Month: May 2012

A FURTHER extension of time has been granted for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to issue directions for three people charged in relation to alleged incidents outside a primary school in Ennis in March.

Conor Mahon (21), Rose Mahon (22) and Laura Molloy (21) are charged with alleged offences 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 offen- sive 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 € 1500 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 € 1500 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. All three accused deny the charges.

The matter was before Ennis District Court last Wednesday.

Inspector Tom Kennedy told the court that directions had not yet been finalized. Solicitor for all three accused, Daragh Hassett said he had concerns that directions had not yet been issued.

He said. “This case has attracted a certain degree of notoriety about what is alleged to have happened in a school. All of which is denied.”

He said the strict bail conditions imposed on his clients meant that all three people “are basically under house arrest.”

He claimed that the file against his clients “had been left lying on a desk.” Mr Hassett added, “I want to know where these cases are going because they appear to be going nowhere.”Insp Kennedy said the case is being “actively investigated.”

He said, “This is very complex investigation. There is an element of cross allegations that the guards are looking into.” He said it had taken longer than anticipated to prepare the files. Insp Kennedy added, “This is not a simple matter. There are serious charges involved.”

He said that a file should be sent to the DPP in the next two weeks.

Judge Patrick Durcan adjourned the matter until June 6 for DPP’s directions.

Mr Hassett requested that bail conditions be altered for Conor and Rose Mahon.

He said the couple have children with heart difficulties and sometimes needed to attend the doctor after 9pm.

Curfew for Rose Mahon was extended to 12 midnight. Judge Durcan ruled that as bail for Conor Mahon was granted by the High Court, a change in bail conditions could only be secured there.

A MAN has received a four-month prison sentence for sending a series of “vile and vicious” text messages to his former landlady.

Colm Quigley (39), with an address at 1 Steele’s Terrace, Ennis, pleaded guilty to offences contrary to the postal and telecommunications act at Ennis District Court on Wednesday.

The court heard that on October 17 (2011) Mr Quigley sent eight offensive and threatening text messages to Carmel Corbett.

One of the messages read, “Pick out your headstone, you’ll be dead shortly.”

The accused also told Ms Corbett “Watch your back. I know where you are.”

Another text message made a threatening reference to Ms Corbett’s daughter. Inspector Tom Kennedy explained that Ms Corbett had rented accommodation in Drumcliff to Mr Quigley who had now left. He said there was some dispute as to whether this was amicable or not.

He said that Mr Quigley sent the messages after leaving the accommodation.

Insp Kennedy described the messages as “quite nasty and unsavory.”

The matter was reported to gardaí on October 19 and the messages were subsequently traced back to Mr Quigley.

The court heard that he admitted sending the messages to gardaí.

Insp Kennedy said, “He was very intoxicated when he sent them. He was very apologetic. He told the guards that not a million years would he normally do it.”

He added, “The victim was very disturbed and was concerned about going out on her own.”

Solicitor Daragh Hassett said his client, who lived in the house for two years, had carried out work to the property after previously being told that it would be brought up to a certain standard.

He said Mr Quigley had arrived back to the property to find the locks had been changed.

Mr Hassett said his client was upset and sent the messages from the pub.

He added, “He made no level or at- tempt to disguise his identification.”

The court heard that Mr Quigley wrote a letter of apology to the victim.

Mr Hassett said, “Its something he will be ashamed of until his dying days.”

Judge Patrick Durcan said he regarded the offence as a “very serious matter.”

He said, “This was a case where a person uses modern technology to mentally violate somebody.” He said the messages were of a “vile and viscous nature.”

He imposed a four month prison sentence and fined Mr Quigley € 800.

Recognances were fixed in the event of an appeal.

ENNIS will host its first ever classic music busking event this weekend, with all proceeds going to the Mid West Simon Community.

The unique busking event will take place in Clare’s county town this Friday and Saturday with the Clare Music Makers Orchestra already agreeing to offer their services for a few hours on Saturday morning.

The Simon Community is asking musicians from Clare to take part in the event and support the work of the Simon Community with homeless people in the county.

The recent Mid West Homeless forum report showed there were 1565 households are presenting as homeless in the region in 2010 – with 378 of those located in Clare. The Mid West Simon Community provides services to help people in crisis.

“For those willing to busk, we can offer a new experience, an opportunity to show off, a chance to give a crowd-pleasing performance, a huge thank you from us and a story to tell their grandchildren,” said Susan Ward of the Mid West Simon Community. “When they play that final note, they can take a bow knowing they have played a part in something that will make a real difference to real lives.”

A coffee morning is also taking place in Ennis as part of National Volunteer Week. The coffee morning will take place on Friday, May 18 in our the Charity Shop and Coffee Dock on Woodquay in Ennis.

To volunteer for the busking day, call Clare Volunteer Centre 065 68 66 800 or log on to their website www.volunteerclare.ie to access volunteer opportunities or call Susan at Mid West Simon Community on 061 608980.

CLARE rugby great Keith Wood launched an end-of-life care programme, which is being rolled out in hospitals in the mid-west, including Ennis, in an effort to ensure that dying patients receive the best possible care.

Hospitals in the region are now part of the Network of Hospice Friendly Hospitals (HFH) which has been developed over the last five years and includes 25 acute and over 30 community hospitals.

The HFH Programme is in operation in the Mid Western Acute Hospitals Group in Limerick, Nenagh, Ennis, the Regional Maternity Hospital, the Regional Orthopaedic Hospital, Croom, and St Ita’s Community Hospital in Newcastle West.

In the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Dooradoyle, there are an average of 450 deaths each year, ranging in cause from road traffic accidents involving teenagers to complications arising from respiratory complaints among patients aged 90 years of age and over.

Up to 4,500 bereaved people are affected by these deaths.

Keith Wood officially launched the programme which aims to support frontline staff who are delivering end-of-life care, sometimes in very challenging conditions. Speaking at the launch, he said, “According to popular belief, an acute hospital is somewhere where people with various complaints go to get better and a hospice is a place where people go to die.

“Most of us want to die in our own homes. But most people now die in some form of hospital and 48 per cent of us will die in an acute hospital. The challenge facing the acute hospital system is how to train and assist all staff to provide a quality service for all patients at the end of life and also to help their families to cope.”

Frank Gunter, whose sister-in-law died in MWRH Dooradoyle in January 2012, said, “This was a most difficult time for the family, experiencing a tumult of feelings, denial, fatalism and helplessness and I’m sure that unconsciously we probably were a nuisance to the staff. But we were never made to feel that way. The medical and nursing staff were kind, understanding, respectful in all their dealings with us and they kept us informed every step of the way. They provided a safe environment for family to express their grief and sorrow.”

End of Life Care Co-Ordinator at the Mid Western Regional Hospi tal, Miriam McCarthy, commented, “What it boils down to is that we are trying to ensure the best possible care for the patient when they are reaching the end of their life’s journey, so that patients die with dignity and respect. It’s not as easy as it sounds in a busy acute hospital with all its hustle and bustle but staff have shown tremendous interest and families have also appreciated the initiatives that have taken place since we began in January 2011.

“We are organising a remembrance service in June for the families of those who have died in the previous twelve months, and developing plans for the physical upgrading of facilities. End-of-life care matters, and we are working hard to ensure that our hospital culture, the way we do things around here, reflects this.”

HUNDREDS of walking enthusiasts from all over Ireland will descend on Ballyvaughan this Saturday for the fifth ever Clare Burren Marathon Challenge.

The walking marathon, which has quickly established itself as one of Ireland’s premier walking events, could raise as much as € 300,000 for the local economy, with scores of people expected to stay in the Burren area for the weekend.

The marathon, which is organised by the Ballyvaughan/Fanore Walking Club, will this year take place on Saturday, May 26, and will coincide with a host of events taking place as part of the Burren in Bloom Festival.

“The marathon has been a great success, not just for Ballyvaughan but for the whole area. Taking place in May, it is a great chance to see the Burren as it is just getting into full bloom and it has definitely been a great boost to the tourism businesses here over the years,” said Geraldine Linnane of the Ballyvaughan Tourist Information Point.

“It is a great way of introducing people to the Burren. The walk takes people to parts of the Burren that a lot of people just wouldn’t see otherwise. A lot of people would see the Burren from the back of a tour bus and this gives them a totally different experience of the place.

“I would say that a lot of people who get a taste for the area during the walk come back at other times. The local tourism businesses certainly get a big boost out of it.”

This year’s event will feature three courses – the full marathon, the halfmarathon and the mini-marathon. The routes take participants both on and off roads, into some of the most breathtaking Burren terrain.

The event is made possible with the kind permission of the local landowners, Clare Sports Partnership, Logues Lodge in Ballyvaughan and the Burren in Bloom Festival.

Full details of this year’s event, including entry options and a training schedule, are now available on www. clareburrenmarathonchallenge.com or by calling 087 7779714. TO CELEBRATE volunteers and the great community spirit alive throughout the county, the Clare Volunteer Centre is launching its first poetry competition. Anyone over the age of 8 is invited to submit a poem, no longer than eight lines, on the theme ‘together we can make a difference’. Sharon Meaney, Manager with the Clare Volunteer Centre, explained

where the idea for the competition came from.

“Part of our role in the Clare Volunteer Centre is to promote the important role that volunteers play in all our communities.

“We are asking people to really think about the ways in which volunteers contribute to our communities and to the people who live within those communities.

“The theme ‘together we can make a difference’ is a recurring theme we use in the Clare Volunteer Centre as we witness, on a daily basis, how volunteers are affecting change through individual action.”

Supported by Clare County Council and Clare Local Development Company, application forms can be obtained from any of the local libraries around the county or by contacting Clare Volunteer Centre.

Dolores O Halloran, Volunteer Placement Officer, with the Clare Volunteer Centre, gave an insight into how the competition will run. “We are asking people to submit their poem, along with an application form by midnight on June 11. The winner will be announced on July 2 and we plan to do something a little different with the winning poem.

“The overall prize is an Apple iPad, which was kindly sponsored by Action Point Technology Group. The 10 runners-up will receive a € 50 voucher, sponsored by local businesses.”

Sharon Meaney added, “There are three categories Junior (8-12), Young (13 – 17) and Adult 18-plus. We encourage schools and clubs to get involved and spread the message – together we can make a difference.”

Contact the Clare Volunteer Centre on 065 68 66 800 or visit their website www.volunteerclare.ie to obtain an application form.

THE FUTURE of Lahinch Seaworld seems to have been secured after the announcement of a major € 350,000 investment in the facility by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport last week.

The facility, which is a private company supported by Clare County Council, has been under new management for more than a year and hopes are high that this new investment will establish the visitor attraction as an ongoing, profit-making venture.

According to annual accounts lodged on behalf of the Lahinch Seaworld and Leisure Centre PLC, the company made a loss of just over € 97,000 in 2009.

However, it is understood that the facility has made great progress in tackling these losses in recent months.

The grant, which totals € 349,800, will be used to carry out essential maintenance work at the facility. This grant comes on top of a previ- ous grant of € 42, 500, bringing the total to € 392,300.

There was also good news for Waterworld in Kilkee last week with the announcement that the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport has granted them € 75,000 in funding for maintenance works.

“These are two crucial community and tourism leisure centres and I am confident that these grants will copper-fasten the future of both operations,” said Clare TD, Michael McNamara (LAB).

These latest grants are part of the third round of grant applications under the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport’s Disabled Access and Energy Upgrade Scheme for Local Authority pools in Clare.

PEOPLE are becoming more fire and road safety conscious, with Clare Fire and Rescue Service call-outs dropping by one third last year.

According to the county’s fire chief, Adrian Kelly, people are becoming more safety aware, but false alarms continue to be an issue.

In 2010, the fire services responded to 1,355 calls, compared to 908 last year.

As many as 850 of the 2010 callouts were to fires, a number that almost halved to 461 in 2011.

Chief Kelly explained that gorse, bog and forestry fires had a huge affect on the 2010 figures, with approximately 260 such fires in total.

From January 1, 2010, to September 30, 2010, the fire service responded to 257 large outdoor fires. During the same period in 2011, that number had dropped to just 73.

A number of initiatives introduced by Clare County Council and the fire service have also played a part in the reduction in call-out numbers.

Among the schemes in place is a school programme where the fire service speaks with third-class students, a clean chimney campaign, and a smoke detector initiative.

The number of fires started for controlled burning that have gotten out of control has also reduced, with people ringing the service in advance to say they will be lighting fires.

“People are therefore more responsible as they have already informed the service who they are,” explained Mr Kelly.

The number of road traffic accidents the fire service was called to in 2011 reduced by 25 from the previous year. This number was down almost 100 from 2007.

“Part of the reason for this is the opening of the motorway, and there are less people on the road because there are less people working and due to the cost of fuel,” said the Clare fire chief.

Bogus calls continue to waste time and money for the fire service, however. Last year, there were 24 malicious false alarms at a cost of approximately € 1,100 per call-out.

Not only did this cost the fire service € 26,400, it also cost the service valuable time, according to Chief Kelly.

While the fire units are attending a bogus call, they could get a call to a genuine emergency.

“We could be losing valuable minutes on bogus calls,” he said.

A further 75 call-outs last year were good-intent false alarms.

HISTORY was made in Athlone on Saturday night when the players of the Corofin Drama Society won two All-Ireland titles at the prestigious RTÉ All-Ireland Drama Festival for their production of ‘The Subject was Roses’. The big winner on the night was Maura Clancy, who took the overall Best Actress Award while Kevin Glynn also brought home a deserved All-Ireland for his light work. The society took a very impressive third place in the overall Best Play category and different members were also in the running for a number of other awards. For Maura, who is a professor of maths at NUI, Galway, her Best Actress award was a team award rather than a personal one. “It was such a prestigious achievement and such an thrill just to make it to Athlone. We felt that we had already done well just to be there, so we were very relaxed about things, we felt we were already winners no matter what happened in the final so that did take the pressure off us a bit,” said Maura. “Every actor knows that you are only as good as the people around you. I was thought from a very early age that acting is all about reacting – so if you don’t have great cast members there with you to give you something to react to then it is pretty difficult to be out there on your own. “It was a total team performance and I can’t emphasise how wonderful it was to work with Martin O’Donoghue and James Rallahy, their performances were magnificent on the night and I thin that the reward really goes to all of us. It was an honour to be recognised but I think the award is for all of us really.” This win continues the recent run of good form for the Corofin Drama Society having won the All-Ireland (Confined) three act finals in 2008 and the All-Ireland (Confined) one act final last year.

BURREN film ‘Songs For Amy’ looks set to become the latest small budget Irish film to make it big in Hollywood after to took the main Jury Award at the prestigious Newport Beach Film Festival in Los Angeles last week.

The film, which is the brainchild of Burren based writer and producer Fiona Graham, took the award for ‘Outstanding Achievement in Filmmaking’. It was also confirmed last week that the film has been chosen for a screen at the Cannes Film Festival on May 26.

Features a number of North Clare and South Galway locals, ‘Songs for Amy’ was shot on location in Kinvara last Summer.

The film tells the story of a New York musician played by Sean Maguire who moves to the West of Ireland where he sets about writing an album of music for the girl he loves, played by Lorna Anderson.

Present at the screen were Bellharbour musician Jim McKee and Kinvara’s Ultan Conlon who both acted in the films and contributed to the films soundtrack. The film will be given its Irish premier at the Galway Film Fleadh next month.

“The film has already been dubbed ‘the musician’s film’ due to its portrayal of the eclectic music scene of Ireland and because of the incredible original sound track with songs by Ultan Conlon and Jim McKee, rock band Alabama 3, Patrick Bergin, Eleanor Shanley, as well as music from Tom Paxton and Jono McCleery,” said Fiona.

“The West of Ireland is a character in the film with it’s culture and beauty woven into the story. The Galway Film Fleadh was where we all wanted to showcase it and the cast and crew are extremely excited about reuniting back on the west of Ireland. It feels like we’re bringing the film home.” The films was produced by Burren based company Sonny and Skye Productions and Seafaring films.

THE students of Scoil Mhuire in Ennistymon have started a trend which could be replicated in schools all over the country in the coming years by taking up Chinese as a foreign language.

Transition-year students from the school have just completed an eightmonth-long introduction to Mandarin Chinese.

The language classes were delivered to the girls by native Chinese speakers from the Confucius Institute, while Business and Certified Programme Facilitator, Miriam Higgins, delivered classes in Chinese culture.

“We are one of approximately 50 schools in Ireland to adopt the programme that was developed by the UCD Confucius Institute for Ireland under the guidance and support of the Confucius Institute Headquarters and the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA),” said Ms Higgins.

“This exciting and innovative Chinese programme has been a resounding success.

“Seosaimhín Uí Domhnaillín [Scoil Mhuire principal] and Geraldine Barry [Transition-Year Coordinator] have been very enthusiastic and supportive in offering the Chinese Studies Programme.”

Along with language classes, the unique initiative also teaches the girls about Chinese culture, travel, family, music, festivals and the economy. The cultural topics were taught using multimedia technology in various forms such as PPT, audio and video.

There was also additional classes in Chinese cookery given by home economics teacher Nicola Honan, as well as classes in paper cutting, calligraphy and other traditional Chinese activities.

The Confucius Institute is currently working with the Irish Government, businesses and academic institutes to develop stronger educational, cultural and commercial links between Ireland and China.

“Our aim in Ennistymon is to instill a curiosity in all things Chinese by introducing students to aspects of both modern and traditional Chinese culture and Chinese language,” continued Ms Higgins.

“Scoil Mhuire is privileged to work with the UCD Confucius Institute and to offer our students, what I believe, is a wonderful opportunity to learn about China and to study Mandarin Chinese.”