Month: April 2012

A MAN has pleaded guilty to having 59 ecstasy tablets outside an apartment block in Ennis last year.

At Ennis District Court on Thursday, David Cooley (25), with an address at 20 Rathbawn Tulla Road, Ennis pleaded guilty to possession of ecstasy and having the drugs for sale or supply at Mill House Apartments on January 23 (2011).

Detective Gary Stack told the court that gardaí had obtained a warrant to search the apartment when they observed Mr Cooley exiting the building. Inspector Tom Kennedy said that the accused admitted selling the drugs to friends.

The court heard Mr Cooley has a previous conviction for a road traffic matter but none for drugs offences.

Solicitor John Casey said his client is no longer involved in drug dealing. He told the court that Mr Cooley previously worked as a stonemason and is actively looking for work.

He said Mr Cooley had cooperated fully with gardaí. Mr Casey added, “It gave him a good shock.”

He said Mr Cooley’s partner is currently expecting a child. Mr Casey asked the court not to impose a custodial sentence.

Referring to the nature of the offence Judge Patrick Durcan said, “His retail activity was probably doing a lot of damage to a lot of people.”

He noted Mr Cooley’s plea of guilty and clean record in relation to drugs.

Judge Durcan adjourned the matter until November 28. He granted liberty to the state to re-enter the case at 24 hours notice.

A SHANNON woman has appeared in court on charges of deception and possession of a stolen cheque.

Amy Tracey (20) with an address at 65 Inis Eagla, Shannon, appeared at Ennis District Court last Wednesday. It is alleged that at AIB Shannon on December 15 (2010) Ms Tracy did dishonestly by deception induce an AIB bank official to lodge a cheque to her account with intent of making a gain.

It is also alleged that on the same date at Rineanna, Shannon, Ms Tracey did without lawful excuse possess a stolen Bank of Ireland cheque worth € 6966.

Detective Paul Coleman told the court that he arrested the accused in Ennis on April 10 (2012). He said Ms Harty was conveyed to Ennis Garda Station where she was cautioned and charged. Detective Coleman said the accused made no reply to either charge after caution.

Inspector Tom Kennedy said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has directed summary disposal of the matter on a plea of guilty only. After hearing a summary of the alleged facts, Judge Patrick Durcan refused jurisdiction. He remanded the accused on continuing bail to appear at Ennis District Court on May 16 for DPP’s consent and service of Book of Evidence.

CONCERN has been expressed over the length of time it is taking the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to issue directions for three people charged in relation to alleged incidents at a primary school in Ennis last month.

Conor Mahon (21), Rose Mahon (22) and Laura Molloy (21) are charged with alleged offences arising out of alleged incidents at the Holy Family Junior School, Station Road, Ennis on March 20.

Conor Mahon, of Ballaghboy, Quin Road, Ennis, is charged with possession of a slash hook at the school contrary to the firearms and offensive weapons act and with engaging in threatening and, or, abusive behaviour.

Conor Mahon’s wife, Rose Mahon, a mother of two, also of Ballaghboy Quin Road, Ennis, is charged with causing € 1,500 worth of damage to the windows of a vehicle belonging to Thomas Sherlock on Station Road.

Her sister, Laura Molloy, of 21 An Pairc, Bruach na hAbhainn, Ennis, is also charged with causing € 1,500 worth of damage to the windows of a vehicle belonging to Thomas Sherlock on Station Road.

Both sisters are also charged with provoking a breach of the peace.

At Ennis District Court last week, Inspector Tom Kennedy said there is a “difficult set of circumstances” surrounding the case.

He added, “There is an extensive file being prepared for the DPP.” Judge Patrick Durcan had previously granted further time DPP’s directions.

Solicitor Daragh Hassett said that in previously opposing bail for his clients, the State had come to court with “great fanfare” and alleged “detailed evidence.”

He continued, “It now appears two weeks later that nothing has happened. I will consent to the minimum adjournment.”

Judge Patrick Durcan said, “I am noting your concerns.

“I don’t like matters that drag on indefinitely.”

He adjourned the matter until May 9 for DPP’s directions.

THE actions of a keen eyed resident helped Gardaí apprehend a man who made off with € 104 from Tubber church earlier this year, a court has heard.

At Ennis District Court on Wednesday, William Delaney (37) with an address at 38 Fana Glas, Ballybane, pleaded guilty to stealing € 104 worth of coins, property of Fr Brian Geoghan, from Tubber church on February 15.

Inspector Tom Kennedy told the court that Mr Delaney, a father of four, was seen by a resident entering the church and leaving again within a couple of minutes.

He said this person then contacted Fr Geoghan who discovered that the church candelabra were empty.

Insp Kennedy added, “Luckily the witness who was watching this took the number of the vehicle and contacted the guards.”

The court heard that the accused was later stopped in Gort where gardaí found the coins concealed in the ashtray of his car.

Insp Kennedy said he told gardaí that he went to the church to light a candle. Mr Delaney said he saw the money in a plastic tray and took it.

He said the accused has one previous conviction for a road traffic offence. Solicitor Daragh Hassett said his client had been traveling back to Galway from Limerick when he stopped at Tubber.

He said Mr Delaney could offer no reason for taking the money other than “stupidity.”

Mr Hassett added, “As someone who goes to church on a regular basis, he believes he will be judged by his maker.”

Mr Hassett said the alertness of the person in making gardai aware of the theft was a good sign for rural communities. He added, “Thankfully neighbourhood watch is alive and well in Tubber.”

Judge Patrick Durcan said he had to balance the accused’s early plea and relatively clear record against the nature of the offence, which he described as “mean and miserly.” He added; “This type of offence attacks the whole social fabric of the country.”

Judge Durcan imposed a € 500 fine with two months to pay. Recognances were fixed in the event of an appeal.

A MAN smashed an ambulance and insulted paramedics in protest at the location of a temporary exit from Ennis General Hospital last year, a court has heard.

Paul Daly (50), with an address at 41 Sandfield Centre, Ennis appeared at Ennis District Court charged with public order and criminal damage offences.

Mr Daly was charged with engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour with intent to provoke a breach of the peace and causing damage to an ambulance and jeep, both belonging to the Health Services Executive (HSE).

The charges relate to an incident that occurred yards from Ennis General Hospital on Sandfield Road in Ennis on October 23 (2011).

Linda O’Rourke, advanced paramedic in Ennis Ambulance Station, told the court that she was working as a sole responder on the night in question.

She said the services received an urgent call to respond to a patient who was lying on the footpath on Sandfield Road.

Ms O’Rourke explained that after the ambulance had left with the patient, she started to compile a report on the incident.

As she did this, Ms O’Rourke said, she heard shouting and banging on the jeep.

She said she then saw a man kick the side of the jeep. She added, “I got such fright, I dropped everything.”

Ms O’Rourke called for the gardaí and also for the ambulance to return to the scene.

Alan Massey, a paramedic in the ambulance services in Ennis, said that when arrived back on Sandfield Road, he heard three loud bangs on the side of the ambulance.

He said, “I could see a gentleman in the road just about to kick the vehicle.”

Mr Massey said he was forced to restrain Mr Daly “for his own safety” after he tried to punch him.

He added, “He called me an English c*** and to f*** off home or I’ll kill you.”

In court, Mr Daly denied trying to punch Mr Massey and denied using those words against him.

Tom Casey, Fleet Manager with the HSE West, told the court that € 1,100 worth of damage was caused to the jeep while € 500 worth of damage was caused to ambulance.

Garda Marguerite Wright told the court that Mr Daly behaved “ex- tremely aggressively” towards Mr Massey. She said that Mr Daly fully cooperated with gardaí.

Solicitor Daragh Hassett told the court that his client had made a number of complaints to gardaí regarding an exit on Sandfield Road that had been in use during recent construction work at the hospital.

The court heard that Mr Daly, who is originally from Dublin, moved to Clare six years ago. He admitted in court to banging and kicking the vehicles.

He said he had been very frustrated over the exit and the noise generated by construction work at the hospital at night.

Mr Daly added, “I snapped just enough to go out and have a go at them.”

The court heard that Mr Daly has 18 previous convictions, mainly for public order offences.

Mr Hassett said his client was a complex individual who would benefit from involvement with the probation and welfare services.

He said HSE staff should not have to deal with that level of abuse.

In convicting Mr Daly, Judge Patrick Durcan said the paramedics had been doing their jobs when they were “set upon, abused and put, I imagine, in fear of their lives.”

He said Mr Daly had referred to Mr Massey in the most unbecoming of terms.

He described the comments as some of the “most appalling” he has heard during his time on the bench.

Judge Durcan ordered Mr Daly to engage with the probation and welfare services. He adjourned sentencing until May 9.

LOCAL services across the county are set to be slashed because of Clare’s response to the government demand for householders to pay the € 100 household charge.

Figures secured by The Cla re People this week have shown that less than 15,000 of those liable to pay the controversial property tax have done so.

This means that there are over 20,000 property owners in the county who have failed to register with Clare County Council or the Local Government Management Agency to pay the levy introduced by the Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan.

These figures have come to light, after a leading member of Clare County Council released countywide payment figures for the household charge to members of Kilrush Town Council on Thursday night last.

“The most recent information available indicates that circa 37 per cent (leaving a shortfall of 63 per cent) of the estimated properties liable to the household charge in Clare have paid,” revealed Seamus Halpin, nearly two weeks after the government deadline for the payment of the charge passed.

“The department have yet to indicate the reduction if any in the Local Government Fund arising form the collection rate, however, if the household charge payments are not received the government will have less money to allocate for the delivery of local services,” Clare County Council’s administrative officer for finance added.

Mr Halpin made his comments in response to a notice of motion tabled by former Mayor of Kilrush, Cllr Tom Prendeville (FF) at the monthly meeting of Kilrush Town Council at which it was claimed that those who paid the € 100 charge are now being targetted for a raft of other payments.

“It is being used to get more money out of people,” said Cllr Paul Moroney (Ind).

“I met a woman in Knockerra, who told me she registered early for the charge and within a month had a number of visits to her house which is in off the road and very hard to find.

“The TV licence person came around, someone came to inspect her septic tank and she had a water metre put outside her door. They called because they now have her details,” he added.

HOLIDAY homes in Lahinch and Doonbeg could be sold for as little as € 50,000 each, according to Allsop Space, the British-headquartered estate agents that will have four properties from the county up for grabs at its latest auction of distressed properties.

Details of the Clare properties were revealed this week, with houses in Ennistymon and Crusheen also included in the auction of 106 lots from throughout the country that will take place in the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin on May 3 next.

In the catalogue for the auction, a four-bedroomed bungalow on Station Road in Lahinch has been given a reserve price of just € 50,000. The property, which is just a couple of minutes’ walk from the centre of the village, also comes with planning permission granted by Clare County Council in December 2010 to demolish the house and build three townhouses in its place.

The Doonbeg property is a semidetached, four-bedroomed house in Dun na Mara on the White Strand Road, which has a reserve of € 45,000, while the Ennistymon property is a two-bedroomed apartment with a reserve price of € 80,000. The final Clare property is a four-bedroomed house in Crusheen that has a reserve price of € 75,000.

In 2011, Allsop held four sales of distressed properties, with the lowest price for any property in the country being in Clare when a site in Cloughleigh with planning permission for a shop unit and two apartments was sold for € 11,000.

LAHINCH surfer Ollie O’Flaherty has been shortlisted for one of the biggest prizes in world surfing for riding a massive wave in Sligo last month.

Ollie, who is a member of the West Coast Surf Club, has been nominated along with four other surfers for the Biggest Wave category of the Billabong XXL 2012 contest.

The competition, which carries a top prize of $15,000, recognises the surfers who tackle the biggest waves in world surfing, including Aileen’s Wave under the Cliffs of Moher, Riley’s Wave near Kilkee and the Mullaghmore Head wave where Ollie qualified for the competition.

“The wave was probably 50 foot, so it was a big wave. You can’t paddle into a wave that big so you need someone on a jet-ski to tow you, you hold onto a rope and get whipped into the wave that way,” he said last week.

“It is dangerous enough but we have done a lot of training and put in a lot of time on much smaller waves. Myself and my tow-mate, Peter Conway, have put in a lot of time on this to get everything right.

“Being on the wave is like slow motion. Everything kind of stops and you try not to fall off. You hold on for the ride as long as you can. The ride is surprisingly short – it might only last 15 or 20 seconds on a wave that short but the sheer intensity of it, you could be buzzing for a week or two after it.

“Coming off the wave can be pretty violent but a lot of training goes on behind the scenes. I spend a lot of time training so I don’t drown. You have to have a healthy body and healthy mind. You hit the water hard but you wear impact vests, to stop you breaking any ribs or anything like that. And once you’re under, you could be under for anything up to 20 or 30 seconds. If a another wave is coming, it could be longer that that.”

Ollie is up against Devon-based surfer Andrew Cotton, Garrett McNamara, Basque surfer Axi Muniain and Australian surfer Damien ‘Taco’ Warr for the competition.

SPECIAL deals done between governments and individual TDs have been blamed for the slow pace of reform to mental health services in Ireland.

Minister of State for Health, Kathleen Lynch told a meeting in Ennis last week that it was “scandalous” that people would cut deals to the detriment of vital services just to keep a government in power.

Ms Lynch said, “I think governments were too reliant on single TDs in different constituencies.”

The Labour TD for Cork North Central, whose areas of responsibility include mental health, told the meeting that implementation of mental health reforms contained in the 2006 ‘Vision for Change’ document was often impeded during previous administrations “because votes were too tight”.

Ms Lynch was the guest speaker at a forum on mental health held in the Old Ground Hotel in Ennis last Tuesday.

Ms Lynch told the Clare meeting that she had received the most recent report from the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

She said that while annual detailed records are available for all young people accessing CAMHS, such records are not available in adult mental health services.

Ms Lynch described this lack of detailed information as a “scandal.”

The meeting heard that there are currently 60 CAMHS teams working in Ireland, 39 less than the target outlined in Vision for Change.

Ms Lynch said that € 35 million had been ringfenced in this year’s budget for mental health services.

She said that an additional 19 CAMHS posts had been allocated for this year.

Ms Lynch told the meeting that mental health had always been the “Cinderella” of the health services but that increased awareness “will take it out of the shadows”.

A NEW support group that encourages people to take control of their mental health problems will open in Ennis later this month.

Details of the Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) were outlined at a forum on mental health held in Ennis last week.

WRAP facilitator Liam Minogue was among the speakers at the event that encouraged “honest conversation” about mental health issues.

Mr Minogue, the co-founder of the Ennis WRAP support group, told the meeting that he had suffered with depression and anxiety, saying that he had “spent many years in a dark place.” He said the discovery of WRAP had enabled him to take control of his battles with depression.

He said WRAP is based around five key concepts – hope, personal responsibility, education, self-advocacy and support.

He added, “When you are in a place of depression, you need to have your voice heard.”

Mr Minogue availed of training as a WRAP facilitator from the Irish Mental Health Recovery Education Consortium in 2009. In 2010, he undertook the position of Volun- tary Co-ordinator for the Clare area with the Community Reconnect and Recovery Network. Their aim is to develop a regional network of peer support groups in the mid-west region of Ireland. The Emotions Peer Support Group will open at the Clon Road Business Park, Ennis, at the end of the month.

The meeting at the Old Ground Hotel heard that, according to figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), 386 men took their own lives in 2010, compared to 100 women.

Citing figures from a survey compiled by the support group Aware, Dr Mairead McGovern said that 45 per cent of people experience depression at some point in their lives; 55 per cent of people who experience depression did not tell family or friends; while 75 per cent said they withdrew from family and friends.

Dr McGovern, who works with Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS), said that in many cases, people did not talk about depression because they felt “scared, ashamed and overwhelmed.”

Dr McGovern said parenting; school counselling and local services are vital to helping young people suffering from depression.