, councillors present- ed a few concerns about the possible redivision of the areas they will be canvassing in a matter of months.

Cllr Martin Conway (FG) said he would hope that all communities and parishes would remain united within the same area.

“T think it was always regrettable that Kilmaley was split among three areas, and are not therefore getting

proper services.”

The north Clare councillor also maintained that the review process should have begun after the General Election.

Cllr Madeleine Taylor Quinn (FG) argued that geography as well as population should be taken into ac- count when deciding on dividing the county.

“Cognisance has to be taken of geography. I wouldn’t like to think demographics would supersede geo- graphic area.”

According to the Boundary Com- mission the committee charged with

looking at the area divisions must take “due account of the desirability of preserving natural communities or the hinterlands of population centres, and where possible, of aligning local electoral area boundaries with Dail constituency boundaries”.

“The committees are asked to as- sume no change in present numbers of elected members at overall local authority level. Within individual electoral areas as recommended by the committees, the number of coun- cillors should not be less than four or more than seven provided that in very exceptional circumstances

three seat local electoral areas may be recommended where otherwise the geographic size of the area would be disproportionately large.”

Cllr Christy Curtin (Ind) told the meeting “there is a bias against three seaters and I don’t know why unless there is a political reason.”

The County Manager Alex Flem- ing said he was not going to have any position in the process.

“Tt is really an area I should not be involved in,” he told the councillors.

He will however present the popu- lation break down of the areas to the councillors next week.

WHILE the Minister for the Envi- ronment maintains that there would be no useful purpose in meeting the councillors of Clare about their budget allocation for 2008, he said he would next time he was in the constituency.

Deputy Pat Breen (FG) has attacked the minister for his stance much to the annoyance of Clare County Councils only Green Party member.

Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) has ac- cused the Fine Gael deputy of using “unhelpful comments” and trying to score political points.

‘The spin put on it by Deputy Breen hasn’t helped the situation. The min- ister will meet with Clare County Council when he is in the constitu- ency. Deputy Breen’s use of this to score political points is a disservice to the electorate of Clare,” said Dep- uty Meaney.

Deputy Breen had accused the Green Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government John Gormley TD of distancing him- self from another crisis.

‘This 1s another typical example of the Green Party’s change of colour since they entered Government last May. Minister Gormley is distanc-

ing himself from another crisis. The reality is that he does not recognise the crisis we have here in County Clare. The current funding arrange- ments are simply inadequate. Clare County Council avoided the axe this year, as a result of which we will see a reduction in the budget for roads, housing, planning and environment together with an increased burden being placed on the business com- munity. County Clare is at the bot- tom of the pile when it comes to the allocation of funding from Central Government,” he said.

“The long-term ability of Clare County Council to deliver basic fa-

cilities including water and sewage treatment plants is threatened.”

The council had asked to meet with the minister to voice their dissatis- faction at the general-purpose grants allocations for 2008, and make a case for a larger allocation.

Minister Gormley argued in the Dail however that Clare County Council’s allocation for 2008 was€16,476,569, an increase of 5.13 per cent over the 2007 allocation.

“General purpose grants to Clare County Council have increased by some 460 per cent since 1997 which is more than twice the average in- crease to local authorities over that

period,” he said.

“In summary, and recognising that the council has recently agreed its budget for 2008, I am satisfied that the funding available to it from all sources, including general purpose erants, will enable it to provide an acceptable level of services to all its customers. In the circumstances, while no useful purpose would be served by meeting the proposed del- egation in the context of the 2008 general purpose grant allocations, I will take an opportunity to meet with the council as part of a programme of visits to local authorities during the year.”

THE behaviour of a 16-year-old boy has deteriorated since leaving a de- tention centre due to lack of parental control at his Ennis home.

The boy, who has 33 previous convictions, was sentenced to two years at Oberstown Boys Centre in November 2006. He is currently on extended leave from the centre.

He admitted breaking into the bed and breakfast at Baron McQ’s, Low- er Parnell Street, Ennis, and kicking two wing mirrors on cars, close to his home, last Wednesday, February oF

Inspector Tom Kennedy said gardai found the boy on the premises on Parnell Street and CCTV footage

showed him breaking the window and going into the building.

He later went home with his mother and a short time later went down the street in his locality and kicked mir- rors on two cars.

The boy’s solicitor, Tara Godfrey, said since he was released home from Oberstown he had “very quick- ly deteriorated”.

‘His mother is not here today and that speaks volumes,” she said.

She pointed out that drink and drugs played a role in last week’s in- cidents.

‘He didn’t have control. When he’s not in Oberstown, or St Patrick’s In- stitution he doesn’t have the where- withal to look after himself,’ she PAG

“The concern from my point of view is that he could become insti- tutionalised and that he would be in- capable of coping outside an institu- tion,” she said.

“He’s a good boy under the right conditions,” added Ms Godfrey.

A member of staff at Oberstown told the court that the boy had “turned a corner’ while at the centre, but had “deteriorated” since returning home to Ennis. She said Oberstown could not take him back.

“We are under pressure from the courts to free up the bed. There’s de- mand for his bed. We want to release his bed within days,” she said.

“I think we have exhausted what we can do with him. We have effec- tively handed him back to his family.

There is only so much minding of him we can do when he is back in his own environment,’ she added.

An employee with Clare Youth Services – who has worked with the boy since his release from Obers- town – said the problem was down to lack of supervision at home.

“That is with due respect to the young man and the family,” he said.

Judge Joseph Mangan asked the boy, “Why are you so angry?”’. He replied “I am not angry at all.”

The judge said he had observed the boy’s demeanour in court and said, “You are obviously very bothered.”

The judge sentenced him to eight months in St Patrick’s Institution and fixed a bond in the event of an ap- peal.

A YOUNG man was knocked down and killed by a car driven by his girl- friend, in Kilkee, a court has heard.

Ennis Circuit Court was told that Stephen O’Reilly (24), from Tallaght in Dublin, was on a week-long holi- day with his girlfriend and two oth- ers, in January 2007.

He and a friend were standing on a footpath on O’Connell Street, Kilkee, when his girlfriend Denise O’ Reilly – who was driving his Honda Civic car – approached the two.

Mr O’Reilly stepped onto the road and she struck him and knocked him oleae

Ms O’Reilly (20), of White Brooke Park, Tallaght, Dublin, pleaded guilty

to careless driving and drink driving, arising out of the accident, in the ear- ly hours of January 30, 2007.

Ms O’Reilly, a clerical administra- tor, entered the plea, just before she had been due to go on trial for dan- gerous driving causing the death of her boyfriend.

She was banned from driving for two years and fined €2,000, after the court was told that the parents of the deceased accepted it was a tragic ac- cident.

Garda John Convey said the de- fendant and another girl had gone for a drive in Stephen O’Reilly’s car, having been socialising earlier in the night.

As they returned to where they had been staying, Mr O’Reilly and his

friend were standing on the foot- ortaee

“Mr O’Reilly stepped out on to the road and was killed,” said the garda.

He said the accident occurred on a straight stretch of road and driving conditions were good at the time.

He said that the accused told gardai there was little she could have done to avoid the pedestrian. She was “very traumatised” by the incident and admitted driving the car when the accident occurred.

The couple had been together for several years and knew each other’s ie Teeb eR lony

Ms O’Reilly’s Counsel told the court that the parents of the deceased man accepted it was an accident and are supportive of the defendant.

The court was told that analysis of a sample of urine produced by the defendant showed a concentration of 116 mgms of alcohol per 100 mls of Vem alee

Judge Rory McCabe said the inci- dent was tragic. “I’m afraid we read about it every weekend, this type of event happening, a combination of youth, alcohol and possibly inexperi- ence,’ he said.

“A young man lost his life. No-one intended it to happen but it did,” he Sr AKOE

However he said he did not believe it would be appropriate to send the accused to prison.

He imposed fines totalling €2,000 and disqualified her from driving for two years.

JAIL is full of drugs and there is no help available for addicts – according to a former inmate.

The claim was made at Ennis Dis- trict Court on Friday, by a young man who was released from prison last month, having served an 18-month term for criminal damage.

Jason Gordon (29), of St Vincent’s Hostel, Anglesea ‘Terrace, Cork, admitted a charge of burglary of a house in Ennis last Thursday, Febru- eae

Garda Beatrice Ryan told Ennis District Court that she received a call at lunchtime last Thursday, claiming that a man had broken into a house.

Sie IUUA Lot MrI MASON AI KoM Ele noticed that a window had been bro- ken and the accused had crawled in through the broken glass.

He had been seen by a neighbour going into the house and was still there when gardai arrived.

The court was told that Gordon had 65 previous convictions, some of which dated back to 1992.

Defending solicitor Daragh Hassett said his client was extremely intox1-

cated, having drank two bottles of 0r6 1 ¢2

He said his client had been travel- ling on a bus from Cork to his native SY ETXey

He got off the bus and broke into the house, which was very close to the bus station, said the solicitor.

He said nothing had been taken from the house.

‘He has a long-standing battle with alcohol. He is smoking heroin and taking cocaine. This was an unhap- py attempt to return home. It was a mindless crime,” said Mr Hassett.

Gordon stood up in court and said he had been released from jail, five weeks earlier, having served time for criminal damage.

“You just end up taking more drugs when you go into prison. Prison 1s full of drugs. You can’t get any help in there,” he told Judge Joseph Man- gan.

Judge Mangan jailed him for six months and fixed a bond in the event of an appeal.

A MAN has been acquitted of har- assing his former partner in Shan- non, almost three years ago, at the end of a trial at Ennis Circuit Court. Andrew Mullins (34) of Belfield Gardens, Limerick, and formerly of Kincora Apartments, Shannon, faced one charge of harassment. It was al- leged that he harassed mother-of- two Bernice Galvin at Tullyvarraga and Ballycaseymore, Shannon, on dates between April 4 and 11, 2005. The court heard that the pair had

been in an “extremely stormy” re- lationship for about two years and that Mr Mullins was the father of Ms Galvin’s second daughter who was 19 months old at the time of the al- leged offences.

The relationship had ended in 2004 but Mr Mullins had liberal access to the couple’s daughter.

In her evidence, Ms Galvin said Mr Mullins first approached her at her place of work in Shannon at around Ipm on Monday, April 4, 2005, and that he was extremely agitated.

She said that the accused was roar-

ing at her and she left the shop to speak with him. She said Mr Mul- lins told her he heard Ms Galvin’s brother had held a “big drugs party” at her home on the previous Saturday payhca ole

Ms Galvin also said that later, the defendant had leaned over the coun- ter at the shop where she worked and called her a “drug whore.”

Ms Galvin said she had been out on the night and that her brother had been babysitting her two daughters. When confronted by Mr Mullins about the alleged incident, Ms Galvin

said she would “sort it.”

The court heard evidence of similar alleged incidents over the following days at Ms Galvin’s place of work as well as on the roadway near her mother’s house.

Evidence was also given of a Se- ries of telephone calls between the accused and Ms Galvin which she claimed were also abusive.

Counsel for the State, Stephen Coughlan, told the court the accused had subjected Ms Galvin to a “sus- tained barrage of abuse” and said “if he (Mr Mullins) had valid concerns

about what happened on that Satur- day night, there were other ways of Ole U Epa teans aie 0 Ws | ne

Defending counsel Elaine Houli- han said that because of the genuine concern her client felt for the safety of his daughter, having heard that a drugs party had been held in the house where she was sleeping, he had honestly believed that he had a “‘rea- sonable excuse” to act in the manner WerelmeComenlem

After deliberating for 50 minutes, the jury returned a unanimous ver- dict of ‘not guilty’.

A MAN who conned people into donating money for cancer research, under the pretence that he had suf- fered from cancer, has been jailed for eae lane leyeleelse

Arthur Boland (29), of 1A, No 46 Whitestrand Park, Galway, faced 30 charges relating to incidents in 11 different premises in Ennis and Ssixmilebridge between December |, 2007 and January 21, 2008.

The premises named on the charge Sheets included five bars, a hotel, an auctioneers, an insurance firm,

florists, a convenience store and a newsagents.

He admitted all 30 offences, but 11 of those were later struck out, after the judge noted that the euro symbol was absent from the charge sheets.

Boland admitted 18 charges of dishonestly, by deception, inducing people to contribute money with the intention of making gain for himself. The sums of money donated ranged between €2 and €20.

He also pleaded guilty to 12 charg- es of using a false instrument with the intention of inducing a person to accept it as genuine.

Garda Christopher Whyte told Ennis District Court on Friday that €945 was collected on the sponsor- ship cards, in the Ennis area. €81 of this could be traced back to those who donated.

Boland, he said, entered several premises in Ennis, where he pro- duced a letter stating that he was col- lecting money for cancer.

He stated that he had permission to collect the money and presented sponsorship cards for people to fill out. However the charity mentioned by Boland did not exist, said Gda Whyte.

‘There is a charitable organisation in Limerick, but it is not affiliated with any kind of cards, as it deals with corporate sponsorship,’ said the garda.

Garda Tracey Stanley, of Sixmileb- ridge, told the court that Boland told those who he sought money from in Sixmilebridge that he was a cancer sufferer himself.

Inspector Tom Kennedy told the court that Boland had 37 previous convictions. These include deception offences in Mayo and Tipperary and theft in Sligo and Harristown.

Boland’s solicitor Tara Godfrey

said he was pleading guilty to all stb e ene

“His life is somewhat barren. His relationship with his partner is Strained because of this,” she said.

‘He is willing to look into what is motivating him in this,” she said.

Boland accepted that a prison term was “almost inevitable,’ she said.

She pointed out that the sums of money included on the charge sheets were relatively small – €81 in Ennis and €85 in Sixmilebridge.

Judge Joseph Mangan jailed him for eight months and fixed a bond in the event of an appeal.