Month: May 2009

A 23-YEAR gap will be bridged in 2010 when Clare plays host to the Feile na nGael. News of this coup for the game in the county was delivered at last Tuesday’s monthly meeting of the County County Board by chair- man Michael O’Neill.

“This is a national event that we haven’t had since 1987. It’s a major event for the county,” O’Neill told delegates in announcing the appoint- ment of Ger Hickey as chairman of the organising committee.

Clare hosted Féile na nGael in both 1986 and °87, years that coincided with a golden era in the county’s as- sociation with the underage 14 hurl- ing and camogie festival that was inaugurated in 1971.

Wolfe Tones carved their names into the Féile na nGael history books when winning three All-Irelands in a row from 1986 to °88. Their 1986 and ’87 final victories came in Cu- sack Park over Piltown (Kilkenny) and Eire Og from Ennis respectively, while their 1988 win over Bishop- stown (Cork) make them the only three-in-a-row winners in the history

of the competition.

Other Clare winners of the Christy Ring Trophy down the years include Sixmuebridge who shared the 1995 title with Drom-Inch (Tipperary) and Eire Og who beat Glen Rovers in the 1999 final in Wexford.

Cratloe were Division Two win- ners in 1986 when they beat Smith O’Briens in an all-Clare final; The Division Four final that year was also an all-Clare affair, with Bodyke beating St Joseph’s Doora-Barefield, while ’87 decider saw Ogonnelloe beat Parteen. Kilkee/Bealaha went all the way to the final of the Divi- sion Five final in ’87 but went down to Padraig Pearses of Roscommon.

Clarecastle are Clare’s representa- tive in the 2009 Féile that takes place in Laois and Offaly on the weekend of June 19/21.

Banner squeeze through in extra time

PERSEVERENCE was the key to St Caimin’s latest trophy haul as they weathered a rousing Ennistymon challenge before finally claiming victory. Ennistymon, led by a tiger- ish display from wing-back Ciaran Monaghan who grabbed 2-1 over the hour, were four points clear at the turn of the final quarter despite fac- ing into a stern breeze but they were only to add on one more point for the remainder as St Caimin’s hit back with an impressive purple patch of 1-7 to take the title.

It was hard on Ennistymon who had already suffered defeat at the final hurdle only twelve months pre- vious but overall, St Caimin’s better balance and hard work against the breeze meant they they deservedly shaded the honours.

For their part, Ennistymon missed too many chances with the breeze at their backs, kicking eight first half wides, many of which were hit from distance when working the ball inside could have paid more dividends.

St Caimin’s tactics against the storm worked to perfection for the majority with Padraic Collins con- trolling matters in his role as a third midfielder and that influence led to two early points for the Shannon side when he teed up fellow Cratloe clubmate Dean Deloughery and then started the move for captain Sean Hynan’s score to give St Caimin’s an unlikely 0-2 to 0-0 lead by the 7th minute.

It took Ennistymon ten minutes and four wides to find their range but after Cathal Malone opened the scoring for the north Clare side, Sean McConigley won the resulting kick- out and moved the ball through Mark Burke before ending up with David

Davenport who made no mistake.

It was a shortlived lead however as within a minute Aaron Leahy had cancelled it out after taking ad- vantage of Sean Hynan’s effort for a point that held up in the breeze to steer home a shot at the near post. That seesaw pattern continued for

the remainder but St Caimin’s would have been extremely satisfied to have held Ennistymon against such a strong gale. However, just before half-time, the north Clare side got a significant boost when wing-back Ciaran Monaghan weaved his way down the left flank before hitting an

unstoppable shot to the net via the crossbar to give his side a 2-3 to 1-3 advantage at the break.

Now with the breeze at their backs, St Caimin’s began to chip away at that lead with points from Shane McDermott and Aaron Leahy but yet again they were to be stunned

by Monaghan who crept around the back to grab his second goal. It was a four point lead that they would hold heading into the final quarter but in- evitably St Caimin’s rallied and af- ter Aaron Leahy converted another point, the Wolfe Tones man imme- diately set up Simon Malone for the equalizing goal that would swing this tie decisively towards Caimins.

Malone and Michael Houlihan swapped points soon afterwards but with the wind still blowing strong, Ennistymon couldn’t afford to gift St Caimin’s the leading point that Col- lins punished.

It was the momentum the Shannon side needed and further scores from Wesley Deloughery (2), Malone and Leahy sealed the win.

IN 1999 Rineanna Rovers were sec- onds away from winning a cup final only for Michael Devitt to score a Bunratty equaliser in the final minute of their clash in the County Grounds. Ten years on five of that beaten Rine- anna Rovers team finally landed the cup medal they craved.

For Hugh Kelly, Pa Fahy, John Earls, Brian ‘Joxer’ Kelly and Dec- lan Devitt it was worth waiting for — they more any other members of the Rovers squad seemed to appreci- ate what this meant.

“T didn’t think P’d be around when Rineanna finally landed a big one,” said Hugh Kelly seconds after the fi- nal whistle. “It’s huge for the club. A couple of years ago, it was touch and go whether the club would go on, but Colm Ryan came in as manager. He told us what his plans were and we all went with it. Everyone got togeth- er and decided to give it a real go. To get arun out was brilliant. Colm did that for me. That’s what I think any- way. I’m off to Newmarket now and then to the Honk. We’II keep it in the parish and celebrate.”

Kelly, a bit of a cult figure in Rine- anna Rovers’ 25-year history, had an army of volunteers at his shoulder.

DURING his first ever visit to Clare as Taoiseach yesterday (Monday), Brian Cowan received a vote of con- fidence from an unlikely quarter.

Fine Gael councillor and mayor of Clare, Clir Madeleine Taylor Quinn welcomed the political leader to Clare saying, “May I, on behalf of the people of Clare, welcome the Taoiseach Brian Cowan, whom I know is in a very difficult situation at the moment, but I have every con- fidence that he has the ability to do what is required to bring the nation and the country back on its feet.”

Despite opinion polls and Green Party calls for a redrawing of the programme for Government, a defi- ant Mr Cowan was rallying the party troops and speaking of winning con- trol of Clare County Council.

THE ENVIRONMENTAL Protec- tion Agency (EPA) is to prosecute Clare county council for allowing water untreated for the parasite, cryptospordium into the Ennis water system over a five month period.

The council 1s accused of breaching an EPA directive preventing it from allowing water by-pass the new tem- porary treatment for cryptosporid- ium from May 1 to October 21 last year. The case is due to be heard at Ennis District Court on June 25.

Three young children fell il from cryptosporidium in February of last year prompting the EPA to issue the directive that all water going through the system be treated for cryptosporidium — a diarrheal dis- ease, which has symptoms including abdominal cramps, fatigue, nausea, vomiting and low grade fever.

A partial boil notice has remained in place for 30,000 residents since the initial outbreak in June 2005. Despite spending €3 million on a temporary treatment plant, the council was un- able to comply with the directive and up to 30 per cent of water in the public water supply continued to be untreat- ed for the bug last summer.

The council’s new €9 million treat- ment plant has failed initial tests de- laying the lifting of the partial boil notice until July at the earliest.

When the council adhered to the di- rective last July, the reservoirs were almost empty with some areas hav- ing water cut off to ensure supplies to the local hospital and water for the fire service was severely curtailed.

In a letter to the EPA last year, Council engineer, Tom Tiernan said the move to restore a proper supply by partially by-passing the filtration plant for crytosporidium was done in consultation with the EPA and HSE.

THE legislation implementing the changes announced in the sup- plementary budget published last Thursday included an extension to the deadlines for tourism projects in the Shannon Region which was not included in Finance Minister Brian

Lenihan’s budget speech last month.

The Shannon Corridor Scheme was introduced in 2007 to provide tax re- lief for expenditure on certain tour- ism facilities in the Mid-Shannon area. Projects had to be submitted for approval by May 31 and had to have a planning application submit- orem ae elo OF

The May 31 deadline has been pushed out to May 31, 2010. In addi- tion, the time frame in which the ex- penditure must be incurred has been extended to May 31, 2013.

The scheme, designed to act as an incentive for both new development and refurbishment of tourism infra- structure in Clare, Galway, Tipperary,

Offaly, Westmeath and Roscommon, applies to tourism buildings such as facilities for watersports, boat rental and inland cruising, health spas, equestrian and other facilities.

Jackie Masterson, Taxation Partner with Russell Brennan Keane said that while they had met with a number of parties interested in the scheme, the deadline was proving prohibitive in the current climate and the one year extension was very welcome.

“Successful applicants have the op- tion of claiming the tax allowances themselves as a means of reducing their own tax bill annually or can use the incentive as a means of financing their project. “However difficulties in attracting investors will still re- main a challenge’, she said.

The Clare district electoral divi- sions that qualify under the scheme include Ayle, Ballynahinch, Boher- glass, Caherhurley, Cappaghabaun, Carrowbaun, Cloonusker, Coolreagh, Corlea, Derrynagittagh, Drummaan, Fahymore, Feakle, Inishcaltra North, Inishcaltra South, Killaloe, Kullo- kennedy, Killuran, Kilseily, Lack- areagh, Loughea, Mountshannon, O’Briensbridge, Ogonnelloe and Scarriff.

FIANNA Fail added its second can- didate to the Ireland North West ticket at the 11th hour amid much disquiet from the Pascal Mooney camp.

Just hours before the close of nomi- nations, Minister for State and Don- egal South West TD Pat “the Cope” Gallagher (FF) declared as a candi- date after weeks of speculation.

He joined former senator Mooney on the ticket, vacated by sitting MEP Sean O Neachtain.

The Galway-based MEP and Mooney were selected to represent the party, but O Neachtain later withdrew his name citing ill health.

Fianna Fail failed to find a candi- date in the southern half of the vast constituency of Ireland North West,

and yesterday announced former MEP and junior Minister Gallagher as the second candidate.

The news was not welcomed in the Mooney camp, as supporters be- lieved that both men would be look- ing for votes in the north.

Announcing his candidature Min- ister Gallagher said, “We must maximise funding opportunities from Europe which is supporting Irish economic recovery through a number of different positive initia- UAVore

“Now more than ever, Ireland needs to elect people who will be able to work in Europe on a range of different policy issues that will sup- port Irish economic recovery.

“The European Union is to the forefront in helping Ireland to pull out of economic recession.”

The junior minister served in the European Parliament before be- tween 1994 and 2002.

He said that both himself and Mr Mooney must work together to win back the Fianna Fail seat in Ireland oye fenie

The former senator, 1s an award- winning broadcaster and journalist and a native of Drumshanbo, Coun- ty Leitrim.

Mr Mooney said he will fight to protect the farming and fishing in- dustry and push for better job crea- tion and tourism through EU sup- port. He said he will also fight to protect Ireland’s cultural, linguistic and national diversities within the European Union and for increased financial support for Irish small and medium-size enterprises.

The former senator has served on

a number of European bodies in- cluding the Council of Europe and the WEU Parliamentary Assembly. He presented several reports to the Council of Europe including ‘Wom- en’s Participation in Elections’ and ‘Europe’s response to Humanitarian Disasters’ in association with the United Nations and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

He is co-author of “Women in Parliament’, now the benchmark publication acknowledging the role played by Irish women in the politi- cal process since the foundation of Some EI Koe

Mr Mooney was the first Irishman to be elected chairman of the Coun- cil of Europe Human Rights Com- mittee and has also served on the Joint House Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Forum on Europe.

“EFFECTIVELY all we are being promised is more of the same but Il do it a bit better.”

This 1s how Clare’s only candidate in the Ireland North West European Election appraised the other candi- dates in the field.

Scariff man Michael McNamara, is critical of the lack of ideas and debate surrounding the European elections, the economy and the local elections.

The barrister and farmer, admits he is coming to the European race a little late and has a huge challenge to overcome as an Independent can- didate, but is determined to open up the debate on Europe, Ireland’s place in Europe and the future of Govern- ment in Ireland.

Asked why he has put his name forward in the three-seat constitu- ency, which is made up of counties from every province in Ireland, Mr McNamara said, “Because I have to. I believe there is complete disil- lusionment in Ireland with National politics. A change in Government will not change that but a change in

governance.

‘There is a danger because of disil- lusionment people will reject the Eu- ropean Project as a protest. I believe that is why a lot of people voted No to the Lisbon Treaty.

“The problem with European law is not how it is made in Europe but how it is applied in Ireland.”

He gave the example of the contro- versial water and nitrates directives.

Mr McNamara said that Irish farm- ers are being forced to spread slurry in waterlogged fields before October Ry

In Northern Ireland, the British government secured derogation, so farmers have until January | to com- OC Kom CUM EAL ©

Both sets of farmers are working on the same island and in the same climate, yet the Irish Government failed farmers south of the border in this regard, he maintains.

Mr McNamara also believes in strengthening the local authorities, but maintains we do not need as many councillors or councils as we presently have in Ireland.

The Clare man began his cam- paigning last weekend.

Ennis schools lose two principals