Month: January 2011

AN Ennis mother has teamed up with an All-Ireland dance champion to allow children with special needs to pursue their dancing dreams.

The Sparks Dance School in Ennis has been hosting classes in hip-hop for children of all ages with moderate to general learning disabilities and children with autism spectrum disorders.

The classes started last November and are the brainchild of local woman Margaret Hargaden.

Margaret, whose daughter Shona attends classes and competed for Clare at last summer’s Special Olympics, said she wanted to create an environment where children with special needs could meet outside of school hours.

Margaret explained, “Shona couldn’t be meeting her friends after school, they are from all over the county. She needed something. I just wanted her to have a bit of exercise and one other parent asked me, was there anything? I said no one’s going to do anything so I just said, right, I’ll do it”.

Margaret said there has been plenty of interest in the classes from children and parents alike.

She said, “I put posters up in CEIS and in Clare Crusaders and literally it snowballed from that. People just got in touch and it went from there. They love it. I had said every two weeks, but I think we’re going to go every week. They all want it. We never have less than seven but we can have up to 17. It can be fairly manic.”

Margaret continued, “The parents get to meet up. It’s really helpful for us as well. The parents that have to go can go if they have to go somewhere and I have a number I can ring them or text them if a child is upset or anything. If there is any issue, I can get them to come back. They’ll only be 10 minutes away anyway.”

The success of the classes owes much, Margaret said, to the guidance of instructor and All-Ireland champion dancer Mikey O’Loughlin.

Margaret said, “Mikey is brilliant. He’s adapted because some of the kids would’ve problems with noise, if it’s very loud the minute they come in. So Mikey starts it very gradually and he builds it up. Whereas that won’t happen if you go into an ordinary class. It would be too loud. With the lights then as well, he’ll see if they are all ok. He’s adapting to their needs literally.”

Founded in 2000 by local woman Lordes O’Donoghue, Sparks Dance School teaches all styles of modern dance with classes for children, teenagers and adults.

A MAN ACCUSED of assaulting his former partner has had his bail revoked after gardaí claimed in court that he breached a condition of bail.

Larry Connors (18), with an address at Town Court, Shannon, is facing three charges of assaulting his 18-year-old former partner in Shannon on various dates in December.

He was brought before a special sitting of Ennis District Court last Saturday week, where bail was granted, despite Garda objections on the grounds that the alleged victim would be “terrorised” by the accused.

During that court sitting, a senior garda said that the accused was in a relationship with the alleged victim “and in recent times that relationship turned violent”.

He said the woman is the mother of a 10-month baby boy and “during the course of these (alleged) assaults, she was caring for her child and had her child in her arms”.

He said that the baby was taken to the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick with serious injuries including a burn mark, two broken arms – one of which was broken in three places – a broken leg and multiple bruising to the body. “The State says (the woman) was assaulted at the same time the child was assaulted,” said Inspector Tom Kennedy. However, no charges have been brought in relation to the baby.

A number of bail conditions were attached, including that the accused stay away from the alleged injured party and her family.

Mr Connors appeared before Ennis District Court on Friday, charged with trespass and engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour, at an address in Shannon, the previous evening, January 13. Inspector Kennedy applied to revoke the defendant’s bail, saying it would be alleged by gardaí that Mr Connors breached a condition of his bail. “He was to have no contact with the injured party. We say he contacted the injured party,” he said. The woman who Mr Connors is alleged to have assaulted then told the court that she was at home the previous evening. Asked did the accused contact her, she said, “He didn’t contact me. I was in the kitchen. He was chatting to my mother outside.” Inspector Kennedy asked her did she receive phone calls and text messages from the accused, to which she replied, “I never received them. I didn’t have the phone.” Defence solicitor Caitriona Carmody then submitted to the court that there was no evidence that the accused had breached bail. The woman’s mother then told the court that her daughter is fearful of the accused. She said that Mr Connors called to their home the previous evening and asked to speak to her daughter. “I wouldn’t allow him to because he wasn’t allowed to come anywhere near us,” she said. She said that he then started shouting and got “very violent”. “He said, ‘If you don’t get out of the way, I’ll hit you to get to (her daughter),” she told the court. She told the court that Mr Connors sent a number of text messages and made a number of phone calls to a phone owned by him but which was in the possession of her daughter.

“My daughter is a nervous wreck. I’m nervous myself,” she said.

Ms Carmody put it to her that her daughter said she had not received phone calls. The woman replied, “She was in the hospital. I had the phone.”

While the woman was giving evidence, Mr Connors shouted from his seat in the courtroom. He was ordered to remain silent by Judge Eamon O’Brien, who later told the solicitor: “You might advise him about his demeanour in court.”

Mr Connors took the stand and told the court he was not at the woman’s house the previous evening. Asked why would the woman’s mother claimed that he was, he replied, “Because she hates me with a passion.”

Ms Carmody submitted to the court that the woman’s evidence was “compelling. She didn’t appear to me to be petrified or scared.” The judge replied, “Are you suggesting her mother does not know her daughter?”

The solicitor said her client “has vehemently protested his innocence.” She said there was a “total conflict. The evidence is not clear cut.”

However, the judge said he was satisfied with the evidence from the woman’s mother and revoked bail. Mr Connors was remanded in custody to appear again in court later this week.

DEPUTY Timmy Dooley (FF) will begin the election campaign as Fianna Fáil’s most senior member, after just one short term in office as a TD.

The former senator will lead the ticket for one of the toughest facing the party in its 85-year history.

A man that has already started on the hustings, he is well aware of the unwelcome reception that is likely to meet the party at the door and he admits that people have a reason to be angry.

“We as a party had some success, but particularly from 2000 to 2007 we made some mistakes. In my opinion, people have to come forward and identify those mistakes but we must accept in our public spending we were somewhat out of control. We became overly dependant on the taxation associated with the property situation as it was,” he told delegates at the party’s convention on Sunday.

“But that was an economic model that was prevalent right throughout Europe,” he added.

The east Clare man said all of the other parties were just as culpable when they said the Government “should spend more and tax less and stay away from regulations”.

“So they didn’t have any answers. They didn’t have any different an- swers. So they have a kind of a gripe now at this stage to get power. I think the public will have to be careful about accepting their word over ours,” he said.

“Yes we made mistakes but in my view we have to accept the consequences and move on.”

He said playing the blame game will not resolve the problems of the country.

“If you look back you learn. If you lean back you fall,” he said.

He added that it was not just politicians but society at large that had to resolve the problems of the county.

MORE than 300 people were housed at a refuge for victims of domestic abuse in Clare during the past 12 months, while hundreds of distressed victims of abuse sought help.

Requests for support among those suffering domestic abuse is brisk across the county, particularly in Shannon, where additional support has been provided, in response to demand.

According to Clare Haven, which provides support to female victims of domestic abuse across the county, 136 women and 187 children were admitted to its refuge in 2010. While this is a slight increase on figures for the previous year, one changing trend is that families are staying at the refuge for longer than had been the case in the past.

The refuge – which can house up to six families at any one time – was full for the entire year, with the result that many families had to be referred to refuges in Limerick and Galway. Such referrals have taken place since 2008.

In addition, 573 support visits were provided at Clare Haven’s drop-in centre in Ennis, along with an additional 350 support visits at its outreach centres in Shannon, Kilrush, Ennistymon, Killaloe an Scarriff.

356 helpline calls were answered by Clare Haven during 2010, which is equivalent to approximately one call per day. Staff from the centre provided 104 accompaniments for women seeking domestic violence orders, while 117 accompaniments to other services, such as the gardaí, legal aid and social welfare meetings, were also provided by Clare Haven staff.

More than 300 play therapy sessions were provided to children of women receiving support from Clare Haven. There is a waiting list for inclusion on that particular programme.

“Occupancy levels in the refuge were high throughout the year. Some families remained in refuge for longer periods of time as a result of delays in securing housing, needing to move to another county etc,” said Services Manager with Clare Haven, Denise Dunne.

She said that demand across the board has increased, not least in the Shannon centre, which was set up five years ago.

“Demand for the refuge and support service is up. In the refuge we were fuller for longer. Shannon is busier. We had to increase Shannon. We had to take on a second half day because it was so busy. The other centres have also got busier,” she said.

Cuts in financial support for Clare Haven have been imposed during the past two years and further cuts are expected this year. Nevertheless, its support services are unlikely to be reduced.

“This will be our third year of cuts. However we will keep the service going to the same level,” she said.

GRANTS from County Clare Vocational Education Committee to youth clubs across the county are estimated to benefit some 2,184 young people along with almost 540 adult volunteers.

Cheques were presented to representatives of 43 qualifying organisations in Temple Gate Hotel, Ennis. The grants form the 2010 local youth club scheme and the overall allocation is from a Department of Education & Skills annual fund.

A total of € 36,070, compared to only € 31,130 the previous year, was available for disbursement between Clare applicants. The applications are adjudicated by a sub-committee of the vocational education committee in accordance with criteria laid down by the Department of Education & Skills.

The committee’s youth officer, Seamus Bane, presided at the presentation of cheques which was also attended by Michael Corley, chairman, and Cllrs Michael Hillery, Gabriel Keating and Cathal Crowe of the grants sub-committee.

“What you do as volunteers in your communities in your work with young people is vital for the health of our society. You are all involved in a process of education, you are educators. You may not think of yourself as a teacher in the formal sense and nor do you need to. But you do help them to learn as surely as any formal classroom or exam does,” said Seamus Bane.

“You set tasks for the young people – things they may not have done before but that you believe they have the ability to carry out. Sometimes the task will stretch them and they will need a bit of extra support but in placing your faith in them you are contributing hugely to their development and their self-confidence and self-esteem,” he added.

Recipients of grants were 3D Youth Club, 4 Youth, Buzz Stop Youth Café, Carrigaholt Youth Group, Chill Zone Café, Clare Scout County, Clarecastle Scouts, Clicc Youth, Scariff; Clonlara Scout Group, Clonlara Youth Club, Cloughleigh Youth Club, Ennis; Cooraclare-Cree Youth Club, Cratloe Scout Group, CYS Activity Club, Doonbeg Youth Club, EMC Youth Group, Scariff; Ennis Scout Group and Ennis Youth Club; Fishbowl Youth, Kildysart, Kilfenora, Kilkee youth clubs, Killaloe Scout Group, Killimer-Knockerra, Kilmurry McMahon, Kilnaboy, Kilrush, Lisdoonvarna Parish, Lissycasey-Ballyncally, Loughgraney, Moy, NRG Youth, Quin, Skyview Youth Clubs, Lifeskills Youth Group, Meelick Scouts, Newmarket Scouts, Riverside Café, Shannon Music and Arts Project, Shannon Scout Group, Sixmilebridge Scouts, The Hub and Youth Space Ennis.

ADVOCATES in Clare are being credited with playing a crucial role in a successful campaign for a new foot screening services for diabetics.

A new national foot screening programme will be introduced by the Health Services Executive (HSE) this year.

The two-year advocacy campaign was aimed at influencing health policy by mobilising grassroots support from Ireland’s growing diabetes community.

According to Grainne Flynn of the Clare branch of the Diabetes Federation of Ireland (DFI), Clare people were among the strongest supporters of ‘Half the Services, Half the Care’ campaign.

“We were encouraging people to go online and petition for the foot screening programme. At one stage, in terms of people logging on, Clare was the number one county in Ireland. Overall, Clare was in the top two for four or five months,” she said.

The decision by the HSE to intro- duce a National Diabetes Foot-Care Screening Programme under the National Service Plan 2011 has been welcomed by advocates for more services for diabetics.

According to Ms Flynn, “The fact that the Government has committed to funding for 12 podiatrists is very welcome. The foot screening programme is very important. People with diabetes have to be careful about feet because serious problems can develop from something as small as a scrape. Early screening can prevent amputations.”

In Clare between 2005 and 2009, 37 per cent of the 535 hospital admissions for foot ulcers related to diabetes sufferers.

For the same period, of 99 hospital admissions for foot ulcers (under the age of 65), 53 patients had diabetes.

The figures also showed that of 115 lower limb amputations, 55 patients had diabetes (48 per cent); of 43 lower limb amputations (under the age of 65), 23 patients had diabetes (51 per cent).

Last September, Diabetes Action’s ‘Half the Services, Half the Care’ campaign drew attention to the high levels and heavy financial cost of foot ulcers and lower-limb amputations in a drive to secure a screening programme designed to identify foot disease in Ireland’s growing diabetic population.

Meanwhile, the Clare branch of the Diabetes Federation of Ireland will hold Type 2 Diabetes meeting tonight, Tuesday, January 18, in the Marie Assumpta Hall at 8pm. For further information contact clarebranchdfi@gmail.com or 087 641 5747.

MUSICIANS in Clare are bidding to benefit from a multi-million euro education programme sponsored by rock legends U2.

Representatives from the Ennisbased music school Maoin Cheoil an Chláir and Clare VEC, along with members of local authorities and Shannon Development, are due to meet in the coming weeks to prepare Clare’s application for ‘Music Generation’ – the U2 and Ireland Funds supported national music education programme for young people.

An initial meeting between members of Clare’s artistic community took place last October, with further discussions taking place in the run up to Christmas.

According to Hans Boller, Director of Maoin Cheoil an Chláir, funds from the Music Generation programme, would allow more children throughout Clare to learn music.

He explained, “We would be getting a substantial amount of money from U2 to promote music education in Clare.

“The aim of the programme would be to reduce fees for music lessons and that would be a benefit to families.”

The programme, enabled by a € 5 million donation from U2 with a further € 2 million being raised by the Ireland Funds, gives children and young people across the country access to music education in their own communities.

The music education partnership model, developed by Music Network, has been successfully piloted in Donegal and Dublin.

Mr Boller added, “At the moment, it is Maoin Cheoil and Clare VEC but that has to be finalised. There would also be input from the town councils, county council and other government bodies like Shannon Development. We are waiting for music networks to finalise the application process. Then we will know what we need to do in the application.”

Funding for up to twelve Music Ed- ucation Partnerships will be awarded on a phased basis from 2011-2015, most likely in three locations at a time. Music Education Partnerships are eligible to apply for 50 per cent funding, up to a maximum of € 200,000 per annum over three years. The closing date for Round 1 applications is Thursday, March 31.

Music Generation will provide three-year seed funding to establish local services, which will be sustained by Music Education Partnerships on a long-term basis.

MORE THAN half a million euro worth of cocaine was seized at Shannon airport last year, in 11 separate hauls, while the overall value of drugs seized more than doubled.

The cocaine hauls amounted for the bulk of drugs seizures at the airport during the entire year.

According to figures obtained by The Clare People , the value of cocaine seized was € 518,000. This compared with € 151,000 in 2009. The number of cocaine seizures al- most quadrupled in 2010, increasing from three to 11.

Overall, the value of drugs detected at the airport increased from less than € 260,000 in 2009 to more than € 570,000 last year. There were 43 drugs seizures last year, a significant increase on 19 during the previous year.

Seizures of cannabis herb increased from nine to 20, but decreased in value from € 88,000 to € 46,000. Hauls of amphetamine and cannabis resin remained on a par with the 2009 levels. There were four seizures of ecstasy last year and one seizure of MDMA – there were no seizures of either drug in 2009.

The figures also show that the number of cash seizures at Shannon last year increased from three (2009) to seven. The value of money taken in by Customs officers in 2009 was in excess of € 157,000 and amounted to almost € 270,000 last year.

Seizures of counterfeit goods, including dvds, cosmetics and jewellery, reduced in number from 74 to 40 and also decreased in value, from € 400,000 to € 39,000. There were 155 seizures of cigarettes last year, compared with 396 in 2009. However, the number of cigarettes seized was comparable in both years – 830,000 last year and 791,000 in 2009.

Twenty-one hauls of tobacco were confiscated in 2009 and this reduced to 15 last year. However, the size increased from 65 kgs to 95 kgs. Five weapons were taken in by Customs in both 2009 and last year, but their value dipped last year from € 1,035 to € 230. The value of medicines detected reduced from € 71,000 in 20098 to € 2,100 last year. There were 10 seizures in both years.

According to a spokesperson for Revenue, significant resources are put in place to detect the presence of illegal goods in the country’s airports. The drugs dog Shadow, a Labrador, which is based at Shannon, was involved in several seizures.

“The Revenue’s Customs Service is continuously engaged in the analysis and evaluation of seizure trends, routes and smuggling risks and consequential resource deployment,” said the spokesperson.

MEMBERS of Clare County Council have argued that the retention of the council’s existing wind strategy will aid job creation in the county.

The Clare wind energy strategy will form the basis of development plan policy on wind energy and will assist in the assessment of planning applications and in the decision making process.

Last week a majority of councillors voted to retain the existing strategy under the County Development Plan

A total of 18 councillors spoke on the issue when it was raised by Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) at last week’s meeting of Clare County Council.

Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) urged the council to keep the existing wind energy strategy, saying the effect of windfarms on rural areas was minimal.

Cllr PJ Kelly (FF) said he supported keeping the existing wind energy strategy as proposed. Cllr Richard Nagle (FF) argued the existing wind energy strategy was “very robust”.

He added, “Any watering down of the strategy will do a tremendous disservices to the county and to renewable energy in Clare.”

Councillor PJ Ryan (Ind) said that it was very important that the council retain the existing wind energy strategy.

In a reference to east Clare landowners who sat in the public gallery at last week’s council meeting, Cllr Ryan said, “These people in the gallery are dependant on a very meager income from farming”.

Cllr Pascal Fitzgerald (Lab) said he supported the retention of the existing strategy while Cllr Tony Mulqueen (FG) also expressed his support, saying, “jobs are number one”.

Cllr Joe Cooney (FG) said he strongly supported the strategy, as did Cllr Pat Burke (FG) and Cllr Paul Murphy (FG).

SUPPORTERS of a proposed wind farm in east Clare say the project could potentially generate up to 300 jobs in the area.

Local landowners and farmers are due to meet in the coming weeks to discuss the possibility of developing two wind farms in the Broadford and Ardnacrusha areas.

The project was lent extra impetus by last week’s decision by Clare County Council to keep its existing wind energy strategy in the new County Development Plan.

Councillors had argued that a re- vised strategy would place a number of proposed wind farm projects, such as the one in Broadford, in jeopardy.

Though still in the early stages, landowner PJ Donnellan said that if successful, the project could help revitalise the local economy.

He explained, “There would be one starting in Broadford, going into Ardnacrusha and there’s another one from the Windy Gap going down into Ardnacrusha. It’s a co-op project. We set up the co-op to create jobs for people in our area. We hope it could create about 300 jobs.”

Mr O’Donnell continued, “We’re trying to get jobs for that area and keep everything going. Farmers would be getting an income out of it. The local GAA clubs, sports clubs would benefit out of it. The big companies would just want the land to set up and they would put nothing back. There are complaints about noise and that but I’ve been down at other wind farms and they don’t have any noise out of them. All the councillors supported it the last day. We’re only just at the early stages. We will be looking for planning. Our biggest thing was to get the land re-zoned again.”

Mr O’Donnell said that as many as 30 farmers are looking to get involved in the project which he said has been supported by the local branch of the Irish Farmer’s Association (IFA).

He added, “We’re looking to create jobs for the local area, number one. They would have an income out of it. The local sports teams would all benefit. Young fellas wouldn’t have to go Australia; you wouldn’t have all these guys forced out of the country. And we would be producing energy for this country, we wouldn’t have to be going around the world, to Iraq or wherever to buy oil. The money for oil and diesel, that goes out of the country, back to Dubai or wherever…With wind power, it’s produced in Ireland, the money stays in Ireland. That’s the way it should go.”

Another supporter, Joe O’Connell, cautioned that the project was still very much in the early stages and that there is a “long road” to travel before the area could see any real benefit.

He explained, “We’ve got a group of farmers together and we’re trying to put up a wind farm but it’s at the very early stages. It would be a clean supply of energy but there is a long road to go yet, before you even get planning permission. And even if you got that, the biggest problems can be getting on the grid. You have to wait and wait.”