Month: May 2008

GIOVANNI Trapattoni may be look- ing to west Clare for future interna- tional stars as the county’s newest soccer club goes from strength to strength.

West Clare United Soccer Club takes its players from Cooraclare, Cree, Doonbeg, Mullagh, Quilty, Milltown Malbay, Kilmihil, Inagh and has two players from Ennis.

The club is based in Mullagh vil- lage with the sports field in Mullagh as the home pitch. There are more than 100 children – boys and girls – involved with the club.

“We are delighted with the phenom- enal response we have received in

getting the club off the ground in an area which would by many have been viewed as a GAA stronghold,” said one of the organisers Tom Egan.

This year the club is training teams at Under 8’s, 10’s, 11’s and 13’s level.

“We have three teams entered into the Clare Schoolboy League, two at under 11 and one at Under 13. We have brought in experienced coach- es, one of whom is Derek Dolan who has previously managed the county’s Kennedy Cup team, along with local people from the community with an interest in soccer to assist in training the children,” said Mr Egan.

“The committee of the sports field in Mullagh have been wonderful in helping us organize training and

match days and maintained the pitch in great condition which has been re- marked upon by all who have played on it. Our sincere thanks go out to them for all their help,” he said.

Mr Egan also paid tribute to local businesses that helped in the initial stages with sponsorship, particularly John McInerney Construction who paid for new goalposts.

The club’s jerseys, bibs, balls, first aid kits and other training equipment were all funded as a result of gener- ous donations.

“We have established a link with Avondale United in Cork who trav- elled to Mullagh to provide us with our first game. It gathered a large crowd for what was an entertaining

match played in great spirit and en- joyed by all.”

“We are also working with League of Ireland club Athlone Town and will be bringing children to Athlone for some training and some chal- lenge games against local opposi- tion,’ added Mr Egan.

This Sunday night the busy young club will hold its only fundraising event.

The fundraising Race Night will be held in the Quilty Tavern on Sat- urday, May 31 beginning at 9.30pm Serna oy

Anybody interested in any further information about the club or who might like to help in the coaching can contact Tom Egan at 085 7455391.

THE innovative and progressive work of a west Clare primary school has ensured its place on the shortlist for the coveted AIB Better Ireland aN WLNKels

St Senan’s National School Kilrush has a long and distinguished history in providing specially tailored edu- cation for children with leaning and emotional disabilities.

As well as providing main stream education for the children of the west Clare capital, the 24-teacher school also caters for the specific needs of children with autistic spectrum dis- order, sever and mild general learn- ing disabilities and diagnosed emo- tional disturbance.

Since the introduction of a ground- breaking programme that uses tactile

and stimulatory equipment, the qual- ity of education as well as the quality of life of the children attending the school has improved significantly.

The aim of the initiative is to pro- vide a multi sensory programme that would increase the confidence and self esteem of the children so that they would be able to integrate with their peers, explained school princi- pal Paddy McInerney.

“We have many years experience in dealing with special education. We are the only school in west Clare with special need classes and an au- tistic unit attached,” he said.

Although the autistic unit is in place just over a year and a half the school principal has already seen the benefit of the programme especially for children with autism.

As the school has such a wide range

of children with different needs, they all respond differently to the various programmes and therapies provided. The impact of each therapy also var- ies from child to child.

“Sensory therapy and deep pres- sure techniques, musical therapy and Cranio Sacral are just some of the programmes that the children are ex- posed to,” said Mr McInerney.

The more therapies available to the children the more it improves their lives at school and at home as it has a very calming affect, he explained.

Should the school win the text competition for a €10,000 award from AIB Kilrush through the Better Ireland Programme the money will go towards providing more therapy equipment and supporting the pro- gramme that is already in place.

The branch will award the €10,000

to one of three local projects that tops the poll in a public text vote. Friends of St Senan’s school can do their bit to ensure the local school avails of the prize by simply texting KILRUSHC to 53099 before June 6.

If the school does not top the poll it will still benefit from the texts. Each text vote costs 60 cent and proceeds generated by the texts for the school will be donated to its special educa- tion project.

MILTOWN Malbay will experience the revival of a previous era next Fri- Cr MA The town that has developed the first ever Satellite e-town in the country will experience the long forgotten smells, sounds and sights of a farm- ers’ market as the Miltown Malbay Farmers’ Market opens for business. On Friday from 4.30pm to 7.30pm local people and visitors to the town can avail of the fresh produce of the local market.

A hard working group of local home bakers, local vegetable growers and keen food enthusiasts got together to revive an old tradition that will take place every week in the Muiltown Malbay Business Park car park, for- merly known as McDonough’s.

Hilary Gleeson, Rural Development Officer with EIRI Corca Baiscinn, 1s a big fan of farmers’ markets.

“With the increase in consumers concerns about the long distances food travels before it gets on our plate, many are seeking local, fresh and in-season vegetables, eggs and

home baking,” said Ms Gleeson. “There are freshly baked breads and cakes and also gluten, dairy and sugar free baking for those on special diets. There are also some local jams, organic eggs, chutneys and cheeses. Stock up on fresh seasonal veg- etables, herbs and seedlings, flowers and plants or seed potatoes. Sample some olives, sun dried tomatoes and freshly made salsas and dips. The market also has some beautiful gift ideas from locally produced crafts. Many new and seasonal foods will appear every week so there is always

something different to try,” she said.

Many of the producers also supply the Kilrush Farmers’ Market, which is held every Thursday from 9am to 2pm at the Square.

In its fifth year the Kilrush market has been supplying the people of west Clare with delicious local foods and bringing back that buzz around the market square.

Anyone intersted in joining the markets or for further information please contact Cora O’Grady 087 1354192 or Hilary Gleeson 086 PRP Tee

MOVEEN National School is leading the way as Gaelige in west Clare. The pupils and staff of the school had reason to celebrate their Irish speaking abilities this week when they were the only school in Munster to be awarded the prestigious Foras na Gaeilge award for the promotion

of Irish in a non Gael scoil.

Having submitted a project in Oc- tober last the school was shortlisted for the award. This followed a visit by Maire NiNeachtain senior lec- turer in the Irish department of Mary Immaculate College of Eduction, Limerick and Sean O Cathallan also of Mary Immaculate who spent the day in Moveen National School ob-

serving and questioning the children in all classes.

The senior classes dramatised the story of Irish folk hero Cuchulainn to end the day.

Schools from Galway, Mayo, Sligo, Roscommon and Longford were also shortlisted but it was Moveen who Came out on top.

Sixth class pupils, Ruth Carmody

class teacher, Catriona Roche parent and Assumpta Concannon principal will travel to the Foras na Gaeilge Centre in Dublin today (Tuesday) to collect their prize of €3,000 and a plaque for the school.

The presentation will be made by the newly appointed Minister for Education and Science Mr Batt O’ Keefe.

MAKING the change from a life of 24-7 work and constant travel to one of walking the dog and tending to the garden every day would be consid- ered traumatic in anyone’s life, but for former TD Brendan Daly change or Ne slommyal ems stom (0) oy

One year into retirement the Coor- aclare man is beginning to “unwind” in his native parish and become ac- customed to this next stage in his Tate

Change had always been part of the deal when he entered politics.

First he, and his family, had to get use to life as a TD.

“When you are elected you are thrown in the deep end and you have to fend for yourself and then it all changed again when you are made a minister,’ he said.

His wife Patricia helped to keep it

all in perspective however.

‘When I came home with the State car Patricia said you go in one door and out another. She was very practi- cal about it all,’ he said.

‘One week the red carpet was rolled out for you the next week someone else was walking on it and you had to stand back.”

It is just 12 months since the last election and although he is no longer a full time politician he said he can- not yet leave behind completely the different issues and people that made up the last 34 years of his life.

“Unwinding after 34 years of high power activity, it takes a while to get back to what other people would call normal activity,” he said.

The former Fianna Fail TD and senator said he missed the travelling and his work in Europe.

“It is not possible yet to completely switch off. I wouldn’t like to totally

abandon issues I was involved with over the years and the people that supported me.”

He continues to follow closely the world of politics and current affairs. He is particularly interested in the development of west Clare, Ennis General Hospital, Shannon Airport and the Lisbon Treaty.

The former TD praised the Ennis hospital for finally discovering that his wife had a broken ankle after two years of misdiagnosis and lack of diagnosis in so called centres of excellence.

Daly was elected to the Dail in 1973 when fellow Clare man the late president Paddy Hillary went to Eu- rope as Ireland’s commissioner.

He remains committed to Europe and is hoping that the Lisbon Treaty will be accepted by the people of Ire- land.

“I try to remind myself that I did

my best for 34 years in Leinster House.”

He is now hoping that legislation relating to the internet he worked on before the election will come to frui- tion in this new Dail.

Although he enjoyed politics and misses it from time to time he said, “in political life it sometimes felt that life was going in reverse rather dereDO MOM c-0 Klee

“It took about 20 years to get the government offices to Kilrush. It took a long time for that to happen, it doesn’t take that long for a head of cabbage to grow,’ he said referring to his garden.

“T now have more time for myself, home and the garden and I go to the beach every day with Ross, the red setter.”

CLARE County Council has been accused of gerrymandering – result- ing in thousands of people in the Miltown Malbay area being disen- franchised. The claim was made at last night’s Ennistymon meeting of Clare County Council, following a motion from Cllr Joe Arkins (FG) calling for the local authority to have a permanent focus in the town.

‘IT know the programme of area of- fices that was agreed by the council has now been completed. We need to look beyond that and especially at the case of Miltown Malbay,” he said.

“The people of Miltown Malbay feel that they have been bypassed by Clare County Council. They have lost their electorial area and they feel

that they have lost all their standing.

“We need to have some sort of presence in the town, if not full-time then at least some of the time. Clare County Council needs to have a pres- ence there. I’m asking the director to provide feasability of providing some sort of a service in the town.”

Cllr Martin Lafferty (IND) claims that Miltown Malbay has been un- der-represented for almost a decade.

“T believe that they were gerry- mandered and very badly gerryman- dered,” he said. “We are waiting for this famous independent commis- sion to report. I don’t believe that there was ever an independent com- mission. The people of Miltown have not yet realised they received a real shot back in 1999. With one swoop of a pen, it was gone.”

AFTER decades of unsuccessful campaigning, progress has _ finally been made on the provision of a sew- erage facility in Doolin.

Clare County Council yesterday announced that they have purchased a site on which they now intend to build a sewerage treatment plant.

“IT am delighted that progress has been made on this issue. The fund- ing for this project has been avail- able for a long time and we have hit stumbling blocks going back over the foreshore licence.

“IT would now call on the council to make movements on the planning of this as soon as possible,” said Cllr Richard Nagle (FF).

‘People in Doolin have been look-

ing for footpaths and public lighting over the last number of years and all of that has been held up because of the sewerage.

“Hopefully now that situation can be pushed forward.”

The focus will now turn to central government to make extra funding available for the project.

“IT know one business person in the area who has to spent thousands and thousands of euro shiping waste away from Doolin.

“As it stands at the moment, the price per unit for non-commercial developments is prohibitate,” said Cllr Martin Lafferty (IND).

Cllr Lafferty continued on to say, “The way I see it, the funding from central government will have to be increased.”

to clarify that the hospital did not receive any donations from 2003 to 2007, or if it simply did not record donations, a HSE spokesperson said the hospital had no record of any do- nations made during that time.

“But this does not rule out the pos- sibility of somebody coming in to

buy a box of chocolates for patients in a particular ward.”

Chairman of the Ennis General Hospital Development Committee, Ciaran O’Dea said that “despite the expected flippancy and condescen- sion evident from the HSE response”, the survey carried out under the Free- dom of Information Act poses more questions.

“If there have been no donations, it indicates the distrust that people feel with the HSE or a dissatisfaction with the level of service and resourc- es provided under the HSE. The issue may also point to a belief and dissat- isfaction with the over-distribution of funds to administration as opposed

to front-line staff and services. Both these possibilities are a result of the removal and lack of answerability of the HSE to the electorate,” he said.

‘A second possibility is that unre- corded donations have been made to support the hospital. This scenario beggars belief given the massive in- crease in expenditure on administra- tion. It is time to ask if the HSE is ‘value for money’ and to test whether they cost more than they benefit the people of County Clare and beyond,” the committee chairman added.

It remains unclear whether any do- nations have been made to the hospi- tal since 2003.

In the past, the people of Clare fun-

draised for a mammography unit for the hospital, which was later replaced by the health board and eventually closed by the HSE in favour of the centre of excellence in Limerick.

The Mid-Western Hospitals De- velopment Trust also agreed to pro- vide €600,000 to purchase the much needed CAT scanner, although the HSE has not yet taken the trust up on its proposal. The machine is estimat- ed to cost just over €400,000.

In February 2007, Deputy Pat Breen (FG) was told in a parliamen- tary question that €550,000 per an- num revenue funding has been pro- vided for running the CT service at the hospital.

BUILDING started on only two houses in Clare last month as further evidence of a local housing slump.

The drive to build new homes has fallen away with Ennis-based auc- tioneer, Philip O’Reilly stating that there are 200 newly built homes in the Ennis area still remaining to be sold.

He said that the latest figures from the Department of the Environment came as no surprise, considering the amount of houses that remain un- sold.

According to department statistics, only two new house guarantee reg- istrations were made in Clare last month and this compares to the fig- ure of 41 for the corresponding pe- riod last year.

This was the second lowest in the country with only Longford hav- ing less where no new houses com- neo Neere FO aNO eee

There has been an 80 per cent drop in the number of new house registra- tions over the first four months of the year.

To the end of April, there have been only 79 new house registrations and

this compares to 398 for the corre- sponding period in 2007.

The April figures show there was an increase in house completions on March but the overall figure for the first four months are down signifi- cantly on last year.

There were 128 house completions in Clare last month, representing a 36 per cent increase on the 94 house completions in the county in March, although this was down on the 192 house completions for the corre- sponding month in 2007.

Statistics for the year to date show that 474 houses were completed –

compared with 748 for the first four months last year – a drop of 36 per cent.

Warning that the impact of the credit crunch has been underestimat- ed, Mr O’Reilly said that on a weekly basis, the lack of funding available for loans in the banks is diminish- ing and his advice to anyone who has got loan approval is to avail of it, be- cause it 1s getting harder day by day to secure approval.

“If a person needs a home, now is probably the time to buy before the mortgage market dries up further,” he said.

CLARE County Council could net up to €300,000 at public auction next month for the site of a dilapi- dated toilet block in Lahinch with ‘uninterrupted sea views’.

The local authority is behind the sale of what Costelloe Estate Agents describe as a “stunning seaside de- velopment opportunity”.

The small site measures 290 sq me- tres with 23 metres of frontage on to the prom and, according to Cos- telloes, it is zoned ‘other settlement land’ and ideal for mixed residential or commercial scheme.

The proposal to put the toilet block site up for sale was first mooted in July 2006 but delays in obtaining title prevented the council from pro- ceeding until now.

According to local councillor Mar- tin Conway, the time it has taken to secure title will cost the council.

“We are now experiencing a down- turn in the property market and the council has missed the boat in re- ceiving anything up to €400,000 for the site because of the delay. Now the price should be something between €250,000 and €300,000.”

The proceeds from the sale are to go towards the development of Lahi- nch prom and Cllr Conway said he would “cautiously welcome” the pro- posed sale.

“There has been foot-dragging on the redevelopment of the prom and

that is completely unacceptable. It was first talked about in spring 2006, but little has happened on the ground since.

“Lahinch is the poor relation in Clare when it comes to investment. There has been a lot of take from La- hinch, but no giving back.”

A council spokeswoman said there was “absolutely no fault on the coun- cil’s part” in not securing title before now. It is understood the process related to first registration and this generally takes longer than a normal transfer of title.

Work on the resort’s new €234,000 lifeguard station is expected to be complete by early July, while con- sultation continues with 10 local

groups in relation to the redevelop- ment of the prom which includes a new services building as well as improvements in traffic management and car parking.

However, the spokeswoman was unable to state how much the scheme will cost, although she predicted that some elements of the redevelopment will be in place for the 2009 summer season.

The public auction in relation to the toilet site takes place at 3pm at The Old Ground Hotel on June 20.

Last year, the council collected almost €200,000 in parking fees at Lahinch.