Month: January 2011

Categories
News

Aer Arann takes off

THE number of weekly Aer Lingus regional departures from Shannon is set to jump by 36 per cent this year, the national carrier has revealed after unveiling details of the latest new direct route from the airport under the terms of its franchise agreement with Aer Arann.

From Sunday, March 27 Aer Lingus Regional, operated by Aer Arann, will provide flights to Shannon from Edinburgh in addition to the current Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol and Glasgow services. Flights to Edinburgh will operate five days per week with fares starting at € 29.99 one way including taxes.

Shannon’s Aer Lingus Regional Summer 2011 schedule, also beginning on March 27, will include additional flights to Manchester on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. The Birmingham service will oper- ate daily on a business-friendly slot, while the Shannon to Glasgow route will operate three times per week.

“Combined with the recently launched Glasgow route, the addition of our new Shannon-Edinburgh service demonstrates the continued success of our franchise agreement with Aer Lingus,” said Aer Arann chief executive Paul Schütz said

“This is the fifth Aer Lingus Regional route launched from Shannon since our partnership with Aer Arann began in April of last year. We look forward to welcoming customers onboard the Edinburgh service in March,” said Aer Lingus director of communications Declan Kearney.

Categories
News

What have they done for us?

THERE are four members of Dáil Éireann charged with representing the interests of County Clare. Unlike other countries, Irish parliamentarians are all well known to us. They live in our localities, attend our funerals and are available, quite literally on a 24/7 basis for constituents. Their offices and clinics are visible to us and come election time we will meet them all at least once.

But what is it they actually do? How do they spend their time? How are they helping the county of Clare? How are they working for us? How are they delivering for you?

We decided to ask them.

From this week on The Clare People will host the four TDs in four separate weekly columns side by side. The parameters are simple enough. We asked each TD to describe their working week for the people of Clare. Where were they? How will this benefit Clare? What did they get done? They have four hundred odd words to fill – how they do that is their own affair. We will not be editing their copy, but we will be rating them on their contributions. We invite you to do the same.

There are a couple of things to keep in mind. Firstly and most importantly,

Categories
News

Rallying the troops to face electorate

AT 3pm on Sunday, the news bulletin said an Taoiseach Brian Cowen would announce a decision about his future at 5pm.

It had been another tough week for the leader of Fianna Fáil and his party. Many had spoken in defeatist tones on the national airwaves; others, even within the party, had said Fianna Fáil would not survive.

In the West County Hotel, Ennis, at the same time, almost 500 delegates gathered to nominate their candidates for the next General Election, and the atmosphere was much further from the feelings in Dublin than the 150 miles.

Although everyone knew there would not be a contest, they still came in their droves in cars and mini buses from all over the county.

As former politicians such as Brendan Daly were welcomed back, the new politician on the block was being keenly welcomed among the people who had supported his father decades before.

Dr John Hillery was the great hope of the Fianna Fáil party in Clare. It was now possible to fill Killeen’s seat they believed and the fight was on.

While some, who had already been to the doors and knew the tough reception that was waiting behind most, they believed that all was not lost. The soldiers of destiny had risen and no one had known from where.

It did not reflect the polls and defied all predictions. The question now remained – would the party faithful come out and vote on election day.

If the words of the speakers were heeded, even the dog would be brought to the ballot box.

Standing ovations praised outgoing Minister Tony Killeen.

The delegates took on the media, the opposition and the critics.

And while some left at five – yes they spoke for that long – to hear the Taoiseach’s long awaited statement, the majority remained committed to the cause.

At 5.10pm Minister Killeen, who was making his final convention speech, was handed a document by PRO Michael McTigue.

“The note says, Tony will you tell them the Taoiseach is staying,” he read.

With that the crowd were on their feet, leaving them in no doubt as to where their loyalties lied.

After listening to Minister Eamon Ó Cuiv rallying the troops the delegates prepared to leave.

More than three hours after the 3pm bulletin and Fianna Fáil had begun fighting.

They left the convention with the final words of chairman of the Comhairle Dáil Cheantair Patrick Moloney ringing in their ears.

“We can win this election. We can win these two seats. We can hold these two seats.”

Categories
News

Emerging from turmoil with new hope

FIANNA Fáil selected two candidates to contest the General Election in Clare on Sunday last.

Just ten days after the party was thrown into turmoil with the shock announcement that Minister for Defence and Fianna Fáil TD for Clare for 19 years Tony Killeen was to retire, the party had regrouped and appointed two candidates unopposed.

Joining sitting TD Timmy Dooley on the ticket is Dr John Hillery, son of the late Clare Fianna Fáil TD, Minister and President of Ireland Paddy Hillery.

While some delegates quietly grumbled that the Dublin-based and Spanish Point-born doctor had been parachuted in at the last minute, for more the reality that there was no other strong candidate willing to put their name on the ticket hit home.

For the majority Dr Hillery is the great Fianna Fáil hope – he is eager to serve, comes from a strong political pedigree and is geographically well placed between north and west Clare.

Following a week that had seen the party panic that a candidate to fill Minister Killeen’s shoes could not be found, it had hit the jackpot.

At the opening of the convention the chairman of the Comhairle Dáil Cheantair said “the cream rises to the top and that is what we have here today”, as the two men were nomi- nated unopposed.

The nominees to the convention were originally made up of Minister Killeen, Deputy Dooley, Cllr Bill Chambers, Marian Coughlan Flynn and Marina Keane. All but Deputy Dooley withdrew their nomination before the convention began. As the candidates had pulled out before the convention, the name of Dr Hillery could then be added and he with the sitting TD was selected unopposed.

Supporting the nomination of Dr Hillery, delegate John O’Rourke said, “he has an outstanding ability that will deliver stability for our party in Clare. He is a candidate with new ideas.”

Outgoing TD and Minister for Defence Tony Killeen told the delegates he was confident that the two candidates would secure two seats in the four seater constituency and said his decision “or the decision made for me” to step down would be vindicated if this were to happen.

Categories
News

Soldiers of destiny come out of the corner fighting

IT HAS happened in the past and will probably happen again, that when Clare Fianna Fáil backs are to the wall, the soldiers of destiny come out fighting.

Sunday’s convention was no exception with Fianna Fáil man John O’Rourke leading the charge.

Many arrived at the West County expecting a despondent and defeated party but finding a new candidate with a strong Clare political pedigree seemed to have recharged the batteries.

Firing up the delegates Mr O’Rourke called for unity of cause and the facing down of the party’s many critics.

With the son of former President and Minister – the late Paddy Hillery – taking his seat at the candidates’ podium, the Kilmaley man even referred to the famous and impassioned speech of Dr Hillery at the 1971 Ard Fheis.

It was during the fallout from the arms trail, which was tearing Fianna Fáil apart, but Dr Hillery rose to the defence of Taoiseach Jack Lynch as forces tried to undermine the leadership.

Facing down the would-be rebels he famously said, “Ye can have Boland, but ye can’t have Fianna Fáil.”

Mr O’Rourke was just as passionate as he introduced Dr John Hillery.

“We have gathered here today probably under a cloud but we apologise to no one. We are Fianna Fáil, one of the biggest national parties founded by our forefathers in 1926.

“And over that length of time up until today we have gone through several fights and we have come out the other end. Let the media nor nobody else, all our critics or the opposition doubt the strength of Fianna Fáil,” he told delegates.

“We will come out of this and we will come out a better party. We had the arms crisis and they said we would never survive it. We had a man from Clare here who said ye can have anything but you won’t have Fianna Fáil.”

These words were welcomed with a resounding round of applause from a fired up crowd.

“So let us go out every man woman and child from Loop Head to Killaloe, from Caherdaven to Bellharbour and fight this election like it was never fought before and elect those two candidates,” said Mr O’Rourke.

Later when Minister Tony Killeen (FF) was asked to announce that Taoiseach Brian Cowan was to stay on and fight for the leadership of the party, the news was greeted by a standing ovation from the growing defiant crowd.

Chairman of the convention Minister Eamonn Ó Cuiv (FF) was also in fighting spirit as he told the party faithful, “I love being written off because it makes me go, and I am sure it makes you go too.”

Only time will tell if the party is capable of keeping this fighting spirit going as they approach many hostile doorsteps during the weeks of the campaign.

Categories
News

Parties jockey for position with pressure on Cllr Joe Cooney to join the Fine Gael ticket

A WEEK is a long time in politics and in that very long week for Fianna Fáil in Clare it has turned its fortunes around from a party that was grappling to find a candidate to one that is now confident it can retain its two seats in Clare.

Nationally the party faces political meltdown when it goes to the people in the coming months, but in Clare the soldiers of destiny have begun fighting back with a new private of strong political pedigree.

Dr John Hillery, the 53-year-old son of the late President Paddy Hillery, will join sitting TD Timmy Dooley on the ticket, just ten days after the shock announcement that Minister Tony Killeen is to retire.

In Fine Gael uncertainty still surrounds the number of candidates that will remain on the ticket, with pressure coming on one of its former TDs to run as an Independent candidate in west Clare.

Speculation is mounting that Cllr Joe Cooney, a poll topper in the 2009 local elections will be added to the Fine Gael ticket, while The Clare People can reveal that former Fine Gael TD Madeleine Taylor-Quinn has been approached by a group of people from west Clare who believe the way is open for a west Clare TD. The Moyasta woman refuses to say if she is even considering such a proposition as potential candidates still meet with Fine Gael management.

Meanwhile, Labour is beginning to up the pressure in the constituency with the arrival of party leader Eamon Gilmore on Thursday next to support the party’s hopeful in Clare – Michael McNamara.

Categories
News

McGovern to appeal to Supreme Court

A MAN who is serving a six-year jail sentence for killing a 14-year-old boy during an Ennis street row is attempting to bring a case to the Supreme Court, after he lost his appeal against a conviction for manslaughter last July.

Michael Doherty, who lived at Ashline, Ennis, died as a result of a fight outside Supermac’s restaurant on O’Connell Street, Ennis, on June 23, 2007. He died from a single stab wound, having been knifed with a Swiss army knife.

John McGovern (21), of Ballyduff, Barefield, Ennis, was found not guilty of murder by a jury at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Ennis, in February 2009, but guilty of manslaughter. He later appealed the conviction, but lost the appeal at the Court of Criminal Appeal (CCA).

However, McGovern succeeded in his application to have a conviction for possession of a knife on the night of the boy’s death set aside.

His legal team has now made an application to the court to bring an appeal of the CCA decision to the Supreme Court.

This application before the CCA will be heard in three weeks’ time, after which time the CCA will decide whether the case can go before the Supreme Court.

“The Court of Criminal Appeal (CCA) will hear the application. If you lose an appeal, you can seek leave to bring a further appeal on a point of law of public importance. He has applied to bring that and that will be heard in the Court of Criminal Appeal.”

Categories
Sport

‘We looked weary but finished strongly’

AN identical start to the season for Clare in all but two key aspects, the performance and of course the result. Almost a year ago to the day, Micheál McDermott’s competitive debut as Clare senior football manager was against UCC in Cooraclare but they found it tough against the college side who would go on to contest the final of the McGrath Cup against Kerry.

On Sunday, McDermott had the perfect opportunity to right the wrong of last year and despite a lack of football due to the collective ban on inter-county teams, it was Clare’s hunger that eventually won the day for the home side.

“I’m relieved more than happy today.” Admitted McDermott immediately afterwards. “It’s the first game of the season for ourselves and it was very evident that we were very rusty in the first half and gave away a lot of possession and gave away a lot of possession even in the second half.

“We looked leg weary as well at times because of the gym programme for two months that probably took it’s toll but I was glad we finished very, very strongly. In the last 15 minutes we showed good character to want to win the game and there was some very good football played at times, very good scores kicked and listen, today is about something to work on and hopefully we will be better the next day. We were missing a lot of players there today that even cried off at the last minute. But it’s a strong panel and this competition is going to be an opportunity to have a look at everybody on the panel.”

Players like Alan Clohessy, who was the outstanding forward on show, did themselves no harm and McDermott also saved special mention for his newer recruits.

“Alan Clohessy was in good form today. He was showing well for the ball and he was winning the dirty ball as well and it must be said, there was some quality ball put into him as well. It’s something that we are going to be working on over the next numbers of weeks because we had done very little football on the field so it’s good to get a win and another competitive match next weekend.

“It’s also a big step up for the likes of David O’Brien making his debut and Conor Ryan but listen, these are young players as well and it’s going to take them time to blend in but I was happy with their contribution there today. They tried hard and all we ask for from a player going out onto the field is to give us one hundred per cent honesty and we got that from every player today.”

The reward for Sunday’s victory is a home quarter-final meeting with another Cork college and for McDer mott and Co. it’s a further opportunity to test his squad.

“Cork IT will be a tough side. I think UCC beat them last year in the second round but Cork IT are littered with inter-county stars as well and with the Sigerson getting ever so close, it’s going to be a real tough battle but these are the games that are going to help us pick our best 15 for the first round of the National League. It’s going to be a competitive game and we are going to have it at home as well and it’s good to have another game to look forward to next Sunday.”

Categories
Sport

Clare shake o

A BLOWTORCH to the cobwebs, a dash of new faces and more importantly a result to match as Clare eventually edged out their stubborn Cork opponents to get the season off to a positive start.

Twelve months earlier, in near identical circumstances, the same opponents had humbled the home side in what was Micheál McDermott’s first competitive outing as manager but this time, it was his new look Clare side that held the aces when it mattered most in the final quarter.

Granted, this was not a patch on the UCC side that went on to contest both the McGrath and Sigerson Cup finals last year, with only four survivors from last year’s clash in Cooraclare as well as being without their Cork senior inter-county trio on Sunday.

However, that won’t concern Clare who crave as many competitive games as possible before they embark on another tilt at the Division 4 title as can be seen by their determined, hungry finish.

It wasn’t all plain sailing though as this evenly matched contest was in the balance throughout, with only a kick of the ball separating the sides at any stage of the contest. Indeed, Clare were slow to start, appearing to be suffering from an imbalance of strength and conditioning in the gym and a lack of actual football due to the collective ban on inter-county sides in November and December.

That early immobility gave UCC a window of opportunity to strike a decisive early blow as Clare seemed ragged and indisciplined. But while freetaker Daithi Casey converted three unanswered frees in the opening eight minutes, UCC were also guilty of spurning three glorious first half goal chances, two of which came in the first six minutes. Had they taken either, Clare’s McGrath Cup campaign might have been over before it had even started but a combination of goalkeeper Joe Hayes and relieving goal-line stops by Niall Whyte and Martin McMahon from Kevin O’Driscoll and Paul Honohan respectively kept Clare’s head above water.

Clare first strike at the posts came after eight minutes when Cathal O’Connor’s shot drifted wide but from the kick-out, a well worked move involving Conor Ryan, Martin McMahon and Alan Clohessy ended up with debutant David O’Brien who pointed from an acute angle.

A minute later Clare had doubled their tally when Gary Brennan found Rory Donnelly who broke a tackle and dissected the posts and suddenly it was Clare who appeared the more threatening side. Daithi Casey hit back with another free but Clare were beginning to dominate the midfield clashes and again it was Brennan who fed full-forward Timmy Ryan to reduce the deficit to only the minimum at 0-4 to 0-3 by the end of the first quarter.

For all UCC’s early threat, it was

Categories
Sport

All systems go for Clare hurlers

ANYONE who perused the county senior hurling final programme in October would have come across a self-penned article by county senior hurling manager Ger O’Loughlin entitled ‘The Way Forward’. In it, he outlined his plans for the future not just in terms of age profile and aspirations but also tactics and style of hurling, “focusing a lot more on speed of hurling, vision on the field of play and core and strengthening work of certain panel members.”

It was an enlightening insight into his long-term outlook for Clare hurling, having assessed the standard required from his debut season as an inter-county manager. Now on the eve of his second year in charge of the Banner, the two time All-Star plays down the originality of his blueprint for Clare’s hurling future but still admits the sentiments are very valid.

“Look I’m not the first to have said that but looking at the club scene in Clare, there is no outstanding club team. You have five or six different clubs that can win the county championship and just looking at the games, I just feel the hurling is too slow. Our touch and our mindset and thinking have to be faster when you get on the ball.

“If you look at the top teams, the Kilkenny’s, the Tipp’s, they will turn a 50-50 situation in a split second, especially up front where games are often won and lost with sharp minds and split second decisions. They are the things that right back down along, each squad will have to work on. I know that it’s happening but it’s taken a long time for it to happen in Clare and if persisted with, it should be good for the future.

“We all have to get to that level, otherwise you won’t win at senior level unless you’re sharper and have a better touch and a better finish. And again you have to have the complete package now so I’m hoping that we can develop these type of players.

“It’s going to be from minor upwards and even before minor that the work needs to be done so that when they come into the likes of myself, that I’m not doing the work that should have been done five years ago.”

Having been restricted to gym work for the past two months, O’Loughlin and his backroom team have had scant opportunity to implement those strategies but are eager to get back to the playing field ahead of their first competitive outing against IT Tralee this Sunday in the Waterford Crystal Cup.

“We have gone back training on the field since the third of January and obviously have a programme in place to get the general fitness level up and combined with that, we are introducing some hurling. We played Wexford on Sunday, we’ll do midweek hurling and then we’re into the Waterford Crystal competition and that is one that will knock the cobwebs off guys and get us ready.

“We will potentially have four games before the league starts in that Waterford Crystal competition if we can progress to the final so they are all good for us and we will be looking to give an opportunity to the panel.

“Outside of the college lads, we have quite a big panel at the moment and between different colleges we have 14 lads involved so it will be a great chance for the other 20 odd lads to see can they impress in the Waterford Crystal. If they do that, it’s an opportunity to get onto the final panel proper which we will be looking at and getting ready for the championship.

“Unfortunately we won’t be allowed bring big panels as the offical line is 26 players for the championship so there’s quite a few to go but we’d be hoping that we will have given every guy a fair crack of the whip to try and nail down a place for the panel. But there will be a few lads disappointed towards the mid to end of the league because at that stage we will definitely have an idea where we are going with the championship panel.”

With his official appointment coming in late December 2009, O’Loughlin had little time to pre- pare for last year’s Waterford Crystal campaign that finally ended at the semi-final stage to Davy Fitzgerald’s Waterford. However, a year on, having had the benefit of assessing his squad, viewing the club championship and embarking on an individual winter strength and conditioning programme, he is infinitely more satisfied that the county can achieve their goals this year.

“We’re definitely much more au fait with the type of player we have now. We have come to terms with lads that have retired from the panel, we’ve readjusted and it’s a case of getting on with it now, building the team and producing a better players for the future.

“And that’s the way it is at the moment. It’s going to be a rebuilding process over the next couple of years but notwithstanding, there’s no reason why we can’t give a very good account of ourselves and get out of Division 2. We have our goals set this year that we get out of Division 2 and if possible even a Munster championship and be in the shake up in the All-Ireland series. We know the standard is high and we have a very young panel but in saying that, they’ve all matured, have an extra 12 months under their belts and the majority of them know what’s involved.

“Like everything else it’s a case of ‘only the best and strongest will survive’ so the management are under pressure as well to try and get the results that are required to keep everybody happy. So we’ll be pushing it hard and be very fair to everybody but at the end of the day, it’s all about winning and it’s all about getting the results so by hook or by crook, we have to do that this year.”

A new regime also calls for new leaders on the field and ‘Sparrow’ is confident that new captain Paddy Vaughan and vice-captain John Conlon are the ideal choices to guide the county into the future.

“I think Paddy Vaughan has been the most consistent hurler in Clare for the last six or seven years. We’ve all watched him and whether it was at corner-back, midfield or wherever he’s been played, he’s always given his all. He’s a good leader and he’s a quiet individual by nature but in saying that, he leads from the field of play and I like that in a player. It’s a great chance for him, he’s a very likeable fella and the lads will row in behind him and wouldn’t it be brilliant if he was lifting a trophy at the end of the season somewhere along the way.”

“John Conlon is very much a leader for the future. Again he got it on merit in that every time John Conlon togs out for Clare or Clonlara, he gives it everything and he’ll be a fella that will be around for a long time. He is a leader and those are the qualities we are looking for.

“Even with Brian O’Connell for the last couple of years, Brian always epitomised what you wanted in a captain. Sometimes things don’t work out on the field but it’s not for the want of trying and as I’ve always admired about Brian O’Connell as well is that he was there for seven or eight years and had no silverware to show for it at the end of it and I’m just hoping we can change that around and that Pat Vaughan will be a little more bit fortunate on that side of things. That we can lift trophies and get back there knocking on the door for All-Ireland titles while he’s still at his peak.”