Month: April 2008

FIVE Clare men and four motorbikes will embark on an arduous journey from Clare to Belarus in June, to highlight the ongoing problems faced by people living in the region.

Michael Barrett, Neilus Shannon, James O’Donoghue and Gearoid Conroy, all from the Ennis area, will travel on four motorbikes from Clare to the exclusion zone, which still re- mains around the Chernobyl nuclear enim

As well as raising awareness, the lads hope to raise €10,000 for the Burren Chernobyl project.

The Burren Chernobyl Project

(BCP) was established in 1993 to help with the child victims of the fallout from the Chernobyl reactor explosion. Many projects have been carried out to assist the children and their families who are enduring the effects of exposure to radiation and the other social and economic prob- lems facing them in Belarus.

The Chernobyl reactor accident occurred on April 26, 1986, at the nuclear power plant in Ukraine (then part of the Soviet Union).

It is regarded as the worst nuclear accident in the history of nuclear power, producing a plume of radio- active debris that drifted over parts of the western Soviet Union, Eastern

Europe, Scandinavia, UK, and east- SUmONyee

30,000 people died in the initial aftermath of the blast and over five million people were exposed to ra- diation.

One of the organizers, Michael Barrett has worked in the region and witnessed first hand the devastating impact of radiation poisoning.

He said, “Saturday was the 22nd anniversary of the explosion at the Chernobyl power plant. It is to the credit of the people of Clare of the assistance provided by groups like the Burren Chernobyl project.

‘“T have worked in the region in the past and it has left an indelible im-

pression on me, the suffering of the people living in the region is getting worse, aS, with time more cancers are presenting and it is important that those of us that can assist are re- minded of the need to do so”.

In order to raise money, a poker classic to be held in the Copper Jug, Lifford Road, Ennis on Friday May 2 at 9.30pm.

All sponsorship will be gratefully accepted and cards are now avail- able.

Donations and _ other sponsor- ships and offers of assistance can be made directly to the Burren Cherno- byl Project at 7071130 or to Michael Barrett on 086 8198992.

TWO major new recreational facili- ties for young people have opened at the headquarters of Clare Youth Service at Carmody Street Ennis.

Youth Space is a youth café and meeting space for over 15s and Youth Studio offers fully loaded rehearsal and recording facilities to meet the erowing demand fostered by the Clare Youth Service Bands Project.

Both spaces were opened by lead- ing Irish musician and Ennistymon native Joe Wall in Ennis last Tues- day.

Youth Space operates as a Self-serv- ice youth café in a setting designed and fitted out by young people. The

Meeting Space element was designed and refurbished by members of the Garda Youth Diversion Project.

Youth Space is open to all young people aged over 15 years, Wednes- days to Sundays inclusive 3 to 7 and Saturdays 2 to 9. Youth Studio is booked through Brendan on 086 COL ler

Both spaces have already become operational and are attracting up to 200 young people each weekend in the pre-launch phase.

Ennis Youth Worker, Jean Tierney, is delighted at the uptake of the serv- ices So far,

“The new facilities respond directly to needs that young people have been expressing to us for some time. The

atmosphere is terrific so far and we see many benefits arising from these new facilities. Creative ideas, new relationships and simple chill out zones are all happening at the same WU Nelom Noone

As a founding member of the Stun- ning and the Walls, Joe Wall knows how difficult it can be for young bands to find a place to play.

Clearly impressed by the new fa- cilities, Wall said it was important young people had somewhere to go to express themselves.

He said, “I’m totally blown away with this facility. Every town should have something like this.

“Growing up in Ennistymon, we had absolutely nothing like this. We

kicked a ball around the streets and generally hung around not doing very much. Music has a great ability to help people express themselves…. it links across various areas, T.V. Video, filming. It’s absolutely great to have a place where young people can come and express themselves. Well done to all.

Both facilities have been made possible by funding and voluntary efforts of several organisations in- cluding the Lions Club of Ennis, Irish Youth Foundation, Clare VEC, Garda Youth Diversion Projects, HSE (Clare Community Drug and Alcohol Service), Dormant Accounts Fund and the Mid-West Regional Drugs Task Force.

FOLLOWING THE unprecendeted success of the first run of Rhythms of Ireland in Australia, which sold- out 35,000 seats in a matter of weeks, the show, with a strong Ennis influ- ence, has just begun its second tour down under.

Created by Ennis dancer Michael Donnellan — still the only dancer to have performed the lead male role in Riverdance, Lord of the Dance and Magic of the Dance — Rhythms of Ireland travels all over Australia for six weeks until the middle of next month and is expected to continue the success of the first run.

This week, Donnellan’s show runs

in the cultural city of Adelaide be- fore it moves on to Hamilton and OE seen

“It’s been a phenomenal hit in Aus- tralia,” said Donnellan. “It goes to show the hunger that exists for Irish culture and everybody associated with the show is delighted with the response.”

Donnellan himself has plans to bring the show to Ennis in the com- ing months and says that such an op- portunity would provide a massive amount of excitement.

“It would be a great buzz and at the moment, we’re looking at bringing it to Glor, hopefully within the year.”

He’s in the process of returning to Ennis himself in the coming weeks

once he completes his PE training in London and the qualification ar- rives in June. It comes on the back of a unique MA in Dance Performance from University of Limerick and coupled with the continuation of his dance school, Cuchulainn it’s been a busy time for Donnellan.

“It’s been tough going for sure con- sidering everything that’s up and running at the moment, but there has been great support as well, particu- larly from the parents and pupils at Cuchulainn. They’ve been very loyal and I’m extremely grateful for their support.”

So far, it’s all been about spreading the popularity of Irish dancing and the latest Australian tour will copper-

fasten the discipline down under.

‘“We’ve tried to capture the sound and spirit of Ireland and what’s re- sulted is an exhilarating show of tra- ditional rhythms, song and dance. To me, it’s the most exciting Irish dance and music production at this present time. And so far, it has been seen by over two-million worldwide.”

With Glor in his sights, it’s the En- nis public that will provide the great- est buzz for Donnellan.

A GOOD crowd braved the weather in Liscannor to take part in the an- nual Burren Chernobyl Projects sponsored walk.

Despite the weather, spirits were high and early indications suggest that sponsorship was up on last year.

“Tt went really very well on Sunday and we had a nice crowd,” said Car- mel Mescall of the Burren Cherno- byl Projects.

‘The weather was a bit against us on the day but besides that the whole event went very well. It’s hard to say exactly how many people took part but it’s looking like we will have more sponsorship this year than last year.

“We would really like to thank eve- ryone who took part in the walk and everyone who helped out in anyway, whether they were helping on the day or giving sponsorship to the walk- eee

Meanwhile, a volunteer training day was held in the Falls Hotel in Ennistymon on Saturday. The train- ing day was to help prepare people who are about to make their first trip to help the children and adults of Belarus with the Burren Chernobyl Project.

A steady stream of volunteers from County Clare and all over Ireland travel out to Belarus all year round, giving the Burren Chernobyl] Projects a year round volunteer presence in the affected areas.

ON April 26, 1986, reactor number four at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant lapsed into a spiralling chain reaction and exploded.

Twenty-two years on and the Cher- noby] fallout and a radioactive poison 40 times the intensity of Hiroshima still infects much of Eastern Europe. More than 60 per cent of that fallout fell on Belarus.

Ennistymon man Brother Liam O’Meara was among the first west- erners to visit the affected people in Belarus. Over the last 15 years, the Burren Chernobyl Project has helped restore dignity and ease suf- fering for the thousands of innocent children orphaned by the fallout or abandoned by their families.

‘There are a number of reasons why these children are given up. Firstly, poverty – the mother has to work and can’t afford to have someone at home minding a child. In other cas- es, maybe there is a new relationship and the new husband doesn’t want a handicapped child around.

“Then, in some other cases, the state moves in and takes the children, be- cause the conditions at home are so bad. A lot of the children are better off within the orphanage because the conditions at home are so bad.

“But it’s not just handicapped or special needs children who are given up. Perfectly healthy children are left in these orphanages,” said Brother Liam.

‘There is a tradition of giving away children, it’s a cultural thing. There is a Shame associated with it. A lot of the parents don’t even tell the grand- parents, they just say that the child has died.

‘Mothers would dispose of children very easily.

“The state does give them some help, they do some good work and nobody ever knows about it. The state pays into the children’s bank accounts every month.

“There is so much paperwork in- volved in everything over there so the child could be hungry, literally starving, and the money can’t be spent on what the child needs. They need someone to go out there and do the paperwork at the bank, but a child like that could never do it.

“The villages out there are desper- ately poor. They really have nothing. The orphanages are located away out in forests and out of the way – so that they wouldn’t be upsetting the peo- ple in the village, I suppose.”

The BCP has helped thousands of children and adults affected by the tragedy. Over the last 15 years, they have helped raise the basic standards of living in some of the world’s most difficult locations.

“In the last 12 months, we have had a lot of people working in Tarasik1, an adult place, so we have groups going out all the time working on that. We have also started up a day- care centre in Cherven, which means that mothers can leave their children in during the day when they are at work,’ continues Brother Liam.

“This means that the children can live at home instead of in an institu- tion. We got a building from the state but it was 1n very poor condition so we had groups fixing that up.

“We have finished our work at Kylb, which is an adult psychiatric facility for 500 adults. You can never say that a place is finished, I suppose, but we have done a lot of work in it.”

While each trip to Belarus contains much sadness, happiness comes from the children’s smiles and the knowledge of helping those who cannot help themselves.

“When you leave, you sometimes feel like you are abandoning ship, but then you remember. You can see it in them – the sound of an Irish voice and they light up. It could be someone from Clare or someone

from Galway, from anywhere, but once they hear the Irish voice, they remember,’ continued Brother Liam. “At this stage, we are going back meeting friends. We know them all, all the children. But for some peo- ple going there for the first time, they can be shocked.

‘You would be upset at times. Some- times you might see a child who has been tied up and you think that if

someone had time and patience you could help that girl. She is probably being tied up because she is scratch- ing herself or hurting herself, but if we had more time, then maybe we might be able to help.

“The sad thing is that there are so many people in these orphanages who really shouldn’t be there. Peo- ple who are as gentle and would do anything for you. And these people are going to be locked up forever un- less we can get them out.

“That is the prospect for most of these people. They move from the baby orphanages into the adult or- phanages and that’s that – that’s their whole life.

‘We have to measure our success by how we react when a child cries, not by how many toilets we have built. If a child cries and we still sympathise, then it’s a success. And I think that we always have, and every volunteer always has. No-one will walk away from a crying child.

“More than anything, we would like to thank people for all that they have done. It’s truly been amazing. There has been a huge amount achieved down the years and there hasn’t al- ways been the time to thank the people who have helped. It may be that there are buckets out all the time collecting money but the money has been spent and spent well.”

CLARE County Council has taken the first step in seeking to develop a large-scale marine-related industry in the Shannon estuary.

One of the primary aims of the council’s enterprise strategy, launched on Thursday, is to under- take a feasibility study on the estab- lishment of a Shannon estuary deep sea port in Clare.

But before the study is undertaken, the council will have to bring the key stakeholders together to discuss, identify and raise the resources re-

quired to undertake the necessary research. The study will investigate if the north shore of the estuary can attract large cargo and other vessels and develop Clare as a marine-based Keyes tsi alex sltloy

Long-time critic of the council’s failure to facilitate industry on the Clare shore of the estuary, Cllr PJ Kelly (FF) yesterday welcomed the initiative but said it would be an empty slogan unless it is followed through by action.

He said the Clare County Develop- ment Plan was the single biggest ene- my of the development of the estuary

on the Clare side.

“A necessary prerequisite before any action is undertaken is that the area along the estuary is rezoned for maritime development. The present crisis in relation to the non-develop- ment of the estuary has its roots in a long-held belief that the southern side of the estuary was for industry, while tourism and aquaculture for the northern shore.

‘That has now proven to be wrong”, he declared.

Stating that the Shannon Foynes Port Company had “zero interest” in developing the Clare side of the estu-

ary, the Lissycasey councillor added that the council’s planning depart- ment needed to come on line in rela- tion to the initiative.

‘There is no point in one arm of the council doing one thing and another arms doing another.”

He claimed that the plan also faced an additional obstacle of Shannon Development being anxious to sell the remainder of its landholding at Ballylongford on the southern side of the estuary.

“Shannon Development is_ not putting Clare’s interest first. They are not even on a par,’ he said.

OPPONENTS of a planned €10 million explosives plant outside Kildysart have claimed that due to ‘a contractual nexus” between Clare County Council and the Whelan Group, the council failed to rule on the plan in an objective and impartial manner.

The council granted planning per- mission last month to the Whelan Group-owned Shannon Explosives to construct the plant at Cahercon pier, Kildysart.

It was the latest twist in the coun- ty’s longest running planning saga that started nine years ago when plans were first lodged.

Ensuring that the controversy will continue, Cairde Chill an Disirt Teo have appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanala with other appeals ex- pected to follow.

Pointing out that the council “is known to have substantial contracts with various companies associated with the Whelan Group’, Cairde Chill an Disirst Teo claimed that be- cause of this contractual nexus, there has been a failure on the part of the council to consider this application in an objective and impartial manner.

“It has not been established that there is any need for this facility in Ireland or at this location. Safety concerns have not been fully ad- dressed and it an essentially unsafe

development.

‘There is no evidence of the finan- cial capacity of Shannon Explosived Ltd to develop the site and serious questions must be raised as to its ca- pacity to proceed with the develop- ment at all.

“Both this company and its parent eroup are heavily borrowed and in the absence of up to date financial information as to its ability to pro- ceed with this development, permis- sion should be refused until further information 1s available.”

The group also claim that the devel- opment would constitute a breach of the County Development Plan.

“Ignoring the information supplied by the statutory bodies and submis-

sions made by third parties where legal issues are involved, the council has failed to act in compliance with its statutory duties and obligations.

The council gave the plan the go- ahead on the basis that it would not seriously injure the amenities of the area and properties in the vicinity, would not be prejudicial to public health and would be acceptable in terms of traffic safety.

Without a sod being turned, the Whelan Group has spent almost €7 million on the project. They claim that it will provide employment for close to 35 people and contribute €3million annually to the local econ- omy through wages and outsourcing of services.

THE former chairman of the Ennis General Hospital Development Com- mittee has produced a copy of a let- ter which he says he put in the health minister’s hands but which Mary Harney says she didn’t receive.

A spokeswoman for the health min- ister said last week that there was no question of the minister having et- ther received or ignored a letter from Mid-West Regional Hospital Con- sultant, Dr Terry Hennessy, warning about the dangers of an outbreak of C-diff back in April 2005.

But former chairman, Peadar Mc- Namara said he was part of a nine- person delegation which met Minis- ter Harney on that day.

“We read nine scripts to her and Dr Hennessy read his. All nine were presented to her in a folder, including Dr Hennessy’s letter. That folder was put in her hand.”

Mr McNamara said that he person- ally heard the contents of Dr Hen- nessy’s submission read to the min- ister “and it clearly warned about the dangers of cross-infection”’.

The letter made no specific refer- ence to a danger of cross-infection with the C-diff virus, but did sound alarms about overcrowding.

Dr Hennessy said in his submission that average occupancy figures in

the hospital in 2005 running at 120 per cent were “not just uncomfort- able and emotionally distressing for our patient population but it is also frankly unsafe from a medical and surgical point of view.

“Due to the serious overcrowding, there are safety issues with regards to cross-infection of patients and resuscitation of patients in confined spaces.”

Meanwhile, the HSE has lashed back at claims by Sinn Fein that dirty hospital laundry is being transported next to clean deliveries of sheets.

The party’s Limerick representa- tive, Maurice Quinlivan, said, “It has come to my attention that dirty laundry from nursing homes and hospitals is being transported around Limerick, Clare and Tipperary with the clean laundry, severely increas- ing the risk of contamination from infections such as MRSA.”

In a statement, a spokesperson for the HSE said that clean linen is de- livered wrapped in heavy plastic and dirty linen is bagged and transported in metal cages.

‘This is normal practice here and in the UK but, in addition, in the mid- west there is a special sanitising unit in the truck, the only one of its kind in the country. The truck and laundry cages are disinfected daily and a log kept.”

MINISTER of State Tony Killeen launched an unusual picture show last Friday night when images were projected on to Ennis courthouse as part of an initiative to involve the public in tackling climate change. From 9pm until midnight adver- tisements from the Government’s climate change awareness campaign were projected onto the outside of the courthouse to encourage locals to engage with the campaign, find out about how they are impacting on

the climate and how they can play their part in addressing this global Otitis

“They are aimed at motivating peo- ple to deal with climate change and remind us that we have tackled other major challenges over the years, such as independence, emigration, unem- ployment and the peace process,’ said the minister.

The 60-second television adver- tisement, which has been _ broad- cast on television over the past few weeks, opens with footage of Eamon de Valera and Michael Collins and

continues with scenes showing chal- lenges that Ireland has faced since the foundation of the State. These include scenes of emigration in the 1950s, UN peace keeping and hu- manitarian involvement overseas, the peace process and economic de- velopment.

It ends with the call to action: “Change Your World; Change the World”.

“The campaign is about much more than advertising alone; an extensive stakeholder engagement programme is Well underway which aims to gal-

vanise organisations across large industry, SMEs, the public sector, education, agriculture, construction and tourism, with information and knowledge to change their behaviour in order to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions,’ continued Minister Ono

Seminars will be held throughout the campaign, starting this month, to inform and to show them how to change their work practices in order to contribute to a solution to climate change. See www.change.ie, or lo- call 1890-242 643.

NINE north Clare farmers have come together to form a co-opera- tive to promote their land as a tourist location.

The Burren Farmers Eco-Tourism Co-op, which was established last week, aims to create environmen- tally-friendly means for farmers to make an income in the Burren.

The co-op is designed to act as an umbrella group to help farmers to de- velop the Burren as Ireland’s prime eco-tourism destination. It is the first farmer-led eco-tourism initiative of its kind ever attempted in Ireland.

“T have a farm of around 420 acres and there are loads of things that eco-tourists would find interesting. I have a totally undeveloped natu- ral cave, a silver mine and a calcium mine,” said Michael Davenport, one of the nine farmers who have found- ed the co-op.

“Tf you were to start walking around the land, you would be walking for four or five hours before you would see most of the things up here. A lot of the roads are already in place be- cause I have been using them myself for farming down the years.

“It’s another way of making a liv- ing but it is not for everyone. It suits

me to get involved but there are oth- ers I know who would like to stick with the farming.

“The one thing we would worry about is insurance – but I’m sure we will all come together and get a group insurance scheme that will cover us all.”

The co-op has targeted farmer-led guided walking tours and heritage tours as one of the main activities it can develop as a tourist product.

The nine co-op members have hold- ings which run into the thousands of acres, including a significant part of the Burren’s three major desig- nated Special Areas of Conservation

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The designated land includes an array of monuments, both recorded and non-recorded, and a wide selec- tion of flora and fauna.

The co-op has also stated its com- mitment to upholding both the Burren Code and the principles of ‘Leave No Trace’, which seek to limit the damage done to the area by mass tourism.

The co-op has organised a two- day training weekend on ‘Leave No Trace’ in the Burren on May 24 and 25. Anyone interested should con- tact burrenecotours@gmail.com or phone 087 785 0140.