Month: September 2008

FOR Kilmihil student Eimear Con- sidine, this year seems to be bring- ing just about everything together in sporting as well as academic achieve- ment.

On the brink of All-Ireland success in intermediate football with Clare, she already has had a once-in-a-life- time opportunity in the US Scholar/ Athlete Games run annually by the Institute for International Sport.

It all began with a chance encoun- ter at the University of Limerick sports arena for the girl from Leitrim outside Kilmihil while she was on a second-level break.

Emer was taking part in a badmin- ton work-out when a scout for the US games spotted Eimear’s ability in that sport and immediately “booked

to uae

The end result was a 10-day stay at Rhode Island university at the end of June where she fielded with the Athens team. Only two other Irish students were selected to participate – a student from Donegal and another from Limerick.

Eimear, now back in University of Limerick in an entirely different role – 515 points from the Leaving Cert. ensured a place in her choice of the physical education course – has won- derful memories of the American experience, for which she has ex- pressed thanks to the several Clare businesses who sponsored her trip.

To concentrate on her more recent sport involvements, she was voted player of the match in the Intermedi- ate Football semi-final against Long- ford that has brought Clare into the

All-Ireland decider against Tipper- ary on Sunday week.

She wil be following on _ the achievement of younger sister Aul- ish, a student at St. Michael’s, who already has an All-Ireland medal by virtue of Clare’s recent under-16B football win over Tipperary in which she scored a goal and a point.

As well as her recent sporting achievements, Eimear has played club football in all grades with Kilm- ihil as well all grades for Clare from cailiini 6ga to this year’s intermedi- ate grade; she was also captain of the Clare minor A team that won the Munster championship.

She also plays camogie with Kilma- ley and this has brought her county u- 14, 1-16 and u-18 medals in the sen- ior league, Munster u-16A and u-18 A and appearance in the All-Ireland

final against Kilkenny in the recent u-18A decider.

She is a Community Games AII- Star with the college’s basketball team and was chosen sports star of the year 2008 at St. Michael’s Col- fexer

She is also active in volleyball and athletics and achieved grade 8 in pi- ano as well as completing coaching and refereeing courses.

For Eimear Considine, it seems that there are not enough days on the week to accommodate all her inter- SSE

The production itself is already an historic one, as it will be the first Opera commissioned by the DIT

Conservatory of Music and Drama’s in more than a quarter of a century. Indeed, the conservatory has already invested more than €500,000 in the redevelopment the Gleeson Theatre in Dublin, where the opera will be staged.

‘This is an incredibly difficult chal- lenge. The opera last for about two hours and | think I’m physically on

stage for about an hour and a half of that. It’s a huge huge challenge so it will either make me or break me as a performer. We have a VIP night on the first night of the show which will have all the industry insiders as well as people like Mary McAleese,” said Peter.

“It’s a huge physical challenge as well. I have been going to the gym

three times a week, haven’t being go- ing out and have been going to bed early every night.

‘The is the fist time in a long, long time that the conservatory has put on an opera so it a very big deal up ite) Kemet

Peter is currently in the final year of his honours degree at the DIT Con- servatory of Music. After he com- pletes his formal studies in Ireland, Peter will have to go abroad, proba- bly to Italy, to continue his training.

‘Next year I’m going to take a year out, go back to Clare and work on the farm with my dad. I’m also go- ing to do a bit of teaching with Ar- chie Simpson from the Lismorahaun Singers and try to save some money, ” he continued.

“I’d like to do a two year Masters in Performance after that and Ill have to go abroad to do that, as it is not available in Ireland. It is very diffi- cult to find a teacher to take you on for this but I’d love to go to Italy and learn from the masters over there.”

Peter began singing as a young teenager with the Lismorahaun Singers alongside fellow Clare sen- sation Naomi O’Connell from Bal- lyvaughan and Dean Power from Clarecastle.

FUNDING has been provided for the appointment of an addiction coun- selor at the Bushypark Treatment Centre in Ennis.

It was announced last week that €57,000 had been allocated to the centre by the Department of Com- munity, Rural and Galetacht Affairs. One of the main roles that the new counsellor will fill will be the estab- lishment of weekly aftercare groups to assist cocaine users who have completed treatment in one of the four centres in the mid-west region.

Welcoming the announcement, Minster of State Tony Killeen said ‘“Bushypark has provided many years of invaluable service as a resi- dential addiction treatment centre for those addicted to alcohol, drugs and gambling. I hope that the funding allocated to the centre will help in- dividuals and their families recover from cocaine addictions and regain control of their lives.”

Minister Killeen added that tack- ling cocaine use and implementing the recommendations of the Report of the Working Group on Drugs Re- habilitation remained priorities for

Government.

“It is important that we continue to treat the problem of cocaine use. This funding will assist Bushypark Treatment Centre assist in develop- ing vital services for those experi- encing problems,’ he concluded.

Bushypark Treatment Centre is a facility designed to help individu- als and their families by providing a comprehensive addiction treat- ment programme. This programme is based on the Minnesota model of treatment, using 12-Step work as its foundation.

The recovery-oriented activities

offered at the centre include group therapy, addiction education, coun- seling, study, meditation, therapeutic duties, and 12-step meetings.

Family or other concerned persons of the individual in treatment can also participate in an education and Support programme. This is as nec- essary for them as it is for the person in treatment.

Weekly group meetings over a two- year period follow residential treat- ment. These sessions assist ex-resi- dents and family members make the necessary adjustments to living that are part of early recovery.

‘STORY Sack’ courses have become a wonderful means of parent-child interaction to help develop the read- ing habit early in life.

Devised by Clare Family Learn- ing Project (CFLP), a new series of courses 1s about to be launched in the county’s six public libraries, with an introductory workshop to which par- ents and their primary school chil- GieNm-DucmUIN AI Koree

Frances O’Gorman of Clare Li- brary Service is supporting CFLP to attract parents to the courses so they

can encourage their children to read more. A week after each workshop, a six-week course begins when each parent gets two free books, a cloth bag and background information.

The deValera Library in Ennis, Kilrush library and the Sean Lemass Library in Shannon will kick off the workshops on Tuesday, September 23. Next day it is the turn of Killa- loe followed on Thursday, September 25 by Ennistymon and Scariff. All workshops get under way at 3.30pm. The succeeding courses are delivered on the corresponding weekdays from 10.30am to noon.

CFLP co-ordinator Mary Flanagan explains, “Participants create their own ‘story sack’ made up of props related to a specific book.

“This is developed week by week as a different part of a book is focussed on and the appropriate items are made and collected together in the sack. The process gives participants an opportunity to think about what elements there are to a book, the val- ue of sharing books with children, all in a fun and creative milieu.”

She describes the aims of the cours- es, firstly, as encouraging parents to improve their confidence and stimu-

late an interest in books and stories. Going on from there, they can identi- fy a good book, choose suitable ones for their children and be aware of use of voice and tone when sharing/read- ing stories.

Next step is to realise that there are opportunities to extend vocabu- lary when sharing books; that books have component parts and come to understand there are different sorts of books.

Creating games that complement the stories is a further aim.

More details are available right now at each of the libraries.

A PROLIFERATION of develop- ments in Shannon has led to prob- lematic flooding in various parts of the town.

That’s according to the mayor of the town, Councillor Gerry Flynn (Ind).

He made the claim as a public meeting on flooding in Shannon took place last night. The meeting was or- ganised by Green Party members in the town in the wake of bad flood- ing in parts of the town in recent TneKey ela etse

“We have had several meetings in relation to the flooding and plans are afoot to alleviate the problem,” said Councilor Flynn.

“When there is any quantity of rain at all in the town, some people in Ballycasey are unable to flush their toilets and that’s a new estate. Due to the proliferation of developments in NJT-NIDeLO) PMO SLemECD AI Ko0O BLOM Me-Le Core LE TKe and there are huge concerns.

‘2010 is the time penciled in for a revamp of the system in the town and upgrade the system,’ he added.

“There is an acknowledgment by officials in Clare County Council that we do have a problem. We need adequate funding to be made avail- able and prioritise it,’ added Cllr

aan

According to Damon and Karen Wise of the Green Party in Shannon, the town is unprepared for major flooding, due to climate change and storm surges.

“According to the Shannon town maps and from the Clare County Council, the flood defences on the Shannon Estuary banks are supposed to be currently at 2.75 metres high,” they said in a statement.

“We, the people in Shannon expect to know who has the plan for Shan- non, in Shannon, who the people re- sponsible are, and who is responsible for keeping it available.

‘Most of Shannon is on reclaimed land, in and around two metres above sea level, with some storm surges expected to reach six metres within just a few decades. According to the latest news, arctic ice is melt- ing even faster than before, and some scientists fear the Arctic Sea could be completely free of ice in summer by 2013,” added the statement.

“Results of the flooding could mean Sewers would overflow, fecal matter from human and animal would con- taminate the water supply and soil, not to mention property damage, and thus an economical and environmen- tal disaster, and outbreak of water- borne diseases,’ they added.

THE role played by women in 19th century Clare, the groundbreaking archaeological excavations at Caher- connell Fort and the standing stones of County Clare will be among the subjects explored during a six-month series of lectures at Clare Museum.

According to Museum Curator John Rattigan, the aim of the Clare Archaeological and Historical Soci- ety’s Autumn/Winter lecture series is to promote the study of matters of archaeological and historical inter- est.

The series of lectures commences on October 13 when Graham Hull, director of TVAS and Dr Michelle Comber of NUI Galway will present a talk on the recent groundbreaking archaeological excavations at Caher- connell Cashel in north Clare

On November 10, Terri Shoos- mith explores how the 19th century ideal of women as the “Angel of the House” holds up when compared to reality using contemporary docu- ments. The final lecture of 2008 will be delivered on December 8 when

Tom Moloney presents a study of the Bronze Age monolith tradition and its landscape setting in Clare.

Dr Pat Nugent will discuss Ire- land’s best example of a traditional clan – The O’Hehir’s Of Ui Corma- ic/Drumcliffe on January 12. Clare County Council Field Monuments Advisor, Michael Lynch will exam- ine archaeological excavations on Horse Island on February 9 while the final lecture in the current series takes place on March 9 when Fr John Jones will examine how stamp col- lecting can enhance the study of his- co a’s

The Archaeological and Historical Society is inviting members of the public to join the organisation. So- ciety secretary Edel Greene says the membership drive is aimed not only at encouraging new members to join the society, but also to encourage former members to rejoin. Lectures are held monthly from October to March and day trips to historical sites in Clare and beyond are conducted from April to September. Member- ship forms are available from Clare Museum, Arthur’s Row, Ennis.

THE demise of the Progressive Dem- ocrats may not be a foregone conclu- sion according to party members in OE

West Clare’s Murt Collins, who stood for the party at last year’s lo- cal election, claims that the party could still be saved should there be a groundswell of support among the party’s estimated 4,000 grass-root members.

A meeting of the entire party will be scheduled in the coming weeks when the members will be asked to accept the recommendation of the four par- limentary party membersparty and wind up the party.

“Tt hasn’t been decided for sure that the party will be wound up at all, it’s not a foregone conclusion. The 4,000 members of the party have to be called together and we will have the final say. The leadership have pro- posed that party should be wound up

but there is nothing to say that that will be accepted,” said Mr Collins.

‘“T would love to see it kept going but I do think at this stage that the writing is on the wall. If there is any doubt go- ing into that meeting then we should wind things up and go with dignity.”

Mr Collins, who may prove to be the last person ever to stand for the PDs in Clare, believes that the party’s role in the economy will be it’s biggest efx. Teas

“It’s a sad occasion, I am very disap-

pointed. I was reared in Fianna Fail and I left it because I couldn’t stand the corruption that was going on,” he continued.

‘The PDs had some great ideas over the years – they changed the whole Fi- anna Fail thinking about the economy, in terms of lowering tax and creating employment. I think that will be the biggest legacy.

“People say that all this has come very suddenly, but in the last election all the small parties did badly. So this

wasn’t such a big surprise to me.”

Even if the party does keep going, Mr Collins says his association with politics is at an end. “If I got all the money in the country I wouldn’t stand again. Over the years I gave a huge service to the people of Kilrush and west Clare,” he said.

“When you give that commitment to an area, and then you put yourself for election and don’t get elected, you wouldn’t be in a big hurry to stand again I can tell you.”

THE Clare branch of the Cystic Fi- brosis Ireland has warned the public not to be duped into giving money to a woman claiming to be fundraising for the branch.

Branch secretary Kenneth Flana- gan said a woman was observed in the early hours of Sunday morning in Ennis town centre collecting money for Cystic Fibrosis Ireland.

He confirmed that no branch fun- draiser had been organized for that anealee

Mr Flanagan said “It has come to our attention that a female individ-

ual has been witnessed fundraising for Cystic Fibrosis approximately around 2am on the morning of Sun- day September 21st on Abbey Street, Ennis”.

‘The Clare Branch wish to clarify, that no representative of the Branch were involved with this individual and are unaware of any fundraiser scheduled for that day or hour of the morning’, he added.

The Clare Branch members organ- ise many fundraisers throughout the year, all of which are highlighted within the media.

Mr Flanagan continued “We are aware that many individuals out-

side of the Clare Branch take it upon themselves to organised structured fundraisers for Cystic Fibrosis, most of which are also well promoted”’.

‘The Branch is concerned that due to the irregular hours of this collec- tion that the public be aware that this may or may not be a legitimate col- lection”.

Mr Flanagan also advised that anyone interested in fundraising for Cystic Fibrosis in the Clare area, can contact the Clare Branch Secretary: Kenneth Flanagan @ (086) 2222290 or CF House, 24 Lower Rathmines Road, Dublin 6. Lo Call: 1890 311 211.

RESIDENTS in Miltown Malbay have supported calls for a law to be introduced that would provide com- munities with information on con- victed sex offenders in their area. They have also called for greater li- aison between gardai and rural local communities.

The support group One in Four is calling for the Government to con- sider an Irish version of ‘Megan’s re

This proposal is of considerable interest in Miltown Malbay. More than two years ago, locals there were shocked to learn that a 61-year-old man from the UK had been living in rented accommodation in the town, while an international manhunt was UNO Me NA

They were horrified to discover that the man, who was suspected of committing sex crimes, was living in the community for more than two months.

Local councillor Christy Curtin (Independent) said he would support debate on the introduction of the pro- posed legislation.

“Any law that would give people more information on their communi- ties has to be welcomed and at least needs to be considered,’ he said.

“Tf it relates to public safety, it has

to be considered. At the same time, you have to respect privacy. There has to be a balance, but in terms of reassurance, in terms of the commu- nity, everything needs to be consid- ered,” he said.

He said that Garda management must inject resources into increas- ing personnel in rural parts of the county.

“There should be greater liaison between gardai and the community. Gardai should be more accessible to people. Resources are limited. There is an emphasis on urban. I think there needs to be more emphasis on rural policing needs,” he said.

Clare cystic fibrosis branch warns of bogus collector’