Month: September 2008

to every primary school in Northern Ireland.

Jim, who is chairperson of Rural Resettlement Ireland, wrote the book in an effort to help bring communi- ties together and reflect on the posi- tive elements of the human condi- n(n

“I have been involved in humani- tarian work for the whole of my life.

It is of great interest to me and that is what was in my mind when I wrote the book. I believe that there are ba- sic humanitarian principles which are natural to all of us and in a sense they are counter balanced by a number of animal instincts which are in us all as well,” said Jim.

“The book is trying to articulcate these ideas in some acceptable form – in a non-judgmental form which doesn’t mention religion, God or morality – but basic humanitarian principles. It was to help promoting or exploring the better sides of our human nature that I decided to write this book for schools.

“The book starts off with ‘I am a human’ because that is the basic

starting point for all of us.”

The book is illustrated with photo- graphs from St Nicholas’ School in Galway. The school, which houses more than 40 nationalities, was in part the inspiration for the book. Jim hopes that the book might prove a help for people to overcome divisions in society, whether formed around gender, ethnicity or religion.

‘“T approached the Northern Ireland Counsel for Integrated Education be- cause I heard him speaking on the radio one morning. I thought that the ideas in my book might be some- thing that would assist up there, so I sent him a copy of my book.

“I offered to donate one copy of the book to each and every primary

school in Northern Ireland to mark the amazing transformation that has been going on there since the Good Friday Agreement. They were de- lighted to take the book and we have sent off nearly 1,000 books to school sin Northern Ireland,’ he continued.

“IT was shocked to find out that nearly 95 per cent of the schools up there were separate, either Catholic or Protestant. I am delighted that they found the book acceptable and that all the different church authori- ties found it acceptable.

“IT have got some lovely feedback from the book – with cards from some of the children. I’ve got a great response and I’m delighted that I am fulfilling a function there.”

IT’S been a long, sometimes difficult journey for Valentyna Dalifhevska, but she is now looking forward to the next chapter of her life in Ennis.

12 years ago, Valentyna left her home in the Ukraine to move to Ire- land. It was a hard start to life in a new country. Valnetyna’s young son was very ill and needed to be hospi- talised. Over the course of the next year, he underwent 18 operations at hospitals in Dublin and Limerick. The treatment was successful and af- ter a while Valentyna and her young family settled in Ennis. On Sunday, Valentyna opened Valans Bistro, in the Friary Car Park, Ennis.

The bistro specialises in serving mainly eastern European food but the menu also includes many famil- iar dishes.

After the trials of her early years in Ireland, Valentyan is delighted to be opening her own business in her new home.

“It was very difficult for us when we came here first. My son was very sick, he was in hospital a lot. He 1s still living in Ennis and he is doing fine now and my daughter is has just finished school.”

Valentyna worked for a while as chef’s assistant in Ukraine. It has always been her dream to open her own restaurant.

“We will be serving eastern Eu-

ropean food, Russian food but also we will cook Irish meat, Irish food. There are a lot of Russian type res- taurants in Dublin and Limerick. This is my idea, to open a restaurant in Ennis. It is my dream to do it”.

During the period of her son’s ill- ness, Valentyna received support from campaigner Adi Roche. Roche is the founder of the Children’s Cher- nobyl Project (CCP) and has worked tirelessly over the past 20 years to provide aid to the children of Belarus and the Ukraine.

Roche along with the former Presi- dent of Ireland, Mary Robinson, championed Valentyna’s case for staying in Ireland when she faced deportation.

So, by way of thanking Roche, Valentyna turned the opening day of her business into a fundraiser. Food at Valans Bistro was free but custom- ers were asked to make donations to the CCP.

“She (Adi Roche) helps a lot of chil- dren in Belarus but also sick children in Ukraine. I wanted to do something to pay them back. I wanted to do something from my heart”.

Valentyna feels she has really set- tled in Ennis, where she calls home.

‘It is the best town in the world. I have settled down for good. I can still visit my family in Ukraine but I love this country. I can start my life again from the first page. My children are happy and I am happy.”

MAPPING the future economic de- velopment of Ennis, forms the main focus of a meeting of the local busi- ness community next week.

Ennis Chamber has launched details of the upcoming Planning and De- velopment Forum entitled ‘Business in a By-Passed Ennis – Sustainable Economic Development for Ennis’, sponsored by Ryan Brothers (Ennis) Ltd located at Toonagh Quarry.

SU stem CedeeeeMM, sul meUn eK MMa(omeLbNB KSDI! issues for the development of Ennis over the next five years from a busi- ness perspective and will take place from 5pm to 8.30pm on Tuesday September 30 in the Old Ground Ho- tel, O’Connell Street, Ennis.

Speaking on the forum, Ennis Chamber President Niall Garvey said, “The objective of the forum is to formulate the opinions of the busi- ness community, which will form the basis of submissions to relevant bodies.

‘This includes the Draft Ennis and Environs Development Plan 2008, which 1s a vital document in the shap- ing of the future economic growth of the town and surrounding area.”

Speakers to the forum will include private sector interests as well as Clare County Council senior person- nel who will display the maps relat- ing to the Draft Ennis & Environs Development Plan 2008.

The topics for discussion include: ‘A Vision for the Infrastructure of

the Mid West Region and Ennis as a Hub Town’; “Tourism Branding of the Mid-West Region and the Ennis Area Sustainable Development as a Driver for Future Growth’; ‘The Fu- ture Retail Experience of Ennis’ and ‘Ennis as an Employment Genera- Koue

Those attending will then be in- vited to participate in two workshops relating to these topics in order to garner key points from the business community which will form the ba- sis of a submission to the Draft En- nis and Environs Development Plan 2008 and other bodies as appropriate going forward.

Attendees will also be equipped with the knowledge and assistance to prepare their own individual submis-

sions to the Draft Ennis and Environs Development Plan 2008.

Ryan Brothers (Ennis) Ltd. op- erating from Toonagh Quarry on the Corofin Road outside Ennis are sponsors of the event.

The quarry is a key local enterprise, employing 20 people as well as indi- rect employment to hauliers among others.

General Manager, Martin Tierney, stressed their support for the forum and for the future development of business in the town.

“We are delighted to be involved with the Ennis Chamber Planning and Development Forum as _ the growth and enhancement of the area of Clare’s capital town is a vital part of our business’, said Mr Tierney.

CLARE Youth Service are to under- take a comprehensive survey aimed at establishing literacy levels among students and staff.

The survey is being orgainsed as part of events for National Adult Literacy Awareness (NALA) Week, which runs until Friday, September 26.

All staff and students working in Clare Youth Service are being asked to take part in the survey, along with members of the public availing of in- ternet services at the Youth Centre, Carmody Street, Ennis.

Volunteers will record answers us- ing audio equipment, with a prize

also available for the most imagina- tive method used to record respond- ents answers.

The theme of this year’s NALA Week has been broadened to “the benefits of learning in the communi- ty’, chosen to highlight the benefits of improving literacy and numeracy levels among different communities in Ireland.

Theresa Larkin of the Adult Litera- cy Programme with the Clare Youth Service, explained the project is be- ing undertaken to help broaden the understanding of literacy problems.

“We want to raise awareness, first and foremost. There are a lot of peo- ple out there who experience difficul- ty reading and writing. There is such

a stigma attached to illiteracy and it is our job to get the best of people.”

She added, “We are always aware too that some of the people taking OL Na MONO MM OOCoMmCLED A VoavMB OCU TcAlMmOT-A/oMOODUUCS culty filling out forms, so the people asking the questions will have audio equipment with them. The prize will be for the most novel form of answer- ing, be it singing dancing, anything.”

Meanwhile eight students of Com- munity Employment Project with Clare Youth Service received their certificates for completion of FETAC level four training at a ceremony in the Old Ground Hotel on Friday supra al

The students completed their train- ing on the FAS supported scheme at

the Hospitality Academy in Doon- beg.

Tina Byrt of Clare Youth Service said the students had worked ex- tremely hard over the course of the project and were delighted to have received their certificates.

THE sand-dunes in Fanore will be the setting for a community nature day out this Saturday, September 27.

The free guided walk will be given wildlife expert John Murphy from the Clare branch of Birdwatch Ire- land and has been organised by the Burren Connect Project.

The project, which began last year, aims to deliver a co-ordinated ap- proach to environmental protection and visitor management in the Bur- ren area.

“We will be hosting a walk around the dunes on Fanore beach. John

Murphy will lead the walk and he will explore the unique environ- ment that is up there and hopefully we will see some of the wildlife that JTAtCorses DOME DOCG Ur: e000 s(C GN NOL omOLUDSlercmMMmy-nTG| Edel Hayes of the Burren Connect Project.

“The walk is really open to anyone from the local community who is interested in nature and wildlife and would like to find out more about the habitat up there in Fanore.

“One of our aims is to protect the dunes in Fanore and make sure that they survive as a protected area. A lot of people don’t realise that they are a protected area and home to

some rare wildlife.

“We first want to protect the special grasses in the dunes and that will en- Sure a Safe environment for the birds and other animals that live there,’ added Ms Hayes.

The Burren Connect Project will also host a series of night classes be- ginning in October.

The free classes are open to anyone from the north Clare area and will focus on the wide range of biodiver- sity found in the area of Fanore.

“Our aim is really to give people a little bit more information about the wildlife that is right there on their doorsteps.

‘We want to work alongside the lo- cal people, to let them know what we are about and to help to provide them with as much information about their local environment as we can,’ con- tinued Ms Hynes.

The guided walk begins this Sat- urday at lam from the car park at Fanore beach. The night classes will commence on Thursday, October 9 and run until October 23.

Classes will take place in the na- tional school at Fanore and com- mence each evening at 8pm.

For more information see the par- ish newsletter or visit www.burren- Toys batse Ie

AN Ennistymon banker has packed in his ledgers and calculator in fa- vour of the artist’s easel and is now starting to make waves in the world ODay ore nenlwetee

After giving up a senior role with the AIB just over a year ago, Michael Hanrahan has quickly forged a repu- tation for himself as a budding artis- Wem E-NCoonl

Michael, who is about to take up a studio at the Courthouse Gallery Stu- dios in Ennistymon, will this month form a central part of the latest Do- lan Art Auction which takes place in the Marriott Hotel in Galway on

September 30.

‘I was always interested in painting and drawing, even from when I was a young man at the Ennistymon CBS, art was my favourite subject,’ said Mr Hanrahan.

“So after 37 years with the bank, I took early retirement back in 2006. Banking is a very high pressure busi- ness and I really wanted to give the painting a try. I felt I had some talent at it and I thought it was a wonderful opportunity to get out there and put in plenty time at it.”

Michael has just completed a sum- mer residence at the Burren Col- lege of Art in Ballyvaughan and has painted extensively around the Clare

countryside.

“Tm a landscape painter really and I’m a realist – I paint what I see. I love the colours, I love the changing moods of Ireland – the sunlight and the shade,’ he said.

“I love painting around Clare. I’ve painted in Ballyvaughan, Lahinch, Liscannor and in Ennistymon. I’ve done a number of painting in En- nistymon actually, I love the shop fronts up there.

“The art auctions are great. The general public is allowed to view all the works for a number of days be- fore the auction, they can just walk into the hotel and see what they like. But then the auction starts and they

just hold up your work and people bid. There is no name given with the paintings so the works really have to stand on their own two feet.

‘The people at Dolans do a fantas- tic job and they give great encour- agement to emerging artists like myself.”

For more information about his work contact Michael on 086 8251550 of e-mail mphanrahan55 @hotmail. com or preview some of the paint- ings on www.dolansart.com.

NEWMARKET-ON-FERGUS scouts have regrouped for the forth- coming season, after a well-deserved break over the summer.

An exciting range of outdoor pro- grammes has been organised for the next few months.

Dozens of young beavers, cubs, scouts and venturers will meet weekly over the coming weeks and

those who organise the meetings are encouraging all young people in the area to join.

The cubs, scouts and venturers have already commenced their meetings, at the local community centre.

The cubs – aged eight to ten-and-a- half – meet every Monday, between 6pm and 7pm. The scouts – aged between ten-and-a-half to 15, get to- gether every Friday evening between 6.30pm and 8pm, while the venturers

– aged 16 to 18 – meet on Tuesdays, from 6pm to 7pm.

The beavers, aged between seven and eight, will hold their first meet- ing on September 30, between 6pm and 7pm.

As usual with all scouting pro- grammes, the emphasis will be on outdoors events.

The beavers will have regular days out, a Halloween party and a slumber yep hca ale

Cubs will have an overnight activ- ity each month while the scouts will have a jamboree.

The venturers will also have a number of exciting days out planned in the coming months, having ran a hugely successful surfing programme during the summer.

The club is advising parents of all scouts that the insurance for the year is €40 and should be paid by De- cember.

CELEBRATIONS to mark the 40th birthday of the oldest soccer club in Shannon are being planned.

Shannon Town United AFC will celebrated four decades in existence next year and the club has taken the decision to improve the club’s facil1- ties, increase its profile and set up a website, to coincide with the mile- Stone.

The website, Shannontownuni- tedafc.com, has just got up and run- ning and contains useful information on the club, including details of the teams, fixtures and the notes on the club’s lengthy history. An archive section will also be added, as the

website becomes more popular.

There are 14 teams on the club’s books and its members range in age from just five years of age, through to senior level. All teams line out in the Limerick division.

Club PRO Andy Legge – who was instrumental in setting up the web- site – said the club will get a facelift, to mark the 40th anniversary.

“We had been playing catch-up with the rest of the teams in Shan- non. We are taking on board what other clubs have done. The idea is to get the information out there, to give us a mechanism to get kids involved and also to sell merchandise via the website,” said Mr Legge.

“A lot of work has gone into the

website, which was designed by En- nis web design company Ennisoft,” he added.

As part of the 40th celebrations, the club is also eager to increase its TpeKosesloresacieul on

“We are looking for new people to join and we are also looking for sponsors to get on board. We are approaching local businesses,’ he added.

The club holds training every Fri- day at the Wolfe Tones GAA pitches and plays its games at its own pitch in Corrib Drive. However, there are also plans to improve facilities for the club’s players.

“As part of the bigger picture, we plan to develop facilities. We have

planning permission for a clubhouse. Hopefully we can build that next year and we are hopeful of getting grants to help us with this. There is a lot of work to do,” added Mr Legge.

The club has a very active commit- tee at its disposal and hope that the community in Shannon will help out with the plans to improve the club, whilst taking part in the 40th cel- a) e218) IIe

TWO YOUNG Shannon men will rub shoulders with one of the all- time greats in long-distance running in the world, this weekend.

Darren O’Connell and Alan Mullin will travel to Berlin, where they will run their ninth marathon in as many months on Sunday, as part of a 12- marathons challenge.

Along with taking another step to- wards history, the two will line out in a field that includes the prolific Ethiopian marathon runner Haile Gebreselassie.

After Berlin, their task will be completed with runs in Dublin and New York while the feat will come to a dramatic conclusion in Lisbon in December.

The two decided to undertake the

challenge in aid of cystic fibrosis, in memory of their friend Earl Duff who died from the disease in 1996, at the age of just 21.

Both men have overcome pains and aches to run the first eight mara- thons, but the next four races will be particularly tough.

“Our last marathon in Longford went very well. We both finished in three hours 57 minutes which for me was the best time of the year so far. The marathon before that, in the Swiss Alps, was an extremely tough race with the route going over two 2,500 metre mountains. It took me five hours 53 minutes and Alan six hours 13 minutes to complete but it was a great experience and definitely worth the effort,’ said Darren.

“I definitely feel the marathons are taking a bit of a toll on the legs.

Alan and I calculated that between the eight marathons and the train- ing we have probably run somewhere between 1,200 and 1,300 miles this year so far.

‘Alan is training very hard at the moment as he is hoping to run a good time in Berlin and 1s looking to run a personal best there.

‘“T’ve been slacking off a bit on the training lately as I will be playing in a county hurling final in the next cou- ple of weeks so I’m trying to keep the legs fresh. Once the hurling is over I would hope to up the training again and try to run a personal best in one of the remaining marathons,’ added DEE

The fundraising has been going well and a number of quizzes will take place over the coming weeks, both in Shannon and in Dublin

(where Alan is based), along with churchgate collections and bag pack- ing. They are optimistic that they can raise £20,000 by the end of the chal- lenge.

“We are both still optimistic that we will complete the 12 marathons. At this stage most of the hard work is done and barring injuries we should have no problem finishing the 12. At this stage we actually look forward to doing them. We’re both really look- ing forward to Berlin where there will be 40,000 competing including the world record holder Haile Ge- breselassie so that should be a great experience,’ he added.

They are appealing to people to support them in their efforts. Spon- sorship cards are available and people can still donate online at www.12marathons.org.

WORKERS from a computer manu- facturing company in Shannon have gone all out to lend a hand in the community.

More than 20 staff from Intel left their desks last week and spent an afternoon helping out at Scoil na Maighdine Mhuire in Newmarket- on-Fergus last Wednesday.

They spent their time painting, power washing and gardening at the school.

Their efforts were much appreci- ated by school management and the parents’ council, who had previously undertaken this task.

The initiative was undertaken as part of an innovative Intel volun- teer programme, in which staff go out and assist in various community projects.

The school motto, “Each one work- ing for the good of all’, was in evi- dence as the volunteers worked hard in the sunshine throughout the after- noon.

Principal Ann McMahon thanked co-ordinators Hugh McGrath and Pat Collins and parents Dan Feekes and Stevan Dragas for organising the volunteers.

He said that their decision to under- take such a huge project would give a great lift to all at the school and demonstrated a sense of community spirit which was all too seldom seen UOM-VIM-RomOMCCrOy LUO BLINOF

Chairperson Mike Willis com- mended everyone for their efforts at the school and also thanked Flan O”’

Neill from Shannon, who donated power washers for use on the day.