Month: October 2009

AVENUE United have been scoring goals for fun in the Premier Division, which in turn has propelled them to the top of the table, taking 18 points from their opening six fixtures. So it was highly anticipated that they would put the visitors to the sword on a wet and miserable day at Lees Road.

From the outset Avenue had all the possession and went in search of an early goal to try and kill off the fix- ture. Avenue were trying to play a one-touch passing game but the pitch and weather conditions were always working against them.

Sean O’Meara had the first gilt edged opportunity when he was put through on goal but Tommy Quinn saved expertly to divert the goal bound shot around the post.

Avenue were applying a lot of pres- sure from set pieces but the Newcas- tlewest defence stood tall and were first to every ball. After the first 15 minutes had passed it was evident that Newcastlewest’s game plan was to stifle the free flowing football of Avenue United.

Although Avenue had the ball at their disposal for most of the match, there was always a concern that New- castlewest could strike a blow on the counter attack.

When Newcastlewest broke, the ball was constantly spread to the left flank where a waiting Tomas Quilli- gan would dart past the back line and try weave his way in on goal.

The ferocious tenacity of Gary Flynn in the middle of the park en- sured that these chances were few and far between. Another low cross from Sean O’Meara was met by Adrian

McDonagh, but once again Quinn thwarted the Avenue attack with a fantastic reflex save, when a goal looked almost certain. David Smyth wrangled his way past every obstacle when the ball was displayed in front of him, and Newcastlewest couldn’t cope with his lightning pace.

At the closing stages of the first- half Smyth dashed down the left hand side and delivered a spectacu- lar cross that really should have been converted by David Herlihy.

The second-half started in the Same fashion as the first, with Av-

enue looking to pounce from the emphatic Smyth, who had a real foothold on the game. Full back Shay Lyons couldn’t contain Smyth and he received a booking for his troubles early into the second half. Earlier fears proved right when Avenue lost the ball in the middle of the pitch, Newcastlewest on the counter attack found Tony Quaid with a long ball, who in turn pulled it back for Quil- ligan to score an absolute peach of a goal. Quilligan had floated in from the left side of the pitch, had spot- ted Barry O’Donnell of his line and

lobbed him from 30 yards out.

A goal worthy of deciding any game, Newcastlewest achieved what they had set out to do and put men behind the ball to ensure Avenue didn’t find an equaliser. Avenue were desperate for a goal and even the in- dustrial movement of Smyth couldn’t breach Tommy Quinn’s goal. Having to resort to long-range efforts it nev- er looked as Avenue would find the equaliser. As the contest came to a close Newcastlewest almost doubled their advantage when Jason Cum- mins got put through one on one with O’Donnell but Cummins struck the foot of the post.

As the final whistle was blown a look of despair was engraved on the Avenue teams faces. Avenue were able to score eight goals last week, but fired blanks today. The team thats steam rolling over its competi- tors in the Premier Division finds themselves out of the FAI Junior Cup already. Have no doubts though, an Avenue team of this class will bounce back.

THE management and staff of Pac- Net Services Europe Ltd. is celebrat- ing their joint success in meeting early targets toward absolute carbon neutrality, a plan they shared with the press and other businesses in May of this year.

Since the May launch of their Car- bon Neutral Challenge, meant to inspire other Shannon companies to enter into a little earth-friendly competition, the organisation has at- tained a healthy 20 per cent reduc- tion in its carbon footprint. They have eliminated over 50 tonnes per year. The success of the programme so far is largely attributed to a well planned, comprehensive waste re- cycling program, along with a con- centrated effort to decrease mileage in the air travel undertaken through their subsidiary, PacNet Air.

Through a well executed recycling plan, PacNet has reduced the amount

of waste going into a landfill by a minimum of 75 per cent, and the fu- ture only looks greener for the emer- ald isle, as plans are now underway to further reduce carbon output, in- cluding an overhaul of the heating system in the PacNet offices.

Another area targeted for positive change is car travel; PacNet plans to purchase a hybrid vehicle for use as a company car, and will continue with a staff commuter scheme, which re- wards staff members who choose alternate forms of travel, such as car pooling, bicycle and public transit. With environmental concerns top of mind, the staff at PacNet have iden- tified another use for the stationery and office equipment they no longer need; instead of sending it off to a landfill, they are distributing the ma- terial to local schools.

“This is a fantastic start; we are buoyed by the initial results, and we will maintain a steady pace toward our end goal of being carbon neutral

by 2011,” says R Paul Davis, spokes- man for the PacNet Services Group of Companies, “Like any long term change, this initiative requires a sus-

tained effort in order to be success- ful, and the PacNet team is prepared to meet the challenge. Everyone is on board”’.

SHANNON Heritage has added a new dimension to its annual Hallow- een Holiday Horror event at Bunratty Castle and Folk Park which this year takes place on Bank Holiday Monday from lpm to 5pm. In addition to their spine-chilling programme of scary happenings, visitors can expect to be thrilled by a Michael Jackson tribute dance performance of his famous song ‘Thriller’.

Also new this year is the chance to get up close and personal with an amazing talking head!

A packed programme has been or- ganised and back by popular demand will be the 18th century swashbuck- ling Pirates of the Caribbean influ- enced show, complete with scary pi- rates, an inflatable pirate ship and a mesmerising laser lights show.

“It is great to be able to give chil- dren an opportunity to get in some

advance scaring before Halloween night, and we are delighted that so many children and parents get into the ‘spirit’ of things each year by taking part in our scary costume competition.

“Our Halloween event is part of a popular fun calendar of events we run throughout the year for the do- mestic market. Another event which is hugely popular is our Santa exper1- ences where we transform Bunratty Folk Park into a Christmas wonder- land. This year it will run from De- cember 4-22, but it’s already book- ing up fast,’ says John Ruddle, Chief Executive, Shannon Heritage.

As part of the spine chilling, fear wrenching features during the event, visitors will be encouraged to come face to face with a tarantula spider, just one of an array of scary crea- tures making a guest appearance at the Folk Park. And their will be snakes, lizards, scorpions and owls

to add to the shivers.

There will be prizes for the best and scariest costumes and there will be free face-painting in the barn on arrival so haunting can be at it’s scar- iest as well as traditional games.

A Celtic Halloween experience through music promises to be an- other highlight of the event. Wear- ing Iron Age costumes members of Pre-History Music Ireland will dem- onstrate a variety of ancient musical instruments. They will take visitors on a journey from the first habitation in Ireland circa 8,0OOOBC through to the Early Medieval period 7OOAD. In addition to musical time travel, the group will regale children and adults with scary Halloween stories from legends.

Family tickets are available start- ing at €33.60 for two adults and two children; €35.95 for two adults and four children and €37 for two adults and six children.

THERE were two Clare winners among the 39 lucky Big Money Game TV gameshow winners who jetted off accompanied by their guests last week to New York City for a six day luxury break,

They won the prize on the Nation- al Lottery’s Big Money Game TV Gameshow, hosted by Derek Moon- ey during the summer months.

Derek accompanied the winners on their fun-filled trip of a life- time and was joined by 2FM’s Will Leahy Show who broadcast live from New York on Tuesday, 13 October. €2,500 spending money each was also thrown in as part of the win.

Mary Cusack from Newmarket-on- Fergus brought her sister Geraldine with her on the trip. It’s her first trip to the USA and she said she was

“very excited at the prospect of go- ing to such an exciting place”.

Mary Gillespie, from Corofin, lives eight miles outside Ennis. Married to Michael, she has three daughters and one son and she took her daughter Niamh with her on the trip.

“Since the children were small, if something was to be decided, their names were put in a saucepan and then the winner was selected. The same principle was applied for the trip to New York,” she said.

Mary works part-time in a jewel- lery and gift shop in Ennis, and has always dreamed of visiting New York. She had plans to visit Central Park, Fifth Avenue and Ellis Island. Niamh and her mum describe them- selves as “big shoppers”.

Once in New York, the group were transported by coach to the luxurious Sofitel Hotel in Midtown Manhattan,

just a short stroll from Times Square, the Empire State Building and Fifth aN etl len

On Saturday evening, the winners enjoyed a meal at the renowned River Café in Brooklyn with a breathtaking panoramic view of the Manhattan skyline by night and Lady Liberty in New York Harbour.

The group were Broadway-bound on Tuesday night, for the critically acclaimed theatrical phenomenon

ano profile some of the county’s leading agri-business success stories, start- ing with Brid and Roger Fahy of Lin- nalla Ice Cream.

Linnalla Ice Cream is hand-pro- duced on the Flaggy Shore of Fin- varra by Brid and Roger Fahy using whole milk and cream from their own shorthorn cows, native to the Burren, to create ice cream free from artificial flavours, colours or preserv- atives.

The farm has been a dairy yard since the 1800s, but by 2004 they knew that they needed to adapt to survive and build a viable future for their family, and give their children a chance to continue to farm the Bur- ren.

Linnalla ice cream started produc- tion in 2006 and the speciality ice- cream is now available in shops and

restaurants in the Clare and Galway areas.

In 2005, they met Pat Shannon from the Clare Enterprise Board who en- couraged them to develop their idea. Over the next two years they had planning approved, secured LEAD- ER funds, worked with officials from the Department of Agriculture and

soon were on the way to starting a new and innovative business.

A number of information evenings will take place at Teagasc Offices around the county over the next few weeks. This evening, October 20, an information evening will take place in Kilrush at 7.30pm, while tomor- row (Wednesday, October 21) a simi-

lar event will take place in the En- nistymon office at 7.30pm.

Information evenings also take place Ennis and Scariff on October 27 and 28.

Those attending the evenings will find out how to fill in the short appli- cation form and will hear about the other great prizes on offer.

A number of Clare farmers who started their own businesses will also be there to tell of their experiences to date as entrepreneurs. The Clare Farm Idea Awards is an initiative of Clare Local Development Company (CLDC) to promote entrepreneur- ship amongst farming and fishing Leyeevenleusieley

The top prize of €3,000 is gener- ously sponsored by Clean Ireland Recycling Ltd in Cree, while other sponsors include Clare Marts, Kerry Agri-Business, Conor Engineering, Clare IFA, BIM and FBD.

For more information contact Ger- ry McDonagh 086 8544036 or Hilary Ci TNey MO com Pe Reh Tee

Element Six: ‘We can save jobs’

THE students of Scoil Mhuire in Ennistymon donned the saffron and blue last week as they welcomed back a number of past pupils along with a very special guest – the Mary Quinn Memorial Cup.

Newly crowned All-Ireland Inter- mediate Ladies Football champions, Liscannor sisters Carmel and Marie Considine, were joined at the school by Clare manager Deirdre Murphy. The trio were led into the school by first-year student Eva O’Dea, who played in the under-12 competition on All-Ireland day in Croke Park.

The group were welcomed to the school by school principal Seo- saimhin Ui Dhomhnallain who con- eratulated them on their wonderful achievement before presenting them with commemorative awards from the school.

She also paid tribute to Suzanne Murphy, another past pupil, who was on the panel along with Sinead Eus- tace – sister of Scoil Mhuire’s hugely successful coach Carmel Eustace.

Addressing the students, Clare man- ager Deirdre Murphy explained how the heartbreak of two semi-finals and last year’s All-Ireland defeat acted as a motivational mechanism to achieve eventual success.

The team started training last No- vember in the gym and then on the pitch from January, two nights a week. Social life went out the win- dow and the team showed great dedi- cation to bounce back from last year’s All-Ireland defeat to Tipperary.

Speaking about last year’s disap-

pointment, Marie Considine said that the team went about their business in a quiet fashion this year but with steely determination to claim glory.

Vice captain Carmel Considine praised Scoil Mhuire for inspiring young footballers to succeed and re- membered her own school days when she started playing for the county while still in fifth year at Scoil Mhu- ire.

She also pointed out that the school has made great strides in ladies foot- ball in a short time and praised its very high standards.

Scoil Mhuire holds a Munster title in football and many students pres- ently play under-14 and under-16 at a county level.

With such talent and dedicated coaching by Carmel Eustace, she concluded that the school will no

doubt yield further silverware in the years to come.

Students posed for photographs with the cup while many expressed their dreams of one day emulating their heroines in footballing success.

WHEN Susanne Matejka came to west Clare for a holiday more than eight years ago, little did she think she would find love and a new life in the town she had intended to stay in for just a few weeks.

The German native came to Kil- rush in 2001 to see the dolphins.

“T went to the information office to look for accommodation and was told that there was the Grove Guest House, and | stayed there with a friend of mine. I got to know a man there, the son. So I came to see the dolphins, met a man and couldn’t get rid of him,” she laughed. “I love it here as well so I didn’t move just for eieervi eae

When she came to Kilrush, she worked as a secretary at the Garda station on a temporary basis, and then as a legal secretary before land- ing her ideal job, which merges her business accruement with her crea- LU AoMCS (6 Kos

The skills and knowledge Susan took from her native home bring an added dimension to her role as cen- tre manager of the Vandeleur Walled Gardens.

She has promoted the role of the café and the skills of the staff work- ing there. Keen for the employees to bake fresh breads, cakes and their famous scones every day, the centre manager has also shared her special recipes for German cakes, adding a new variety to the staple cake. Her interest, she maintains, comes from her great-uncle who was a pastry chef and baker in Berlin.

Having learnt set and céili dancing, Susanne is quick to share her love of belly dancing, giving classes locally and getting involved in local per- Ko) u sek: heleeny

Susanne is one of many European

people to embrace Irish culture and the way of life in west Clare.

Karoly Torok is from Hungary and moved to west Clare with his weaver wife Csilla five years ago.

Kilrush is now home for this young family as they bring an array of tal- ents and new skills to the area, and their work.

They were hoping to live some- where similar to Maine in the USA but closer to Hungary when Csilla moved to Ireland to see if it would suit their needs.

Once she had settled in, Karoly joined her in Kilrush and got a job

as head gardener in the Vandelleur Walled Garden and CE supervisor.

With a masters in agriculture, a horticulture degree and _ business management qualifications, he was well equipped for the job, but said it took him a while to get to grips with everything.

He knew a lot of plants by their Hungarian and Latin names but soon came to know the Irish names, while adding a lot of unusual plants to the garden, which usually grow in the southern hemisphere.

Getting used to the change in staff and the paperwork, which made up

part of the CE supervisor job, was also a challenge at first – now it is erere) 16M OE TREN Ren

Five years on and the couple have settled into the area with their chil- Choe

Karoly explained that it is impor- tant to mix with the Irish people and integrate with the local community, although a lot of their friends are Polish, German, Dutch and Swiss, all of whom share a common bond of beginning a new life in Kilrush.

PARENTS in east Clare need not worry about what to do with their children over the Bank Holiday week- end as the Feile Eile festival is back in Killaloe.

After the success of the inaugural festival last year, the people behind the Music in the Glen school, Boris Hunka and Diane Daly, decided to organise a second event and this year have made it bigger, better and, best of all, most events are free.

“It was a great success last year and we wanted to expand this year and have events where the children could perform for their parents as well as for other schools. We’ve been able to add quite a few events this year so we really hope that people will come out and support it,” said Diane.

The first big event of the festival is on Friday with the Schools Song Summit. Children from the seven lo- cal national schools will perform to each other before uniting to sing the Féile Eile anthem as a single choir from 10am to 11.30pm at Ballina Na- tional School Hall.

Saturday is the “Great Big Fun Day of Music, Drumming, Drama and Dance’ featuring four free workshops. Jenny Brown will be teaching the hot- test hip-hop and Bollywood moves. Kids will get to make lots of noise with Boris Hunka’s rare collection of big drums, Kathleen Turner of the Irish Chamber Orchestra will make singing fun and songwriting seem easy while Diane Daly uses Music in the Glen’s instruments, a medley of masks and participants’ imaginations to create a stunning new show on the spot. The workshops are from |lam- 4pm in the Kincora Hall Hotel. Pre- booking is essential on 087 2104583.

Also as part of the festival, cartoon favourite Bugs Bunny will meet the

Irish Improv Orchestra who will try to keep pace with Bugs as he deals with Daffy Duck, Yosemite Sam and Porky Pig. This event event will take place at 6pm at Kincora Hall Hotel, NAP

On Sunday, there will be eerie sto- rytelling in the Bell chamber in the 10th-century cathedral of St Flan- nan’s (suitable for children aged five- plus). Times are lpm, 2pm and 3pm and it’s free. There’s a free blockbust-

er show featuring children from the performing schools on Sunday in St Annes School at 4pm and on Monday there’s a Haiku workshop in St Flan- nan’s at 2pm, run by local artist and writer Deirdre Grimes. Pre-booking is essential, call 086 2626525. Local author David Rice offers advice on writing at St Flannan’s Cathedral at 2pm. Again, pre-booking 1s essential, call 087 2104583.

To round off the Féile, musical leg-

ends and former performers with Stockton’s Wing, Tommy Hayes and Kieran and Mike Hanrahan, reunite in a special one-off show at 8pm on Monday in the Lakeside Hotel, tickets priced €22.

ST Tola’s National School in Shannon has been congratulated for its efforts in caring for the environment, after it engaged in an initiative which en- courages students to walk to school.

The school is preparing for its fourth green flag. To coincide with Road Safety Week last week, the school organised its own initiative, WOW (Walk on Wednesday). Four meeting points were set up and from those, students walked to school, in the form of a walking bus.

Green Schools co-ordinator Lor- raine Connolly said that every effort is being made to care for the environ- ment.

“Members of the school commu- nity will make a conscious effort of a more environmentally friendly way of travel. Staff will try to car pool

and this will reduce the numbers of cars in the car park. We have also launched a green leaves and tree campaign. Every class has a tree and they look after them. That was the first part of our initiative. Everyone was really enthusiastic about that,’ said Ms Connolly.

The next part of the project was WOW, which was a huge success last AYA(ere DaTenNe ENYA

“The Green Schools committee is working very diligently. We are try- ing everybody to work together. We are hoping that this will leak into the community,” she said.

WOW was a huge success and the Green Schools committee is hoping to repeat the feat later in the school Were

“We are hoping to do it a couple of times in the year. Since we started, we did audits in every class. We have

definitely seen more children making a conscious effort to walk to school and the car parks are a lot quieter,” said Ms Connolly.

157 families are represented in St Tola’s school and the Green Schools committee is hopeful that as many of those as possible will play a role in the school’s effort to earn its fourth green flag.

Roisin Ni Ghairbhith from An Taisce’s Environmental [Education Unit paid tribute to the good work of those involved in the initiative at St Tola’s.

“Tam very impressed with the speed at which St Tola’s has jumped to the challenge of their travel flag. St To- la’s is one of only 15 schools in Clare that are on their fourth green flag and they have only just started the theme this September,’ she said.

“They have already done a lot of

work on it, including walkability audits and art work to raise aware- ness about sustainable travel. The children have been learning the safe cross code too, all to prepare them for their mission to encourage the entire school body and community to use their cars less on their route to school, be it walking, cycling, car pooling or parking and striding in- Stead,” she added.

She said the WOW idea is an excel- lent idea. “This 1n itself is very effec- tive because if people start by walk- ing once a week, instead of using the car, that is an immediate 10 per cent reduction in their CO2 emissions and and immediate improvement to their health and pocket,’ she added.