Month: January 2012

CANNABIS herb valued at € 2,700 was discovered during a Garda search of woods near Newmarketon-Fergus, a court has heard.

The detail emerged at Ennis District Court last week where a 20-year-old man pleaded guilty to having cannabis for sale or supply.

Shane Purtell, with an address at 18 Marian Avenue, Ennis, was arrested by Gardaí after an intelligence-led search at Mooghaun, Newmarketon-Fergus on October 9 (2010). The court heard that the accused had weighing scales and moneybags in his possession.

Insp Dermot O’Connor told the court that the accused was brought to Ennis Garda Station and, during his detention there, he admitted that the cannabis found in the woods was his. Insp O’Connor said the cannabis was valued at € 2,700.

Solicitor Stephen Nicholas said his client had co-operated fully with Gardaí and made a full admission.

He said his client came from a wellknown family in Ennis and never had any involvement in drugs.

Mr Nicholas added, “He fell into drugs due to unemployment. This was his first attempt to go into dealing.” He explained that the incident had served as a wake-up call to his client. He said Purtell had been accepted on a pre-treatment programme Bushypark but had declined the place as he had secured employment through FAS.

He said his client urine analysis would show that his client is drugand alcohol-free. “He was a man of excellent prospects until he got sucked into this spiral,” he added.

Judge Aeneas McCarthy adjourned the matter until March 14 for the preparation of a report by the probation and welfare service.

CLARE Vocational Education Committee (VEC) has confirmed appointments to positions at Scariff Community College.

In a statement, a VEC spokesperson confirmed that Angela McNamara would replace the retiring Sean Daly as principal of Scariff Community College. Ms McNamara is currently deputy principal of Ennis Community College.

Brian Crossan, who is currently director of East Clare Adult and Community Education Centre, Scariff, will take up the role of deputy principal at Scariff Community College. He replaces retiring deputy principal John O’Donovan. Mr Crossan is a former director of St. Joseph’s Training Centre, Ennis.

The issue of teacher retirements was raised at the January meeting of Clare VEC. The meeting heard that the number of retirements, including principals and their deputies, is “up a little bit on average”.

Under the Croke Park agreement, teachers who retire before the end of February will have their pensions and lump sums calculated on ‘pre-cut’ salary, the salary they were earning before the pay cut imposed in January 2010.

Clare VEC is waiting to see how many teachers take up the option in order to assess the impact on Clare schools.

Last month, in response to concern over teaching retirements, CEO George O’Callaghan said that teachers could be hired in a temporary capacity to take classes until the end of term.

Mr O’Callaghan said the VEC does not expect to encounter any problems in filling posts. He said the VEC would examine the situation more closely in February.

Concern was also expressed over the impact of cuts to career guidance services announced in last November’s Budget.

Mr O’Callaghan told last week’s meeting that meetings are due to take place with principals in the coming weeks to ascertain the impact of the cuts. He said these discussions would guide the VEC’s response to the situation.

Meanwhile, three delegates will represent County Clare Vocational Education Committee at the annual Eigse Colm Cille Winter School Conference on Magee Campus in Derry.

Responding to an organisers’ invitation, the committee unanimously chose the chairman, Cllr Tommy Brennan; Bernard Hanrahan and Cllr Gabriel Keating.

The conference, on February 24 to 26, is a literary weekend of events celebrating the Irish language in the North-West.

THE closure of the St Joseph’s Centre in Ennis will represent a “major loss” to the Traveller community, a meeting has heard.

St Joseph’s Education Centre has provided training and education to Traveller men in Ennis since 1974.

At that time, it was located in the grounds of the Holy Family School, Ennis.

In 1982, the centre moved to a new building at the Gort Road industrial estate. St Joseph’s is now facing closure as a Traveller-only training facility under planned education cuts.

Clare VEC is aiming to retain the use of the building for future educa- tion and training purposes. The issue was raised at the January meeting of Clare VEC.

In his report, Education Officer Dr Sean Conlan explained that St Joseph’s Education Centre will close next July following a phasing out of Traveller training centres announced in Budget 2010.

He continued, “Plans to use the building as a skills training unit for adult learners are being developed and staff will be redeployed to other VEC programmes, schools and centres.

“St Joseph’s will be a major loss to the Traveller community as it has been one of the most innovative centres in the country and continues to offer a creative and supportive envi- ronment for adult Travellers returning to education and training.”

VEC member Michael Corley paid tribute to the efforts of staff and students at St Joseph’s. He described the centre as one of the most efficient and best run in the country.

He urged the VEC to monitor the progress of the group that will be transferred from the centre.

“There was fantastic work done by management and staff. I was always impressed by the range of work.”

At last December’s meeting of Clare VEC, Dr Conlan noted that while Traveller education has made great strides over the past 20 years, many Travellers fear the impact of the cuts to services “could set back these efforts in years to come”.

“Traveller parents are more interested than ever in supporting their children’s education. Perhaps now more than ever in the past, a greater level of personal and family responsibility needs to be taken in light of the ending of some services,” he added.

Meanwhile, Dr Conlan’s report states that the Regional Learning Centre continues to operate at the Clare County Museum.

He explained, “The centre is supported mainly by Limerick Institute of Technology. Currently, the centre offers a business certificate from LIT and offers free educational guidance and return to learning workshops for adults interested in higher education.”

ONE-HUNDRED people were still in a pub 25 minutes after closing time during a music festival in Sixmilebridge last year, a court has heard.

The detail emerged during a case at Ennis District Court on Wednesday. Alan O’Callaghan, licencee of the Pump House, Kilmurry, Sixmilebridge, was charged with permitting entertainment to be provided contrary to the intoxicating liquor act.

Garda Sandra Hartigan told the court that she went to the premises at 23.55 August 21 (2011). She said that the door of the pub was open. She said 100 people were inside while a band was also playing. Garda Hartigan said closing time on the night was 23.30. She said that when she spoke to O’Callaghan (Rosroe, Kilmurry, Sixmilebridge), he told her that he was aware of the time. Insp Tom Kennedy said there had been complaints from residents on the night.

Solicitor Stiofán Fitzpatrick told the court that the premises was a familyrun pub. He said it had been the first night of a local harvest festival. He explained that all money raised through the festival was for local community projects. Mr Fitzpatrick said his client should have obtained an extension. He said O’Callaghan had made efforts to clear the pub. “It was a unique occasion,” added Mr Fitzpatrick.

Mr Fitzpatrick described the pub as the “hub of the local community”. He said, “He accepts his responsibility. He holds his hand up.”

Judge Aeneas McCarthy said that if O’Callaghan wanted to get people off the premises, then the first thing he should have done was stop the band playing. He fined O’Callaghan € 300.

A WOMAN has received a suspended sentence for her role in an altercation in Ennis town centre on New Year’s Day.

At Ennis District Court on Wednesday, Rose McDonagh (29) with an address at 31 Childers Road, Ennis, pleaded guilty to a section six public order offence.

Insp Tom Kennedy told the court that the accused became involved in a fight with another woman on Abbey Street, Ennis at 2.30am, January 1.

The court heard that McDonagh has 24 previous convictions. Solicitor Tara Godfrey said her client had been on a night out with a friend. She explained that while McDonagh was waiting for a taxi, another car pulled up.

Ms Godfrey said the women in the car were female relations of a man who previously beat her client up. She said the assault was so serious that the man is now in prison.

Ms Godfrey added, “She pulled her hair and she pulled her hair back. It was a very wrong thing to happen.”

Judge Aeneas McCarthy sentenced McDonagh to three months in prison. He suspended the sentence on condition that she be of good behaviour for a period of two years.

CLARE County Council is to examine the historic remains of the O’Brien family at St Bridget’s Well, including the family vault which contains the remains of Cornelius O’Brien, the man who built O’Brien’s tower at the Cliffs of Moher.

The O’Brien family vault, which is located in the St Bridget’s Well cemetery, and the famous monument dedicated to the family, have suffered severe damage in recent years, with the monument now badly in eed of repair and in danger of collapsing.

“This is of real historic importance. Part of the ancient heritage of Clare is located in these structures and they are rapidly deteriorating,” said Cllr Richard Nagle (FF).

“Cornelius O’Brien was the man who built the tower at the Cliffs of Moher and this monument dates back to 1854.

“All of the spire of that monument has now cracked and it is only a matter of time before this monument is going to collapse.

“The same thing applies to the vault in the cemetery, which is where all the family has been buried. There is nothing to prevent people from going over the railing and into the vault.

“Both of these are listed structures and regarded as structures of historical importance.

“We need to contact the Heritage Officer and get them to make contact with the OPW quickly and seek resources for this work and seek their assistance.”

Meanwhile, Lahinch-based Cllr Bill Slattery (FG) has asked Clare County Council to examine the prospect of using some of the local authority’s own land in Liscannor to create a place where the Lahinch RNLI can store and launch their boat from.

Currently, the rescue service has to launch their boat from Lahinch and can face major delays, especially at times of high tourist numbers at Lahinch.

“I know that Clare County Council have property in Liscannor but we are using Lahinch for water rescue at the moment.

“Surveys have been done that show that it would be far easier and quicker to launch boats in Liscannor. I believe that the council have land on the dock in Liscannor.

“Maybe we could use this, or buy more land beside it if needed,” he said.

These comments were supported by Ennistymon-based Cllr Richard Nagle (FF), who said that a proper facility would have to be put in place in Liscannor.

“I would support the provision of facilities in Liscannor but I would certainly not support some sort of container being put in place. Not on the main route to the Cliffs of Moher, at a scenic spot that the local people enjoy.

“This would have to be a proper building,” he said.

CLARE County Council is preparing to introduce new by-laws which will prevent surfers from parking and surfing on large section of Lahinch Promenade and Lahinch beach.

This was revealed at yesterday’s North Clare Area Meeting of Clare County Council when it was also revealed that the local authority has received more than € 1 million from the Lahinch area over the past three years, including from the prom car park, parking fines, and proceeds from the sale of the old public toilets in the village.

Senior Executive Engineer at the Ennistymon Area Office, Stephen Lahiffe, said that by-laws would be introduced next month to restrict the areas where surfers could park and surf shops could operate.

“Clare County Council have parking by-laws prepared and ready to go. This will make a surfing-specific location in Lahinch where all surfers can congregate and sell their wears,” he said.

“There is currently an issue surrounding some land that is needed for the development but we would certainly hope that this will be in place for the summer.”

This news was revealed after comments from Cllr Bill Slattery (FG) who said that surfers in Lahinch needed to be controlled.

“We welcome the surfers in Lahinch and we realise that their needs need to be looked after. But there is no control on the prom in Lahinch. There are vans everywhere. There should be an area designated on the promenade where the surfers can park and even an area of the water that they can use,” he said.

Councillors at yesterday’s meeting were angered by the progress being made on the council’s Lahinch Masterplan, with Cllr Slattery accusing Clare County Council of going back on its word to ensure that the money made from the Lahinch Prom was invested into the village.

“I was born and reared in Lahinch and, in my opinion, the prom in Lahinch has gone back about 20 years in recent times,” he said

“The railing along the prom has gotten into an incredibly dangerous condition and should never have been let get into the condition that it is now in.

“The cliffs on the Miltown Malbay side of the beach collapsed about 12 years ago and these have not been taken away. There is no public toilet on the prom anymore; the surface and the lining of the car park is in very bad condition and floods all the time.

“There is only one person on duty there and that is the traffic warden who is making all the money. There is no one picking up litter or doing anything else for the place.

“Lahinch car park is probably the second highest revenue centre in Clare. Clare County Council need to put back in the money that has been taken out of Lahinch over the years. Where has this money gone?”

Mr Lahiffe said that a contractor will soon be appointed to fix the railing on the promenade but admitted that, following the economic downturn, it “has become impossible to achieve what we had wanted” from the Lahinch Prom Masterplan.

The local authority also came in for criticism for spending € 94,000 on consultant reports for the prom.

“We have paid € 94,000 for consultants and if that money had just been given to the local area office, I’m sure we would have gotten better value for money out of it,” said Cllr Richard Nagle (FF).

THE only Garda station to close in Clare this year is Carrigaholt in the West of the county, but the Garda chief has predicted further closures in the coming years.

Chief Superintendent John Kerins told the members of the Joint Policing Committee (JPC) that there will be at least 41 less members on the force in Clare at the end of February than the end of March last year.

He said that there was a wrong perception however that the Kilrush district was worst affected.

Three members of the force have retired in Kilrush in the last year, with one more likely before the end of February at which time a change to civil service pensions will be introduced.

As a result of the drop in personnel and the ever-tightening Garda budget Carrigaholt will lose its Garda station this year. The West Clare station is to close in the next two to three months the chief superintendent con firmed. The area will continued to be patrolled by gardaí from Kilrush and Kilkee.

Meanwhile the chief superintendent, in conjunction with the local su- perintendent, Gerry Wall, are planning to reassign gardaí from Kilrush to the smaller sub-stations in the area on a part time basis.

The stations, such as Labasheeda and Doonbeg, will be manned by these gardaí at advertised hours a few days a week.

Chief Supt Kerins reassured members of the JPC that he did not believe the policing service would be affected.

“We are confident that we can do it. It is a challenge but there is no choice. We are faced now with what we have got.”

Community representative on the JPC Pat Gaughran raised concerns about having small rural stations open for just a few hours a week.

“Having a station open for a few hours a few days a week is like having the A and E open nine to five,” he said.

Supt Kerins told Mr Gaughran that currently the maximum number of people calling to those stations on a daily basis is three.

“It is not necessary to open Garda stations as much as previously. The need does not exist with mobile phones available and other technology,” he said.

“We cannot continue with the serv- ice we had in the 1920s. I would much rather see a garda out in the patrol car, at a check point or on foot patrol rather that sitting in a Garda station,” said Chief Supt Kerins.

“The value of neighbourhood watch and community alert cannot be over stated,” added Supt Wall.

It was not all bad news, with the Garda Commission confirming last week that he has earmarked three new patrol cars for the county.

With the fleet reduced in the last number of months however, the gardaí in Clare are hoping that number will be increased again in February.

CLARE County Council will effectively be sounding its own death knell if it approves plans by the National Roads Authority (NRA) for a new salt depot outside Ennis, a senior member of the council has warned.

Independent councillor Tommy Brennan said the council would be “cutting its own throat” if planning permission for a 6, 500 tonne regional salt depot at the old GAMA site on the Tulla Road Interchange.

The NRA will take charge of maintenance of the country’s motorway network with the proposed Tulla Road depot used to service the motorway in Clare and parts of Galway and Limerick.

However the project came in for blistering criticism at yesterday’s meeting of councillors in the Ennis East Electoral Area. Committee chairman Cllr Brennan labelled the project a “waste of time” and taxpayer’s money, saying it represents a unnecessary duplication of resources.

Cllr Brennan said the council had adequate salt supplies at its depots in Beechpark while council workers had worked “night and day and provide exemplary” maintenance services on the county’s road and motorway network.

He said the Minister for the Environment should be made aware of the concerns that exist over the project. Cllr Brennan said that he firmly be- lieved that if the minister examined the project “logically” then it would not go ahead.

He described the NRA as a “quango that has nothing to do”, arguing that authority’s move to road maintenance is based on the fact that no more roads are being built.

He said, “I firmly believe that all we are doing is cutting our own throats.”

He added, “I think it’s a down right disgrace. We have four salt barns on the Miltown Malbay road.”

Members received an update on the Part 8 planning process for the salt depot. Cllr Brennan said the council should not engage with the process, adding that the NRA should follow the same planning process as other applications.

Cllr Brennan was also critical of the layout of the proposed project. He said the installation of a roundabout must be included as a condition of planning if the project is approved.

He explained that a landowner is seriously concerned that the project, as currently designed, will impede access to his property.

County engineer Tom Tiernan said he would highlight Cllr Brennan’s concerns to the minister. He said he had urged the NRA to consult with the landowner.

Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) said the site should be used for the development of secondary school for the Barefield area.

“The needs locally in the community are greater than those of the NRA,” he added.

VOLOUNTARY groups and organisations have been urged to ‘adopt a road’ to halt the growing problem of illegal dumping on the routes around Ennis.

The suggestion was made at yesterday’s meeting of councillors in the Ennis West Electoral Area.

Councillor Brian Meaney (GP) called for the committee to request that litter visible on the western relief road (N85) be collected.

In his response, the senior executive engineer, Eamon O’Dea, explained, “This N85 Relief Road is swept by a road sweeper as part of the council’s road sweeping works in the Ennis electoral areas. The council does not have the resources available to carry out hand picking of litter on this road. The council will endeavour to remove larger items dumped on the road.”

Mr O’Dea told the meeting that rubbish bags are regularly dumped in the Ballycoree, Gaurus and Quin Road areas. He said organisations should follow the lead of the Lions Club and the Gardaí who in the past few years have taken responsibility for cleaning a street or road in Ennis. He said responsibility for a litter-free environment should rest with people. Cllr Meaney said the ‘adopt a road’ proposal should be progressed in Ennis. He said the railway road near the Corrovorrin estate had been the site for regular dumping.

“Your breath would be taken away by the volume of rubbish that is tipped there.” However, in paying tribute to the efforts of the council’s environment staff, Cllr Meaney said the introduction of camera surveillance of the area had greatly reduced the incidents of illegal dumping.

He said people are intentionally dumping in areas around Ennis. “We have to identify these people and bring the full weight of the law to bear upon them,” he added.

Cllr James Breen (Ind) said the council should explore the option of taking on student volunteers to help with the fight against litter. He said they could receive a small contribution from the council for their work.

However, Mr O’Dea cautioned that the council would be entering “a grey area that we have to be careful about”.