Month: May 2008

THE funeral will take place later to- day of author and journalist Nuala O Faolain (68), who died in Blackrock Hospice on Friday after a short battle with cancer.

Ms O Faolain, who lived in Bartra – just outside Lahinch, passed away almost three months to the day since she was first diagnosed with termi- nal cancer at a New York hospital on oe)ale- va arer

Journalist Nell McCafferty, who lived with Ms O Faolain in Bartra for a number of years, said that she was “proud” of her former partner and commended the way that she used her final days.

“I took pleasure and pride that the woman I knew, though she was afraid and very ill, she used what remained of her life with panache, style and exquisite good taste in her travels,’ she said.

“The culture of dying has changed, Nuala has changed that and the cul- ture of loving has changed.”

Instead of using chemotherapy to

extend her life, O Faolain decided to used the time to travel. In the last two months she visited Paris, made a trip to see art works in Madrid and took in the Berlin Opera.

Indeed, on the Sunday before her death, she had returned from her travels to Sicily with her sisters and a number of close friends.

A large crowd is expected to turn out for the funeral mass which will take place at the Church of the Visi- tation in Dublin at noon tomorrow. Removal will take place afterwards to Glasnevin crematorium.

Ms O Faolain is survived by five sisters, one brother, her partner John Low-Beer, and a wide circle of friends.

Born in Dublin in 1942, she was educated at UCD, the University of Hull and Oxford University. She gain ed international notoriety in 1996 with her controversial first memoir Are You Somebody’?

CLARE’S bathing waters are bask- ing in the findings of the latest EU report into water quality.

Every single beach and bathing spot in the Banner county has been given a clean bill of health in the lat- est report from the Environmental Protection Agency.

Two beauty spots which lost their blue flags but regained them in 2006 – Mountshannon and Ballycuggera – were among the bathing places which got the highest accolade of “good quality”.

And despite Blue Flag problems in 2006 for Doonbeg due to coastal ero- sion, it’s waters also got top marks.

Councillor Pat Hayes (FF), who is on the county council’s area commit- tee for Mountshannon said he was “delighted to see that the water qual- ity is up to scratch. There has been much improvement in the quality of the water in Lough Derg in recent times and we need to keep working at that.”

The EPA’s Bathing Water Quality in Ireland Report 2007 lists 97 per cent of 131 bathing areas assessed nationally as being full compliance with European standards.

The score is one of the highest the country has enjoyed in the last 10 years. In previous years Ireland had scored between 79 per cent and 92 per cent compliance.

In Clare, 100 per cent of bathing waters assessed complied with EU minimum standards including all the

top summer holiday spots such as Ballyallia Lake at Ennis, Ballycug- geran, Bishopsquarter, Cappagh Pier at Kilrush, Fanore, Kilkee, Lahinch, Mountshannon, Spanish Point, White Strand at Doonbeg and White Strand at Miltown Malbay.

All bar one of the bathing spots got the top mark of “good quality” and Ballyallia met the “acceptable qual- ity” grading, which is second from the top.

Just four beaches nationwide failed to make the cut. Balbriggan in Dub- lin, Youghal in Cork, Clifden and Na

Forbacha in Galway were all graded as being of “insufficient quality”.

A total of 15 beaches were down- eraded from being of good quality to being acceptable quality.

EPA programme manager Dr Michael Lehane said that while the “overall level of bathing water quality remains good, the EPA is concerned that a small number of bathing areas are consistently failing to meet the mandatory minimum standards”.

THE State Solicitor’s office in En- nis is under pressure due to the large amount of books of evidence being prepared.

That was the message delivered in court last week, when State Solicitor for Clare, Martin Linnane pointed out that several books were currently being prepared.

Books of Evidence are prepared for cases heard in the Circuit Court. The State is given 42 days to prepare the book and present it to the district

court, prior to an accused being sent forward for trial to the circuit court.

In cases were reasons are given, a district judge can extend this time, for preparation of the book.

At Ennistymon District Court last Wednesday, state solicitor Martin Linnane pointed out that the Book of Evidence was not ready in one case.

He asked for an adjournment in the case – of alleged sexual assault – for three weeks, “by which time I hope the Book of Evidence will be ready, but I can’t guarantee. I may need fur- Welolam Bb sl ome

He pointed out that several books were being prepared by his office, adding, “Time is of the essence, bearing in mind the 42-day rule and what not.”

Mr Linnane said he had been of the view that the book in this case was not due to be presented to the court VUOLHU MD E-IKolumHOpEcweslOnsey

The solicitor representing the ac- cused did not object and Judge Joseph Mangan extended time for service of the book. The case was adjourned until later this month, when the book is due to be presented to the court.

The following day at Shannon Dis- trict Court, Mr Linnane was due to present a Book of Evidence in the case of two people charged in con- nection with alleged damage to a bank ATM.

Previously in court, the case had been marked peremptory against the State. At Ipm last Thursday, Mr Lin- nane said the book was “physically being bound and will be ready in an hour.”

However the accused’s barrister Michael Hourigan said he was apply- ing for the case to be struck out. “If

my clients were not here at 11, they would be in jeopardy of bench war- rants,’ said the barrister.

However Judge Joseph Mangan al- lowed the case to stand until after the lunchbreak and the book was pre- sented to the court in the afternoon and the accused were sent forward for trial.

A spokesperson for the courts serv- ice told

through the Freedom of Information Act show that the Environmental

Protection Agency warned the coun- cil in January that the water supply was at risk of another outbreak of cryptosporidium.

Council officials did not make the public aware of the EPA concerns and a month later, an outbreak of cryptosporidium resulted in two children being hospitalised.

The documentation shows that de- spite a budget of €3 million for a

temporary water treatment plant, 25 to 30 per cent of the water go- ing through the plant was not being treated for cryptosporidium.

This was also kept secret and the EPA audit stated that when raw water conditions are poor, there is in effect no treatment barrier to the parasite in the Ennis public water supply.

“This places the supply at risk of another outbreak of cryptosporid-

tum’, the EPA concluded.

Clir Meaney said, “I don’t know if we can trust the officials anymore. This is appalling, people who were elected to represent the people are being kept in the dark, misinformed, told that the filtration plant was Oya ena

THE minor hurling management have dramatically invited Cratloe duo Liam Markham and Cathal McInerney back into the Clare panel for the upcoming Munster semi-final against All-Ireland champions Tip- ares It follows Clare’s impressive display against Cork in the Munster Minor Hurling Championship first round on Wednesday.

Dual county players Markham and McInerney, along with fellow

clubmate Conor Ryan left the squad earlier in the year when asked by the hurling management to choose either football or hurling.

However, after Clare were knocked out of this year’s Munster Minor football championship by Limerick, manager PJ Fitzpatrick and his team reviewed the situation and invited both players back into the set-up. In effect, it adds another dimension to the Clare team ahead of their crunch UeCereL BUSTA LHS MOBO) eoe-T as

“They’re great additions to the squad,” said selector Gerry Kennedy.

‘And the thing is, the players believe in a team effort right down to the last vere

“On top of the return of the lads, we re also hopeful that Eoghan Mad- den and Brian Hehir will also be back from injury for the next game.”

Clare’s battling 2-17 to 2-16 victory over All-Ireland finalists Cork was fully merited and while Kennedy is delighted with the win, he says Clare have to continue to focus for the challenge of double Munster and All-Ireland champions Tipperary on tt ioay

“T think a win 1s always a good thing and the fact that we haven’t won a first round in so long is a bonus. It’s important for the team to win and the victory in Pairc Ui Chaoimh should improve team morale and spirit any- eA

“We’re delighted to have got over the first round but we will have to sit down now and prepare for the next game which will be equally tough if not tougher.

“At the end of the day, Tipperary are going for three All-Ireland’s in- a-row and four Munster titles in-a-

Ke) Aa

In preparation for the Tipperary game, Clare have organised a chal- lenge with Offaly this Wednesday, with further challenge matches in prospect after the completion of the Leaving Certificate.

Liam Markham and Cathal MclIn- erney will rejoin the squad in White- gate on Wednesday for that Offaly challenge and with Eoghan Madden and Brian Hehir expected to return in the coming weeks, Clare are con- tinuing to move in the right direc- nt)

AMONG the joy that rattled among the management and players out on the grass in Cusack Park was a definite feeling that the victory over Donegal and the silverware secured would act as a spring to further suc- cess.

The championship remained in the front of the mind of Clare captain Louise Henchy and manager Deirdre Murphy.

“What we want is the champion- ship,’ said Murphy. We want to get to Croke Park. When we started out

in the league we said we would keep working for the championship and that’s still the aim.”

Henchy, too, was unswerving in her view that greater things could lie in store.

“We want to keep on winning but today was great,’ she said. “We knew Donegal were strong so we had to up it against them. We struggled at times, around the middle especially but the minute we got the ball into our forwards we looked dangerous. We knew if we could keep ball going in we would get scores.”

David Browne is tucked away in a

corner of the field as Henchy is walk- ing up the steps to collect the trophy and emotionally, he says he’s stuck for words to put perspective on the 200

“I’m delighted for the girls because for the past few years, football has been in the doldrums in Clare. Fair play to Deirdre [Murphy]. She came in three years ago and we got on board with her and things have taken off.

“We lifted the siege and a lot of the girls who weren’t there a few years ago have come back and fair play to them and it’s days like this that it’s all about.

“It was a tough game there at the end and it was touch and go for a while. But we wanted to win it. We knew we were getting Division | sta- tus next year but we wanted to go up as champions. This day is great for football in the county and hopefully we can go on from here.”

His fellow selector David O’Brien said Clare recognised early on they would have to work hard to win. “We knew it was going to be a difficult game but when we heard it was on in Cusack Park, that gave us a boost.

“We didn’t give them many chances but we spoke about it all year. Once they have the ball, everybody filters back and that’s how we played. We worked very hard, but the goal is to win the championship.”

The first step has been taken now and the journey continues.

WHEN Geoff Hurst scored the World Cup Final’s first ever hat-trick on that warm July day in 1966, roughly 300 miles west the men of Newmarket were watching. Inspired by what they saw, within two years Newmarket Celtic was born and football began to take root at McDonagh Park.

But instead of Charlton, Moore and Hunt, the names that drove the fledgling club forward were Ryans, Sheedys and Collins’ as well as Pat Coughlan, Mike O’ Malley and Frank McNamara.

It’s all the more fitting then, that 40 years on the name of O’Malley and McNamara still appears proudly on the Newmarket team sheet.

“This is unreal for the club,” said captain Mark O’Malley .

“We have been waiting 13 years for this, it’s unbelievable. This year now we really put in the effort. We had a good man over us in Paudie Cullinan

in charge of us. Packie Ryan, Seamus Cullinan, Billy Woods – they drove us on all year and it’s to them we owe Wee

“It’s a big club, everyone got right behind us. And the supporters are fantastic, you can see all the people who came out today to cheers us on – all of that matters. We have worked so hard this year, everyone.

“We had a 24 man squad and were able to play 11 versus 11 in training which really helped.”

“We started the match well and it was a good goal. But I suppose we started to get a bit complacent after that. But that happens sometimes – Burren are a very good team, very physical. They sent in a lot of high ball and caused us problems,’ he continued.

‘But once we got in a half time lev- el. We pushed on well in the second half, maybe got as bit of luck with the third goal but we did well.”

They think it’s all over, it is now.

UP TO a quarter of all family doc- tors in Ennis are not taking on any new patients.

Chairman of the Clare branch of the Irish College of General Prac- titioners (ICGP) Dr Michael Harty said that 25 per cent of general prac- titioners in the county town have closed their list.

“In areas of population growth the number of patients is out stripping the number of GPs. In the rest of the county I wouldn’t be aware of any that have closed their list,” he said.

The Clare GP representative con- firmed however that the work of all GPs has increased significantly in the last number of years, an issue that 1s to become even more serious as a huge shortage in the profession is predicted.

“In general terms the work of the GP has increased by 50 per cent. Part of this is due to the population increase but one of the major factors for the increase in workload is the transferral of patients from hospitals to GPs,’ he said.

These transferrals include Warfarin and diabetes clinics.

“We are doing a lot more interven- tion than we used to,” he said.

The Kilmihil doctor said that the public also has greater expecta- tions and are more health conscious, which leads them to visit the doctor

more often.

There are currently 2,500 GPs in Ireland a number that is decreasing due to the older age profile of the profession.

The issue is about to reach crisis point however as not enough doctors are coming on stream to replace cur- rent GPs planning to retire.

“There are a large cohort of GPs that are within 10 to I5 years of re- tiring,” he said.

It takes 11 years for a student to go from first year medicine to a fully qualified GP.

‘We need to plan in advance and at the moment that is not there,’ added Dr Harty.

He said that 121 GPs qualify each year.

This number was to reach 150 but the HSE withdrew funding last year.

Initially it was hoped to bring the number of GPs trained every year to 180.

A survey carried out by the Irish College of General Practitioners showed over 50 per cent of GPs had problems recruiting partners to their practice, while 66 per cent had dif- ficulty-recruiting assistants.

Minister for Health Mary Harney admitted this week that there is a need to increase the number of GPs in the country.

THERE was double All-Ireland suc- cess for Clare at the weekend as the Banner County claimed the Under 14/15 and Under 16/17 team cham- pionship titles at Clarecastle on Sun- day. In theUunder 14/15 event (team of six), Clare won their semi-final against Galway by 86 to 55 and came up against Kilkenny in the final. The home team was much too strong on the day and recorded an 82-59 win.

Christopher Philpot (Kilkishen) and Keith Hogan (Newmarket) won their games on a 14/15, 15/8 score, with Darren Cooney and Kevin O’Callaghan (both Kilkishen) re- cording a score of 8/15, 15/4 while Evan Corbett (Tulla) and Patrick Fitzgerald (Tuamgraney) won 15/10, RAE

This was a double for the Tulla Tua- mgraney pair as they were members of the under 12/13 team that won last years title, as was Barry Nash who did not play this weekend due to a bout of flu. Clooney’s Peter Duggan (captain) also played in the semi-fi- nal against Galway.

Not to be outdone, the Clare Under 16/17 team also went all the way and captured their own All-Ireland title. Also played at Clarecastle on Sun- day, the Clare team of Sam Edbrooke (Tulla), Chris Ryan (Clarecastle), Ryan O’Neill (Clooney), Liam

Clancy (Newmarket), Shane Crehan and Eoin McGrath (both O’C. Mills) overcame Wexford in an epic final, eventually emerging as winners by a single ace, 48 to 47. Great credit must go to the mentors of both teams who put in a lot of hours in the run up to the semi-finals and finals and Clare handball owes a debt of gratitude to people like Christy Philpot, Joe Cor- bett, John Clune and Owen Conlon.

The weekend just passed also saw the East Clare Construction-sposn- sored Boys Under 11 tournament, hosted by the Kilkishen club. There was a large turnout and the day con- cluded with Division 1, Division 2 and Division 3 finals. One of Clare’s great handball servants through the years, in the shape of Donal Flem- ing, was on hand to help organise, run and referee the various games.

Meanwhile, the Clare County Ju- venile Handball Committee held the annual Medal Presentation Evening at East Clare Golf Club on Sunday last. All players who won county, Munster or All-Ireland honours, in- cluding Sunday’s victorious team- event winners, were presented with iW eLoyDMmBaLeLO rN ECE

County Chairman Matthew Mc- Mahon addressed those present and highlighted the importance of a strong juvenile structure in keeping handball booming within the coun-

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THE Clare Primary School 5-a- side soccer tournament went ahead at the Lees Road astro turf facility last week with a huge turnout for the various competitions.

The smaller school competition went ahead on day one with 24 teams taking part in the boys competition. Lahinch NS had the better of An- nagh NS in the first semi final while Quilty beat Kilkee in the second with Lahinch prevailing over Quilty in the final on a score of 2-0.

A total of 20 girls teams took part in the girls competition. Newmarket NS beat Liscannor NS in one semi final and Quilty NS beat Lisdoonvarna in the second. The Quilty girls avenged the defeat of their boys counterparts when they won the final by 2-0.

The Lahinch boys and Quilty girls will now go on to represent Clare in the Munster finals later in the month.

In the bigger schools tournament, Ennis NS won the girls B event in a thrilling final which saw them pre-

vail over Kilrush NS after a tense penalty shoot-out and in the boys B event, Newmarket were 2-1 winners over Kilrush NS.

There was further success for Ennis NS in the large schools section of the draw when they beat the holy family in an entertaining final by 5-1.

“The event was a great success,’ said Tom Glynn, Clare co-ordinator of the event. “The facilities were top quality as were the referees, from Rice College.”