Month: June 2009

Decision could be ‘as fool-hardy as Heathrow’

Shannon’s Delta blues

ENNIS has been listed as the second cleanest town in Ireland in the latest Irish Business Against Litter IBAL) anti-litter league survey.

Some 68 per cent of Irish towns and cities are now classed as “‘litter free’, including Ennis and Shannon, according to the latest survey.

However, the group is warning that many areas are likely to suffer this summer with the large-scale re- duction of weekend cleaning due to budget cuts.

Ennis finished in second position, holding onto its ‘Clean to European Norms’ status from the last round of 2008, whilst Shannon, having re-en- tered the league, has finished in 13th position, also “Clean to European \lereneky

The survey of 60 towns and cit- ies, conducted by An Taisce on be- half of IBAL, revealed Wexford to be Ireland’s cleanest town, ahead of Ennis. The number of “Litter Free” areas nationwide hit a record high of 41. Athlone and Mallow were the country’s sole litter blackspots, with Arklow ‘seriously littered’.

“An excellent result for Ennis – eight out of the ten sites surveyed got the top litter grade – these were not just clear of litter but fresh and well presented environments, Woodstock View, Kilrush Road Shopping Centre and Car Park, St Clare’s School and N85 approach and R475 approach roads,’ commented a spokesperson

for An Taisce.

An Tasice’s report described Wood- stock View as an “excellent site” while the report states that “there is certainly a feeling of house proud residents’ at Woodview, Radhairc na Coulle.

St Clare’s School was another site rated as ‘clean to European norms’.

“The overall impression at the grounds of this school was of a fresh, clean and well maintained site. Clearly it is not only well cared for but respected by the users’, the re-

port states.

Of Shannon’s performance, a spokesperson for An Taisce said, “Shannon has rejoined IBAL Anti- Litter Survey and it has scored very well with seven out of the ten sites surveyed getting the top litter grade. The remaining three sites were mod- erately littered. All four of the ap- proach routes surveyed got the top litter grade – creating a positive first impression of the town.”

Scoil Naoimh Padraig was rated as ‘Clean to European Norms’. “Not

only was this school environment clear of litter but it was also very well maintained – a credit to the pupils and those responsible for the mainte- nance,’ the report states.

Cul na gCeapagh and the Drum- geely Approach Road were also praised in An Taisce’s report.

MUSICIANS from across Ennis are gearing up for a special gig in aid of a local service that provides care and treatment for children with special needs.

Four local bands will perform at May Kearney’s on Thursday, June 18 in a fundraiser for the Barefield Spe- cial Needs Clinic.

Bushplant, Isolated Frequency, For- get Monday and The Riordans will rock the night away for this worth- while cause.

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of the death of Ennis man Tomas ‘Moses’ Mannion who drowned in a kayaking accident on Lough Derg last year. The first “Gig For Moses’ last year raised funds for the Killaloe Rescue Services.

Commenting on the gig, local musi- cian Gerry Molloy said, “We are de- lighted to remember our friend Moses in this way. He would love it; a good night of rock n’ roll and some funds raised for a good cause. We’re hoping for a great turnout on the night.”

This year, musician David Hanra- han is cycling from Malin Head to Mizen Head in July in aid of a local

girl with special needs who attends the children’s clinic in Barefield. All involved agreed that the proceeds of the gig should go to this worthy cause. The clinic offers reflexology, speech and language therapy, physi- otherapy, occupational therapy, Mon- tessori teaching and osteopathy. This clinic is privately funded and up to 120 local families avail of services Weloiuee

On July 16, David Hanrahan and a group of cyclists from Clare and Surrounding counties will set off to tackle the epic Malin Head to M1- zen Head cycle to raise funds for the

Clare Crusaders Clinic. Over four days, and 800km, the group will trav- el from the northern most point to the most southerly point in Ireland. All money raised by the cyclists will go directly to fund a range of supports and services provided to children from all over County Clare.

Clare Crusaders is a _ registered charity, which is dedicated to the pro- vision of services for children with special needs.

Tickets €10 are available from Tom Mannion Travel and the Record Rack. For more information, contact Gearoid Mannion on 086 8120055.

HIGH King Brian Boru would have been more than happy to sip his mead from one of the lovely ceramic gob- lets created by the pupils of Ogonnel- loe National School.

The youngsters took a step back in time and, with the Clare king as their theme, they produced goblets, bowls and daggers which were then put on exhibition. Ogonnelloe parish hall was decorated like a great hall witha large table in the centre with goblets and bowls made by the children of

third, fourth, fifth and sixth classes. In the fashion of the great King’s hall ceramic ‘swords’ were placed at a ta- ble by the door.

At the bottom of the hall there was plaques designed by the children of first and second class on the theme of the Children of Lir. Junior and sen- ior infants also had a hand in making bowls and the exhibition was com- pleted with a display of some jew- ellery pieces made by the fifth and sixth class.

The event was a joint venture be- tween the Artists in School scheme,

staff at the school and the parents’ association.

Eleanor Walsh, Chairperson of Ogonnelloe Parents Association, welcomed everyone and thanked Jane Seymour, the artist who had come to the school under Clare Council Arts and Education Grant. She also thanked the staff of the school “for facilitating this great achievement” and thanked the children “for their designs and hardwork over the last few weeks to make the night such a great success”.

Jane Seymour thanked all involved

and said how much she enjoyed her time at the school. Marie Roberts, Principal of Ogonnelloe National School said what a fantastic night this was and how it showed what a great working relationship between the Parents Association, the school and the Board of Management of Ogonnelloe and also the parish.

She thanked the children for all their enthusiasm over the previous weeks and complemented them on how well the hall looked. The exhi- bition was opened by local historian, Ger Madden.

YOUNGSTERS at Meelick National School would do a lot of things to get a half-day but their forebears were given time off to go and work in the ueb Oke

That is just one of the little gems of information contained in a school roll book which has been kept at the school since 1874.

The unique roll book was one of the items being exhibited as part of the school’s celebrations of 50 years of learning at the ‘new’ school.

‘This was the roll book for the old school, which opened in 1874. It 1s a lovely piece of work, with beauti- ful writing. The names of the 150 pupils are all recorded along with people’s jobs, who the landlord was and lots of details like that. It noted the names of children who worked as mill-hands and that they were to be given time off for that. It’s a so- cial history of the area,’ said school principal Dan Graham.

“I found the book in the school’s strong room and I’ve had it rebound to pass it on to whoever takes over from me here.”

Friday’s celebrations began with a Mass and later, parents, teachers, past pupils and priests who had been connected with the parish over the years moved to the hall where there was an exhibition of old school pho- tos and other memorabilia.

On the day, it was recalled that the original school opened it’s doors on May 11, 1874 and the first principal, Thomas Barry had an annual salary of £24.

The new school was opened on May 12, 1959 and cost £13,500 to

build.

The staff and pupils planted a tree and buried a ‘time capsule’ contain- ing a list of the childrens’ names, their photos and other item like cal- culators, biros and the school jour- nal.

Then a commemorative plaque was

unveiled before a trip down memory lane in which past pupils and teach- ers recalled their days at Meelick school.

The plaque was unveiled by former school teacher, Kitty Garvey, who taught at the school for 40 years.

The day was rounded off with a

dance in the Greenhills which was attended by pupils and staff.

Mature art students prove a dab hand

a | wouldn’t be surprised if 10-year-olds were involved (in drug abuse).”

He said that drugs are widely avail-

able.

“In the past, it was always thought that heroin was available just in the larger cities but there is no such place as a quiet place any more,” he said.

“Drugs are available in the most ru- ral parts of Clare as much as in Lim- erick city,’ he said.

‘The big need in the mid-west is to have a drug detox service based in all the main centres – Limerick, Ennis, Nenagh.

“The Health Service Executive (HSE) has plans for it, but in the cur- rent economic climate, it may be put on the long finger,’ he said.

Mr Duffy said that the spread of drugs is linked to the increased de- mand.

“It’s a supply and demand issue. If there was no demand, there wouldn’t be need for supply. It’s the people who create demand who create the supply,” he said.

“l’m concerned there are people out there who should know better, who are stoking up the demand side which leads to misery,’ he added.

‘People who dabble in recreational drugs think that a let-off at weekends is to dabble in drugs. They have to bear in mind that the consequences

of that leads to problems,” he added.

“We have a very high tolerance of drugs. Social acceptability doesn’t allow it,” he said.

While gardai in Clare have repeat- edly expressed concern about the increased availability of heroin and cocaine, Mr Duffy said, “I couldn’t say it’s one or the other. Someone who starts on soft drugs graduates up along.”

Services, like Bushypark addiction treatment centre in Ennis, have been provided in an effort to help people get off drugs, such has been the spi- raling use.

2006 GRAND National winning trainer Martin Brassil has led the tributes to Tom Costelloe, the legen- dary Clare horse trainer and dealer who died on Sunday. In a remark- able career in the horse racing indus- try Costelloe put six winners of the Cheltenham Gold Cup through his Newmarket-on-Fergus stable as well as training the winner of the Irish Grand National.

“He had the biggest supply of horses going into England for a long number of years,” Brassil told

Blues beaten twice in the same week