Month: July 2012

CLARE VEC has been urged to request the Minister for Education and Skills to employ local developers in school construction projects.

The call was made at last week’s VEC meeting by Commitee Chairman, Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind).

He said the Minister should be contacted regarding the awarding of contracts for school building projects.

Cllr Brennan acknowledged that the department is subject to EU rules on tendering. However he said that “where possible local developers should be used”.

“We are supposed to be doing everything we can to try and get people back to work,” he added.

He told the meeting that a firm from Northern Ireland had been employed for a project in Ennis.

CEO George O’Callaghan said the Department is bound by regulations on tendering.

Clare VEC has been asked by the Department of Education and Skills to provide support and assistance to Scoil na Mainstreach, Quin, in relation to the construction of a major extension to the school.

Mr O’Callaghan stated, “While the school retains ultimate responsibility of the project the VEC will also provide a check and overview on the process.”

Mr O’Callaghan told the meeting that the VEC would provide technical assistance to the school.

He said the VEC is already engaged in a process for new school extensions at VEC schools in Ennis and Killaloe and Shannon Comprehensive.

Clare VEC will receive a devolved grant for the projects – a 2813sq/m extension in Ennis and a 1800sq/m extension in Killaloe.

The Department of Education has predicted that enrolment at Ennis Community College will rise to 740 students in the near future, while enrolment at St Anne’s is expected to increase to 750.

CLARE Vocational Educational Committee (VEC) has expressed an interest in becoming patron of a school in Shannon. Shannon has been identified as one of 44 areas nationwide to be surveyed with a view to determining parental preferences regarding school patronage.

Chief Executive Officer George O’Callaghan told the July meeting of Clare VEC that the schools in Shannon to be divested have not been identified.

He said the VEC had previously expressed and interest in the patronage of two primary schools – Mol an Óige (Ennistymon) and Raheen Wood (Tuamgraney).

Committee member Flan Garvey proposed that Clare VEC apply to seek patronage, saying, “We are well capable of being patrons. It would be better than having an outsider coming in that does not have the same experience.” The proposal was seconded and formally adopted.

In response to a question from Cllr Cathal Crowe (FF) on the potential for clashes between Boards of Management and parents over patronage, Mr O’Callaghan said the process “would probably be driven in the main by parental preference”.

He added that Boards of Management would also have a role.

Mr O’Callaghan told the meeting that the survey process would take up to 12 months and that any patronage application would be taken up by the new Local and Education Training Boards, that will replace VECs.

In June, Minister for Education and Skills Ruairí Quinn announced an action plan in response to the report of the Advisory Group to the forum on patronage and pluralism in the primary sector.

In a report to members of Clare VEC, Mr O’Callaghan, explained, “It is proposed that surveys will be conducted by the department during the autumn in 44 identified areas with a view to determining parental preferences regarding school patronage in those areas.”

Mr O’Callaghan said that the department is now inviting expressions of interest from bodies who are not already patrons of schools in the 44 areas. He told the meeting that the process is also open to individuals.

He continued, “It will be assumed that all existing school patrons in these areas will wish to continue in this role unless they specifically notify the department to the contrary.”

Expressions of interest should be with the Forward Planning Section on Friday, July 27.

SAINT Joseph’s Education Centre in Ennis was the scene of a new programme for Channel 5 shortly before the unit closed last month under Government financial restrictions.

Staff and students were chuffed to be hosts for the television crew along with Paddy Doherty, celebrity Big Brother winner, and Sally Bercow, wife of the Speaker of the House of Commons, who are central characters in the production. It is being filmed also in Hungary, Spain and Malaysia.

Paddy and the entire company visited other parts of Ireland meet- ing Travellers and researching his heritage in the course of filming. In the Ennis centre, which has been for many years a dedicated facility for Traveller training and education, there were takes such as showing his culinary art in the kitchen.

Paddy and his wife of 34 years, Roseanne, live in England. They have five children and fifteen grandchildren. He says his Irish roots are part of him. The centres in Ireland for Traveller education intrigued him, arousing a desire to get involved with some of the classes.

It was an exciting day at St. Joseph’s and Paddy was very popular among staff and students.

The Channel 5 programme will be screened in September, looking at Traveller and gypsy community life. Last August, Paddy was the third person to enter the ‘Celebrity Big Brother 2011’ house. He made it to the final and was crowned winner, beating Kerry Katona.

In January of this year he appeared in a two-part Channel 5 documen tary, ‘When Paddy met Sally,’ with former Big Brother housemate Sally Bercow.

The Ennis Traveller’s Training Centre was the first in the country. It started as part of a Combat Poverty Programme in 1974. At that time, it was located in the grounds of the Holy Family School, Ennis. In 1982 the centre moved to new building at the Gort road industrial estate.

St Joseph’s, which is located in the Gort Road industrial estate, will close as a traveler only training centre on June 29. The building closed as a traveler only training centre in May.

It is intended that the building will become the first all-purpose skills unit in Ennis.

BEACH users in North Clare have been asked to be on the look out for a rare barnacle which could revolutionise how some of the most complicated surgeries are carried out.

The rare goose barnacle, or Lepas anatifera, produces what has been described as a “natural underwater superglue” which could significant- ly change how surgeons approach operations if it can be synthetically produced.

A team of scientist from the Zoology Department at NUI, Galway are studying the barnacles adhesive properties – which allow it to attack itself to any surface, even a non-stick pan, in a wet or underwater environment.

The difficulty is that the Lepas anatifera live and breed in open wa- ter and living specimens are rarely found close to the shore. However, the research team has discovered a number of the barnacles alive on Fanore beach in North Clare.

It is as yet unclear why the barnacles seem to favour the beach at Fanore but the NUI, Galway scientists are appealing to anyone using the beach to be on the look-out for the rare animals. The barnacles emit a substance which hardens into a “strong cement” – consisting of a mixture of several proteins. The scientists hope to study the glands which the barnacles use to produce these proteins.

“We humans haven’t managed to create glues that can be used successfully in wet environments, but nature has done it over and over again,” said Jaimie-Leigh Jonker, who is involved in the research.

“Underwater adhesion is a largely non-existent technology and would be of particular benefit in medicine.

“In the course of surgical procedures mechanical attachments such as staples and stitches are often used, but strong glue that could be used in a wet environment and not damage living tissue would be far more suitable for many procedures.”

Anyone who comes across a suspected live goose barnacle is asked to call 091 493191 or visit facebook. com/TheAmazingGooseBarnacle.

A MAN described as a “good skin when he’s not fuelled up on drugs” has been sentenced to five months in prison for the theft of power tools from a garage in Kilrush earlier this year.

At Ennis District Court on Wednesday, Jonathan Kenny (23), with an address at 1 Elm Drive Kilrush, pleaded guilty to theft of the items from a shed alongside a family home at Cappa Road, Kilrush on April 4.

Detective Garda Donal Corkery of Kilrush Garda Station told the court that Mr Kenny was spotted entering woods in Kilrush with items taken from the shed.

All of the property was recovered and Mr Kenny made a full admission to gardaí. The court heard that the garage was unlocked at the time.

Detective Corkery said that Mr Kenny has a total of 41 previous convictions. Solicitor Michael Ryan said the offence had been carried out in a “haphazard and disorganised” manner. He said that all of the items had been recovered. Mr Ryan said the murder of his client’s older brother in Kilrush in 2009 had a major effect on him. He said that Mr Kenny has a “very serious drug habit.”

He added, “When Jonathan Kenny is not fuelled up on drugs he is a relatively good skin, and I think the gardaí would agree on that point.”

He told the court that his client’s personal circumstances had been made more difficult by the availability of drugs in Kilrush. Mr Ryan said that despite the best efforts of gardaí in the West Clare town, “there is a willing availability of drugs”, a point acknowledged in court by Detective Corkery.

Mr Ryan added, “Given the circumstances, I do think the deck was stacked against him.”

He said there are situations in Kilrush where dealers are coming to people’s doors to push drugs on them.

“And then you get into trouble when you don’t have the money to pay for them”, he added. He urged the Court in passing sentence, to consider offering Mr Kenny “some light at the end of the tunnel.”

Judge Patrick Durcan said that he did not view life in terms of tunnels. “I see life in terms of day and night and in terms of good and evil”, he said. Judge Durcan said people are entitled to live their lives in peace and tranquility and to leave their tool sheds unlocked.

Referring to Mr Kenny’s offence, Judge Durcan said, “He was very anxious to get the goods that he had had stolen and he was eager to get them out of the way.”

He imposed a five-month prison sentence. Recognances were fixed in the event of an appeal.

Judge Durcan added, “I want the message to go out, not to the good skins of Kilrush, but to the bad skins that they will be met by this court with the harshest of penalties.”

A BUSINESSMAN has reached an agreement with Clare County Council over fire safety concerns at an apartment block in Ennis.

Oliver Moylan, with an address at Golf Links Road, Ennis, was brought to court after failing to comply with a fire safety notice issued by the Council in January.

The notice was issued to rectify deficiencies at a 10-room apartment building owned by Mr Moylan on O’Connell Street, Ennis.

The court previously heard that an inspection of the premises highlighted a number of deficiencies including inadequate means of escape and the placing of cooking facilities adjacent to doors.

The court had heard that individual apartments were not fitted with fire alarms while there was no central fire alarm for the apartment block. Both systems are required under fire safety regulations. Mr Moylan, who owns the Ennis Cash Company, had been given until last week to agree a schedule of works with the Council.

On Friday, Ennis District Court heard that an agreement had been reached between the parties.

Solicitor for the Council Rachael Leahy said the proposal put forward by the defendant’s engineer was “perfectly acceptable” to her client. She told the court that the fact that the building was now vacant meant the safety notice had been met.

The court heard that the premises are not to be occupied until approved by the fire officer. Ms Leahy made an application for costs. Judge Durcan struck out the matter with no order for costs. Judge Durcan had previously criticised evidence given in court by a Council witness.

Speaking on Friday, Judge Durcan said, “I was very unimpressed by the evidence of Clare County Council. I was quite appalled.”

A “SIGNIFICANT” number of school-goers in Clare could be affected in September by changes in the school transport policy, a meeting has heard.

Chief Executive Officer of Clare VEC George O’Callaghan was speaking after the matter was raised at the July meeting of Clare.

Responsibility for post primary school transport was transferred from VECs to Bus Éireann in January.

The issue was raised at last Thursday’s VEC meeting by Councillor Cathal Crowe, who requested an overview of the policy.

Mr O’Callaghan told the meeting that children would now only be eligible for bus transport to the nearest post primary school. He said students would have to pay or find other means of transport to travel to other schools.

He explained, “A lot of people won’t notice the change but a significant number will.”

According to Bus Éireann, from the commencement of the 2012/13 schoolyear, the use of the Catchment Boundary Area (CB) System as a means of determining eligibility will cease for all pupils newly entering post primary school.

From the 2012/13 school year, school transport eligibility for all pupils newly entering a post primary school will be determined by reference to the distance they reside from their nearest post primary education centre having regard to ethos and language.

To be considered eligible for school transport, pupils must reside 4.8 kilometres or more from and be attending their nearest post primary education centre, as determined by the department and Bus Éireann, having regard to ethos and language.

Bus Éireann state that pupils who are not eligible for school transport, under the above criteria, may apply for concessionary transport subject to a number of terms and conditions. These concessionary pupils will not be exempt from paying the annual charge, nor will they count for the establishment or retention of a service, the company say.

ORGANISERS appear intent on pressing ahead with plans for an impromptu Project X style party in Ennis despite Garda concerns.

Invitations have been issued on the social networking site Facebook for people to come to the unlicensed party planned for Ennis on Saturday, August 4.

The event was advertised for Tim Smyth Park in the centre of Ennis on a Facebook events page over the past two weeks with 2,600 people indicating that they would come.

The site attracted thousands of comments as well as the attention of local Gardaí who visited the Ennis teenager believed to be responsible for posting the invitation online.

The invitation encouraged people to bring as much alcohol as possible and to ignore the concerns of emergency services. There was also reference to bonfires being lit.

Speaking last week, a Garda spokesman said the person was “inviting people to infringe on the law”. “It isn’t on and it’s something that we would take a very stern view on.”

He added, “The Fair Green had been put forward as one location and there was some talk of it going on in the GAA field in Lissycasey. We know who the individual is. We will be visiting that person in relation to what is being planned.”

The original Facebook page appears to have been taken down from the website.

However a different Facebook page – titled Project X Clare – seen yesterday by

A WEST Clare man has been found not guilty of the alleged rape of a teenager in the county two years ago.

A jury of six men and six women returned a unanimous not guilty verdict at the end of the six day trial before Mr Justice Patrick McCarthy at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Ennis last Wednesday.

Defence solicitor Patrick Moylan, of O’Kelly Moylan Solicitors, stated afterwards that the not guilty verdict returned by the jury was a just and appropriate one. “The accused has been vindicated”, he added.

It had been alleged that the man forced the then 16-year-old to have sex with him in the bedroom of her home in 2009.

It took the jury one hour and 51 minutes to acquit the 23-year-old man, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

The court heard that forensic evi- dence of the accused’s DNA had been found on a bed sheet.

Prosecuting counsel, John Aylmer SC said that when interviewed by gardaí, the man denied ever being in the house.

He said the DNA evidence should remove “any reasonable doubt as to the complainant’s statement.”

The court that the man and the alleged victim first met in 2007 and that there had been “considerable” phone communication between them around the time of the alleged assault.

A complaint was first made to gardaí a week after the alleged assault. The court heard that threats had been made against the girl around the time of the alleged assault because of text messages she had sent to another man.

Mr Aylmer said the girl had been “petrified” and had attempted to put the rape to the back of her mind.

Defence Counsel, Brendan Grehan SC, said that the alleged victim had admitted lying in her original statement to gardaí. He told the jury that she had also tried to persuade a friend to lie to the gardaí.

Citing the example of former US president Bill Clinton, Mr Grehan said his client not the first man in history to lie about a sexual experience.

Mr Grehan said the fact that no “fresh complaint” had been made should set the jury’s “antennae twitching”.

He added, “The bottom line is that there is simply none of the indicators that a violent sexual assault took place, none whatsoever.”

He said the girl had falsely claimed that his client and others had stolen money from her house. Mr Grehan said she had admitted deleting text messages sent from the accused to her. He said the scientific evidence proved that ejaculation had taken place but not intercourse. He added, “I suggest there is a glaring gap in the prosecution’s case.” The jury returned a not guilty verdict.

THERE is no Clare man currently opting for life in the priesthood and just one from the diocese of Killaloe studying in St Patrick’s College, Maynooth.

The student from Birr is still a minimum of three years from ordination as the diocese undergoes more changes as it adapts to life with fewer priests.

Today (Tuesday) the Bishop of Killaloe Kieran O’Reilly SMA will announce changes to personnel as he reinforces the cluster system of the last few years that allows for less clergy to administer to the dioceses of 117,000 Catholics.

Bishop O’Reilly will confirm that four priests from the Killaloe Diocese, including Fr Paddy O’Brien from Tuamgreaney, will retire from active duty from September 1.

Four new parish priests will also be appointed including to the Clare parishes of Kildysart/Coolmean and Cooraclare.

The bishop has also named his new Vicar General, the man who along with Fr Michael Sheedy from Kilrush will become his closest confident in all matters relating to the diocese.

Fr Pat Malone will take on this role as the new Vicar General, replacing Fr Seamus Gardiner who is to retire.

Fr Tom O’Gorman has been appointed Administer of Christ the King Cloughleigh within the pasto- ral area of the Parish of Ennis.

As well as being appointed new Parish Priest of Cooralcare Fr Tony Casey will be appointed Coordinator of the Diocesan Pastoral Development Group. This is a new position and will involve a team working with Fr Casey from among the priests, religious and laity of the diocese “to engage in the area of pastoral planning for the future”.

“The development of the Clusters continues to be a key element in the organisation of the pastoral life of the Diocese. Through the listening process, over the past few months, there is now a growing awareness of the value and importance of the clusters as units of collaboration and sharing of resources of our parishes and communities. The sharing of the gifts and talents of many people – enriching our life in the community and in the Church, reaches beyond parish boundaries,” said Bishop O’Reilly.

“I hope the Clusters will continue to develop and offer new opportunities for ministry in the Diocese.

“A further development this year is the creation of two new clusters, after consultation, the Mid-Clare Cluster is divided into two Clusters: MidClare North comprising the parishes of Milltown Malbay, Inagh, Mullagh and Kilmaley with moderator Fr Pat Larkin and Mid Clare South comprising the parishes of Kildysert/Coolmeen and Ballyncally with Moderator Fr Albert McDonnell,” he explained.

Fr Maurice Harmon who continues to teach at Mary Immaculate College will assist at weekends in the Cluster of Scath na Sionnaine which includes Killaloe, Castleconnell, Clonlara, Broadford and O’Callaghan’s Mills.

The large diocese that takes in the majority of County Clare and parts of Tipperary, Offaly, Limerick and Laois has been managing the decrease in priest numbers in the last number of years through a cluster system which will now be increase from 11 to 12 clusters.

There are currently 89 Killaloe parish priests and curates in fulltime parish ministry, with six more engaged fully in school chaplaincy, teaching, diocesan administration and other pastoral work throughout Ireland.

Six more priests from the diocese are serving over seas in various ministries, while 12 priests are now retired from active ministry.

The Diocese also benefits from the service of four priests from other dioceses or religious congregations serving as priests in parishes of the diocese and from the ministry of the clergy based at the Franciscan Friary in Ennis and the Cistercian Monastery at Mount St Joseph’s, Roscrea.