Month: November 2008

HUNDREDS of mourners turned out on Saturday for the funeral of Gort mother of six, Kathleen Rock, who tragically lost here life in a road traffic accident on Wednesday evening last.

Mrs Rock (51) died following a single vehicle accident on a minor road at Kiltiernan just off the main N18 road around 8pm on Wednesday abreaal

Originally from Ardrahan, Mrs Rock had been living in Gort for most of her life and had become a central part of the local community. She is survived by her husband Collie and their six children.

Mrs Rock was on the way to col- lect one of her daughters from Yeats College in Galway when the accident took place.

“The mood here in Gort is very sad at the moment. There is a huge outpouring of grief from the whole community to the family and friends of Mrs Rock. There is a lot of sad- ness in the local community, this has come as a great shock and the people are very saddened by it,” said Rever- end Thomas Marrinan from St Cole-

man’s Church in Gort.

Mrs Rock was the only occupant of the car and was brought to Univer- sity Hospital Galway where she died from her injuries.

According to a Garda spokesman the car overturned after crashing and finish up in a ditch.

“There was a massive turnout for the funeral, she was a very very pop- ular woman in the locality,” contin- ued Reverend Marrinan.

“She was a very popular woman and will be very badly missed. She was very well thought of here by her neighbours and all of the local peo- ple.”

Mrs Rock is the third person to die in single vehicle accidents on the roads around Gort in the last 18 months.

In April of this year a 19-year-old woman lost her life in a single vehi- cle accident near Kilchreest Castle on the Loughrea to Gort road.

In June of 2007, 20-year-old Gort man Daniel Kelly lost his life when his motorcycle hit a traffic control barrier at the outskirts of Coole Park. Mr Kelly, who has an address at Crowe Street, was pronounced dead at the scene.

THE well-known peace activist Ed Horgan has appeared in court, charged in relation to an incident at Shannon airport last June.

Mr Horgan (63), of Charnwood, Newtown, Castletroy, Limerick, 1s accused of failing to comply with the requirements of an airport police of- ficer, at Shannon airport, on June 18 last.

Mr Horgan, a retired army com- mander, told Shannon District Court last week there were a number of 1m- portant preliminary issues he wanted the court to address, concerning the summons.

Judge Joseph Mangan said, howev- er, that he would deal with the issues on another occasion.

Mr Horgan replied that there would

be an issue as to whether the sum- mons was valid or bad.

“It was issued to me to appear be- fore court today and that’s why I came. It claims to be issued by the DPP. . . Sergeant O’Hagan applied for the summons on behalf of the DPP; this I believe to be untrue,’ he said.

Judge Mangan said it was clear the matter would take some time and he did not have the time to deal with it on that day.

Mr Horgan replied, “This is the third time I have been brought be- fore the court on spurious charges, at great expense and inconvenience.”

The judge adjourned the case until next January.

A FORMER heroin addict has been warned she will face a stint in jail if she fails to co-operate with the Pro- bation services.

Carmel Duggan (23), of St Munch- in’s Street, St Mary’s Park, Limerick

was one of two people who admit- ted entering homes in Meelick and Cratloe as trespassers, with intent to commit theft, in April 2007.

At Ennis Circuit Court last year, Duggan was handed a suspended jail term. Part of the conditions of the suspension was that she be un-

der the supervision of the Probation os ais one

However, the matter was re-entered by the Probation services last week. The court was told that she had failed to attend meetings with the Proba- tion services on two dates in Febru- ary and did not contact the office to

explain her absence.

Defence barrister Lorcan Connolly told the court his client was “gravely addicted to heroin” at the time of the offences, but has been drug-free for the past 17 months.

However, he said her house in Lim- erick has come under attack and she

was “hounded” out of it. “She was living in fear. She wishes to be given a second chance,” he said.

Judge Carroll Moran adjourned the case until January and said he would activate the sentence on that occa- sion if she fails to co-operate with the Probation services.

A CLONLARA stunt pilot crashed and died when the engine cut out in his plane due to fuel starvation, an investigation has revealed. Father of three, John Keane, died as he fin- ished an aerial acrobatics display in Ardfert Co Kerry last year.

Air accident investigators said that fuel starvation led to the crash. Eye- witnesses said they heard the plane’s engine bang before it stopped.

Mr Keane, an experienced pilot, appeared to try to level off and start the engine again but couldn’t do so because he was flying low.

The report just released by the investigating team said that vital

evidence as to the cause of the crash could have been lost in the destruc- tion of the cockpit as rescue workers cut through the wreckage to get Mr Keane out of the plane.

While the fire services first priority is always to control a fire and to get any casualties away from the area, the accident investigators said that in this instance, there was no urgency in removing the pilot from the scene.

The investigation found that a flex- ible tube intake hose had become uncovered and sucked air into the fuel system when the plane entered a near-vertical climb.

The 57-year-old was pronounced dead at the scene and his body was removed to Kerry General Hospital.

A MAN who drove his fist through the windscreen of a garda car in Mil- town Malbay has been handed a two- month jail term.

Michael Mongans (27), of Lis- cannor Road, Lahinch, admitted a charge of criminal damage and also pleaded guilty to two charges under the Public Order Act.

Sergeant Joe Hehir told Miltown Malbay District Court that he en- countered a dispute between the de-

fendant and his wife, at Main Street, Miltown Malbay, at 11.30pm on Jan- uary 26 last. They then turned to go into a bar.

Twenty minutes later, he said he separated the two on the street. How- ever, the accused tried to get to his wife on three occasions. “I restrained him. He was agitated. He told me to f*** off and that he hated the guards,” said Sgt Hehir.

He summoned assistance and as the accused was brought to a garda patrol car, he drove his fist through

the back window. Damage, worth almost €500, was caused to the car and Mongans has since paid this. Sgt Hehir said that the accused had been bound to the peace at the time, arising out of a previous matter. Defending solicitor Tara Godfrey said there had been tensions between her client and his wife at the time, which had since been cleared up. She said the accused was “exces- sively drunk” that night and now wanted to put the matter behind him. She said that her client’s family was

the subject of intimidation, arising out of incidents between his family and another family in Ennis between October 2007 and May 2008.

She said that while her client did not play a role in the incidents, he has been forced to move from Ennis to Cork. She said the incident before the court occurred right in the mid- dle of the dispute between the two e-NenBN BLoKe

Judge Joseph Mangan imposed a two-month jail term and fixed a bond in the event of an appeal.

A LITHUANIAN man who was spotted “fool acting’ down Seafield beach in his jeep has been convicted of dangerous driving and banned from driving for two years.

Tomas Salaka (27), of Aughantee- roe, Ennis, pleaded guilty to danger- ous driving, arising out of an incident at Seafield beach, Quilty.

Inspector Michael Gallagher told Milltown Malbay District Court that the defendant was driving his jeep – with two passengers – along the beach at Seafield, when he was spot-

ted by an onlooker.

He said he drove along the grass first and then onto the beach.

He said it would appear the accused took a phone call while driving and then did a handbrake turn, causing the jeep to flip over. He said the ac- tions of the accused could have led to tragic consequences.

“He was fool acting down the beach,” he said.

Defending solicitor Daragh Hassett said his client was working in Cree at the time. On the date in question, he went to Seafield beach, which was completely clear.

“There was no-one else on the beach. He got a_ phone call to go back to work, hence the talking on the phone. He then tried to get back up on the grass, but missed his turn and the jeep flipped over,” he said.

He said the girl who received inju- ries in the accident was recovering AB

Mr Hassett said that while a plea to dangerous driving was being en- tered, “I’d say it’s very much on the lower scale in this type of case.”

He said his client had no previous convictions either in Ireland or in his native Lithuania.

A FIVE-FIGURE sum of money and valuable pieces of jewellery, stolen during a spate of burglaries in Ennis over the past two months, have not yet been recovered.

This revelation emerged in the case of an Iranian refugee who is charged with three counts of burglary and one of handling stolen property. A total of 55 homes in Ennis were bur- gled between September and last week, prompting a major garda in- vestigation to be sprung into action. Jewellery, valued at €100,000, was recovered last Saturday week, as part of Operation Ennis, which was set up to investigate the matter.

Ali Reza Velayati (39), of Avondale, Kilrush Road, Ennis, 1s accused of

four alleged offences, on four sepa- rate dates in October and November.

The burglary charges relate to houses at Tobartaoscain, Ard na Gréine and Limerick Road, Ennis. Jewellery, valued at €1,950, was taken from one of the houses, while jewellery, worth €500, was taken from another house.

He is accused of handling assorted stolen jewellery, at Oakwood Drive, Ennis, on November 8 last.

Defending solicitor Daragh Has- sett was granted free legal aid for his client, who he said is a refugee. However, an application for bail was refused, after gardai objected.

Inspector Tom Kennedy said the charges in court formed “part of a whole plethora of charges relating to the burglary of 55 private residences

in Ennis between late September and November.”

‘He has been interviewed in rela- tion to all of these offences. While we have not brought charges in rela- tion to all of those, we are consulting with the DPP,” he said.

Mr Hassett said his client has been in Ireland for the past six months, having previously lived in China, under a refugee programme. He said the accused could not return to either Iran or China and effectively had “nowhere to go”.

‘He is not at flight risk, if that’s the State’s concern,’ said Mr Hassett.

However Inspector Kennedy dis- puted this and said the accused was at “enormous flight risk. His position in the country is very tenuous.” He said if bail was granted, there would

be concerns that the defendant would disappear.

“Despite the fact that a huge amount of property has been recovered, there is still a huge amount of property outstanding,” he said, adding that the State would be concerned the ac- cused could turn this into an “asset for himself.”

Detective Sergeant Michael Molo- ney then told the court that the “more valuable pieces of jewellery’, along with a five-figure sum of cash, were still outstanding. Dt Sgt Moloney said that the accused’s wife was no longer living at their address at Avondale.

“He has no direct links to this country. He is here on a travel docu- ment as opposed to a passport, under a refugee programme. I don’t believe he will turn up for a subsequent hear-

ing (if granted bail),” he said.

Mr Hassett said that his client’s wife is heavily pregnant and was staying with a friend, as she did not want to stay at their home on her own. He said his client could not leave the jurisdiction without the rel- evant documentation. However, Dt Sgt Moloney replied, “We all know if you want to leave the jurisdiction it can be done.”

Inspector Kennedy said that back- ground checks were still being proc- essed in relation to the accused. ““The State has a responsibility. There is overwhelming evidence against the accused,’ he said.

Judge Joseph Mangan refused bail and remanded the accused in cus- tody to re-appear in court later this month.

THE benefits of pre-clearance are:

For passengers: It will save time and potentially save money.

e Shannon and Dublin are the only European airports that will have full pre clearance facilities on offer to passengers.

e The US currently has no plans to introduce pre-clearance elsewhere in Europe.

e Once the new pre-clearance fa- cilities are in place US bound pas- sengers out of Shannon and Dublin airports will have uninterrupted pas- sage through US airports on arrival. e All customs, US immigration and agriculture clearance will now be completed before passengers leave Ireland.

e Flights from Shannon and Dublin airports will be treated like domes- tic flights in the US. Passengers will have no need to undergo further time consuming checks in any US air- jour

e Passengers will now be able to

check their baggage through from Shannon and Dublin to their final destination in the US even if this involves two flights with different airlines.

¢ Domestic airports are generally cheaper for airlines to use and this should be reflected in the ticket price – meaning potentially cheaper flights for customers.

For airlines: Faster aircraft turnaround which saves money.

e Transatlantic airlines using Shan- non and Dublin will now be able to fly into less congested and less ex- pensive domestic terminals at US airports. This means easier access to aircraft stands thereby minimis- ing the time between touchdown and passengers exiting the aircraft.

e Airlines will now also be able to offer passengers easily accessible on- ward connections.

For Shannon Airport and the mid- west region:

Shannon will be the first airport in Ireland to offer full pre clearance

facilities. This will give the airport authority a unique selling point in its marketing campaigns to attract new airlines to service the airport.

e The introduction of pre-clearance will be particularly useful in the ef- forts of Shannon Airport to retain and promote transatlantic services.

e Pre-clearance will provide the op- portunity to promote the mid-west region for high worth tourism from the US with the strong selling point that on the return leg all US clear- ance requirements would be dealt with before departure.

e Pre-clearance has the potential to Open up other economic benefits for the Shannon region particularly for firms dependent on the US market.

For private aircraft:

e Pre-clearance is also being intro- duced at Shannon for private US bound aircraft. Shannon will be the only airport in Europe to offer this service to private aircraft owners.

e Shannon can expect a significant increase in private aircraft landing to avail of the facility.

this week, “Cusack Park will have to be redeveloped if Clare wants to have a county grounds that passes heath and safety requirements into the future. That could cost anything between €5 and €10 million, be- cause it should be done right. With county board finances stretched, it

will be hard to raise money like that is arecession”.

In May 2003 the county board submitted plans to Ennis Town Councu’s planning department to redevelop Cusack Park. They were seeking permission from the plan- ning authority to “demolish the ex-

isting southern stand and construct a new stand complete with press/tv fa- cilities withing roof and ground floor accommodation of dressing rooms, toilets, first aid and hospitality, also a two story administration building to include gym, meeting rooms, dress- ing rooms and a café”.

The redeveloped Cusack Park as envisioned by the county board would have have had 6,000 seats and a capacity of 30,000 as well as an up- graded playing surface.

Permission to carry out these rede- velopment works was granted on De- cember 4, 2003, giving the board five years from that date to redevelop the ground that was opened in 1936.

That planning permission runs out in just over two weeks.

Meanwhile, Ennis Town Council member Frankie Neylon has told the county board this week, “if they don’t want to develop it, Ennis Town Council will gladly take it off of their JaF:NeV@ Kom NO OT-UOMCIER OFT Mm WaCoAm Ye DOL Om UITG! we’ll look after it.

“We’ll develop it as a municipal park and if they want it for the hurl- ing or the football, we’ll let them use it,’ the former Mayor of Ennis added.

WHEN Mick Darby landed back in the dressing room to tumultuous ap- plause, his first reaction was to turn on his heels and head back for the sanctuay of some open ait.

Not because he wanted to get away from the party, just because he felt it would be easier to field press queries if he was a few steps removed from the madding crowd that was gather- ing inside.

Once outside, the man from Rhode in Offaly talked about his team’s g1- ant step along the road to what he hopes will be a Munster champion- ship winning year.

A giant step, he agreed, but not a giant-killing one against the storied ‘Barrs from the Togher area of Cork City.

“What really pleased me about today was that this Kilmihil team showed St Finbarr’s the respect they were entitled to get, but then went about winning the game,” he said.

“These lads are still very young and are only learning, but they’re as good as what’s out there in this com- petition. It’s just a matter of applying themselves on the day and they did dere

“It was a great performance and it showed that they are maturing as a team. They defended really well near the end and held possession very well when they needed to. They worked very hard for each other.

“The points we got before half- time was the lift we needed going in. Those three points gave the lads that extra bit of self-belief,’ added Darby.

Thirty minutes were down, and

Darby sensed that there was more to come. “I knew in the dressing room at half-time that we were going to give it another 30 minutes of a blast in the second half.

“All we asked them was to give us everything they had for that 30 min- utes and they did that. They dug very deep to win. They played very good football to win and you can see that they’re enjoying it.

“We came under a bit of pressure like we did in the Ballysteen game, but we didn’t concede in either game and that’s down to the good workrate we have all around the field.

“If it had stopped here today, it

would have been a big blow to the lads because they’ve spent so much time together over the past year. They’d actually miss each other’s company. They’re determined to keep on winning.”

One will do as they face down St Michael’s Foilmore from deepest south Kerry.

“T don’t know who we’re playing,’ revealed Darby, “so we’ll give it a cut and see how we go.”

They’ve given it a cut all year.