Month: July 2008

THERE was a net loss of 131 jobs in the Shannon Free zone in 2007, the development company’s annual re- port shows.

While 354 new jobs came on line, 485 job losses were recorded during the year.

But the good news in the report 1s that sales figures, considered to be a reliable barometer of growth in the knowledge economy, have grown tot he point where Shannon Free Zone International Services now accounts for 70 per cent of total Free Zone sales compared to just 56 per cent in

Auer

The report, unveiled yesterday to an audience of dignitaries including Ta- naiste Mary Coughland, Dail depu- ties and the mayors of Clare and En- nis, shows there are now more than 7,000 people employed in the Free Zone in more than 100 companies.

In 2006, the year for which latest figures are available, Shannon Free companies generated €3.3 billion in sales, over 90 per cent in exports.

Investments in 2007 included a €100 plus million investment by Schwarz Pharma and in-house re- search and development by compa- nies in the zone amounted to €40

million.

New companies which came into the Free Zone during the year includ- ed Whitehorse Insurance, PC Tools Softwear and Genesis leasing.

The development company sank €8 million in providing property solutions for indigenous and foreign direct investment companies during the year.

The company also completed 17 land transactions and ten building sales, generating more than €14 mil- lion for investments in future devel- opments.

Shannon Development entered into 64 new leases with business clients

during the year and there were more than 100 lease renewals completed with clients in the same period.

In the tourism brief, the region at- tracted two million visitors during the year and generated more than €443 million in tourism revenue. Shannon airport recorded more than 3.63 million passengers during the year.

The company’s tourism market- ing team got the tourism message out to 250 million potential visitors world-wide through attendance at 40 national and international trade and consumer tourism events, focused e-marketing campaigns and adver-

ornate

Domestic visitors to the region numbered some 865,000, a 13.6 per cent increase over the previous year which generated €150 mullion for the region.

During the year, the company worked with private sector promot- ers and investors on a range of tour- ism projects with a potential future investment of more than €250 mil- iteyne

A fund of £12 million was invested in broadband roll-out by Shannon Broadband Ltd, a public sector con- sortium led by Shannon Develop- ment.

A 38-YEAR old Ennis-based sales- man who feared that he may die of AIDS and may not see his young son erow up after finding a needle em- bedded in his knee while in hospital, is suing the Health Service Executive (HSE) over the incident.

At Ennis Circuit Court this week, the man is seeking damages from the HSE in relation to the incident that occurred at the Limerick Mid Western Regional Hospital on May 1, 2005.

According to the claim lodged by the man, he was staying overnight at the hospital to be with his sick son, then aged two and a half.

The man slept on a mattress beside his son but at 6am woke to a feeling of mild pain in his left knee.

A YOUNG west Clare man has been charged with raping a 14 year old girl. The accused, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared before Ennis District Court on Friday. Seeking an adjournment for service of the book, Inspector John Galvin said that he needed the case put back to prepare what would be a “lengthy book of evidence.” The man was re- manded on bail of €1,000 on condi- tion that he have no contact with the alleged injured party or her family.

On examination, the Ennis man discovered an orange-coloured nee- dle protruding from his knee, with the needle puncturing his skin and drawing blood.

As a result, the man was placed in genuine fear and apprehension of having contracted AIDS or Hepatitis ‘oF

The man was advised to attend the accident and emergency department where injections were administered and, according to his claim, the pos- sibility of having contracted HIV was mentioned to him during his time in the accident and emergency depart- ment by a HSE employee.

At the accident and emergency de- partment, the man was injected with HIV antibodies and advised that tests for HIV and AIDS would be performed in due course.

According to the man’s statement of claim, he began to experience panic attacks in the period following the incident and frequently suffered from shortness of breath and felt a heaviness in his chest during which he felt he was having heart attacks.

The claim states, “These panic at- tacks occurred several times per month, lasting five to ten minutes each and were also characterised by sweating, shaking and pins and needles in his arms. The plaintiff suffered from disturbed sleep and awoke due to the panic attacks on several occasions.”

The man was subsequently referred to a consultant pathologist and he said that administering the HIV anti- bodies was the wrong procedure. The consultant confirmed that there were concerns regarding the man having

contracted HIV or AIDS.

“The plaintiff was unclear as to the level of risk.

“He became even more concerned about his health as time went on and came to the view that he was going to get AIDS, that he would die a young man and miss seeing his son grow up. He became irritable and suffered from loss of concentration.”

Subsequent tests for HIV and Hepa- titis C proved negative and the results came before and during a family hol- iday to Lanzarote.

According to the claim, the holiday was ruined and the man spent the entirety of the holiday sitting around the pool crying and worrying about his future.

The claim states that the effects of the “needle” incident on the sale- man’s life were profound. The claim

states, “His personality was funda- mentally affected. He became much less relaxed and less outgoing. He avoided going out socially. He had suicidal thoughts and was subjected to taunts by work colleagues who became aware of his HIV test. The plaintiff has delayed trying to have a second child with his wife as a result of his residual fear about HIV.

The man attended a consultant psy- chologist in May 2006 and she con- cluded that the man had developed an anxiety disorder and suffered consid- erable psychological distress arising directly from the trauma associated with the incident and the limited re- sponse and support provided by the sls ay

The man is responding to anxiety management techniques and cogni- tive behavioural strategies.

THE Killaloe Diocesan Trust has instituted legal proceedings against two builders over their alleged fail- ure to complete the €554,000 pur- chase of Doonbeg National School from the diocese.

At Ennis Circuit Court this week proceedings taken by the Killaloe Diocesan Trust and Doonbeg priest, Fr Joe Haugh against developers Ni- all Cunningham and Brian McGoo- ey over the pair’s alleged failure to complete the purchase of the school are to be heard.

According to a claim lodged with Ennis Circuit Court by the diocesan trust, Cunningham and McGooey entered into a contract with the trust and Fr Haugh to purchase Doonbeg National School for €554,000. It states, “The closing date for the sale has passed.”

The claim states that the diocese has constructed another school in the village and have borrowed on the strength of receiving the funds out of the proposed sale of the Doonbeg National School site.

It continues, ““They are now expe- riencing considerable hardship as a result of the failure of the defendants to honour their obligations under the rie

Recently Cunningham and McCoo- ey were granted planning permission to construct 75 homes in Doonbeg.

The two are seeking to take advan-

tage of the need for tourist accom- modation brought about by the €150 million Doonbeg golf resort. However, as part of the conditions of planning, the council has stated that all the homes be used as the

principal place of residence.

This has prompted the developers to appeal the condition to An Bord Pleanala, stating that the condition is “onerous and that at least a propor- tion of the dwellings should be made

available for use as holiday homes”. The developers argue that the con- dition is onerous “in view of the na- ture, scale and design of the proposed development and the nature of the existing tourism product of Doon-

beg, which is currently characterised and restricted by a distinct shortfall in holiday home and tourism accom- modation”.

The developers state that the 1mpo- sition of the condition “is not in com- pliance with the proper planning and development of the area”.

The appeal states, “It 1s acknowl- edged that there are concerns regard- ing the provision of further holiday homes in Doonbeg potentially result- ing in the village becoming season- ally quite.

“However, it is argued that owing to the quality of the proposed scheme, it is unlikely that these houses will be purchased by people who only wish to reside in the area for a small portion of the year, but in contrast these houses are suitable to cater for people who will reside in them on a more continuous basis, eg retirement homes. This means that there will be a high rate of occupancy in the de- velopment throughout the year with resulting benefit s for the economy of the settlement.

The appeal also cites a policy of the West Clare Local Area Plan, which states that visitor accommodation will be encouraged to locate within settlements, ie such as Doonbeg.

A decision is due on the appeal later this year.

A MAN who is accused of harass- ing his former girlfriend lost his job in Shannon as a result of an incident involving him and the woman’s new boyfriend.

Shannon District Court, sitting in Ennis, heard Garda evidence con- cerning charges against John Consi- dine (27) of 24 Gort na Ri in Ennis.

He is accused of harassing Louise Curtin on dates between October 3

and November 11, 2006.

Judge Joseph Mangan heard Garda evidence alleging that after the break-up, Considine continued phon- ing, texting and sending flowers to Louise Curtin. He also had requests played for her on local and national radio stations.

When Curtin began a new relation- ship with a work-colleague of Con- sidine’s at Tyco Electronics in Shan- non, he began “leaving messages on their cars and following them home”,

it was claimed.

As aresult of an altercation, Con- sidine lost his job at Tyco, the court heard. It will also be alleged that Considine made threats in his text Naoko

Judge Mangan asked how serious the threats were and was told by a Garda witness that they were “not very serious. He was saying they would be on the dole soon too”.

Judge Mangan accepted jurisdic- tion in the matter. He remanded

Considine on bail and agreed to a Garda application to change Consi- dine’s address after hearing that he was moving to his mother’s home in Kildysart. The judge put conditions on the bail that Considine stay out of Shannon town centre and industrial estate, that he sign on at Ennis Garda Station three times a week after 6pm, and that he have no contact with Lou- ise Curtin or David Grimes.

He was remanded to the court sit- ting on September I1.

SHARON Collins is this week adjust- ing to her surroundings in Mountjoy prison, having been found guilty of conspiracy to murder her partner and his two sons and also of soliciting a man to kill the three.

The mother-of-two was taken into custody at the Central Crimi- nal Court at teatime last Wednesday, having been found guilty by a jury of six charges.

The 45-year-old has been placed in the Laurel House unit of the wom- en’s prison, the Dochas centre.

She is sharing the area with nine others, including Tanya Lamb (30), who is serving a 10-year term for killing her partner with a hockey

stick. Anthony Jordan died after be- ing attacked in Ballymun, Dublin, in 2003.

AY ES @ro) Ure cede (orem SIRO) Moan ry day and after she is sentenced, this will be limited to weekly visits.

“She is adjusting to her circum- stances, changed as they are,” said a source close to Ms Collins, yesterday. Newspaper claims that she is con- stantly crying her eyes out and had to be seen by a doctor as an emergency due to her distressed state have been described as “exaggerated.”

“Every person who is admitted to prison is seen by a doctor,” said the source. Collins was found guilty of soliciting Essam Eid to murder PJ, Robert and Niall Howard. The jury delivered its unanimous decision at

2.25pm last Wednesday, after delib- erating for eight hours.

Forty minutes later, the jury re- turned verdicts on the conspiracy to murder charges. They found Collins guilty of conspiring to murder the three Howards, but could not decide whether her co-accused Essam Eid was guilty of the conspiracy charges and returned a verdict of disagree- ment.

Any appeals in the case will be lodged to the Court of Criminal Ap- peal, after the sentencing in October.

After the verdicts were returned to the court, Prosecutor Tom O’ Connell immediately asked for Collins to be remanded in custody.

‘Her status has now changed. She is a convicted person. She has been

convicted of very serious crimes. My application is to have her remanded in custody,” he said.

However, her legal team pointed out that there was no danger of Col- lins not turning up for sentence in October and sought various medical reports to be carried out.

Mr Justice Roderick Murphy ruled that it was not necessary for some- one to be on bail for psychological reports to be carried out and he re- manded her in custody.

Paul O’Higgins, SC, for Collins, requested that she be remanded to Mountjoy women’s prison rather than Limerick, pointing out that her two sons were living in Dublin.

The judge said this was a matter for the State and the court would be

happy to make the recommendation.

Minutes after Collins was driven away to prison, her solicitor Eugene O’Kelly asked for privacy for her two sons Gary and David, who had supported their mother throughout the eight-week trial.

“I would like to say that the two persons that are most affected, other than Sharon, as a result of this ver- dict, are her two sons. These are two fine young men that have displayed loyalty, devotion and love for their mother. They have stood by her in this trial and their lives have now been shattered as a result of the out- come. I would ask that they be af- forded respect and privacy so that they can adjust to the changed cir- cumstances,’ said Mr O’Kelly.

THE man who administered laser treatment to terminally ill cancer pa- tients at the East Clinic in Killaloe had been struck of the medical regis- ter in the United States, a court heard last week.

Dr Bull Porter lied on his CV for the job with Frieda and Pascal Car- mody, saying that he had worked in the Mater Hospital in Dublin, when

he hadn’t.

But neither of the Carmody’s was aware of this, the Circuit Court sit- ting in Ennis heard last week.

Porter – who has now left the juris- diction – was also struck off in Cali- fornia for not paying alimony and abandoning a patient and was the subject of a Garda investigation into his involvement in advance cosmetic surgery in Cork. The jury was hear- ing evidence from statements made

by Pascal Carmody during inter- views with gardai. The court heard that a month after he joined the East Clinic, Dr Frieda Keane and Carmo- dy wrote to him, pressing him to reg- ister with the Irish Medical Council.

He replied to her that he had dis- cussed the matter with Pascal Car- mody and, as he would be practising in the capacity of a technician ad- ministering light therapy and not as a medical doctor, there would be no

need for him to register.

Carmody told gardai in an inter- view that neither he nor his wife were aware of Dr Porter’s back- eround. When he came for interview at the clinic he presented a CV and said that he had recently been in- terviewed for the post of opthalmic consultant at the University Hospital in Cork. Carmody told gardai that his wife had called one of the people who sat on the interview panel and

was told that they would not be offer- ing Dr Porter the post but that he had been an excellent candidate.

Carmody told gardai that they were both satisfied that such an eminent body as CUH would have run checks on an interviewee’s background.

The court also heard from former nursing and administration staff at the East Clinic that they found it a “happy” place to work with a good atmosphere.

A CANCER expert told a jury that he “had great difficulty” believing that a specialised laser treatment – photo- dynamic therapy (PDT) – would have any affect on deep-seated cancers.

A consultant radiation oncologist at Galway University Hospital, Profes- sor Frank Sullivan gave evidence as an expert witness called by the pros- ecution in the case against former GP Pascal Carmody.

Prof Sullivan told the Circuit Court in Ennis that he worked with PDT for treating some cancers while he was

cancer centre director for Holy Cross Health, Silver Spring as well as CEO and medical director of Maryland Regional Cancer Care.

He said the treatment would only be effective when treating cancers on the skin or on the lining of structures such as the airways and food tube.

PDT involves the use of a photo- sensitising drug that is administered intravenously through the vein.

When it reaches the cancer cells in the presence of oxygen if a light is shone directly on to the cancerous cells they will very likely be killed.

He told the court that the laser

would not penetrate more than 5mm and was ineffective on deep-rooted cancers such as lung cancer or can- cer in the bone.

The 1l-person jury has already heard that 15-year-old Conor O’Sullivan from County Wexford had undergone PDT treatment in July 2002 in the East Clinic.

Having examined the young teen’s medical notes Prof Sullivan said that he had suffered from a very aggres- sive form of cancer – Ewing’s Sar- coma.

“I can see no reason to consider PDT for the child,’ said the expert

with 25 years experience in cancer treatment.

Prof Sullivan was also asked about the effects of PDT on the cancer suf- fered by Mullingar man, the late JJ CRUE toe

He said the 46-year-old’s cancer had spread even after his stomach, part of his liver and spleen had been removed.

“To shine a light that would only penetrate 5mm would be very inef- fective,” he said.

He said that likewise the treatment would be ineffective in the late John Sheridan from Kilkenny who had

suffered from cancer of the rectum that spread to the liver.

Prof Sullivan also gave evidence that patients treated with the licensed photosensitising drug – photofolora – were extremely sensitive to light for AUemeaeyela ele

They would suffer from severe sun- burn and their lips and face would swell if they went outdoors without wearing long clothes and a special PPI Ele ENF

He said the only information he had on the drug used in the East Clinic – radochlorin – was that it was from Russia.

A RENOWNED consultant surgeon said he could not be sure that treat- ment offered to patients at the East Clinic had any positive affect.

London-based Dr Colin Hopper said he believed that it was likely that other treatments received by the three patients he interviewed helped to elongate their lives.

The Consultant Oral and Maxillo- facial Surgeon at the University Col- lege London Hospitals and Senior

Research Fellow National Medical Laser Centre London, was giving evidence in the case of Dr Pascal Carmody who has denied deceiving terminally ill patients at his clinic in Killaloe.

Mr Hopper visited Dr Carmody at his clinic in 2002.

Spending almost two hours in the witness box on Friday morning, Mr Hopper said, “There is a quantum leap, a leap of faith if you will, be- tween what is mainstream medicine and this medicine being provided.

That is what I have the greatest dif- ficulty with.”

He raised concerns about using drugs on patients without having any information on them and said pa- tients who are terminally ill should not be used as guinea pigs.

‘People who have a very short time to live should not have new medi- cines experimented on them. Pa- tients who are terminally ill have to be protected,” he told the jury at the circuit court.

Council for the defence Pat Mar-

rinan SC told Mr Hopper that the patients were told that they were dy- ing.

Mr Hopper replied, “Dying with an unknown prognosis. None of us have a crystal ball. I have seen pa- tients who were told they had three weeks and they were still alive in ten years.”

The defending barrister asked if there was an adverse reaction in the patients he reviewed.

“The patients did well but whether it was from PDT or other therapies

offered I would expect other thera- pies to have the effect,” he said.

Mr Hopper agreed that he described the case of Mark Hadden, who was given three months to live in 1996, as miraculous, in his 2002 report. Mr Hadden died weeks before the trial preteen a

The consultant surgeon told the court, however, that he could not be sure what was at work as Mr Hadden had also received hyperthermia im- munotherapy in Germany. The trial is to continue this morning.

AT TIMES on Sunday, Tipperary re- sembled surgeons. They were swift, incisive, they produced what was needed when it was needed.

Just take the two goals.

The first, from Seamus Callinan, came with seven minutes left in the first half. By then, Tipperary were ahead by five but the break was in sight and at the least, it offered Clare an opportunity to re-group. When Callinan took the ball at pace, the

goal didn’t seem the obvious target but he dipped his shoulder, left Conor Plunkett in his slipstream and struck off his left hand side. Frank Lohan, standing between Philip Brennan and Callinan, didn’t get any contact on the shot or the man and the net rattled. That goal gave the game a different story and from there, Clare were forced to chase, which they did effectively in the second-half.

But once more, Tipperary took the scalpel from the sideboard and in- flicted another wound. This time, it

seemed to be with even less effort but as much conviction. Clare had played themselves into touching distance and had chipped away at the Tipper- ary lead to leave just five between them once more.

Then, Brendan Cummins whipped the puckout from Jonathon Clancy’s point into the paw of John O’Brien and seconds later, Tipp had their sec- ond goal and the game by the neck. It was the perfect response.

In contrast, Clare were sloppy and indecisive. The first half wides and

those balls dropped into the grasp of Cummins were the stand out memo- ries for Clare from those opening 35 minutes but on Sunday, surrounded by his daughters Aisling and Gemma, Clare’s sloven play didn’t concern Tipperary manager Liam Sheedy and even with a fine haul from open play and a semi-final place already booked, he had the appearance of a man still unsatisfied.

“All but two points from play is pretty impressive, but if the forwards are working hard they should be winning a few more frees from pos- session as well. That’s the plus and the minus of it. We only won one scorable free in each half so in that sense, we really struggled.

“Clare, in fairness in the second half, they played well and we strug- gled to get the ball to our full-for- ward line and half-forward line. We made a few swicthes where we just tried to get our hands on the ball. But really, it was John O’Brien’s goal that was vital for us. It gave us an eight point cushion again.”

He’s reminded that Tipperary are now just two games away from win- ning an All Ireland final, but Sheedy stands resolute. He refuses to get drawn into a commentary on what might yet be.

“We can’t think about an All Ire- land final. These lads are very level headed. They’ll go back and they’ve serious club championship games to play over the next two or three weeks and in between we’ll be working like tigers to get up to Croke Park. In re-

cent years, Croke Park hasn’t been a happy hunting ground but we’ll try to change that.

“It’s nice to be in an All Ireland semi final but we’ve got to re-focus again. It’s five weeks and there’s work to be done on the back of two very tough games. But in fairness to the lads, they deserve this. I couldn’t speak highly enough of them and the work they’ve done. It’s great for them be- cause their attitude is great. They’re amatuers, they love what they do and I’m delighted with them.”

He poses some questions himself. Can Tipperary match the perform- ance shown by Kilkenny in last Sun- day week’s Leinster Final? He says he doubts it.

“But the bottom line is we’re still in there. It’s a first semi-final since 2003, so we’ll look forward to that and the lads will give it a right go.

‘Being unbeaten isn’t something we talk about here. We just take it game to game but these lads are competi- tive and they just want to be the best when they take to the field. But I’m under no illusions, we won’t win an All Ireland on today’s performance.”

Strong but sombre. Work to do and five weeks to do it. That’s the cold but accomplished attitude of a side and a manager with bigger things on WeToJPMB BODE NTORSE

THE twin towers of the Tipper- ary forwards, Lar Corbett and Eoin Kelly, slipped away from the cel- ebrations out on the field in Limerick and made for the quiet refuge of the dressing room.

Before they reached the door, they stopped in the Mackey tunnel and took a moment to reflect on the title they’s just won. It’s a stepping stone, both believed, nothing to celebrate

too intensely, but an achievement nonetheless.

For Corbett, the other Munster medal he can jangle was picked up seven years back, when he had just broken into the Tipperary team.

2001 is a long time ago,” he said. “IT probably didn’t fully realise what I had in 2001 but I really appreciate this today. I’m delighted to be part of such an honest bunch of fellas and it was a dream there today. The hon- esty of the Tipperary people is awe-

some and I’m just delighted.”

He’s reminded of the Clare rally in the second half, but says that Clare’s response was expected. Tipperary ex- pected an ambush, they just weren’t sure when it would arrive.

“Clare were always going to get a run and we didn’t know if it was going to be in the first or the sec- ond half. They got it in the second half but the difference was John O’Brien’s goal. It was inspirational. It gave us another lift and we went on

Jeue)eemser-lmme

Eoin Kelly is of a similar opinion. He knew the backlash was com- ing, but he also knew Tipperary had enough in the tank to play themselves out of trouble.

“Like Clare, we were training since last November so we knew we had the fitness to get the scores in the last 20 minutes. We all chipped in with scores and personally, I’m just delighted.

“We’re just delighted that we don’t

have to go through the qualifiers, that we have a direct route into the semi. We’ll probably enjoy this tonight and tomorrow then we’ll sit back and focus and see where we need to 1m- prove because we do need to improve if we’re to go further.”

A stepping stone, hopefully, Kelly says, to better and bigger things to Koy nates

A year to September and the Liam McCarthy Cup is all that’s left for Kelly, Corbett and co to ahieve.