Month: September 2011

STRIKE action at the Accident and Emergency Department of the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick is just seven days away after the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) served strike notice to the HSE last week.

The HSE last week announced that the hospital, which is the primary A&E for Clare patients from 8pm at night to 8am in the morning since the reconfiguration of A&E services at Ennis General Hospital in May of 2009, would have to close 25 beds at the hospital and reduce staff overtime by half.

According to Mary Fogarty of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, the industrial action is a direct result of the pressure which has been put on the hospital by the extra volume of patients coming from Ennis. “This has been brought about by the continued neglect at the hospital. The A&E department at the hospital has been devastated since reconfiguration in 2009,” she said. “We were promised more beds and more staff and nothing has happened. We were told by the HSE that this would have no impact on the treatment of patients but this has not been the case either.

“We have seen more patients coming in from Ennis and from Nenagh and we have not been given the resources to deal with it. The patients that are coming in from Ennis tend to be the sickest patients and that is making the situations even more difficult.

The IMO have also confirmed that it is unlikely at this stage that industrial action will spread to Ennis General Hospital. The nurses organisation have also said that they will issue the HSE with details of what form the industrial action will take later this week.

Last Tuesday, September 6, members of the Accident and Emergency Department at the Mid West regional Hospital in Limerick voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action.

It is understood that any industrial action at the hospital will include a work-to-rule and possibly some work stoppages. The INMO has asked the HSE to prioritise the Emergency Department at the hospital so that patients can be given a bed as quickly as possible.

ENNIS Town Council anticipates that work on a crucial upgrade of the Ennis / Clarecastle sewerage scheme will begin in the first half of 2012 pending approval from An Bord Pleanála.

The Council’s latest quarterly progress report states that the project is likely to cost € 2.8 million.

The report states, “An Bord Pleanála has indicated that they will make their decision by early November. Clare County Council intends to proceed to tender once de- tails of An Bord Pleanála decision is known and this will take a period of three months. Work should start in the second quarter in the second quarter of 2012 and the contract period is for 12 months. A review of the water services investment programme has included the project to the value of € 2.8 million.”

An oral hearing on the environmental impact survey for the upgrade works at the Clondroadmore Treatment Plant was held in Ennis on July 28.

At the hearing, David Timlin, Director of Environment and Water Services at Clare County Council, described the upgrade as urgent, saying it was needed to cater for future commercial development in Ennis.

The proposal forms part of a coherent plan for the provision of upgraded facilities to treat all wastewater arising in the entire Ennis area.

At the time Mr Timlin stated that certain wastewater license conditions issued by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), cannot be met until the plant upgrade is completed.

Recommending that the project get the go-ahead, Andrew Hersey, Executive Planner with Ennis Town Council, said that “Since 2006, planning applications for large residential and commercial schemes have been refused in the basis of inadequate capacity in the public sewer and prematurity pending the provision of sewerage facilities in the town.”

Mr Hersey added that without an upgrade to the wastewater network, “future development in the town will stagnate and the success of the town as a hub town for the mid-west region will ultimately fail”.

A LEADING teacher in Alexander Technique will visit Clare later this month to present an introductory course in what has become a huge phenomenon in the county.

Richard Brennan, who lives in Galway, will be in the Kilmaley Day Care Centre on September 24 and 25.

The event is organised by Andrea Martin a lawyer living in Inch, who herself has found the technique very helpful.

The course will be of particular interest to anyone who suffers from back pain as well as people who have sustained injuries through sport, mu- sic, acting or various other interests.

Alexander Technique has been credited for playing a key role in assisting several people recovering from various ailments.

Penelope Easten, is an Alexander Technique teacher living in Ogonnelloe, said it is ideal for everyone.

She explained the idea behind the Technique. “If you have a tight back, it is because your brain has the muscles set too short. No matter how much yoga or gym you do, you won’t change that. You can do yoga to strengthen the muscles but you have to work at it. None of them change the default settings, which is what we are doing,” she said.

“It is suitable for anybody. It is for people who want to look after themselves. If somebody’s back hurts, a pill is a quick fix, but it doesn’t get to the root of the problem. Although Alexander is expensive, it is long term,” she said.

“The youngest I have been working with is eight years old and the oldest is 86. Most people come along because they have a bad back or neck or hip or shoulder, or neck or elbow,” said Penelope.

“I work a lot with musicians. They learn to use their body in a better way. I also prepare people for public speaking. We have been taught to think of the body and mind as separate, but in reality they are linked. The body and mind work together.

“Poor computer use can lead to neck strain or headache.

“Most of my work is one to one sessions with individual pupils,” she said.

She said that the Technique is catching on in Ireland. “Any classical musician will know about it. Any actor will know about it. More and more doctors will know about it,” she said.

Anyone interested in attending the course should contact Andrea on 087 2233835 or email andrea_ martin@ireland.com.

TRIBUTES have been paid to one of Ennis’ best-known families who are celebrating 50 years in the bakery business.

Pat and Mary O’Connor opened their first shop in Ennis, in 1961. Today, there are eight O’Connor’s Bakeries, which supply quality breads and confectionary to Ennis, Shan- non, Gort, Galway and Limerick.

At the September meeting of Ennis Town Council, Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind) proposed that the Council officially congratulate and recognise O’Connors on achieving the milestone. Cllr Brennan said the family had been good employers in Ennis and in other towns and had done an enormous amount of good work without seeking attention or acclaim.

“These people deserve to be recognised,” he added. Seconding the motion, Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) described the O’Connor family as “quite hardworking people”.

He said the business employs between 140 and 145 people. Cllr Meaney said the family had implemented a good business model that other businesses should consider following. Councillors also backed pro- posals from the Mayor of Ennis, Cllr Michael Guilfoyle (Ind) for a Citizen Recognition Awards Scheme.

According to a report prepared by Town Clerk Eddie Power the objective of the scheme is to recognize local people/organizations who have made a significant contribution to community life in Ennis or by their actions raised the profile and image of Ennis.

Nominations will be sought from the public in five categories: (a) sport/recreation (b) community/volountary (c) business/professional (d) youth (e) arts and culture.

Councillors decided against selecting an overall winner. An adjudication panel comprised of councilors will decide who will be honoured in each category. The awards will be presented at a civic event.

PARTICIPANTS are gearing up for the 22nd annual Clare Garda cycle, which will set from Ennis on Saturday.

Members of the Clare Garda division will be joined from colleagues in Mayo and Galway for the cycle, which will take in an 84 mile round trip from Ennis to Gort.

This year’s event will raise money for Sláínte an Chláir – Clare Cancer Support – a Kilnamona based group that provides provide support for people living with cancer, their families and friends in a safe, positive, caring and confidential environment.

Clare Cancer Support provides access to information about diagnosis, treatment and care..

Crusheen based Garda Declan Keavey said as many 40 Gardaí will take part in the cycle. He said people could contribute money at their local Garda station or to passing cyclists.

Previous cycles have raised money for Cahercalla Hospice, Clarecare and the Irish Wheelchair Association.

Garda Michael O’Halloran, one of a group Gardaí who organised the first cycle from Ennis to Salthill in 1989, explained that Sláinte an Chláir was chosen this year in memory of two colleagues Mick Mulryan (Scariff) and Sgt Michael Haran (Ennis) who passed away in recent months.

He said the Clare Garda division was delighted to be associated with the group. He said the event had been strongly supported by the Clare public.

“People in Clare are brilliant, absolutely fantastic. Without them it wouldn’t have been a success”, he added.

Ennis woman Teresa Gilmartin, who is in recovery from cancer, praised the high standard of support on offer at Sláinte an Chláir.

“There is a lot of loneliness around after the treatment. It’s like being in a new body to be honest.

“You don’t know what these symptoms mean because they are all different. You’re body has totally changed. Its great to chat to somebody who has been there just to get the re-assurance.”

She added, “Anything they can do they will do. They are just so supportive. They are just the most wonderful people.”

Martin McMahon, treasurer of Sláinte an Chláir, explained that 600 people in Clare are diagnosed with cancer every year.

For further information on Clare Cancer Support, call 1850 211 630 or 087 691 2396 or email admin@clarecancersupport.com

WHEN the dust settles – life must always move on. There are few places in the world which greater embody this spirit than New York City. After the terrorist attacks of September, it would have been all too easy for the people of New York to become paranoid, hard and bitter – always looking over their shoulder for the next potential threat.

But a life lived in fear is no life at all and the spirit of the great melting pot which is New York could not exist without trust and an ability to embrace new people and cultures.

While there has been some who have used the events of September 11, according to Shaun O’Connell, New York is still the city where anything is possible.

“In general, I think that New York is still a welcoming place for people from all backgrounds, but maybe I think that some members of the Muslim community might thing otherwise. At any time where there are moments of fear and moments of the unknown there are certain people who will try to capatilise on it,” he said.

“Like the so-called World Trade Center mosque. I used to do martial arts training in a building two doors down from this Muslim community centre, it does not face the site of the World Trade Center and you wouldn’t even know that you are close to it.

“But we had a lot of right-wing people who were making a fuss of this mosque, which was totally disingenuous. The local people down there were already in favour of the mosque – it had passed muster locally. And then, as soon as the election [the 2008 presidential election] was over, no-one was making an issue about this anymore. So some people have tried to use September 11 for their own aims but for most regular New Yorker this is still a welcoming city.”

While the worlded watch on at the large commemorations and even larger speeches over the weekend, the event was marked for the people of New York in one hundred thousand other small ways.

“I think that as important as it to publicly commemorate this event I thin that a lot of people have been marking this event in their own private way. People will look in from afar and see the larger commemoration, but the things that I notice are a lot more personal that that. Like my neighbour, who is a retired fire captain, he lost scores of friends in 9/11 and was forced to search through the rubble and inhale all of that air when we were told it was clean and safe. He has been forced to retire because of what he inhaled during the rescue,” continued Shaun.

“His wife worked in finance at the World Trade Center and she lost a lot of friends on that day too. Most of the friends that I have in the different Irish organisations are either retired firemen or retired policemen, so they all have a story to tell. So while people might look in from afar and see the commemorations, there are so many personal commemorations going on around the city right now.”

Shaun is a member of the New York County Clare Association. His great-grandfather Patrick O’Connell emigrated from Clooncolman nearly 100 years ago and his nephew Buddy O’Connell, lived on that family farm in Clare until he died five years ago.

SEPTEMBER 11, 2001, 9.58am. Shaun O’Connell is on a stopped subway train, less than a mile from the World Trade Center, when the South Tower collapses – instantly killing more than 300 people.

Shaun, a member New York’s County Clare Association, is a vice president for AFGE Local 1760 and works within sight of the famous Twin Towers. He has spent all morning moving from delayed train to delayed train, inching closer to Ground Zero, until finally, sometime after 9am, all the trains stop moving.

After spending hours trapped in the underground, Shaun finally arrives to City Hall Station and makes his way on foot to his duty station in 26 Federal Plaza – less than half a mile from the World Trade Center. After being refused entrance to his station by FBI agents with submachine guns, Shaun turns for home – still unaware of the magnitude of what has happened.

Below are extracts from an email sent by Shaun to his friends and family on the evening on September 11, 2001.

“I began walking north by northwest to home. I made it to Church Street, a few blocks north of Chambers Street. At this point, I finally witnessed the magnitude of the attack. I looked for the common landmark that so many New Yorkers used to navigate, but it was gone,” he wrote.

“A large dust and smoke cloud was the only thing there. I could not believe it. I was joined by thousands of other stranded people just walking around in disbelief, staring at the void, standing around parked cars with radios blaring the news, and waiting in line for their turn using a pay phone.

“I started walking north up Sixth Avenue seeing people with ash on them and cars caked with dust. I would stop periodically just to look back at the altered skyline.

“When I reached West Third Street, a man was exhorting pedestrians to donate blood at St Vincent’s. I also saw a motorcyclist ferrying a firefighter on the back of his hog. I proceeded to walk to St Vincent’s and saw a mass of people outside waiting to give blood. I was told to just leave my name and telephone number since they were overwhelmed… so I went to find a place to eat and rest. I stopped at McKenna’s bar and saw the TV images for the first time. I quickly ordered a well-done burger and a stout. I was fixated by what I watched.”

On Thursday, September 13, just two days after the terrorist attack, Shaun returned to work – not at his offices on Federal Plaza but in East Harlem, seven blocks away from Ground Zero.

THE horror of September 11 has been recalled this week by a Doonbegman whose daughter escaped with her life thanks to a decision that changed the course of here life in a number of ways.

Claire Ring, daughter of PJ Harvey from Banhsa in Doonbeg, worked in the North Tower of the World Trade Center – her office with Oppenheimer being on the 34th floor.

Harvey was at home in Hyde Park, New York, when the tower was hit at 8.46am that September 11 morning and for a few frantic hours after learning of the terrorist attack sought the whereabouts of his daughter.

“It was incredible,” Harvey told The Clare People this week. “It changed the face of the free world and changed the face of travelling forever. Straight away I said to myself ‘Claire is at work in the World Trade Center, is she safe?’

“Everyone who worked on the 34th floor got out, but the thing was, knowing Claire she would have waited for her friend Jennifer, who worked higher up and who was pregnant. She would have waited just to make sure she was alright. That’s what happened to a good many people. They never thought the whole building would come down and they hung around waiting for friends.

“We got a call to turn on our television and after that we were frantically trying to track her down. We thought she was gone to work – it wasn’t until around 12 o’clock in the day that we found out that she hadn’t gone to work that day, that she had gone to the doctor.

“What a relief that was. Going to the doctor that day probably saved her life – it was the day she found out she was pregnant. She was 31 at the time – she had a lovely baby boy Kyle and has had three more since. We could just thank God,” he adds.

The 70-year-old, who is home on holiday, worked in New York City for many years and was head of the local 608th union, giving work to many people who were subsequently lost in the Twin Towers attack.

“We lost ten carpenters from our union,” he recalls. “We lost two brothers who were working with the financial company Cantor Fitzgerald. A great friend of mine from Fermanagh lost two sons that day. I remember sending them out as apprentices from the 608th Carpenters Union and they went onto work for Cantor Fitzgerald,” adds Harvey.

OPINION is divided on how Dr Brendan O’Regan should be honoured in Shannon.

While members of the local town council agree that he should be remembered in a notable way, the exact project to be chosen was the subject of debate at a meeting last week.

The motion was proposed by the town’s mayor, Councillor Mary Brennan, who said that Dr O’Regan’s achievements should be remem- bered.

His immense contribution to the airport and Shannon Development was recalled, with councillors expressing the view that this should be linked to the project.

“One way we could honour him would be to have a viable airport. He would be very sad to see what we have today,” said Fine Gael Councillor Seán McLoughlin.

Independent Councillor Patricia McCarthy said she was opposed to naming streets and buildings after people.

“He was associated with Shannon Development and associated with the airport and the industrial estates. It’s a pity Shannon Development when they were naming their building that they didn’t name it O’Regan House,” she said.

Independent Councillor Gerry Flynn said he was in agreement with Cllr McCarthy. “I don’t agree with buildings and roads being named after people,” he said.

“He was a man of vision. He was a pioneer of his time,” he said.

Fine Gael Councillor Mike Fleming made a suggestion that a bus shelter be named after Dr O’Regan.

“I wouldn’t be in favour of any road or sign but there’s a new bus shelter going into Cronan. It could be the O’Regan bus shelter,” he said.

Fine Gael Councillor Vincent Coleman suggested a connection to the Lynxs Cargo facility. “If it gets off the ground, it will bring development opportunities to the airport,” he said.

THERE have been calls for the bandstand at the Town Park in Shannon to be removed, after bricks were taken out of the centre piece.

Local town councillor Mike Fleming raised the issue at a meeting of the town council last week.

A motion was tabled by the Fine Gael councillor, who said that several bricks have been taken out of the bandstand. “They are piled up around it. I can’t see the guards having the time or wasting their time going up there,” he said.

He said that the centre piece is becoming a serious problem due to this and said that the bricks are being used to break windows of apartments and cars at Brú na Sionna.

Labour Councillor Tony McMahon supported the calls, saying, “It’s unsightly and dangerous. Either the bricks need to be put in place in such a way they can’t be easily removed or the whole thing needs to be changed to something else or moved altogeth- er out of it.”

“I don’t think anybody went in there with a pick axe. Probably a few loose bricks made way to others,” he said.

His party colleague, Cllr Greg Duff said, “The Town Park should be there for the use of the community. If the vandalism is ongoing, the guards are right beside it. Perhaps they should look at patrols.”

Cllr Patricia McCarthy (Ind) said, “It’s a bad design. It’s a disgrace. It can’t be left in that condition. Damage will be caused. It’s getting un- sightly. It’s dreadful.”

In a written response to the meeting, it was stated that Clare County Council is in the process of taking the Town Park in charge.

“The provision of a bandstand for the park was a condition of planning associated with the Brú na Sionna development and therefore any changes to it will have to be consented to by the planing authority. Any vandalism and anti-social activity occurring in the Town Park should be reported to the gardaí,” stated the response.