Month: June 2008

THE Brothers of Charity have opened their first ever respite house in Shannon. The facility, located in the Cluainin housing estate, will pro- vide short breaks for people with dis- abilities.

The four-bedroomed house is staffed by support workers and is available four days and nights every week. It is primarily geared towards Service users 1n the Shannon, Sixmi-

lebridge and Bunratty areas.

The house was funded by the Health Service Executive, while ad- ditional funding was made available through Shannon Parents and Friends (€5,000) and St Senan’s Social Club (€2,000), while the Shannon mayor’s ball also yielded more than €5,000 for the new facility.

“It 1s the first such facility provided by the Brothers of Charity in Shan- non. It means that people can come and spend three or four nights at the

house,” said Helen Minogue of the Brothers of Charity in Shannon.

“It is about breaks for families. There is a social aspect to it,” she added.

‘Respite is the one thing that comes up all the time. People are always asking for respite. This facility has been on the cards for the past four years,’ added Ms Minogue.

“We were offering breaks in a small apartment in Ballycasey, but this is a house especially for respite.

We will open it as much as we can, particularly during the summer,’ she added.

SCHOOLS, homes and businesses in Shannon are being encouraged to take pride in their places, as the lo- cal tidy towns competition is up and ubbavepentes

The Shannon Tidy Towns commit- tee has recommenced its local com- petitions, after a lapse of three years. It is encouraging entrants to three categories of the competition — best kept area, best kept school and best small business. There will be two prizes for the best kept areas and two for the best kept schools.

According to the chairperson of the tidy towns committee, Olive Bowen,

independent adjudicators will keep an eye on the schools, residential es- tates and businesses around the town throughout the summer.

“We will concentrate on litter, hanging baskets, quality plants and how areas are kept in general,” she said.

“We are hoping this scheme will continue to encourage people to keep their areas clean,” she added.

She said the tidy towns committee was working hard in an effort to 1m- prove marks gained in the national competition. The committee has also entered the countywide Clare in Bloom competition and hopes are high that the town will earn plaudits

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“We are very pleased with the way things have been going. People in Shannon are keeping their properties very well,” she said.

‘We are very pleased that the Bal- lycasey roundabout has had shrubs put in place, but we are still waiting for the roundabout at the town centre to be better organised,” she added.

Local businesses have been keen to get in on the act. McDonald’s fast food outlet in the town helps out with the cleaning every year, while 50 staff from Intel cleaned the river- walks last week.

The local youth club and the Chris- tian Leadership Movement have also

committed to helping out with clean- ups during the summer months.

The changing characteristics of the population of Shannon have been re- flected in the campaign to keep the town in tip-top shape.

In recent years, several people from Poland and Lithuania have moved to the town and locals are keen to en- sure they are made welcome.

Posters, encouraging people to get involved in keeping Shannon tidy, have been compiled in four lan- guages — English, Irish, Polish and Lithuanian.

A presentation night for the local tidy towns competition will take place in September.

THREE prominent Ennis-based companies will lose millions of euro if Clare County Council rezones their lands in the forthcoming draft Ennis development plan.

In recent days, representatives of Michael Lynch Ltd, Tom Hogan Mo- tors Ltd and T Sheils & Co Ltd have scrambled to lobby councillors to have the proposed rezonings reversed before the draft plan is published in the next number of weeks.

The businesses learned of the plans when the council circulated the draft plan to councillors.

Last year Tom Hogan Motors paid around €10 million for an eight acre site which included the One Mile Inn on the Lahinch Road, Ennis. The land was zoned “local centre” in the 2003 development plan, a categorisa- tion which confers the capacity “to sustain and strengthen the area as a centre of commercial, retail, cultural and community life”.

However, planning officials have

removed that zoning and instead moved to have a large proportion of the site rezoned to “open space” and “flood risk”’ with the remainder zoned “commercial”. Tom Hogan Motors has written to the council seeking to have the proposed rezon- ing reversed.

Separately, the council is moving to rezone land, which Michael Lynch & Co owns, from “proposal site” to “other settlement land” and “residen- tial”. The council only zoned eight strategic sites in the Ennis town area.

The “proposal site” zoning conferred on the Lynch site in the 2003 Ennis Development Plan, stated that it had “significant scope for the provision of retail facilities as it is considered to be an edge of town location”.

Two years ago the company was refused planning permission for a retail park at the site. Michael Lynch & Co has also written to councillors in order to prevent the rezoning from proceeding.

TURN eCemUOUERO MDDOT E-De(GCemm DO Cemereebe(OUENTS seeking to rezone a site on the Gal-

way Road opposite Sheils’ 24-hour garage from “commercial” to “other settlement land” which provides for limited housing development. A five- year planning permission was se- cured for a hotel on the site in 2001.

T Sheils & Co has also written to councillors seeking to have the re- zoning overturned.

Councillors from Ennis ‘Town Council and county councillors of the Ennis and Environs area were meet- ing behind closed doors yesterday to discuss the companies’ submissions.

A YOUNG east Clare band who have played all over Ireland are about to make their debut in Clare ahead of recording a live album here. Parteen-based Verfield – whose sin- gle “Nerves” hit number two in the independent Irish download charts – are playing Brandons on June 28. The band which features Paddy Murphy on bass, Andrew Quinn on drums and Alan Donnelly on guitar and vocals has been earning a huge

following in the Midwest. They cel- ebrated winning the JD Set, one of the biggest band competitions in the country in Dolan’s in Limerick re- one

‘“Verfield have proven that they are a band dedicated to hard work both on and off the stage and are gearing up for a busy 2008 with an EP and live album both due to be released in August of this year,” said manager Paul Hannon.

The band recorded their EP in Grouse Lodge studios in Meath and

want to build a following in Clare ahead of recording a live album akon

As well as being important to their fans, both the EP and the live album will be tools in the band’s armoury for the battle to get a good record- ing deal.

Together for two years now, the boys “play a style of music that to date has been compared to a broad variety of artists such as Muse, Manic Street Preachers, System of a Down and many more. The truth 1s,

however, that Verfield’s music 1s in- definable, taking largely from early blues and blending it seamlessly with the energy of modern rock.”

On Saturday Verfield descend upon the town of Ennis for the first time. Coming off the back of hugely suc- cessful gigs in An Pucan Galway, The Night Owl Tipperary, The Por- terhouse Bray and Alfies Dublin

The band are planning a ninety minute high-energy showcase that “music lovers can’t afford to miss’, said Paul.

FULL steam ahead 1s the order from the Tuamgraney Development Asso- ciation as they prepare for the judges from the Pride of Place to visit. The group are currently working hard on their power-point presentation in ad- vance of the visit on July 11.

The first meeting of representatives of more than 10 community groups who will be involved in the Pride of Place presentation was held last Thursday. The group are delighted to have been selected to participate in the project.

The Pride of Place competition is run by Co-operation North and groups put their names forward to participate but not all are chosen.

‘We put our name in the hat and it was a great surprise and honour to be nominated,” said Mary Cassidy, Secretary of the Tuamgraney Devel- opment Association.

At the meeting were representa- tives of various community groups including the basketball and hurling clubs, the heritage group, FAS work- ers, Brigit’s Garden Creche, and Tua- mgraney and Raheen Wood national schools.

The group have been gathering the “before” photos, taken when the de- velopment association set up shop 12 years ago, and matching them against photos of Tuamgraney now as part of the presentation they will make to the judges.

There has been plenty of work go- ing on around the village and envi- rons as well.

After a joint fundraiser with Scar- iff last year in a “Who wants to be a Thousandaire?” night, money was raised for a refurbishment of the me- morial garden. The finishing touches were put to a water feature allowing

water flow under the bridge for the nba MOEN OSs

“We know what needs to be done and what we have to get ready and there’s a lot to do in a short space of time but we’re getting great support and we’ll be ready,” said Mary.

RAHEEN Wood Steiner School is celebrating its 21st birthday this week and not least on its list of cel- ebrations will be a present from the Department of Education.

It has taken the school 21 years to get official recognition from the de- partment, but now the Raheen Wood school has achieved that goal.

Principal Pierce Sheils, said the ‘achievements over the last 21 years have been many in terms of the chil- dren, but the recognition from the Department of Education is an ac- knowledgement that Ireland is now a place where people are exercising

choice. We were to the forefront of that movement 21 years ago.”

The school started out with 27 chil- dren on the roll in the old Cooleen Bridge National School building. They celebrated 100 years of the building being home to primary education before growth in num- bers prompted a move to the present building in Raheen Wood. A sure sign that the school has come of age is the fact that a second generation of children, including Pierce’s own grandson, are now coming to Ra- heen Wood for their education.

Many familiar faces will be back next weekend for the twenty-first celebrations in Tuamgraney. Past pu-

pils, teachers, administrators, fami- lies and friends will come to attend the first official reunion since the school’s founding in 1986. The 100 children currently enrolled in the school will also join in the fun.

More than 400 children have been educated at Raheen Wood Steiner School during those 21 years, and more than half of their families still live in east Clare.

‘There is much excitement among these past pupils about the prospect of meeting up with fellow schoolmates and teachers, as well as commemo- rating their many accomplishments and current national school recogni- tion by the Department of Education

and Science,” said Susanne Sturton, PRO for the school.

Bonnie Boyle, past pupil and cur- rent parent of a Raheen Wood child said, “My time at the school is one of the happiest and richest of my life and I am so looking forward to meet- ing up with everyone again.”

“If you are a past pupil of the school and you have not received an invite, it simply means that the school does not have your current address. Eve- ry effort is being made to invite all past families so please contact me, Susanne Sturton on 061 640923 or email susanne@eastclareyoga.com to provide us with your current con- tact details,’ said Susanne.

Since the start of the year, just 10 victims of crime in the county have contacted the national Crime Vic- tims Helpline. This is less than one a fortnight and its co-ordinator is putting the low number down to lack of awareness.

The helpline is funded by the De- partment of Justice and is open to those directly affected by crime. The co-ordinator of the service said the figure for Clare is particularly low

when compared with other parts of the country.

“Mostly we would have more than that,’ said Maeve Ryan, “but it is really difficult to get everybody to know about it. If there was more awareness, there would be more call- ers. When somebody reports a crime, the guards send out a letter and our details are contained on that letter,” she said.

While the service answers calls relating to burglaries and break-ins, the main correspondence relates to more serious crime perpetrated on the individual.

“Our calls would be mostly to do with assaults and also domestic vio-

lence,’ she said.

Crime Victims Helpline gives call- ers various options after making the initial contact.

“We offer support and information to those who phone us. We act as a referral point, in that we put people in touch with specialist support, de- pending on what the caller wants,” she said.

“If a caller wants local support, we put them in touch with a local serv- ice. If a caller has questions about garda investigations or procedures, we can give them information on that and put him/her in contact with the court’s support service. For people not familiar with the justice system,

it is bewildering. They often feel traumatised and very vulnerable at that stage,” said Ms Ryan.

This is particularly relevant when callers wish to speak to someone face-to-face as Crime Victims Hel- pline is a phone service only.

She is encouraging victims of every type of crime to contact the helpline on 1850 211 407.

“If people have queries or are feel- ing the after-effects of dealing with crime, they should contact us. Crime creates turmoil and confusion for people. People can be very affected. Fear is a huge thing. It is important to talk about it and be reassured,’ she added.

COMPETITION in the Kilrush retail trade is set to increase with plans lodged for an Aldi outlet in the OD e0k

Cracken Properties Ltd has lodged plans with Kilrush Town Council for a single storey discount foodstore, eight retail units, five office suites and parking spaces for 107 cars.

The proposed store is to be located on a 1.4 acre site on the Ennis Road. It is the second time that the Limer- ick-based company has applied for permission to construct a discount store at the location.

Last November, the council refused planning permission for another

building on the site because of inad- equate sight distance to the east and west of the entrance which would cause a traffic hazard and endanger public safety.

The council ruled that the proposal would materially contravene the Kilrush Development Plan which requires that such development will not be prejudicial to the amenities of the area.

In their latest submission to the town council, Cracken Properties say the reasons for refusal have been carefully reviewed and they have ful- ly addressed all issues and concerns raised. They also maintain that the development will form a natural and sustainable extension to the existing

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The company contends that the na- ture of the discount store – which will only provide for part of customer’s overall retail needs – will encourage them to use other stores in Kilrush to complete their shopping.

“This would create synergy be- tween the store and existing conven- 1ence outlets,’ the submission states.

“The site is currently vacant with a neglected appearance which does not contribute to the visual ameni- ties of the area. The proposal pro- vides an opportunity to enhance the streetscape along the Ennis Road and regenerate a derelict and under-used property.

“The inclusion of a discount food-

store in the scheme will improve competition and consumer choice by providing an additional convenience retail facility in the town.

“The retail policies of the Kilrush Town Development Plan acknowl- edge that further retail facilities are needed in the town to reduce the level of expenditure leakage to larger urban centres such as Ennis, Galway and Limerick and improve the retail offer in the town.

‘The proposed development is con- sistent with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area. It complies with the provisions of the retail planning guidelines and is con- sistent with national, regional and lo- cal planning policy.”

THE standoff between a Crusheen farmer and the National Roads Au- thority (NRA) deepened yesterday when Pat Fogarty refused to hand over keys to his house which is the subject of a compulsory purchase eKeloe

A section of Mr Fogarty land, in- cluding his house, 1s required for the construction of the Gort/Crusheen bypass.

Two NRA agents were refused ac- cess to Mr Fogarty’s property and were met with a protest organised by the Fogarty family and Clare IFA.

The elderly farmer declined to comment on yesterday’s actions but confirmed that negotiations were ongoing and that he hoped the situa- tion would be resolved in a peaceful nat-Nevelole

‘He has today refused to hand over keys to the NRA which means that they may well take out a court or- der against him and enforce it,” said Clare IFA president Michael Lynch who took part in yesterday’s protest.

“We would be hopeful that that wouldn’t happen and an agreement can be reached,” he said.

“He is waiting for a decision for planning permission for a replace- ment house on his land to be given by Clare County Council. If he gets that I think he will be satisfied.

“The IFA are hoping for a solution. The last thing we want is for a court order to be issued and him forcibly evicted from the house. The IFA will support Mr Fogarty as far as we can, within the law.”

A spokesman from the NRA told

has learned that a new main contractor has been em- ployed to complete the multi-million euro projects by Mowlam Health- Neos Work recommenced on the site yes- terday.

The Killimer Road nursing home was last month the subject of a number of pickets by subcontractors claiming to be owed tens of thou- sands by main contractors Siteline Construction.

Ennis based builder Josie Canavan said he was owed more than €60,000 while the main painting subcontrac- tor and plastering subcontractor claimed they were owed €46,000 and €11,000 respectively.

Speaking yesterday, Clare based roofer Ger Mungovan said he was

being forced to pay taxes for jobs that he was never himself paid for.

“We worked on the site for a good three or four months. We started working there in the April of 2007 and had three people working there most of the time but we would have around 5 or 6 there at the busy times,’ | aTemny-N (GE

“IT managed to get some money from Siteline at Christmas time. At the time they owed me €26,000 – I lost it with them on the phone and they paid me €18,000.”

A spokesman for Mowlam Health- care, the group behind the new nurs- ing home, confirmed to