Month: August 2008

CLARE County Council is taking a tough line with alleged breaches of the planning laws by issuing en- forcement notices over unauthorised developments in Sixmilebridge and Flee

The council has issued notices against William Stackpoole of | Lois Mara, Lahinch and Philip Morrison of the Walk-In Studio & Gallery, Main Street, Lahinch to cease all commercial operations at the site.

They have been given until later this month to comply with the notice and revert the structure back to a private dwelling as well as refunding €300 costs incurred by the council in the investigation and issuing of enforce- ment proceedings.

If they fail to comply with the no- tice, the council has warned it will have no option but to initiate legal proceedings and this would result in additional costs.

A similar notice has been issued to two directors of a Sixmilebridge company who have been ordered to reconstruct a house they demolished on the main street without planning permission. The notice under the Planning and Development Act was issued to Patrick and Yvonne Cos- tello of Maxfern Ltd, Shannon Road, SIV. Cse bose ulelven

The council considers the demo- lition of the dwelling house to be unauthorised as it does not have the

benefit of planning permission and does not constitute exempted devel- opment. The planners are demanding that the house be rebuilt in accord- ance with the original design and to the satisfaction of the council.

It is understood the house was de- molished adjacent to the entrance to a development of four apartments and two shop units for which Mr Costello secured planning permis- sion in 2005.

The council is also demanding that

all remedial works are carried out to ensure the satisfactory reinstatement of the adjoining property to the west of the site.

The Costellos are also obliged to employ a chartered structural en- gineer to supervise all works to the adjoining property.

The issuing of the enforcement no- tices comes against the background of increased activity by the Enforce- ment Unit.

A Bunratty businessman was re-

cently sentenced to three months 1m- prisonment at Ennis District Court for not complying with an enforce- ment notice.

The businessman is currently on bail pending the outcome of his ap- ered

WEST Clare has been the focus of currach enthusiasts this year. Dur- ing the summer visitors and locals have enjoyed numerous currach re- gatta races this year and played host to the All-Ireland championships in SNe Te

On August 24, local interest will be firmly fixed on the next regatta in the west and the showdown between top teams Kilrush and Coonagh, when the Clare Decider takes place during the Leon Currach Regatta.

The Clare Decider will be a hard

fought series of races and both cur- rach crews can expect to face stiff competition from the many teams lined up to compete on the day.

Currach rowing has enjoyed a huge revival in the last number of years thanks to the dedication and com- mitment of a growing number of vol- Pion

The Quilty based Leon Currach Rowing Club, which was formed in 2007, will host the Leon Currach Regatta and will field at least three crews to represent the club.

Having participated in several re- gattas this year in Clare and beyond,

the Leon club crews are all set for the Quilty Confined race to be a very oy en elo NLS AV om BOERNE

In addition to the Clare Decider and the Quilty Confined, currach races will include the heats and finals of the Men’s Open, Women’s Open and Mixed Open events.

The shore-based regatta staged off Seafield, Quilty, proved a huge at- traction to spectators last year. The Stretch of sandhills at Seafield, as well as the elevated road overlooking the sea all the way to Quilty village, provides excellent vantage points with which to view the races.

On August 24, the currach racing commences off Seafield, Quilty at lpm sharp with the heats of the Clare Decider.

If tidal and weather conditions are favourable, then organisers have pre- dicted a “fine days currach racing”.

Anyone wishing to find out more about the Leon Currach Regatta should call Mick Egan on 087 PAIR SOP

The Leon Currach Regatta is the first of two associated events in Quilty this autumn.

The festival will take place in Quilty from September 26 to 28.

WHILE August 15 has certain sig- nificant for Irish Catholics as it is the holy day the Assumption, for the people of west Clare it has long been associated with nine days devotion to the mother of Jesus.

This devotion centres around a holy well situated in Tubridy’s field between Cree and Cooraclare village in the townland of Dromelihy.

From 6am on this day people from Loop Head to Lisseycasey and Kildysart to Miltown Malbay can be seen walking barefoot and with shoes, in groups and alone, sitting and standing all praying intensely.

When the well first became a cen- tre of prayer remains a mystery, as are some of the stories associated

velo Le

One of the best-known pieces of folklore or fact – depending on your belief – is the overnight recovery of a man on crutches.

‘There was a tradition where peo- ple used to go to the well the night before the 15th and stay the night. They would sleep there,” said Mar- tin Queally – a man who remembers the well always playing a part in the lives of the locals.

On one of those fateful nights, the story goes that an unknown man lay down to sleep with his crutches by his side.

That morning he woke up and walked away from the well leaving lord OUD ANG MU SlomOnut Kel lene

For years later the wooden crutches were left at the well as a reminder.

Martin is regarded by many as somewhat of an authority on the lo- cal monument.

“It has always been there. I am 70 plus and when I was young the old people all remembered it as being Wolken

‘There is no recorded date for when people first started going there,” he ALOR

“Some improvements were made in the 1840s by a man named John Quinn from Caherfeenick. There is a stone in the wall behind Our Lady asking for prayers for him. It is not recorded exactly what was done,’ said Martin.

During the Marian Year, 1954, more improvement works were car- ried out and in the past 20 years the well committee have continued to

build on that work.

The hard working committee have added a shelter for Mass, toilet fa- cilities and a prayer room where the sacrament is exposed during the nine day of services.

For the first time Mass was held at 3pm on the opening day last Friday.

Mass will take place at the well to- night, Thursday and Friday at 8pm, with the closing Mass at 10 am on Saturday.

A special Mass will be held on to- morrow (Wednesday) at 3pm.

Many people will also do the “rounds”, which will see them pray five decades of the rosary while walking the outer ring of the well, five again for the inner ring and five around the wall of the well finishing Uh OMNI Ty (6 Con

THE Government it would seem got value for money when decentralis- ing its offices to Kilrush, compared to moving civil servants to other towns.

Sixty staff took up jobs in the town’s Revenue office in Kilrush during Summer 2007.

These workers filled 50 full-time positions through job sharing and other family friendly employment NSU RUN Kone

The government secured a long- term lease for offices in the west Clare capital for €85,000 a year, while the estimated fit out, excluding VAT and fees, was €411,000.

These figures compare favourably to similar sized towns that also ben- efited from the decentralisation of government offices.

The fit out of an office in Listow- el, Co Kerry, cost €1.3m. The an- nual rent for the long-term lease is €183,000.

In Loughrea, Co Galway, the gov-

ernment is paying €139,235, a year in rent for offices which cost another €572,000 to fit out, excluding VAT and Fees.

In Navan, Co Meath, the taxpay- er is funding an office at a rent of €382,492 a year while the fit out cost more than €1.4 million.

In Athy, Co Kidare, the Govern- ment took out a temporary lease on offices costing €©231,554 a year in rent, while fitting out the offices cost €493,000.

It was only in the neighbouring

county of Limerick that the Govern- ment seemed to be paying less rent. The rent for offices in Newcastle West is €68,771 per year.

According to Fine Gael TD Pat Breen the Kilrush office seemed to be value for money.

‘When you consider what has to be paid out for green field sites and the cost of rents in other towns, it Seems a good option.”

“It is a work friendly, open space office,” he said of the offices on the Cappa Road.

that the town in still in demand.

“It absolutely bodes well that a few developers are prepared to invest in the town. There is not much of a drop in house prices either in the town according to local auctioneers,” he ENG

“There are about 50 houses from small developers in the system look- ing for permission, some of them with three to six houses,” he added.

There are just less than 100 more

houses that have been refused per- mission due to a “resident only” EN Son

Councillors zoned the land at the back of the Church residential with a “resident only” clause so as to en- courage an increase in the year round population of the town, and discour- age holiday homes in that particular area.

The refusal for this development was appealed to An Bord Pleanala.

Meanwhile the three newest plan- ning applications to Clare County Council could see as many as 62 houses built in the coming months.

The newest of the applications is from the planning authority itself. Clare County Council is proposing to build 23 affordable houses with

ancillary road and public lighting at Dough on the Miltown Road.

In its submission to the application the NRA said it would not be making a further submission relying instead on Clare County Council to abide by policy on road frontage.

Helan Kennedy has applied to de- molish existing houses and to con- struct IO houses consisting of six semi-detached and four detached also on the Miltown Road.

This application is awaiting further information following a number of objections from neighbouring land- owners regarding the necessity to knock existing old cottages and ac- cess issues. Submissions also stated that the houses on the road are single storey houses and the development is

for two storey dwellings.

An Taisce suggested that redesign- ing the access road and reducing the number of houses would avoid the necessity to knock the existing cot- tage.

An application by Michael and Gerry Bond to build 29 houses at Dough is also under consideration with a decision due on September 3.

A number of objections also face this development including the close proximity of the effluent holding tank close to a nearby bed and breakfast.

Objections also relate to a sugges- tion that the land for development is lower than the road, the brick road is in bad condition and the density of the houses proposed could devalue other houses in the area.

IT was a case of 36st time into the breach for Lahinch man Pat Conway last week as he, along with four other brave swimmers, took on the might of Liscannor Bay.

This year’s annual Lahinch to Lis- cannor Charity Swim was undertak- en in some of the worst weather in recent memory, with high winds and rough seas making the crossing a se- rious challenge for all concerned.

A group of five swimmers, in- cluding Pat’s son Damien, Johnny O’Loughlin, Brian McCarthy and Tom White, took to the rough wa- ters and in the process raised some

€6,000 for the Burren Chernobyl Project (BCP).

‘Pat has been doing this swim now for 36 years and we feel really lucky that in the past number of years he has fundraiser for Burren Cherno- byl,’ said Lisa O’Connor from the Burren Chernobyl Project.

“It’s such an important fundriaser for the organisation. It’s a great day and a lot of people come out to sup- port it both in Lahinch and Liscan- nor but besides that Pat always does a lot of fundraising in the town before the event itself.

“Pat does a wonderful job and the local people and businesses are so generous.”

Funds from this years event will go to a number of worthy projects in the Belarus where the BCP has made great strides in helping vulnerable people effected by the Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster.

Indeed, Lisa’s daughter Tessa has just returned from an aid trip to Belarus. “There are so many differ- ent projects going on over there at the moment. We have several group out at the moment in the children’s orphanage Goradishche; we have a group from the Special Olympics who were just out and did a fantastic job out there in children’s summer camps, we have had a physiotherapy group and a group out there doing ar-

tistic work and painting,’ continued Lisa.

“We have just opened a day-care centre in Cherven last week. This facility will allow families to keep their children at home while they can go out and work during the day. It will let a lot of families keep their children at home instead of having to put them in one of the government asylums.

“It was just opened there in the end of July and will be of huge benefit to the locals there and especially the children.”

To learn more about the Burren Chernobyl Project check out www. burrenchernobylproject.ie

FANCY getting your hands on a Sunderland jersey signed by the great Roy Keane himself? Well that and much more is on offer at a char- ity auction in aid of the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind to be held in Lis- doonvarna later this month.

The auction, which will take place in the newly redeveloped Lisdoon- varna Town Hall Pavilion, has been organised by local man John Stack. This October, John will travel to Spain in to tackle a gruelling six day cycling odyssey to raise much need- ed funds for the charity.

“T was in Cuba last year for a_ six-

day charity cycle and this year I’m off to Majorca. It’s organised each year by the Irish Guide Dogs for the Blind and they look for volunteers to come onboard, raise the money and do the cycle.

“Each person has to raise €3,300 to go on the trip and the most of that goes straight to the charity. At the moment we have 12 people from all over the country taking part but we have room for a few more if anyone is interested.”

The cycling trip will see John tackle high temperatures and rough terrain on his journey around the Spanish island.

“Tt’s going to be a tough challenge.

We have six days of cycling and be- tween 40 and 80 miles of cycling each day. A lot of the route is up decent hills and mountains so we will be tired afterwards,’ continued John.

“I’ve been doing some good train- ing, sure I’m cycling for years, but it will be tough going.”

The auction will take place on Sat- urday August 23 and John is asking anyone with good to donate to get in one lae

“Tl take absolutely anything for the auction. Anything from farm produce to silage bales to new po- tatoes, furniture and concrete,’ he continued.

“T’ll take anything that is saleable, I don’t mind if it costs a euro or a hun- dred euro so long as it’s saleable. If people just get in contact with me I will sort it out. If people down have anything for the auction but still want to donate they can give cash and people can also still get involved with going on the cycle itself. There is plenty of time still.”

Anyone who would liek to learn more or donate products should con- tact John on 086 2552709.

THE Gort Family Resource Centre will this week celebrate 5 years of community work in the area with the announcement of a number of new opportunities for local people.

The centre, which is based in the town’s square, is about to extend its premises and and also expand on the number of community facilities and courses on offer.

“The resource centre is driven by a group of volunteers who represent the different people and needs of the community. It’s open to all and anyone interested or curious should come in,” said Sandra Farrell, Centre Administrator.

“We have now expanded our offices by taking on the second floor of our premises here in the square. That will allow us to increase what we can do with and for the local people.”

The group provides a range of serv- ices including citizen information days, migrant information, employ- ment and career guidance, money advice and budgeting and work with the gay and lesbian community.

“We have a lot going on at the mo- ment. We were lucky enough to get funding for six computers and have been running programmes for older people to get some basic computer skills. That is very popular and we are about to start a new eight week course from the beginning of Sep-

tember,’ said centre co-ordinator Ann Rozario.

“We are also about to start parent- ing classes for single parents. There are still places in that so anyone in- terested should give us a buzz. We have new programmmes starting all the time and are always looking for people interested in volunteering.”

Indeed, the actions at the centre are driven almost exclusively by volun- teers.

‘“T have been helping out a lot with the directory which is a book of useful local number in English and Portuguese,’ said volunteer Helen Scribens.

“It’s nice to do something for the local community – to give something

back. You get to meet a lot of differ- ent new people from the area. It’s a lot of fun.”

The centre has recently taken on a development officer who will look at different ways to grow the service over the next number of years.

Frank Murray, who was one of the founding members of the Gort Bra- Zilian Association, will look after the development of facilities for the Bra- Zilian community, the elderly, lone parenting youth and isolated men.

New events and programmes are being announced in the resource cen- tre on a regular basis.

To keep in touch with goings-on contact 091 6309021 or call into the centre.

CARRON was the venue last week for the launch of a new scheme which it’s hoped will bring walking in the Burren to a whole new level.

North Clare is a beautiful place when the sun shines, and it was in one of those rare patches of sunshine last week that newly appointed Rural Recreation Officer, Eimer McCarthy, met with two local landowners to fi- nalise the new walking scheme in the area.

The scheme, which has been intro- duced in 12 counties by the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Eamon O Cuiv, will see a new partnership approach to rural walks, with farmers being compen- sated for the use and uptake of their

land.

“The real significance of today is that we initiating this new walk scheme payment which means that the government are now paying land owners on national way marked ways for access through their land,” said Eimer.

“We have been walking with the National Trails Office who have sup- plied me with six inch maps on which I can identify farm boundaries. This morning I met with two farmers on the Carron Loop, which is part of the Burren Way, and I met them so that we can agree their work plans so that they can be part of this new walks scheme.

“The thing that is great about the Carron Loop 1s that it is off-road. It starts from Cassidy’s Pub and goes

off road for a nine kilometre loop which is a wonderful walk, very sce- nic and rustic but safe and well sign- posted.”

It is hoped that the new scheme will see farmers and walking organisa- tions working in partnership to pre- serve the country’s tradition walks.

‘This scheme is an important step in enhancing the quality of the four National Way Marked Ways in Clare, while also benefiting local farmers, and of course walkers themselves,” Gerard Kennedy, Rural Resource Development and The Burren Way Ltd.

“It should increase County Clare’s position as a leading walking desti- nation, and with suitable promotion could attract increased numbers of walkers to the county, benefiting lo-

cal businesses and service providers alike.”

Once the scheme is up and running in the Burren Way, plans are in place to extend it to the Mid-Clare, East Clare and Lough Derg Ways.

Meanwhile a number of events have been organised to mark National Trails Day which takes place on Sep- tember 28. To learn more about these check out www.nationaltrailsday.ie.

MAYBE Shannon, in a club cham- pionship gone wrong weather-wise, could be the spark for St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield to roll back the years to when they were the most feared club in the land.

Remember when they were kings in °99 — county, Munster and All-Ire- land champions, but when those titles would have counted for little had they failed to finally exorcise their Clare- castle demons in championship.

It finally happened in Shannon, a semi-final showdown moved from Cusack Park because of the inclem- ent weather. So it was that this fixture fell in Cusack Park and was trans- ferred to Shannon.

So it was that St Joseph’s produced their best display in three years. With seven survivors from their storied championship years from 1998 to ’O1 still manning gaps all over the field they blitzed a Sixmilebridge team re- duced to bagging a consolation goal two minutes from time.

But that’s not to suggest that this St Joseph’s is an ageing team digging out one final kick at the big time — at the kernel of this their impressive seven-point win was the fusion of old and new.

The work of the last few years in getting the blend right seems to be clicking into place. St Joseph’s have finally emerged from a three-year championship slump with their new team, built on familiar foundations, but with enough young blood to give enthusiasm and no little adventure.

Cue their first half display in this one when they ran a ragged Sixmi- lebridge off the park and into their dressing room at half-time trailing by 1-11 to O-7. Double scores and St Joseph’s were full value for eve- ry point of that lead as they left the ‘Bridge floundering in their wake.

It was champagne hurling at times, with intensity and hunger for the sli- otar and scores that following over- whelming a Sixmilebridge side that only offered some token resistance through Caimin Morey up front.

St Joseph’s had big performers eve- rywhere — David Hoey sniping pos- Session in the half-back line; Ken Kennedy beside him keeping Niall Gilligan very quiet; Marty O’Regan having his best championship game ever in the corner; Greg Lyons’ in- dustry in the middle; Seanie McMa- hon’s impressive championship debut as a forward; Michael McNamara’s haul of scores.

Of course a 1-1 inside three min- utes was the perfect launching pad. Darragh O’Driscoll fired over the Opening point, while the goal came after David Fitzgerald could only bat a 60-yard sideline cut from Conor

Hassett into the path of Michael Mc- Namara who flashed to the net from ATE TECK

St Joseph’s never really looked back and though Sixmilebridge responded with two Niall Gilligan points, it was “The Parish’ who really caught the eye as they chased after the two points with a real sense of purpose.

Conor Hassett knocked over a cou-

ple of long range frees for fun while Michael McNamara had the facility to pop up anywhere and then more importantly pop over the points. Mc- Namara put St Joseph’s 1-4 to O-2 in front by the 13th minute and there was much more to come.

Caimin Morey did reduce the gap to three points by the 15th minute as a clear pattern began to emerge.

Whenever the “Bridge looked like edging towards parity, St Joseph’s just moved through the gears at will and eased away towards half-time. David Hoey and Seanie McMahon stepped up with inspirational scores by the 20th minute, while a two-point scoring burst from Greg Lyons in the closing minutes of the half again showcased St Josephs’ hunger.

The “Bridge were just hanging in there thanks to points from Derek Fahy, Niall Gilligan and Caimin Mo- rey in the closing ten minutes of the half, but even at that the last act was played out by the hardworking Dam- ian Kennedy when he got his name on the scoresheet in the final few seconds.

There never looked like being a way back for Sixmilebridge, albeit that they had the wind advantage to come. St Joseph’s had the hunger again though and points by Michael McNamara and Conor Hassett post- ed their early intentions.

A tally of 1-4 in the second half was never going to be enough for the “Bridge, especially against a St Joseph’s team that were rampant at times. There was the individual bril- liance of Greg Lyons’ scores, and the teamwork behind Michael McNama- ieee

Teamwork and individual brilliance are potent forces that could carry St Joseph’s a long way in 2008.