Month: January 2012

A SERIES of public consultation meetings are set to take place next week as part of the process of putting together an historic first ever stand alone plan for the development of Shannon.

Public meetings are seen as a crucial part of finalising the Draft Shannon Town and Environs Local Area Plan 2012-2018 will provide a framework for the future development and enhancement of Clare’s second largest town and its environs for the next six years.

In announced details of the consultation process, Gordon Daly, Senior Planner, Clare County Council, said, “‘It is an objective of Clare County Council to ensure that Shannon, as a linked gateway with Limerick in the National Spatial Strategy is a driver of county and regional prosperity.”

He said this could be done by “harnessing its strategic location and access on the atlantic corridor, in addition to its employment base, international airport and other competitive advantages.”

According to Cllr Gerry Flynn, “The public consultation process presents members of the public with a valuable opportunity to have their say on the future development of their local community.

“I would encourage people from Shannon and its environs areas to inspect the Draft Local Area Plan before the submission deadline of February 1. They will not get a better opportunity than over the next few weeks to influence the future economic and social development of their town and community.”

The public consultation has also been welcomed by the Mayor of Shannon, Cllr Mary Brennan. “The preparation of a new plan for Shannon and environs is very positive news and I would encourage the people of Shannon to engage with the process. If you have any queries, the Council officials will be on hand to deal to answer any questions.”

The public consultations will take place at Unit A16 (Shaney Macs) in Shannon’s Skycourt January 16 to 18 from 2pm to 5.30pm and January 19 from 3pm to 7.30pm. A further public consultation will be held at Rineanna House, Shannon Free Zone, on January 20 from 12.30pm to 3:30pm.

THE Cliffs of Moher recorded a massive return to form last year with the number visiting Clare foremost tourist attract jumping by a massive 12 per cent from the 2010 numbers.

The total number of people to visit the Cliffs of Moher in 2011 was 809,474 – which almost returns the landmark tourist attraction to its prerecession visitor numbers. These figures will cements the Cliffs position as Ireland’s third most popular tourist attraction and should also should also give it a chance of passing out the Guinness Store House in second place.

The news was welcomed by Director of the Cliffs of Moher Visitors Experience, Katherine Webster, who also said that tourism in Ireland has a number of challenges still facing it for 2012 – including Ireland qualifications for Euro 2012 in Poland and the Ukraine.

“We are taking a cautious outlook for 2012 due to the global economic turmoil. Improvements in exchange rates for the US dollar and sterling are the only positives for tourism in the difficulties that the Eurozone is currently experiencing,” she said.

“However, economic uncertainty in major tourist markets like the UK, France, Spain, Italy and even the US will impact tourism numbers from these countries.

“In June Ireland’s qualification for Euro 2012, while great news for the country, is less positive for domestic and European tourism as typically visitors whose countries are competing in major championships like the European Cup or the World Cup tend to stay home to watch the matches unless they are travelling to support their teams.

“We are hoping for some positive spin off from the London Olympics at end of July as tourists may stay away from London during this period and Ireland may benefit especially if exchange rates remain low.”

According to the preliminary 2011 visitors figures for the Cliffs of Moher, visitor number broke the 800,000 on December before finishing on 809,474. This figure represent a 12 per cent year-on-year increase on the 2010 figures and a six per cent increase on the 2009.

The majority of the recovery was recorded during the summer and late autumn and was driven largely by an increase in Irish people deciding to holiday at home.

PRESIDENT Michael D Higgins returned to the Banner County for the first time since his election to office last week to attend funerals in North Clare and South Galway.

President Higgins, who grew up in Ballycar, Newmarket on Fergus, attended the funeral of Josie O’Donoghue, mother of late poet and former priest John O’Donohue. Dr O’Donohue died four years ago today at age 53 after collapsing in France. His mother Josie, née Dunleavy, died peacefully on New Year’s Eve – also the eve of Dr O’Donohue’s birthday – at her home near Ballyvaughan.

Mrs O’Donohue’s funeral Mass was held in St Patrick’s Church in Fanore. Her remains were buried in a windswept Craggagh cemetery alongside those of Dr O’Donohue and her husband, Paddy.

Mr Higgins was a friend of Dr O’Donohue. The latter’s poem ‘Beannacht’, which he wrote for his mother, was performed at the presidential inauguration last November.

A message on Dr O’Donohue’s website said: “On December 31, 2011, John’s dear mother, Josie O’Donohue, passed away. She was surrounded by her family when she slipped peacefully across that threshold to John’s waiting arms.”

A Clare native, Dr O’Donohue studied for the priesthood in Maynooth, where he was ordained in 1982. He served in a number of parishes before completing a doctorate on the philosophy of GWF Hegel in Germany.

His first book, Anam Cara , was published in 1997.

President Higgins attended St Colman’s Church, Kinvara, on Tuesday night to sympathise with Attorney General Maire Whelan on the death of her mother.

Ms Whelan’s mother Katie died peacefully on New Year’s Day. Mr Higgins is a longtime associate of Ms Whelan’s, and was one of her lecturers at the then UCG where she studied sociology and politics.

The President was accompanied to the service by his aide-de-camp, Commandant Murt Larkin, as he offered his sympathies to the Whelan family.

Ms Whelan’s funeral was celebrated last Wednesday. Members of the Government, led by Taoiseach Enda Kenny, were present to join the Whelan family in mourning. Her husband John died some years ago.

Labour Party leader and Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore was accompanied by Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte, while Health Minister James Reilly and junior minister Ciaran Cannon were also present. President Michael D Higgins was represented at the funeral by his aide de camp, Commandant Michael Walsh.

The chairman of the Bar Council, Paul O’Higgins, led members of the legal profession in offering their sympathy to the Attorney General.

ADOVCATES for ethnic minorities say that the recession is leading to an increase in the incidents of racist abuse. The Clare Intercultural Network (CIN) have called for greater awareness of race related issues.

CIN co-ordinator Alphonse Basogomba said, “The economy is going down and people are more abusive. We have to make sure that people who can contribute can be allowed to work properly.”

He said that politicians and people in positions of authority should undergo equality training.

“This has to be embedded in our value as human beings,” he added.

Mr Basogomba was speaking after a man was convicted for assaulting Nigerian taxi driver Batholomew Omoifo in Ennis in June 2010.

At Ennis District Court last week, Azriel Higgins (26) of Cregaun, Tobertascáin, Ennis, received a prison sentence for an unprovoked assault on Mr Omoifo.

The court previously heard that Higgins assaulted a taxi driver after not paying a fare. The court heard that Higgins headbutted the driver causing € 2,400 worth of damage to his teeth. The court was also told that damage totaling € 761 was caused to the taxi.

The incident has provoked a flurry of comments on social networking sites and discussion groups.

One poster on boards.ie pappyodaniel stated, “It just happens that this incident happened in Ennis. Racism is a very common problem for black taxi drivers all over the country. This incident went to court and because Mr Omoifo spoke up against racism when given the opportunity to do so in front of the media it has been highlighted nationwide. I don’t believe this incident highlights Ennis to be a hotspot for racial inequality, it’s the country as a whole.”

Another poster Dr Fuzzenstein stated, “Abusing someone on the basis of what they look like is wrong and sick in the head, but sadly it’s everywhere on this planet…And I also believe that Ennis is no worse than anywhere else.”

THE authors of the 2011 report for the Irish Business Against Litter League (IBAL) have praised the work of “house proud” resident’s committees in Ennis.

Ennis was classed as clean to European norms and ranked in 16th place in IBAL’s annual results, details of which were announced yesterday.

An Taisce surveyed 10 areas in the town with Grade A marks bestowed on six business parks, housing estates and public spaces.

An Taisce described Ballymaley Business Park as “very clean, tidy and well presented industrial environment. The vacant unit didn’t impact in any negative way on the litter situation – this can easily happen so clearly close attention is paid.”

The report states that while Ennis bus and train station “just scraped getting a Grade A”, “the bus shelter deserves special mention as it had improved hugely since it was last included in IBAL anti-litter survey”.

According to An Taisce, the overall impression created of Kincora Park is “of a house-proud residential area with well cared for properties. The communal area was enhanced with planting and sculpture – a top ranking site throughout”.

College Park is described as “another very well presented and maintained residential area within Ennis – the individual properties and the open green were all in very good order”.

The report states that the O’Connell Monument is an “important site”, adding, “the steps of this monument are used as a meeting place and in spite of footfall it scored very well with the top litter grade. Care needs to be taken to ensure that cigarette butts don’t blight the monument.”

There was found to be “virtual absence of litter in this main shopping area”.

O’Connell Street was given a Grade B with An Taisce noting a “scattering” of litter that had become trapped in corners.

An Taisce noted that most of the Galway Approach Road (Grade B) is in “good order but it was let down by litter”.

Scratch cards and food litter were highlighted in the car park near Ennis station. The N18 Limerick approach road (from Topaz station / West County Hotel to junction at Ennis Service Station) also received a Grade B.

The report states, “There had been some improvement along this approach road but it was still moderately littered – fast-food wrappers and sweet papers were particularly obvious.”

ENNIS has been ranked as the 16th cleanest town in Ireland in the final of the 2011 Anti Litter League by Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL).

Ennis was deemed again to be clean to European norms with Ennis finishing 16th out of 53 areas surveyed.

The result represents an improvement in its 21st position in 2010. The Chairman of IBAL, Dr Tom Cavan- agh, praised the work of Ennis Town Council and local volunteer groups in maintaining the fight against litter.

He said, “Our environment continues to get cleaner despite a tightening of the public purse at local authority level. This indicates that the fight against litter is not about money. It’s equally about a spirit of local pride and volunteerism among the local community, and we’re seeing a resurgence of this in the current climate.”

The An Taisce report for Ennis praised the appearance of public spaces and residential areas but stated that work needs to be done on approach roads. It stated, “Another satisfactory result but not as good as the Tidy Towns. Neither the Limerick or Galway approach roads are clean to European norms. Over half of the sites surveyed in Ennis got the top litter grade – these sites were not just clear of litter but very well presented and maintained e.g. O’Connell Monument, Ballymaley Business Park, the residential area of Kincora Park and Mark Square. Ennis bus and train Station got the top litter grade but care needs to be taken to sustain this standard.”

38 of the 53 towns and cities surveyed by An Taisce were deemed clean to European norms, a similar number to last year. When IBAL commenced the league 10 years ago only two towns were clean to European norms and one in three were litter blackspots.

Ennis Town Council is to spend an additional € 45,000 on street cleaning activities this year. In his 2012 budget report, town manager Ger Dollard stated, “The council operates a very extensive street cleaning arrangement to ensure that the streets throughout the town area achieve a litter free status. This is important in context of the annual tidy towns competition and in the consideration of other competitions such Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL) league.”

A CONTROLLED explosion was carried out on a suspicious device discovered on the strand at Lahinch Beach over the weekend. The Army Bomb Disposal Unit carried out the explosion on the four foot long metal canister, which was discover on the north end of the strand beside Lahinch Golf Course in the early hours of Sunday morning last.

The suspicious device was discovered by a walker on the beach just after 7pm on Saturday evening, January 7. The walker contacted Gardaí in Ennistymon who attended at the scene along with the Ennistymon Fire and Rescue Service and the Doolin Unit of the Irish Coastguard.

The Army Bomb Disposal Unit travelled to Lahinch from Cork to examine the cylinder and decided to carry out a controlled explosion at the site just after midnight on Sunday morning.

A COURT has heard how a 15-yearold boy who suffers from serious behavioral disorders was told he had to wait two years to access treatment for drug problems.

The boy, accompanied by his family, appeared at Ennis District Court on Friday. He was charged with assault and criminal damage arising out a disturbance at a house in the Mid-Clare area.

The court heard that the boy suffers from ADHD, ODD and dyslexia. A HSE social worker told the court that over the past two years there had been a pattern of either threatening or abusive behaviour.

Garda Cathal Nolan gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution. He told the court that when he arrived at the house, the boy was holding a golf club. Garda Nolan said that when he tried to take the club, the boy said, “I’m going to kill you and wreck the place.”

Garda Nolan said an attempt was made to invoke a Section 12 order. He said that when the boy was brought to meet social workers at River House, a HSE office, he became “extremely violent and aggressive,” and had to be restrained and handcuffed.

The boy told the court that he had stopped attending counselling sessions and that he understood that the court had the power to remand him in custody. He also acknowledged his difficulties with drugs. “I asked them two years ago for help with drugs. They tried but said I could not get in ‘til I was 15.”

The boy’s father told the court that he had never seen his son behave in such a violent manner. He added, “He came to me at 13 and said he was taking drugs and that he was feeling bad and that he wanted to get off them.”

The man said the family were told that the boy could not get a place at an addiction treatment centre until he turned 15. He said that 90 per cent of his son’s problems relate to drugs.

Judge Aeneas McCarthy said the boy required proper assessment in a controlled environment. Ordering that he attend Trinity House for a full psychological, psychiatric and educational assessment, Judge McCarthy said that in a volountary situation “where he could walk in and out, it’s not going to work”.

In response to pleas from the boy’s father, Judge McCarthy said: “This is not punishing a young man. This is him being properly assessed.”

KILRUSH Town Council has finally resolved to flush away the public toilet in the town centre that costs over € 200,000 to operate over a fiveyear period, while netting less that € 10,000 in income for the local authority over the same period.

The Council has issued formal notice that it is to extricate itself from a 20-year agreement for the public toilet on Martyr’s Square in the town.

The toilet will still be in operation in 2012 at a rental cost of € 35,910, but to terminate the contract later in the year must pay € 60,382 to Street Furniture Limited.

At the September meeting of Kil- rush Town Council it was revealed that the town authorities were tied to a 20-year contract for provision of the toilet that was signed in 1999 and doesn’t run out until 2019.

At that meeting Independent councillor Paul Moroney had described Kilrush’s public toilet as “the most expensive piece of retail property in Ireland”.

PRESIDENT Patrick Hillery became the most potent symbol of Irish government opposition to the South African apartheid regime in 1981, State Papers released this week under the 30-year rule have revealed.

Head of State, Dr Hillery was the expression of a stand off between Taoiseach Charles Haughey and the Irish Rugby Football Union over the controversial tour of South Africa made by the Irish team in 1981.

Opposition to the tour emerged early in the year, with a memo from the Department of Foreign Affairs “I wonder if we should consider an intervention by the Taoiseach at an opportune moment,” adding that while it was “an exceptional step” it might persuade the IRFU against going ahead with the tour or at the very least would show to international opinion that the Irish Government had done all in its power to stop it.

Then it was Haughey that threw down the gauntlet to the IRFU, saying that he did not want to the tour to go ahead “in any way”, with President Hillery emerging as the visible demonstration of this opposition.

As public protests against the rugby tour mounted, then Taoiseach Charles Haughey wrote a strongly worded letter to the IRFU saying he was worried about the growing international reaction to the tour, and its potential repercussions for Ireland and Irish interests overseas.

He wrote that in view of the seriousness of the matter, which directly concerned national interests, he wished personally as head of the government to convey the full implications of the situation. But the IRFU ignored the unprecedented appeal and went ahead with the tour.

However, backing for the Government stance came from President Hillery.

After Haughey was succeeded as Taoiseach by Garret Fitzgerald, the Government advised President Hillery not to attend a subsequent rugby match between Ireland and Australia in November in Lansdowne Road, a decision the President fully supported and he didn’t attend the international.

It represented the only time that a Head of State snubbed an international sporting fixture because of a political disagreement.