Month: June 2008

IF 2007 showed us anything, it was that anything is possible. This time last season, only the wisest sage would have predicted that Tulla would win the county championship. And at that, such a prediction would probably have been laughed at.

What it means is that with dawn coming over this year’s champion- ship, there are at least a dozen teams who will figure they can emulate Tulla and their achievements of ’07. And why not?

Only a few days had passed after the county final last year and Tulla captain Michael Murphy was fielding phone calls from clubs all over Clare wondering what the secret to their success was. What could he say? He

told them the truth. That Tulla put in one big, honest effort. That no player shirked any responsibility. On a pan- el that realistically had less than 20 players capable of mixing it at senior level, that was crucial.

Tulla also knew their limits. They had a handful of players with sub- lime skill, but the bulk had to hurl with passion and commitment. That was the most evident characteristic throughout their group games and even more so as the knock-out stage progressed.

For every player, there comes a turn- ing point in the season. For some, it was Tulla’s honest meeting in a local restaurant when a few home truths were told but for most, it was the at- mosphere in the dressing room prior to a game that most clubs would have

simply seen as fulfilling a fixture.

That game took place in Sixmileb- ridge in the middle of the Clare Cup —a competition that Tulla weren’t ex- actly setting on fire. That day, they were missing some players but they were asked for honesty, they were asked could they put pride back in Tulla, pride that had been missing for a number of years.

The players responded, they went out and hurled with honesty and they prevailed. From there, the momen- tum began to build and confidence began to seep in.

When the county final arrived, they had beaten two established teams and it suited Tulla that they were go- ing into the game against a team who also had zero big-day experience.

It’s almost eight months since that

game was played. Afterwards, there was a feeling among those with no stake in the game that the occasion didn’t live up to expectations, that the hurling was static. Fair point then, but eight months on, nobody remembers the type of game it was. All that’s recalled, is the novelty and hope that Tulla brought.

Now, for Tulla, it’s a matter of maintaining that momentum and those standards and given the group they’re in, that won’t be easy.

For the other 19 teams, it’s all about playing with that honesty that Tulla personified throughout 2007.

LAST year’s Clare Cup final victory over Kilmaley in August should have provided the catalyst for their cham- pionship challenge. Having only played two group games, losing nar- rowly to Clarecastle in the opening round before recording a comprehen- sive victory over Ballyea, at that stage it seemed as if the Clare Cup triumph was the spark St Joseph’s needed to ingite their season and kick on an- other gear in the championship.

However, after much rehabilita- tion since their golden period at the turn of the millenium, perhaps it was too much too soon for the emerging young side. A succession of injuries ravaged their threadbare squad and they were unable to contain a ram- pant Corofin side who outfought them in a tough encounter in Cusack Park. They did manage to win their final game against Inagh but it wasn’t enough to secure a quarter-final place and the disappointment somewhat overshadowed their previous Clare GitiomsteKons

That is not to devalue the Clare Cup as they were proud to win their sixth title, it’s just that St Joseph’s real- ised that the championship is where a team is primarily evaluated and to fall at the first hurdle again, only confirmed that they were not quite ready to step out of their period of transition just yet.

Coinciding with the Clare Cup tri- umph last year was the introduction of trainer Sean Chaplin who was asked to join the St Joseph’s manage- ment through his link with manager Kevin Kennedy in the Clare Inter- mediate set-up. Providing fresh ideas and a new voice, Chaplin set about reviving the side after a disappoint- ing 2006 in which they flirted with relegation. The Clare Cup win last year was a Significant first step on the road to reviving their championship challenge.

“We had a good run in the cup to- wards the end of last year and went on to win it which was a great help but ultimately the championship is where you are going to be judged and while the Clare Cup was nice to

have at the end of the year, not hav- ing come out of the group was by far the disappointing part of the year.

“Now the real judge of how much we have progressed since last year will start in a few weeks time when we Start the championship.”

With a bye in the first round, St Joseph’s won’t commence _ their championship campaign until the last week in June when they face last year’s semi-finalists Sixmilebridge, Chaplin’s native club in round two. As the Chairman of the Sixmileb- ridge Minor Board and having rep- resented the club at all levels, this encounter throws up one of those real conundrums that only sport can provide but while the draw provided mixed emotions for Chaplin, he is totally focused on aiding St Joseph’s championship charge.

“Ttis strange alright. It has only been two or three years since I was on the ‘Bridge senior panel and would have been in the dressing room with all those lads. I have also been involved with most of the younger lads at un- der 21 level so I know them well. At

the same time, I have a job to do and they know I have a job to do and I mean it’s just a matter of getting on with it. On the day, the fact of where I’m from won’t matter. I will be in the St Joseph’s dressing room over that team and we will be preparing to have a right cut at the Bridge and try to get a result out of them 1f at all possible. At the end of the day, it is the 15 or 20 lads on the field that is going to win or lose any game and re- gardless of where I am from or any- thing else, it will have no bearing on the outcome of the game.”

With memories of last year’s dis- appointing championship still vivid, St Joseph’s won’t be taking any side for granted this year. One game at a time is their philosophy. The Crat- loe, Corofin and Tubber games will all be tackled in time. The Bridge 1s all that matters for St Joseph’s at the moment. That is the only realistic method they can apply to finally turn the corner.

AS the surprise package of last year’s championship, Corofin were Mohi- canlike in their scalping of big sides on their way to the quarter-finals but there is one major drawback to Corofin’s unprecedented champion- ship run last season. In the Premier- ship, it’s referred to as “second sea- son syndrome’ but in simple terms, the reality is that Corofin had only one campaign to catch opponents unawares because this season, every- one will be cautious of their threat. It’s a factor that manager Ambrose Heagney is only too aware of but he welcomes it as a litmus test of his emerging side.

“We are certainly hoping to build on last year and this will be the test whether last year was a fluke or not. Obviously teams will be more pre- pared for us now. Doora/Barefield will be right eager to play us after last year and will want to reverse that result and the Bridge will be wary of us I’m sure as well.”

Before last season, a tendency to pigeonhole Corofin as a one-man team based on county senior Gerry Quinn, rather overlooked their true potential as a team. It was one of the factors that caused such an upset against Clarecastle and St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield. After last year, that shortsightedness has been rectified

and Corofin can boast seven county players between the minor, under 21 and senior grades, something which Heagney feels has given his squad immense experience ahead of this year’s championship.

“There is a great bunch of young lads in the squad this year. I had three of them training with the county sen- ior panel [Gerry Quinn, Darragh Clancy and Darragh Shannon], two with the county under 21 team [Mar- tin Tierney and Neil Killeen] and two in the county minor squad [Kevin Heagney and Luke O’Loughlin]. So that is seven lads who are getting inter-county experience and that is wonderful really. And that would be a new enough scenario for Corofin.”

A major factor in Corofin’s eventual exit to Crusheen in the quarter-finals was fatigue. As one of only four sen- ior dual clubs in the championship, a number of Corofin players were made to pay for their duality by be- ing forced to play for ten successive

weekends between the hurling and football championships. But rather than dwelling on it as a disadvantage, Heagney is positive about Corofin’s success in both codes.

“For some of the players, the Crusheen game was a bridge too far in terms of tiredness and energy after so many weekends of action but that is something we have to live with and something which is going to always be there. We are a dual club and we will always be a dual club but we have a great relationship with the football management. Seamus Clancy and myself meet regularly to talk about training schedules and iron out any difficulties or problems arising with dual players.”

When referring to the draw, Heag- ney feels that in many ways this year’s group mirrors last year’s. Corofin are drawn with St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield once again but Sixmulebridge are replacing Clare- castle as the second prominent team

in the group while all the others are on a similar even keel but he 1s under no illusion as to the enormity of the task of qualifying for the latter stages for a second successive year.

‘We have a good bunch of lads and I’m expecting to at least make the quarter-finals. It is going to be a huge undertaking for us but I think they are capable of doing it. Our main problem really is that we are can either blow hot or cold. If we get it right and when their gander is up, we are a match for any team, there is no doubt about it. They amazed me last year with their ability and our goal 1s to get back to that game we lost last year. That’s my main aim, to redeem that game back again but it will take a huge effort from everyone.”

AN Ennis builder claims that he faces bankruptcy if €60,000 owed to him for his work on a Kilrush de- velopment is not paid.

Joseph Canavan joined pickets at the site of a new nursing home on the Killimer Road in Kilrush last Wednesday and Thursday following the failure of main contractor Site- line Construction to pay more than €100,000 in arrears owed to sub- contractors.

Mr Canavan, who employs 14 peo- ple at the site, claims not to have been paid since October of last year despite continuing to work and pay his own staff until last week.

According to union officials, a number of other sub-contractors are also owed sizeable sums with one painting contractor owed €46,000.

“T’m owed about €60,000 at the moment all told – I’d be one of the main sub-contractors here on the site.

“T would have been employing 13 or 14 people here during the con- struction as there was a big rush on to get the job finished,” said Mr Ca- navan.

“My agreement was that we would get paid at the end of every month. I

was paid at the end of the first month but then for the second month the cheque was two weeks late. I got that cheque eventually but the next month the cheque bounced.

“IT was paid with a bank draft in October but we have not been paid in the seven months since then. It’s a huge pressure on us here. I have paid all of my lads up to date, and I sup- plied all the metal studs and the grid ceiling here and all of that had to be ey nem oe

“I have tried to contact Siteline Construction a number of times and he won’t answer his phone to me.”

YOU hear it every year — the line that Newmarket-on-Fergus are ready to roll back the years and claim their birthright.

It has never happened and never looked like happening, apart from a 15-minute spell in the 2006 county final before Gareth McPhillips’ match-winning goal punched a crater in their dreams.

The litany of what might have beens — the headlines of Newmar- ket feeling the blues. They have led to something of a reality check — not from there anymore can the bold pronouncements be heard. Nothing of the Barretts, Kilmartins, MclIner- neys, Colin Ryan et al being on the cusp of joining Puddin Cullinan, Liam Danagher, the McNamaras, Ryans, DJ Meehan and company on the pantheon.

It’s the opposite — if anything, eve- ryone associated with Newmarket hurling is trying to cast that weight of expectation aside. It’s a silent ad- mission, that maybe, over the past 27 years that weight has weighed gen-

erations of Newmarket teams down.

It was apparent last year — having come so close against Wolfe Tones in the 2006 final and the 2005 semi- final against Clarecastle. The natural progression was a county title.

When it didn’t happen in the quar- ter-final against Tulla, many ques- tioned Newmarket’s belly for bat- tle, but manager Diarmuid O’Leary never doubted the players’ ability to bounce back.

‘IT wasn’t so much of a surprise,” he says of the Tulla game. “We found it very hard to get over Tulla when they had a very good under 21 team. They have a lot of mature players. They have a great balance, so it wasn’t that much of a surprise that they beat us.

‘This year they [Newmarket] are beginning to mature into adult play- ers. They realise now that they are that year older and that year wiser.”

And, ominously from every other team’s point of view, they’re in win- ning form — their haul of five wins from six in the Clare Cup evidence

of their growing maturity 1n senior hurling, even if O’Leary is at pains to downplay the significance of the competition as a championship peau elon

“I wouldn’t be reading a whole pile into the Clare Cup. In the league teams are down a lot of players so that’s why league form doesn’t really count for a whole lot when it comes to the championship. I don’t want to be belittling the league either, it’s great to be winning games in the league but with clubs missing so many play- ers, it’s just not the same.”

Just the same as transferring under- age titles into senior silverware isn’t a given. They’re the Galway of club hurling — winning minor and under 21 titles aplenty, but the senior is a work in progress.

“Winning underage is great — it’s great to win a few cups underage, but it isn’t the be all and end all. Some of the other teams are testimony to that, some of them have come through without winning underage titles.”

O’Leary was the driving force on the line for those under 21 successes and when he assumed the senior job in 2007 the baton of responsibility for delivering the Canon Hamilton passed to him.

“Pressure,” he says, “only if you listen to it. I wouldn’t be taking any notice about what people might be saying about Newmarket. Every year you hear it. Every year is no different than the year before. Newmarket are going out to try and win the champi- onship — that would be it.

“Either way they are a great bunch of lads — they have given great com- mitment down the years. With the help of god they’ll get the rewards. But you’re not guaranteed anything — you just have to give it your best and hope that it’s enough.”

Maybe their best will be good enough in 2008

HARD to believe that it’s five years since Ballyea made the headlines as the story of the hurling year.

They became the first Senior B side to reach the county, while the added dimension to the story was they were one part of the first all-parish county final since Kilmurry Ibrickane and Quilty clashed in the 1935 football decider.

The laurels went to their big broth- ers Clarecastle, but it didn’t take from Ballyea’s achievement. They had struck a major blow for the un- derdog, completing a remarkable journey from junior A hurling to sen- ior decider in just over a decade.

Ever since the challenge has been to try and raise the bar as high again. It hasn’t happened, or looking like happening, so much so that Ballyea are looked on as the weakest link in eroup | — whipping boys even.

Thing is, they see things a lot dif- ferently and those around the club are looking forward to this champ1- onship campaign more eagerly than any over the past few years.

There a few reasons for this gen- eral mood of optimism, chief among them being Tony Griffin’s availabil-

ity. This year, the 2006 All Star is back for the entire season, having had his participation truncated in re- cent seasons due to study and charity work commitments.

“It’s great to be back,” he says. “I’m really looking forward to the season ahead.We have a young team, it will be tough, but we’re determined not just to make up the numbers.”

‘“He’s our key man,” says manager Michael O’Neill, “and he brings an awful lot to the team, but at the end of the day he’s one man who would say that it’s all about the lads around him”’.

And, O’Neill believes that this year those other players are better placed for the rigours of senior champion- ship hurling.

“T know we largely have the same group of players, but last year some of them were just out of minor. Play- ing senior was an education for them and they’ll be much better for it this year.

“In the Clare Cup we haven’t been trounced in any game, which hap- pened a couple of times last year, so that’s encouraging. We haven’t buckled in any game and have fought every game out to the end and are not far away from where we want to be.”

This positive outlook can be attrib- uted to the response O’Neill and his fellow selectors have got from the WEN (ouce

“Last year we were very disap- pointed,” he admits, “but this year we can’t question their effort. We got down to basics again and did a gym jeyueycawebaaneatee

“It’s been hard for some lads over the past five or six weeks with ex- ams, but generally since January the lads have given us what they can and we can’t ask for more. All we can do now is hope that they give a good ac- count of themselves when it comes to Weomerutealeey

“Without doubt it’s the toughest group of the lot and our record last year would put us as the weakest team. But this year we beat Tulla when we were missing a few and could have taken Inagh-Kilnamona.

“We believe that on any given day, if we get our act together we’re capa- ble of challenging any team. We have to be on top of our game to challenge the bigger teams — that’s the same with all small clubs, but we like a challenge and we’re up for it. We’re not afraid of any team. Some say we punching above our weight, but we’ll have a go at every team.”

HURLING in_ Inagh-Kilnamona hasn’t had it so good since Kilna- mona were one of the most feared combinations in Clare during the first 25 years of county champion- ship history.

Ironically, the last of their three titles came 100 years ago, so what chance the newest club in Clare, Inagh-Kilnamona, affectionately known as “The Combo’ or ‘Inagh- mona’ marking the centenary by go- TbOTeare DO SLomAUYE AYA

That they are being considered as championship darkhorses is all down to a meeting of hurling minds from both ends of the parish, that saw the Inagh and Kilnamona clubs amal- gamate. It has changed the hurling landscape in the parish — suddenly everything has changed, from a situ- ation where both had problems with playing numbers, “The Combo’ are being talked up as genuine challeng- ace

The only downside, according to selector Noel Hehir, is keeping a lid on expectations, wholly unrealistic expectations he says because of the minefield that is group one. It’s been hard work to douse the fanfare, but Hehir thinks this has been achieved only a few months into their maiden voyage.

“When we joined up first there

were great expectations from sup- porters that it was going to happen overnight for us. That has levelled off a bit now — we know that nothing happens overnight. Good teams that have been winning down the years are not going to disappear because we here,” says Hehir.

“Obviously when two senior clubs join there will be great things ex- pected, but it takes a while. You’re playing against clubs that have a great tradition of hurling — that will count for a good bit as well,” he adds, downplaying his side’s chances.

However, on the evidence of what we’ve seen so far, Inagh-Kilnamona look to be a team going places. They sit proudly on the top of Division 2A of the Clare Cup, with five wins form SID GLO LUISE NTSAe

And, they’ve played themselves into this position without fielding the same team in any two successive out- ings. Hehir isn’t complaining though — indeed, contrary to others he’s revelling in the fact that unavailabil- ity of players due to county or exam commitments had forced innovation and experimentation with team se- lections.

“We have three on the under 21 panel and three on the senior panel, SO we were juggling around with panel all year,’ says Hehir. “It has been brilliant — we’ve had a chance to look at every player in a competi-

tive situation.

“The players with the county, we know what they’re like and what they’re capable of. It’s the fringe players that we’ve had a great chance to have a close look at in the Clare Cup. If a lad puts it in a good effort in training, plays good in the cup, he puts himself up there to be consid- ered for the championship. Before there were players who might know that they would be playing, no matter how they trained or played.

‘“There’s nothing like competition for places to keep things going and keep everyone interested. There are going to be three teams gone out of the A championship early on and if they were in another group some of those teams would have no prob- lem getting through to the knockout stages. It is tough, but we’re not com- Oe-DbeUbencame

Perhaps, most crucially of all, He- hir and his selectors aren’t expect- ing miracles — they look on 2008 as something of an adventure. A learn- ing experience where they have noth- ing to lose, but everything to gain.

“Our target was to do our very best to get out of the group — if we don’t it won’t be for the lack of trying. We’re not taking anything for granted — we’re happy for everyone to give 100 per cent. After that if we’re not one of the top teams out, we’ll no the base we have to start from next year.”

CLARE is the only county where there are not enough places in 24- hour staffed community residences to cater for the number of people in need of the service.

According to the report of the In- spector of Mental Health Services, there were 63 people living in the 58 residental places available through- out the county.

The report also showed that three

posts approved for adult mental health services in Clare fell victim of the HSE recruitment freeze in 2007.

According to the Inspector of Men- tal Health Services, additional fund- ing was allocated for the posts last year but the jobs fell to the recruit- ment embargo.

“The Clare Mental Health Service has been proactive in developing a community-based model of care over the five years since the closure of Our Lady’s hospital,” the inspector said.

“It faces considerable challenges in reconfiguring existing nursing resources, introducing health care assistants and accessing funding to achieve appropriate staffing levels on all teams.

“There was a serious deficit in meeting the needs of residents with an intellectual disability who were resident in 24-hour nurse-staffed ac- commodation.

Despite the Health Commission recommending that adequate re-

sources should be put in place in the community to enable service users have bloods taken for clozaril moni- toring, this has still not happened.

They must instead travel to the psy- chiatric unit in Ennis.

The report also showed that while the psychiatric unit at Ennis General Hospital was complying with the ma- jority of the regulations set down in the Mental Health Act 2001, it fell short of having written policies in a number of areas.

The situation was similar for Or- chard Grove in Ennis, which provides intense rehabilitation and accommo- dation for 10 men with “complex and challenging needs”.

Within the psychiatric Unit at Ennis General Hospital, the inspector was critical of the fact that ventilation in the seclusion room was inadequate.

Four clinical files of detained pa- tients authorised for seclusion were reviewed by the Inspectorate and, in some cases, part of the seclusion reg- ister was not completed.

It has since been reported that this matter has been addressed.

‘No record of the patient’s next of kin being notified or reasons for not notifying next of kin was document- ed in the clinical files,’ the report Crate

CLARE children with intellectual difficulties will remain forgotten and neglected because there is no dedi- cated intellectual team for children in the county.

According to the 2007 Mental Health Commission Annual Report, a consultant psychiatrist visits the county just once a month to provide a mental health clinic for 120 children.

In between these visits, all clinical problems – including prescription of medication – are dealt with by phone.

The commission’s report into men- tal health services in the country showed that there were no nursing

staff, psychologist, social worker, oc- cupational therapist, speech and lan- guage therapist or any other facilities available to these children in Clare.

The report carried out by the In- spector of Mental Health Services found that since the last report in 2006, there had been no change in provisions for services for adults and children with an intellectual dis- ability who require a mental health service.

“There was a need for the HSE to take a lead role in organizing the de- velopment of this specialist service based on a catchments population model,” it said.

‘The child and adolescence service

in Limerick, Clare and north Tipper- ary remain under-resourced. None of the multidisciplinary teams had a full complement of core staff.”

The report stated that there was a part-time consultant psychiatric post designated to children who at- tended the Daughters of Charity, but observed that early intervention teams set up in the region do not see

was in contact with staff who had not received the required Garda clear- ance.

“The staff had also not received training in the care of these children. “Appropriate accommodation, in- cluding segregated sleeping areas and bathroom areas, were not avail- able in the unit.”

The annual report also. stated,

children with more that two develop- “Children admitted to the unit did not

mental delays.

Meanwhile, the report into mental health practices in Clare was critical of the admission of a child to the psy- chiatric unit at Ennis General Hospi- tal in November 2006.

The report revealed that the child

have access to appropriate educa- tion provision. The unit has a written operational policy and protocols in relation to the admission of a child but this did not include a policy and procedure in relation to parental con- sent.”

MENTAL health services in Clare are significantly under-funded, ac- cording to the annual report of the Mental Health Commission (MHC) released last week.

The report also pointed to a sig- nificant reduction in the amount of patients admitted involuntarily to in- patient mental health units.

“The Clare Mental Health Service had been proactive in developing a community-based model of care over the five years since the closure of Our Lady’s Hospital,” said a spokes-

person from the Mental Health Com- mission.

“It had sourced external support to further develop the workings of teams and had a written plan based on the national planning document, ‘A Vision for Change’.

“However, Clare faces consider- able challenges in reconfiguring ex- isting nursing resources, introducing health care assistants and accessing funding to achieve appropriate staff- ing levels on all teams.”

The figures, which covered all of 2007, revealed a 25 per cent reduction in the number of involuntary patients

in health care centres since 2005. Na- tionally, just over 2,000 people were involuntarily admitted in 2007.

“2007 was a milestone year for men- tal health services in Ireland. It was the first full year of the implementa- tion of the Mental Health Act 2001 and this has had a significant effect on the delivery of mental health services in Ireland,” said Brid Clarke, Chief Executive Officer of the MHC.

“While we acknowledge _ that changes have taken place in a lot of approved centres, there are a still a number of centres which are not op- erating to best practice. It is the goal

of the commission to continue to pro- mote high standards during 2008 and onwards.”

Despite improvements made in mental health services in 2007, the MHC expressed its concern about the lack of progress in the implemen- tation of the Government’s policy on mental health.

“The implementation of “A Vision for Change’ is necessary so that a modern, comprehensive person-cen- tred model of mental health service provision is available for all of those who need to avail of it,” said Dr Ed- mond O’ Dea, Chairman of the MHC.