Month: October 2008

THE VOICES of 200 school chil- dren from six east Clare schools will mark the opening this Friday of a festival aimed at keeping the miseries of winter at bay for a while more.

The Féile Eile festival in Killaloe will be joined by a 25 piece Bavar- ian big band who happened to be staying in the area for Friday’s one off gig.

The fesitival centres on family and childrens’ events over the bank holi-

day weekend and will feature mu- sic, film and art shows as well as a number of interactive workshops. The festival is organised by Music in the Glen – a not-for-profit organi- sation that runs a number of music projects in the local area, including beginner strings lessons, music and drama clubs and a children’s choir. Music in the Glen founder Diane Daly said, “There are hundreds of spring and summer festivals around the area, but in the autumn, when people really need cheering up, there wasn’t anything for children

to get involved in. An Féile Eile will fill this gap and put a smile on local faces as we head into the winter.”

One of the highlights of the week- end will be a full cinematic show- ing of two rare Laurel and Hardy films, accompanied by a quartet of live musicians providing an original soundtrack.

On the fun agenda are a fam- ily friendly gig with six-piece soul sensation Hunka Burning Love, a ghostly shadow puppet theatre show, and an interactive art installation.

The festival will open at 10am on

Friday with a ‘schools song sum- mit’ in which children from Killaloe Boys, Killaloe Girls, Bridgetown, Ballina and Boher schools will come together as a choir.

“We have had a lot of support and we want to gratefully acknowledge support from the Killaloe Family Resource Centre, St Flannan’s Ca- thedral, the Lakeside Hotel, Kincora Hall Hotel, Tipperary Arts Office, Clare Arts Office, Killaloe girls, Killaloe boys, Bridgetown, Ballina and Boher National Schools,’ said Diane.

TULLA schoolgirl, Louise McCagh may seem shy and retiring but she’s a young lady muggers would be wiser not to cross.

The Kilkishen girl has just returned from Italy where she took the World Taekwon-do Cup title in the 15 to 18 black belt category as well as gold and silver medals and the Top Junior Competitor ranking.

The wins were no mean achieve- ment as Louise was just one of 1,200 competitors representing 55 coun- Woe

Louise travelled to Riva del Garda

in Northern Italy as one of fifteen Clare competitors who were part of the Irish team.

Competitors from clubs in Shan- non, Quin and Ballyea were involved in the world class competition which saw the Irish team as a whole ranked erere) NOR

“What Louise did was absolutely amazing,’ said Stephen Ryan, one of the coaching team for the competi- tion.

Stephen was also a competitor and he teaches PE and Geography at Tulla Secondary School as well as running Taekwan-do classes after school.

“We are all so proud of Louise –

she’s incredibly talented and she has worked very hard. We knew she was on form this year, winning gold in all her competitions but to take the world title is something else,’ said Stephen.

Louise has been practising her martial art for the last eight years and has been in intensive training for the world competition since last July. “She was training every day and eve- ry spare minute,” said Stephen.

Shy of her new status in the lime- light, she would say only that she is “delighted” to have won and added that it was an honour to have the op- portunity to represent Ireland on the

world stage.

Louise was given a heroine’s wel- come when she returned to Tulla Secondary School after her win.

CODES Lom Ns UDMMCCODeleKo Nee: IKommO)I mm Nloe studies as a fourth year student and will also be looking to defending her world title in two years time at the next world championships in Las Moree he

THERE are some questions in life that one never thought of asking, and for a very good reason. No one really wanted to know the answer.

Then there are those questions that one never thought of asking, but once asked stirred a certain amount of cu- riosity and an answer was necessary to avoid sleepless nights.

Such as — how hairy are Fianna Fail TD Timmy Dooley’s legs and does he wax, shave or go au naturel?

Is Fine Gael councillor Joe Arkins really in touch with his feminine side and if so could he make a Christmas cake covered in delicate icing and pretty decorations?

And who in north Clare has a stom- ach strong enough, not just to eat Cllr

Arkin’s cake and have full view of a Clare TDs legs, but to drink a pint glass of raw eggs?

The answers to all of these thought provoking questions and many more will be available in Nagle’s Lounge Bar on November | at 10pm.

The event is not just a social scien- tific experiment but a fundraiser for the Kilfenora Residents Association so that it can put its best foot forward for next year’s tidy estate awards.

Treasurer and acting secretary Margaret Keane said the association has entered the village’s two estates — An Tronach and John Paul Estate — in the competition for the last two years.

This year the association was highly commended for its work and received a nominal prize from Clare

Seria Greltiere

“We are entering again next year and we want to get some shrubberies and rockeries done. We also prom- ised the teenagers goal posts if we raised enough,” she said.

The whole community has got be- hind the event. Deputy Dooley is having his legs waxed on the night, although rumour has it that it may be his chest, and Cllr Arkins is baking a Christmas cake that will be auc- tioned on the night.

Also up for auction on the night are the services of the areas county councillors.

Cllr Martin Lafferty (Ind) is offer- ing a day in the bog; Cllr Richard Nagel (FF) is offering a day saving hay, while Cllr Martin Conway (FG) is also offering his services — which

has yet to be revealed.

Adding to the mystery of the night local matchmaker Willie Daly is also supplying a surprise.

Cheryl and Patrick McCormack are offering afternoon tea for four at “Fr Ted’s house” for auction, while Rick- ie Healy will cook a three-course dinner for two 1n his own home.

Head shaving, moustache shaving and more auctioned prizes will make up the night.

Finger food will also be served and music supplied by the bar.

ALL roads lead to north Clare at the beginning of the New Year, for the seventh Annual Sponsored Burren Walk, which takes place on Sunday, AVE ha ae

All proceeds for the popular an- nual event, which begins and ends at O’Donoghues Pub in Fanore, go to the Clare branch of The Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland, who provide ex- tensive support to the sufferers and families of the estimated 980 cases affected with the disease in the coun- ty at present.

The event is organised by volun- teers, who first devised the idea in 2002 to aid the rapidly increasing

running costs of the Ennis-based branch.

“We thought of doing a fundraiser for the Clare branch and we decided on walking in the Burren as it is a breathtaking, inspirational place that is one of the main walking sites of Europe, not alone Clare,” explains Jerry Howard, one of the organisers of the walk.

“When you do things like this, they may be tough to organise but at the same time, you are pushing an open door with everybody because alzhe- imer’s and dementia has relevance to most houses and when you ask peo- ple to help you or get involved, they are very generous.

“All the money raised is sent to

the Clare branch. They provide two levels of care through day care and home care and it’s brilliant because normally, money raised goes on ad- ministration costs but they have the administration already set up at their office so everything we raise goes directly into the support of that day care or home care. I can genuinely say of all the things I have ever sup- ported or worked with, they are a re- ally, really great organisation.”

With alzheimer’s having an aston- ishing estimated growth of 9,000 per cent worldwide since 1979, Howard paid tribute to the ongoing voluntary work done by the Alzheimer’s Soci- ety in Ennis.

“People are living longer and it’s

becoming more of an issue. Years ago, there was only one person in a family working and there was one person left at home to mind a parent but now it’s a bigger issue because everybody is working.

“They are doing a great service with scarce resources because an aw- ful lot of the work they do in Ennis is all voluntary and they really are the unsung heroes.”

To get involved in the Burren Walk or find out more about alzheimer’s or the society’s services, contact the Clare branch of the Alzheimer’s So- ciety of Ireland at 065 6868621 or 065 6845835. Alternatively, call into the local office situated at Unit 17, Clonroad Business Park, Ennis.

A WIDE-RANGING programme of events will form the central focus of the Coole Park winter programme in Gort this year.

The programme was launched last week and will present an exciting calendar of events for adults and chil- dren alike. Coole Park is an impres- sive educational facility and manage- ment have capitalised on this, in the jeyueseaucheaventse

The programme aims to provide a series of high quality arts and herit- age events to as wide and inclusive local audience as possible, on an internationally renowned site. The events also endeavour to showcase

local-based artists and lectures on local topics.

The Gort Walking Trail is expected to attract much interest on Saturday next. It will consist of a presentation at Coole Park, followed by a walk in Gort, in partnership with Galway East Tourism.

Those keen to trace their origins will have an interest in the series on ‘Tracing your ancestors’ lectures, which will take place at Coole Park every Monday evening in November, between 8pm and 9pm.

A series of storytelling will take place every Thursday evening, start- ing on November 6. A children’s dance workshop will take place on November 9, between 12 noon and

4.30pm, while the Galway Early Music Ensemble will present a lively concert of tunes on Thursday, No- vember 13. The music will be played on Renaissance instruments.

Classical guitarist Rose Maria Robinson will play at Coole Park on Saturday, November 15. Her special guest will be Redmond O’ Toole, who has played at the venue previously.

Electric Bridget will present the drama ‘Waiting for Elvis’ on Thurs- day, November 20. The following day, Friday 21, will present a treat from the local schools as their en- tries in the ‘Beo’ project will be on display.

‘There is a variety of events. There is a good mix of talks, drama and

music,” said Hilda MacLochlainn, who is a supervisor guide for na- tional parks and wildlife services at Coole Park.

“There are a lot of events for chil- dren. We have always tried to include a variety of events, for adults and children and also focus on our educa- tion programme for schools in Clare and Galway,’ she added.

The education programme is par- ticularly popular and gives primary school students the opportunity to pursue indoor and outdoor activities. Through the project, the pupils can appreciate the beauty of Coole Park and its surroundings, while at the same time appreciate the history be- hind the site.

CUSACK Park will remain the headquarters of Clare GAA for the forseeable future after a proposal to rezone land there was blocked by Ennis Town Council.

Meeting last Wednesday to discuss the draft Ennis and Environs De- velopment Plan, councillors voted unanimously against rezoning the town centre site for commercial pur- OO sene

The Aisling Chiosoig Partnership had sought to purchase the ground from the Clare County Board and re- develop it as a commercial centre in return for the construction of a new stadium and adjoining facilities.

The way was left open, however, for future rezoning on the condition that an alternative site be found for

the proposed stadium.

An original site identified on the Quin Road was not considered vi- able because the land hes on a flood enue

The decision came after two days of lengthy discussions between coun- cillors and planners.

Councillors met first on Tuesday evening at a private workshop session to wade through the 124 submissions received on the draft version of the Ennis and Environs Development Plan.

The most high profile of which concerned the proposal to rezone Cusack Park.

Later on Tuesday night, at a special meeting of Ennis Town Council or- ganised to formally pass the Draft Plan, Cllr Frankie Neylon (Ind) said, that, following a vote taken at

the workshop, the decision had been taken not to rezone Cusack Park.

Mayor of Ennis, Cllr Peter Consi- dine (FF), proposed adjourning the meeting, until Wednesday, so equal consideration could be given to other submissions contained in the manag- er’s report.

Councillors were warned _ that agreement on the plan had to be reached before Thursday so notices could appear in local media the fol- lowing week. Cllr Neylon, supported by Cllr Donal O’Bearra (GP) op- posed the adjournment. Cllr Neylon said the process was being rushed because the original timetable had not been adhered to.

A vote of 3-2 prevailed in favour of adjourning the meeting until Wednesday night.

The next night, Wednesday and

following another private workshop, Cllr Neylon proposed that Cusack Park’s status “remain as 1s” until de- velopers identified a suitable site for a new stadium.

Cllr Considine put forward the pro- posal that the draft plan be accepted by the council. It was passed on a unanimous vote.

The decision to halt the process will be seen as a blow by members of the local business community. Ennis Chamber of Commerce had supported the proposal, saying that the development would have signifi- cantly increased commercial activity in Ennis.

According to the Aisling Chiosdig partnership, 1,000 new jobs would have been created on completion of the project and another 500 in con- struction.

MEMBERS of the Traveller com- munity voiced their opinions on the issue of accommodation at a meeting with local politicians last week.

The meeting, facilitated by the Ennis Community Development Project, involved discussions be- tween members of the Accommoda- tion Implementation Group (AIG), the Mayor of Ennis Cllr Peter Con- sidine (FF) and Fine Gael TD, Joe OFA

The group was represented by Anne Marie Mongans, Kathleen Mc- Donagh, John McDonagh and Frank McDonagh. The primary focus of the discussion centered on issues re- lating to Travellers accommodation btm Oot: buse

Other topics raised included the

Shannon Horse Project, the closure of the Quin Road halting site and Clare County Council’s Traveller Accommodation Plan 2009-2013.

The aim of the meeting was to create a forum that would allow for wider discussion between Travellers and policy makers.

It is also the first in a planned se- ries of steps aimed at providing a structured format for Travellers rep- resentatives to raise issues and in- terface with the local authority and other agencies.

Adrian Healy, Development worker with Ennis CDP said there had been a lot of positive outcomes from the meeting, which took place in the of- fices of the Ennis CDP last Monday. He also thanked Cllr Considine and Deputy Carey for their involvement.

“The meeting was great. It was

very positive. It was great that Joe and Peter were able to come. They listened and gave advice. There was a very positive exchange of views and that was very helpful.”

Adrian added, “The whole point was to provide an opportunity for the group to be heard and for their voices to be listened to. Their voices were heard. Its not often that you get an opportunity as a group to sit down members of the council and the Dail, so in that sense, it was very beneficial to both sides. The lads got the chance to voice their opinions and they were considered and there was a good bit of consultation between both parties. Again, it was great to have Joe and Peter’s input at the meeting. They were there in a listening capacity but they also were also very helpful giv- ing advice.”

The Accommodation Implemen- tation Group was formed under the umbrella of the Traveller Strategy. The strategy, with input from Clare County Council and the Ennis CDP, is aimed at co-ordinating public services for Travellers. The group represents Travellers mainly on ac- commodation, but also advocates on other issues.

“What we are trying to do is to en- hance relations on the ground and develop communications. We want to strengthen links between commu- nities. That’s the big picture,” added Adrian.

PREPARATIONS are already well underway for one of Ennis’ most popular pantomime shows.

The members of the all singing all dancing Pantaloons are in rehearsal for their latest show Cinderella, which arrives in Glor in December.

Cinderella adheres to many of the elements that have made Pantaloon productions so popular with audi- ences down the years, namely great dance routines, big, loud songs, and, of course, audience interaction.

Getting the audience to take an ac- tive role has been a staple ingredients of the Pantaloons experience and the

group hope that with Cinderella, the crowds will again be singing, danc- ing and shouting in the aisles.

The production, written by John Morley and directed by Leonard Anderson is full of lively characters including the mischievous Dandin1, family favourite Cinderella, But- tons, The Fairy Godmother, Prince Charming, The Baron and Baroness and not forgetting the ugly sisters.

According to producer and per- former, Maeve Fox, the Pantaloons will inject their own brand of mis- chief and fun into the show.

‘“Pantaloons present the familiar story of Cinderella as a traditional pantomime designed with quirks

and twists to delight the modern-day audience. The whole ensemble is looking forward to singing, dancing and being dramatic all the way to a happy ending.”

This year’s cast includes old favour- ites Ken O’Shaughnessy, Paul Cur- ley, Paul Cusack, Maeve Fox, Tina O’Neill and Geraldine Saunders.

They are joined this year by new- comers Aidan O’Gara, Andrew Kil- leen and Siomha Brock who will pay Cinderella.

There is also an expanded cast of extras and of course the Pantaloons resident musician, Gerry Mc Laugh- thee

Pantaloons pantomimes are a firm

favourite in the town’s calendar and Maeve invites everyone to come along on another fun filled festive journey.

Panto tickets are also available as Christmas gifts. Tickets on sale at Glor box office 065 6843103. Family tickets for two adults and two chil- dren cost €50. Single tickets cost €15.

ENNIS greets November with the sound of music as the Ennis Trad Festival reels into life next week.

A fixture on the live music calendar for 15 years, this year’s festival runs from November 6-10.

As always, the festival offers a healthy traditional spread of con- certs, workshops and competitions.

Noel Hill, Tony Linnane, Sean O’Sé and the Turloughmore Ceili band and the Kilfenora Céili Band are just some of the well known names due to perform in Ennis over the week.

Elsewhere classes will be given in playing instruments, singing and CP Tater bates

Flute player and Miltown Malbay native Jon Dodd will give a talk on the care and maintenance of wooden flutes, while Steve Corry, a sound engineer presents a talk on sound engineering and equipment for trad1- tional music on November 8 in the County Museum. The centrepiece of the festival is the Ceili Band com- petition Ard Ghaisce na mBuionta, which takes place on Friday, Novem- ber 7 in the West County Hotel.

The Great Céili Band Challenge

was a big hit at last year’s festival and this year has been expanded to 13 bands. John Rynne, the event or- ganiser explained that this will be a sporting opportunity for several of the best céili bands in Ireland to- day to compete for a first prize of €5,000, in a public setting designed to test their mettle.

Last year’s winners Ceoltoiri na Mainistreach will again be the band to beat out, having finished third in this year’s All-Ireland Fleadh Cheoil in Tullamore.

Second and third place bands will receive €2,000 and €1,000 each and

the competition is set up in a way to ensure that the battle will be hotly and vigorously contested.

Most of the bands have competed, toured and performed at all the high- est level events including Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann.

The winners on the night will be decided by votes taken from the au- dience and by four independent adju- dicators. The €15 entry ticket guar- antees a voting paper in addition to a vibrant night of céili band music.

The festival concludes November 10 with a performance by the lively Cape Breton based band, Beolach.

THE 35th ICOS National Co-opera- tive conference will be held in Dub- lin’s Citywest conference centre next Monday, November 3 when the key- note address will be given by Agri- culture Minister Brendan Smith.

Sponsored by FBD TRUST, the conference, entitled “Co-operative Business – Ready for 2015 and Be- yond” will have two international speakers who have spearheaded ground breaking campaigns within the co-operative movements in their own countries.

Kees Wantenaar is the Chairman of Campina Co-op in Holland. With a turnover of €4bn from its global op- erations, it is the second largest dairy co-op in Holland. Set to merge with the largest, Friesland Foods, turnover will be in excess of €9bn. Mr Wan- tenaar will be the first Chairman of the newly merged FrieslandCampina when it receives EU Competition clearance.

Also speaking 1s Blue Read, Chair- man of Fonterra Shareholders Coun- cil, New Zealand. The council is an independent body from the board of Fonterra and the role is to review and

monitor the board’s performance as well as to represent the interests of shareholders in the Co-op.

Irish Co-ops can learn important lessons from Mr Read’s address, es- pecially on the issues of Governance and the representation of sharehold- ers’ interests along with Fonterra’s role in developing directors and shareholder representatives to carry out their roles in the Co-op.

Also speaking will be Tom O’Mahony, Chief Executive of Ori- gin Enterprises – a major player in the Agri Nutrition sector in Ireland, UK and Poland; John Tyrrell, Direc-

tor General of ICOS focusing on the future challenges facing co-ops and Ray Doyle, ICOS Livestock Services Executive addressing issues on Car- bon and Climate changes for proces- sors and producers.

The conference is expected to be fully attended because of such high profile speakers.

The Irish Co-operative industry is facing difficult challenges, the aim of the ICOS conference is to support those businesses and their members to plan and proactively lead the Irish Co-op agribusiness sector in meet- ing those challenges.