Month: May 2008

IT’S that time of the year again. No sooner has May had a chance to get settled in when talk in Ennistymon turns to the North West Clare Agri- HUNTED Dine) sCedyvA

One of Ireland’s earliest agricultur- al shows, the North West Clare Show has proved popular for competitors wishing to establish themselves as the people to beat this festival sea- rene

“We have more All-Ireland quali- fiers this year than we have ever had before. The total at the moment is 19 All-Ireland qualifiers at the show,

which is a great draw for competi- tors,” said Maurice Harvey of the Show Committee.

“Some qualifiers are more impor- tant than others – the qualifiers in the horse section are very highly sought after and have to be fought over. We have qualifiers in all the sections this year; in the horses, the Connemara ponies even the donkey section.

“The qualifiers are held to draw people here from all over the coun- try. This is one of the early shows, so people like to come here and estab- lish their credentials early on.”

The show will take place at the Falls Hotel and the Ennistymon Vo-

cational School on May 31 and June iF

“The children’s sections is proving to be very popular this year. All the schools in the north Clare area will be represented in one section or an- other,’ said show secretary Josephine Blackwell.

“There is the arts and crafts, the painting, drawing, photography – they have all grown in popularity in the last few years. This year we have a special cookery competition espe- cially for all the north Clare second- ary schools.

“There will also be a Clare home baking competition this year and we

have a few All-Ireland qualifiers in these sections. There is a lot there for children, it’s really is a family friendly day out with something for everyone.

“We really couldn’t put the show on if it wasn’t for the help of out spon- sors. It’s still only €5 to enter the events which is really very low com- pared to most shows. We try hard to keep the entry fee as low as we pos- sible can to try and attract as many people as we can.”

The closing date for entries is Thursday, May 22. To enter, or to find out more details, contact Jose- phine at 065 7071121.

TO celebrate National Biodiversity Week, Coole Park in Gort will next week host a number of events de- signed to promote the diverse ani- mal, plant and habitats that exist in the Burren area.

Events begin this Sunday, May 18, with the Coole Park Family Day. The day’s festivities, which will run from 2pm to 5pm, will include storytell- ing, nature based games and activi- ties for children and the chance to discover what lives and grows along the woodland in the Biodiversity sheik

The following Saturday, May 25 from 7.30 to 10.30pm, environmen-

talist and artist Gordon D’Arcy will be joined by the Galway Bat Group for the Evening Bird Chorus and Bat Walk.

On Sunday May 25 a guided Tree Walk at 3pm will offer people the chance to learn more about the story of the trees at Coole Park.

“Biodiversity includes all living things – everything from micro- organisms to whales, bugs, birds, plants, animals, people and _ their habitats,” said a spokesperson from Coole Park.

“It is vital that we protect and pre- serve as much of the delicate balance of nature as we can.

“The variety of living things 1s enormous, and we all depend on each

other for survival.”

Meanwhile, a number of other events will take place in Clare to cel- ebrate Biodiversity Week.

On Thursday May 22, Clare Bat Group will host a bat walk and talk at the Burren College of Art in Bal- lyvaughan.

CELT have also organised evening walks on May 20 and 22 with guide Andrew St Ledger of the Woodland League.

On Tuesday May 20, at 6.45pm, a walk will leave from Tuamgraney Heritage Centre.

It will take in the Raheen Ancient Oak Wood and the ‘Brian Boru Oak’ which is said to be more than 1000 years old.

Then on Thursday May 22, also at 6.45pm, a walk will leave from Flagmount shop before taking in the Cahermurphy Oak Wood Nature Reserve. Both walk are free to the public.

All activities at Coole Park are free of charge and organised by National Parks and Wildlife Service and Peo- ple and Nature – the Galway Biod1- versity Project.

Coole Park is managed by the Na- tional Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

For more information contact Coole Park at 091 631804, e-mail info@coolepark.ie or check out www.coolepark.ie

PLANS to build a pitch and putt fa- cility in Shannon have been mooted by members of the county pitch and putt association.

The aim is to have the centre open to the public and available to the town of Shannon.

Although the proposal is only in its initial phase hopes are high that it will get the go-ahead given that there is no such facility in the town

at present.

There were attempts to start up a pitch and putt course in Drumgeely several years ago but it never got off the ground.

The nearest pitch and putt facility is a private initiative in Sixmilebri- dge.

In a letter to Shannon Town Coun- cil last week, two members of the county pitch and putt club made sug- gestions regarding the establishment of a club.

The letter, signed by Niall Reynolds and Declan Sheedy along with local man Paddy Halton, said that market research has been carried out on the possibility of such an initiative.

Site design criteria and course op- erating costs have been examined, while a model on what a pitch and putt course in the town might look like has also been drawn up.

“We would like to appraise the town council of our work so far and seek the council’s support for the

project,” stated the letter.

The proposers have suggested that they make a presentation on the plans to Shannon Town Council next month.

“We believe the course will have widespread community appeal and add to the recreational and sporting fabric of the town,” added the letter.

The Mayor of Shannon, Councillor Sean McLoughlin (FG), said he will do all he can to bring the project to fruition.

EVERYBODY who has volunteered with special olympics athletes in Shannon over the years will be hon- oured at a civic reception in the town later this month.

The event is part of the celebrations to mark the 30th anniversary of spe- cial olympics in Ireland.

Shannon Town Council will host the civic reception on Friday, May 23, while a family fun day will take place two days later, on May 25, at the leisure centre.

A primary schools art competition is also being organised, involving the six primary schools in Shannon and two nearby schools, Clonmoney

and Stonehall.

Prizes will be presented to the win- ners of that competition, also at the civic reception.

The family fun day will also incor- porate a walk from the Wolfe Tones GAA club to the leisure centre. Eve- rybody who takes part in the walk will receive a scroll, which will be an exact replica of the overall win- ning art piece.

35 people who have volunteered with the Shannon Flyers Special Ol- ympics Club will be honoured at the reception. The club was set up four years ago and has gone from strength to strength since then.

A number of young athletes who are members of the club will speak

at the reception. They will thank the volunteers who have put in much work to ensure their progress has been continued.

Chairman of the club Frank Fitzger- ald said the world games highlighted the need for a club in the area.

“Previously the work was done through the various services. There came a time when there was a need for a club in the area and a group got together,” said Mr Fitzgerald.

“With special olympics, it is very intense on man power and we need a lot of volunteers to run the club,’ he added.

Councillor Greg Duff (Lab), who is a member of the organising com- mittee, said it was important that the

profile of the club continues to grow.

“We are trying to keep up a contin- ued interest in the club,” he said.

“It will be a nice event, a family event and will recognise the work of the special olympics in Shannon. A lot of good work has been done over the years,’ added Mr Duff.

Members of Shannon Town Coun- cil pledged their support to the in1- tiative, at its monthly meeting last week.

HASTING’S Cottage in Shannon should be considered if a cremato- rium is built in the town according to a local heritage group.

Duchas na Sionna has made a number of recommendations relating to the Hasting’s site.

A planning application to build a crematorium, covered walkways and remembrance garden in Tullyvarraga is pending.

In a letter circulated to members of

Shannon Town Council last week, Duchas na Sionna said it wished to point out that the remains of Hast- ing’s Cottage would be sandwiched between the new structures and the present graveyard at [llaunamanagh, should the plans get the green light.

‘“Hasting’s Cottage is a vital part of the heritage of Shannon town. It is shown on the 1840 ordnance survey map of the area and may indeed have been built considerably before that date,” stated the letter.

“The cottage was the setting in

a drama that unfolded during the War of Independence when a Brit- ish Army General was held captive there,’ added the letter.

“Given the location of the cottage in the immediate vicinity of the pro- posed development, we feel it is of the utmost importance that a bound- ary be erected before the commence- ment of building works to prevent any accidental damage to the cottage and garden boundaries during the course of construction. A fine set of concrete gate piers would be particu-

larly vulnerable as they are located very close to the edge of the site,” it added.

The letter stated that Duchas na Sionna feels that the remains at the cottage site present an “invaluable Opportunity to the people of Shan- non to learn about the history of their locality and hopes at some stage in the future to carry out a detailed survey and supervised excavation of the site of Hasting’s Cottage as part of a community heritage project,’ it added.

YOUNG children in Quin are being afforded the opportunity to become dancing queens, thanks to a new dancing school which has been set up in the village.

Local resident Laura-Jane Allis has set up her own dancing school and teaches dozens of young children hip hop dancing along with musical theatre.

The 26-year-old set up the school, having studied in Cork and Cam- bridge. After graduating with a D1- ploma in musical theatre in Cam- bridge, she did a few shows in the West End, before deciding to move back to Quin.

Although born in Surrey, Laura-

Jane and her family moved to Quin 10 years ago and she now regards the village as her home.

She taught with the Sparks school in Ennis and then decided to set up her own school, Breakthrough Dance Sroyenyer-bas

Laura-Jane opened up in Quin and then started to teach in Ennistymon and Ennis. She now teaches children and adults from the age of six up- wards and has more than 100 young dancers on her books.

She generally teaches hip hop to be- ginners and then slowly advances her students to musical theatre, which incorporates acting with dancing.

‘Everyone loves hip hop at the mo- ment. I have slowly started introduc- ing musical theatre and am hoping to

introduce tap and jazz,” she added.

She has taught in the community hall in Quin for several months and is looking forward to a proper dance studio being opened there, when the community hall development is com- pleted later this year.

Laura-Jane found that once her company became known, the num- bers of students on her books quickly NO usrNoee

“It really has been word of mouth and the word has got around through the schools,” she said.

Having grown up in the UK, does Laura-Jane have any regrets about leaving there and moving to Quin’?

‘Absolutely not. I love it here. I definitely made the right decision. I was lost in London. This way, I get to

do what I love and it’s not too serious and they love it,” she laughed.

“I love everything about here. The whole community of Quin has been great, really supportive,” she said.

Laura-Jane will get the opportunity to show off her dancers at a concert at Colaiste Mhuire in Ennis on May 25, and she is looking forward to it. “It is a chance for the students to show their parents and friends what they are doing,’ she said.

Laura-Jane accepts beginners to her classes and can be contacted on 085 7771328.

PLANS for the first county fleadh to be hosted by Tulla comhaltas in 50 years will be announced at a lively event in the village tonight.

With more than 80 competitions to get involved in, with categories cater- ing for musicians and dancers from under nine years to seniors, there should be no lack of talented visitors to the area next month.

It’s expected that the number of competitors will at least match the 1,200 who took part in last year’s fleadh.

A sparkling night’s entertainment is planned for the launch in the court- house with music from Andrew Mac-

Namara, Seamus Buglar, Mark Don- nellan, Paddy O’Donoghue, Vincent Griffin, Pat Mullins, Joan Culloo, John Lyons and Risteard Crimmins.

Among the young musicians will be Tulla Under 15 Ceili Band. Singing will be provided by Robbie McMa- hon and Sean McMahon.

Corum UNM Nao oa Lo nU DO Tom elements (OO MUD move to John Minogue’s where there will be entertainment and refresh- ments. The good news is that every- one 1s invited to the launch. This year the fleadh is a five day event, starting on Wednesday night, June 18.

Organisers were keeping their pow- der dry for tonight’s launch but gave a sneak preview, promising the cream of musical talent for the gala concert

on Thursday, including a top musi- cian from the UK.

Wednesday will see the launch of a special archive cd, celebrating 50 years of traditional music in east Clare, while set-dancing competi- tions will be held on Friday night. There will be music categories for every instrument on Saturday and Sunday.

On Sunday night, the traditional pea teea SMA O UM OLoMCLE-IB CO) e(ere NOM OOD EE TeXe for performances from the Tulla and Kilfenora Céili Bands.

The committee have been working on preparations for months under the chairmanship of Tom Conheady.

There could not be a fleadh without the competitions. But unlike previ-

ous years, no entries will be accepted during the fleadh. Anyone interested in participating should note that this year entries will not be accepted un- der any circumstances after the clos- ing date of Monday, May 26.

Members of comhaltas should en- ter via their branch secretary and non members can send their entries directly to the county secretary of comhaltas at Cois Na hAbhana, Gort Road, Ennis.

Further details on the fleadh rules are available on the comhaltas web site or on wWww.tullatradfestival.com where the full fleadh programme is listed. Also listed is the full pro- eramme of events for the Tulla Trad1- tional Festival in September.

A KILLALOE initiative which makes life better for up to 300 chil- dren at a time is one of three in the town which has a chance of scooping €10,000 in the AIB Better Ireland aN WLU kel

Working one-on-one with troubled children, running courses in person- al development and putting the fun back into sun with summer camps, the Clarecare community childcare initiative is helping children and young people aged two to 18 years.

The childcare programme provides one-on-one support for children who have been referred by GP’s, the HSE or brought by school or families.

“Some of these children need help with dealing with a family separa- tion, anger management issues or

maybe they are having difficulty making the transition from primary to secondary school. We work with them for six to eight weeks in areas such as making good life choices and coping,’ said Community Childcare Worker with the project, Sinead Cor- bett.

As well as the individual support for around 15 young clients at a time, the initiative runs courses in schools and at their base at the Molua cen- tre to deal with topical issues such as bullying, personal development, improving social skills and sex edu- cation. Up to 170 children take part in the programmes which are offered each year.

The parents are not forgotten and they are offered the Parenting Plus programme to help hone parenting skills and offer advice on how to deal

with difficult situations.

In the summer, recreational pro- erammes see kids getting out and playing sports enjoying trips away, learning drama or hip-hop dancing and taking part in arts and crafts.

The programme runs in sections; the Youth Camp, the Pre-School Camp and three others for kids aged between five and 12 years.

For the busy summer schedule up to 20 local volunteers chip in with the childcare and social workers in- volved in the initiative.

“This is very much a community based initiative,’ said Ms Corbett. “These programmes help children to develop personal and social skills and we need funding to help develop the programmes.”

The AIB Better Ireland Awards were set up to provide assistance

and recognition for groups helping disadvantaged children. Each branch of the bank has a €10,000 top prize to give away and organisations are voted for by text.

Each text costs 60c including VAT and all proceeds, less operator charges and VAT, go to the organisa- tion voted for in the text. Competi- tion lines are open until June 6. The organisation which has the most text votes wins the €10,000.

To vote for the childcare initiative, text KILLALOEA to 53099.

A DOZEN teenagers from west Clare with a keen interest in agri- culture took part in a tractor skills course last week.

As the sun heated the grounds of Kilrush mart the tractor enthusiasts – all males – learned how to use the VU OO MONT-Le UDI MYACT NK Ns

Their reasons for taking part in the course were various.

For Kevin Fennell from Fadragh, Kilkee the prospect of a life farming is one that appeals to him. Already familiar with farming life he could drive a tractor, but the course en- sured he had the necessary skills to look after the huge vehicle and drive it safely.

For fellow Kilkee teen Finbarr O’Gorman learning to drive a tractor properly will help him with his sum- mer job, as he takes up employment with a farming contractor, putting out slurry and cutting silage.

As most of the teens taking part were under 16, the daylong course concentrated on the use of tractors and machinery within the farm and did not include road usage.

A teenager is permitted drive a tractor on a farm from the age of 14, but must be 16 before they can be insured to take the vehicle on to the road.

The course agenda included safety checks before starting, setting up a good driving position, safe driving, hitching the tractor to other imple-

ments, operating trailed machinery from the tractor, checking the terrain and practical driving skills.

Each participant drove the trac- tor with trailer, provided by local agriculture and fencing contractor Damien Haugh, around a specified fe aston

They also took part in basic first aid training where each participant learned skills with particular atten- tion to common farm accidents such as cuts and bleeding, electrocution ANNO MEAN OK

Each participant received a certifi- cate of achievement.

The dangers associated with farm- ing have been well documented, in particular, the dangers of the farm- yard to young children and teenag-

ers. An average of 20 deaths and over 3,000 accidents are reported on farms each year. According to the Health and Safety Authority one in five deaths, which occur on Irish farms, involves children. Almost half of these deaths involve tractors and other types of machinery.

It was in response to these statistics that the Safe Tractor Driving Skills course was Set up by the Farm Fam- ily Support Service and Farm Relief Services, just before young farmers get their summer holidays and begin their summer work.

THE Kilrush Family Resource Cen- tre Dyslexia Support Project has gone from strength to strength in the last three years.

The impact the project has on the lives of children from the west has now been recognised as it has been short listed as one of the local de- serving children’s projects in the Bet- ter Ireland Programme which could earn it as much as €10,000 with the support of the public.

The Dyslexia Support Project was founded three years ago, a pilot project brought about as a result of collaboration between West Clare Dyslexia Support Group and Kilrush Family Resource Centre.

The project offers affordable tui- tion to dyslexic children and young

people.

It provides all materials needed for each of the sessions and offers an individual child centred approach to learning. The project also provides support for parents in their quest for equal access to education for their Nh Ker

Prior to the dyslexia project being formed children from the west of the county were very restricted in the extra educational support theory received. While they received some tuition in schools, parents had to travel to Ennis, Limerick and Shan- non every week for further classes for their children.

Should they win the text competi- tion for a €10,000 award from AIB Kilrush through the Better Ireland Programme the money will go to- wards the purchase of a content/

ability appropriate reading scheme, workshops in local schools, support sessions for older dyslexic young people and the printing of a user friendly booklet providing relevant information for dyslexic children and young people.

The branch will award €10,000 to the local project that tops the poll in a public text vote over a four-week period until June 6.

Anyone in the local community can simply text KILRUSH and B to 53099 to vote.

If the project does not top the poll it will still benefit from the texts. Each text vote costs 60 cent and proceeds generated by the text voting for the Dyslexia Support Project will be do- nated to the project.

Sue Moore, the project tutor, said “We are delighted to be in the run-

ning for this award from AIB Kil- rush through the Better Ireland Pro- gramme. We are a small group, and therefore, really need the local com- munity to pull out all the stops to vote for us. Winning €10,000 would allow us to continue and extend the work we do for the children of our local community so please ask ab- solutely everyone you know in the area to get texting to ensure we top the poll.”

There are three groups from west Clare vying for the €10,000 prize. Next week we will feature one of the other two.