Month: September 2008

SCHOOL sports fans are a step clos- er to being able to play the games they love all year round, thanks to the support of local people in Scariff and the Clare VEC.

Scariff Community College has long enjoyed having two playing pitches for their sports periods, games and practice but the pitches have only been of use for a few weeks every year, because they are too wet to play on.

But recent fund-raising efforts with

a race night which raised €15,000 and a contribution of €10,000 for the VEC have enabled the school to call in the contractors and begin the process of draining one pitch.

“The first part of the drainage scheme is done, with the pipes down and the next step is to sand and level the pitch and re-plant it” said school principal Sean Daly.

“We decided to go for making one of the two pitches an all-weather pitch so that we can play year round. We have very active hurling and Camogie teams at the moment but

the long term plan is to have a run- ning track around the other pitch and maybe have a permanent long jump and facilities for other sports and ALO eN Col eee

To complete work on the current pitch, the school will be seeking help from the Munster Council of the GAA as well as running more fun- draisers.

Scariff residents are no strangers to raising money to help their chil- dren get a rounded education. The two pitches were bought with money raised locally in 1991 for the then

princely sum of €50,000.

The efforts at drainage won’t be wasted with numbers at the popular secondary school rising all the time. This year, there are 312 young people studying for their exams in compari- son to 264 last year.

INTENSIVE lead analysis is being carried out on the Ennis water supply in the wake of revelations concerning water supplies in Cork and Galway. Town Engineer Tom Tiernan con- firmed yesterday that more rigorous testing procedures are being imple- mented following news of lead con- tamination of the water supply in parts of Galway City and Mallow. Mr Tiernan said that under law, the council was already required to reg- ularly test the water for lead but that

given recent events these procedures have been intensified.

“We were already conducting these tests but in response we are carrying out more intensive lead investiga- nova icra

Mr Tiernan said the council were awaiting test results but that no prob- lems had yet emerged with the En- nis supply. He added that there are certain areas of the town where lead piping is in place but that the council had removed a substantial amount of piping during re-development work on O’Connell Street, Abbey Street

and Parnell Street.

Independent councillor Frankie Neylon has called for individual test- ing of homes in the St Flannan’s Ter- race, Connolly Villas, St Michael’s Villas and Hermitage areas of En- Wh

Cllr Neylon said that piping net- works in homes there are most sus- ceptible to the risk posed, if any, by lead contamination as they are among the oldest built houses in the en aee

“Connolly Villas was built in 1932, St Michael’s was built in 1954. These

areas were built before the 1970s and these are the type of homes that would be affected,” said Cllr Ney- lon.

He added, “I’ll be calling for tests to be carried out on all of these areas in Ennis. The supply in the houses themselves needs to be analysed and not just the supply from the pump- house to the house.”

On Friday last the Environmental Protection Agency wrote to all local authorities to advise them of the steps that need to be taken if the local au- thority becomes aware of lead levels

in excess of the parametric value ina public water supply.

According to the EPA there are 944 public water supplies in Ireland and that the latest testing results indi- cate that over 99 per cent of samples taken were compliant with the lead CI TILOrKOR

Since the introduction of the Drink- ing Water Regulations in March 2007, eleven local authorities have notified the EPA of exceedances of the lead parametric value in relation to 23 out of the 944 public water sup- plies.

PREMIER League football comes to West Clare this November with the visit of Tottenham Hotspur. Coach- ing staff from the north London club will descend on the village of Mul- lagh on November 7 and 8 for two days of coaching clinics.

In a significant development for soccer in the Banner County, Spurs are linking up with local club West Clare United. It is the first time that the English Premier League club has entered into such a partnership agreement with an Irish club.

There are already plans for further events next year with some of the club’s star names expected to visit

Mullagh as part of the Tottenham Hotspur roadshow, planned for July AU

Needless to say excitement is al- ready building in Mullagh. Tom Egan, one of the founding members of West Clare United says anticipa- tion is already at fever pitch.

‘“T had rang them earlier in the year and we only just received confirma- tion that they were going to come over. It’s been great since we’ve heard. The kids have been out prac- ticing before they go to school. It’s a major boost for soccer in West Clare and for soccer in Clare in general.” Tom continued, “There is going to be members of the coaching staff and the head of the Youth Development,

Paul Griffiths coming over.

All the places are already gone for the coaching clinics, its booked solid. It’s a great boost for soccer.”

West Clare United were set up eight months ago. The club is based at the Community Sports Field in Mul- lagh. The club draws its members from Cooraclare, Cree, Doonbeg, Mullagh, Quilty, Milltown Malbay, Kilmihil, Inagh.

“We have over 100 children in- volved in the club and are delighted with the phenomenal response we have received in getting the club off the ground in an area which would by many have been viewed as aGAA stronghold’, added Tom.

This season the club fielded teams

at under 11 and under 13 with both sides performing strongly in the re- spective leagues.

Tom continued “The committee of the sports field in Mullagh have been wonderful in helping us organize Training and match days and main- tained the pitch in great condition which has been remarked upon by all who have played on it. Our sin- cere thanks go out to them for all eles Dum atsah ome

A STUDENT from Spanish Point is set to embark on a massive cycle trip through the United States in two weeks time in an effort to raise much needed funds for charity.

Cathal Sexton, a sixth year stu- dent at the Ennistymon Vocational School, is one of six individuals to make-up Team Ireland which will be headed by Clare hurler Tony Griffin.

And, on Sunday October 5, he has organised a massive poker drive in an effort to help in his fundraising. The poker competition goes ahead in Miltown Malbay at the Player’s Club with a start time of 6.30pm and will be run by the county’s top poker or- ganiser, Michael Talty.

“We’re hoping to get upwards of 40 players from the West Clare area to come out and play,” says Cathal. “We’re also expecting some players from beyond the area to get involved as well. It’s all for a good cause and players of all levels are welcome.” Last year, Cathal raised in excess of €2,000 for the Tony Griffin Founda- tion, which provides funding to or- ganisations to help in the fight against and treatment of cancer. He decided to get involved with the foundation based on his strong interest in cy- cling. “I cycled the final leg of Tony’s

trip last summer,” he explains. “Basi- cally that went from Dublin to Ennis and I was the youngest of the cyclists on that trip. After that, Tony invited me to Austin, Texas to meet Lance Armstrong when he went over last October.”

Cathal will now return to Austin after he sets off on his epic cycle on October 14. The cycle begins in Halifax in the eastern side of Canada and will take in 4,300 kilometres across the great American continent before the group arrive in Texas two weeks later. The cycle is done in a re- lay format and every rider will sit in the saddle for six hours a day for the duration of the trip.

“Tt’s getting closer all the time so | eeetmolercansbeNbercamKOmexclmne. Coli em A 100t out a doubt it’s going to be tough, but I’ve been training hard for the past few months. Hopefully that will pay 0) 5

Aside from the upcoming poker drive, his school has also helped fun- draise with school events that have yielded €600 for the Tony Griffin Foundation. “That’s been a huge help. I also head out on the bike in the evening and cycle about looking for sponsorship from people around the area. Most of them have already heard of the foundation and they’re enthusiastic about it.”

THE ACHIEVEMENTS of young people who took up the challenge of getting an education will be cel- ebrated this week at a special awards ceremony in Spanish Point.

The Clare VEC Youthreach Awards night, which takes place every three years, will be held in the Armada Hotel on October 2 at 7pm and eve- ryone is invited.

A lucky thirteen sucessful students will be presented with their awards in areas ranging from Applied Leav- ing Certificate studies to Food and Nutrition, Interpersonal Skills and modules such as Maths and English.

The Youthreach Programme was set up in Ennistymon in 1990 in the Community centre and from there moved to a vacant office and work

space in a local factory, Data Display in 1992.

When the VTOS programme fin- ished in the old vocational school in Milltown Malbay in June 1996, the Youthreach programme moved from Ennistymon into the rent-free build- ing in Miltown Malbay.

The Ennistymon/Doolin/Lidoon- varna students were then transported by bus to the centre. Students also came from Miltown Malbay, Quilty and Mullagh.

And since then, dozens of young people who have either left school early or decided to pursue a differ- ent route than that of the standard secondary school education have availed of learning and training op- portunities with Youthreach.

‘As well as the academic subjects we offer vocational training a sup-

port through jobs skills training, work experience interview skills and personal development,’ said co-ord1- nator, Josephine Dempsey.

Young people usually come to Youthreach from school but some have ventured out into the world of work and decided to return to im- prove their abilities and qualifica- tions and in turn, their job opportu- nities.

As well as being helped to find their niche by the scheme’s two career guidance teachers, the young peo- ple are catered for in small classes, working at their own level.

“We have very good working rela- tionships with employers and schools in the area, so we can also give sup- port once they have completed their studies and training and we track what is happening with the students

when they leave,” said Josephine.

A glance at the results of all that hard work for this year’s Youthreach graduates shows that the plan works. All have either found employment or are continuing their studies, with one student gone on to college.

“We usually have a 100 per cent take-up with people either finding employment or going on to further education,” said Josephine.

The awards night will be for those students who completed their sub- jects in 2007 and 2008.

Anyone who would like further information about the opportunities available with Youthreach or any of the VEC courses can get details in the Adult Education handbook from libraries or post offices or by email from yrmilltownmalbay@eircom. ate

ONE of West Clare’s greatest sport- ing heroes returned to his home patch yesterday as the county’s most successful dog trainer, Pat Curtin, returned to his roots at Mullagh Na- tional School.

Pat, who himself attended the na- tional school in years gone by, re- turned to where his nephews now go to school to show the students his recently won trophy for the Irish Greyhound Derby.

Earlier this month Shelbourne As- ton, which is trained and co-owned by Pat, picked up the €175,000 first prize for winning the Paddypower.

com Irish Derby. This was Clare’s first Irish Derby success in 39 years and has already been described as one of the greatest finals ever with Shelbourne Aston passing out four other dogs in the last 75 yards.

The victory insured both dog and trainers place in history as Shel- bourne Aston became only the third greyhound ever to win both the Champion Stakes and Irish Derby.

“It’s great to have Pat back down to us. He is a past pupil of the school and he now has the very successful Ballygodoon Stud up in Tipperary,” said Connie Sexton of Mullagh Na- tional School.

‘His two nephews now go to school

with us here in Mullagh. All the school is very proud of him. It’s great to have someone who came out of Mullagh do so well. His father was always a great greyhound man here in the village as well so there is a ereat family tradition in it.

‘There is a great interest in grey- hounds locally and Pat would be a relation of the Doherty’s in Coora- clare who were the last people from Clare to win the Derby.”

Pat holds joint ownership of the dog in partnership with Noel Hehir and Margaret Montgomerie. Shelbourne Aston is the son of Just The Best and Queen Survivor is now expected in the English St Leger at Wimbledon.

‘No other dog has ever done the Irish Derby and the St Leger back-to- back and that’s something I’d love to do. And the Leger is over 660 yards which would suit the dog down to the ground,’ Pat said after the race.

“But we’ve still to make up our minds on what exactly we’re going to do. Over the past two days, there’s been a lot of interest from Australia and the United States, but we haven’t made any decision yet.”

has learned.

Speaking during his visit to Clare on Friday, the Minister for Commu- nity, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Ea- mon O Cuiv said that his department would like to take a leading role on a project to reopen the railway as a

tourist location.

“There is huge potential in cycle based tourism in Clare. Cyclists want to be out in the countryside but they don’t want to have to battle their way around traffic on small country roads. That is why I think that the idea of opening the old West Clare Railway track as a cycling way is an idea with huge potential,” he said.

“We would need the good will of a lot of landowners but I feel that this project is a very viable one that the

department can support. The com- munity has to be behind the project. If they are really concerned about the challenges facing the tourist industry in Clare then this project is one that they can take a positive step with. “If people can take a larger view and pool their resources on this I be- lieve it can be achieved. Clare has always been at the forefront in terms of innovation in the tourism sector – right back from the early days at Bunratty and place like that. If we

all work together then this slump is something that we can overcome.”

O’Cuiv admitted that areas of Clare had been under funded in the past but said that he viewed this as a chal- lenge for the future rather than a vote of no confidence.

“It is true that things have not been developed to their full potential but I would take a totally different view on this that calling it a failure. We are where we are in terms of history, and I think that it is great to see that

there are things that are still to be done,’ he said.

“There is no point of focussing on the developments that were not com- pleted in the past, I would always prefer to focus on the challenge of completing these development in the future. We would be in a bad situa- tion if we woke up one morning and discovered that all that had to be de- veloped was already developed, that would be a very depressing situation indeed.”

NEW REGULATIONS, which if adopted will mean that planners will have to consider global warming and rising water levels when looking at planning applications, have been given a general welcome.

Clare planners are now studying the Draft Planning System and Flood Risk Management published for pub- lic consultation last week jointly by Environment Minister John Gormley and Dr Martin Mansergh, TD, Min- ister of State at the Department of

Finance.

Unveiling the document, the min- ister said that the new regulations are aimed at ensuring a “more con- sistent, rigorous and systematic ap- proach to fully incorporate flood risk assessment and management into the planning system.”

The new draft guidelines, which have been prepared in response to the recommendations of the National Flood Policy Review Group, focus on considering flood risk in prepar- ing regional plans, development plans and local area plans, and in de-

termining applications.

They also take account of envi- ronmental considerations including the need to manage the inevitable impacts of climate change, and bio- diversity.

The draft guidelines will require the planning system at national, re- gional and local levels to avoid devel- Opment in areas at risk of flooding, such as flood plains, guide develop- ment away from areas that have been identified as being at risk through flood risk and incorporate flood risk assessment into the process of mak-

ing decisions on planning applica- tions and planning appeals.

Bernadette Kinsella, Director of Service for Planning and Economic

Development, said that her depart- ment of the County Council “will now study the new draft Planning Guidelines on the Planning System and Flood Risk Management. The Planning Authority will consider their potential impact in the context of the review of town and local area plans currently taking place.”

She said that the draft guidelines “will also be considered in the con-

text of their impact on the planning and development process in County Ori ow

Clir PJ Kelly, who is vocal on plan- ning issues said that he agrees that there is a need to take account of the risk of flooding and climate change when approaching planning matters.

But he added that it is his concern “that they will go for the easy targets yet again and that won’t be the big urban developments, it will be the person who Is struggling to get plan- ning permission to build a home in a rural area.”

A MAN whose eyesight was “hazed by cannabis fumes” stabbed his friend with a kitchen knife in a row over a girl during a drink and drugs leyU NT SXen

Martin Donegan (28), a native of Dublin and with an address at Kurva- hon, Main Street, Kildysart, pleaded guilty to assaulting Donal Downes (38), causing him harm, at St Clare’s Terrace, Ennis, on August 5, 2007.

The attack occurred during what was described in court as a rave. When asked by gardai was he trying to kill the injured party, the accused replied, “God no. He’s my friend.”

Garda Francis Brennan told Ennis Circuit Court yesterday that Donal Downes was one of three men liv- ing in the house where a party was held. He said it was a Health Board house.

He was stabbed by the accused with a kitchen knife which was 12 inches in length and had a nine inch blade. He said the accused and injured par- ty had been drinking together over the previous few days and drink and drugs were involved.

“They had drank a couple of bot- tles of vodka. They had hash and ‘e’ tablets. They had a falling out over a girl,” said the garda.

Mr Downes was stabbed a number of times to the chest and received a significant laceration to the sternum. The court was told that Donegan co-

operated but had suffered memory loss from the night of the row.

Defence barrister Brian McInerney said that Donegan has addictions to drugs and alcohol, for which he has received treatment.

‘The party at the house went on for a number of days. It might common- ly be described as a bit of a rave,’ he Cr HeR

“There is no element of pre-plan- ning in this case, or pre-mediation. It arose from consumption of intox1- cants,’ said the barrister.

‘IT would ask you to consider wheth- er there is a benefit to society at large in immediately incarcerating the accused, who seems to have made considerable strides to overcome the difficulties in his life,’ he added.

He asked for the sentencing to be adjourned to ascertain how much progress the accused could make.

Judge Carroll Moran said _ the number of stab wounds suffered by the injured party was a matter of concern. He said he accepted the ac- cused had taken steps to deal with his problems, but said the issue of com- pensation had not been addressed.

Mr McInerney said his client hoped to secure employment, “now that his eyesight is not hazed by cannabis fumes and the waft of alcohol”.

The judge adjourned the case until January 2009 and said if compensa- tion is offered and if the accused’s addictions are addressed, he would not send him to jail.

TWO young men have pleaded guilty to charges in connection with a fa- tal road accident which claimed the life of an elderly man in Ogonelloe a year ago.

John Cooney (89) was killed in- stantly when he was struck by a pass- ing car, as he crossed the road after attending Mass at around 8.30pm on the night of September 8 last.

Two men were later charged in connection with the incident and returned for trial to Ennis Circuit Court. Both entered guilty pleas yes- terday, when a date for their trial was due to be fixed.

Tadhg O’Flynn, of Canal Bank, Killaloe, admitted dangerous driv- ing causing the death of Mr Cooney,

on September 8, 2007.

He and another defendant, Patrick Hannon, of Clarina Park, Ballinacur- ra Weston, Limerick, both pleaded guilty to intent to pervert the course of justice, by setting fire to the motor vehicle that had been involved in the accident in which Mr Cooney was fatally injured.

O’Flynn’s counsel told the court yesterday that his client is receiving counselling arising out of this mat- ter. Hannon’s counsel pointed out that he is currently in custody on an- ols slosmpeerelanel a

The court was told the case has OTe ENT OMS SS STUB AYALA (ok Meme: DOC6 MAA) Mam ole given priority on the sentencing date, November 10 next. Evidence in the case will be heard in full on that date.