Month: August 2012

THE importance of Clare to the late Maeve Binchy through her unstinting support of the Merriman Summer School for over four decades has been recalled in North Clare this week as the final touches are being put to preparations for the 45th annual event that takes place in Lisdoonvarna from August 15 to 19.

Ms Binchy, who died last week, has a special place in Merriman history, having attended the first ever event in 1968 and, more recently, in 2005, by being commissioned to write a short story to commmemorate the bicentenary of Brian Merriman’s death.

“She wrote a short story called ‘A Week in Summer’. It was about people returning, discovering family connections, after being asked by the Merriman School director, Bob Collins,” revealed Marian O’Callaghan of this year’s organising committee.

“Maeve read the story and we did a live recording of her reading the story and the response to it.

“Brian Farrell wrote the introduction and introduced her on the night in question. It was very special and she had a captive audience in the Spa Wells. She was thrilled with it.

“We got the boolet published and we had a CD of the recording with it. It was brilliant, because it was the very fact that Maeve wrote it especially for the Merriman School and she read it at the school and we recorded it,” added Ms O’Callaghan.

“It’s very, very funny,” recalled Merriman School chairman, Liam Ó Dochartaigh. “It was published in The Irish Times , but then Marian O’Callaghan and Mary O’Flaherty published it along with a CD of Maeve reading it that was recorded by Sean Jordan, who is our sound man,” he added.

“The following year when the book and CD was launched,” recalled Ms O’Callaghan. “Maeve came down and spoke about how thrilled she was to have ‘a Maeve Binchy CD’. It meant a lot to her, because this was her writing her own story, then reading at the Merriman School which she loved,” she added.

PARTS of the mid-west experienced twice the amount of average rainfall during June and July, according to Met Eireann.

Figures for July recorded at Met Eireann’s station at Shannon Airport was 140 per cent of average in July.

Temperatures were also 1.4 per cent lower than average. The highest mean temperature, however, was recorded at Shannon Airport at 14.9 degrees. Met Eireann spokesman Hugh Daly explained that the rainfall for June and July was significantly higher than normal.

He said, “After a wet June and a wet July, we’ve had two pretty bad months. Not record-breaking bad or out of the ordinary like we’ve previously had. In June and July, rainfall recorded at Shannon was 240 per cent of average, which is significant. That’s twice the normal amount of rainfall for the two months.”

Mr Daly continued, “Having one bad month on top of another has really compounded the situation. A constant period of heavy rainfall meant the saturated soils did not have the time to recover. We had low pressure and northerly winds keeping temperatures down and rainfall high.”

“We had no string of pleasant days, it was constantly interrupted by rain. I was looking through the charts there and I couldn’t find one day in where it wasn’t raining in any part of the country. It was always raining somewhere,” he added.

Apart from being bad news for farmers, the poor weather is also contributing to a decline in domestic tourism in the west.

According to Eugene Maher, CEO of Shannon Ferries, the near constant bad weather is convincing many families to cancel short breaks and day trips.

He explained, “The biggest decline has been in domestic traffic. People just can’t afford to go anywhere anymore. People are not taking long journeys, long trips. That’s a consequence of both domestic economic woes, less money in the pocket, as much as it due to the weather. In tandem with the economic downturn, Ireland has probably experienced five of the worst summers in history that has had a huge damaging effect on domestic tourism.”

THE East Clare community of Ogonnelloe will say a final farewell this morning (Tuesday) to a father of three who drowned following a boating accident on Lough Derg.

Pat Danaher lost his life in the picturesque lake after his 20-foot speedboat capsized on Thursday. It is understood that the boat ran aground after hitting rocks.

It was later found upturned and a search of the waters was immediately carried out. The massive search involved volunteer members of the RNLI, Coast Guard, Civil Defence, Mountshannon Search and Rescue and Killaloe/Ballina Search and Recovery Unit.

Divers from the Killaloe/Ballina Search and Recovery Unit recovered the 44-year-old’s body on Friday.

His death has been described as a tragedy by Parish Priest Donagh O’Meara, who said the whole community was still in shock.

“Pat’s tragic death is an awful loss to his family and the local community. Pat was a great character, larger than life, and the community is still in shock at the news. It’s a terrible tragedy.”

Fr O’Meara was confident that the community would provide support to his widow Pauline and their three young children, Rachel, Laura and Leo.

“There is a fantastic community here in Ogonnelloe and people are great. I know they will all rally around Pauline and the children and Pat’s own family at this terrible time. Many from the community were down in Garrykennedy during the search to show their support for the family,” he said.

Mr Danaher was originally from Ballinacurra Gardens in Limerick, but the painting contractor had set- tled with his young family in Nancy’s Well, Ogonnelloe.

Gardaí and the Marine Casualty Investigation Board are continuing to conduct separate inquiries into his untimely death. Gardaí have confirmed that they are treating the death as a tragic accident.

Requiem Mass will take place this morning in St Mary’s Old Church, Ogonolloe at 11am followed by a private cremation.

Mr Danaher is survived by his wife Pauline and three children Rachel, Laura and Leo, his parents Bridie and Tony, and sisters Monique, Samantha, Sonia and Natasha.

KILRUSH’S most senior garda has reassured those who may be the victim of illegal loan sharks that they can meet his colleagues in the strictest confidence. At Thursday morning’s meeting of the Kilrush Joint Policing Committee (JPC), Superintendent Gerry Wall said he was aware of the is- sue of illegal money-lending in the town, but he needed people to come forward and make a statement if an arrest was to be made. He told the committee members that there are two ways open to the Gardaí to tackle the issue – firstly through direct reporting, and secondly throgh the assistance of specialst gardaí based in Dublin. “I have as much access to these specialist gardaí as any of my colleagues. “They are not a million miles away just because they are based in Dublin,” he said. The most direct route to an arrest is through victims and witnesses coming forward. “We are drawing a blank on people reporting this,” he added. The superintendent said he would encourage people affected to come forward and speak to Gardaí in strict confidence. During the last few months, problems associated with illegal moneylending have come to the fore in the West Clare town, with reports of lenders standing outside the post office waiting for payment as borrowers collect social welfare payments. There are also reports of lenders holding on to people’s social welfare cards to ensure payment. Those at the mercy of the moneylenders have said they are not willing to talk about their situation as they are afraid of reprisals. Many who signed up for these exorbitant loans fear the unscrupulous lenders too much to even tell the Gardaí. Gardaí in Kilrush have reassured people, however, that they will meet them in confidence.

OLD age pensioners and young mothers in Clare are resorting to shoplifting to survive as the recession sends a new group of people to the poverty line.

New figures show that older people are also going without certain foods, cutting back on electricity and fuel and are not buying clothes as they struggle to pay essential bills.

Clare Gardaí said they have come across a number of older people and mothers “who basically do not have enough money” and have come to their attention for shoplifting.

Superintendent Gerry Wall said there have been a number of incidents of shoplifting in Kilrush in the last seven months, with those responsible broken into three distinct cate gories – older people, young mothers and general thieves.

The increase in the number of older people and mothers resorting to crime to feed themselves and their families is a growing social concern, he maintained.

Gardaí have been treating the issue with sensitivity.

Supt Wall said that he and his colleagues are sensitive to the social needs of these people and have dealt with them by way of an adult caution. “I must say the shops in question have also been very understand ing,” he said.

Age Action Ireland, which promotes positive ageing and better policies and services for older people, said many older people are finding it impossible to make ends meet.

According to EU SILC statistics 9.6 per cent of over 65 year olds in Ireland are deemed to be at risk of poverty.

Gerard Scully of Age Action told The Clare People that the increase of household bills such as electricity and heating coupled with the reduction in the household package, which once assisted with those bills, is adding to the struggles.

“The social welfare pension has not even cut, but it also hasn’t been increased which is effectively a cut,” he said.

“A lot of older people with pri- vate pensions have also been badly hit. There is a phenomena of a ‘new poor’,” he explained.

“For the year 2010, 23 per cent of people over 65 were unable to pay for an item on the household budget. Older people are cutting back on clothes or shoes, and they wouldn’t be using electricity as much or eating meat in order to save money.

“It highlights the fact that many older people are finding it difficult to make ends meet. It belies any suggestion that older people are doing well out of the recession,” he said.

GARDAÍ have issued a warning to boy racers that dangerous driving on Clare’s roads will not be tolerated.

Chief Supt of the Clare Garda Division, John Kerin was speaking at the July meeting of the Joint Policing Committee (JPC). He was responding to concerns raised by local representatives that speeding is a big problem around the county.

However Chief Supt Kerin told the meeting that speeding problems have declined in the county in recent years. “The problem with speeding is not the same problem as it was six years ago.”

He explained that one of the reasons for the decline has been that boy racers no longer have the money to spend on cars. “We are aware of them. We have called to them and to their parents to tell them we would be focusing on them…If we do receive a report, we will call and let them know they under garda attention.”

Chief Supt Kerin said, “There is a perception that people are not being caught but they are being caught.”

Councillors had called on the gardaí to clamp down more forcefully on speeding and dangerous driving.

Cllr Paul Murphy (FG) said a stretch of road near Barntick has become like “Shannon runway at time”. Cllr Oliver Garry (FG) said speeding on national roads was a bigger problem while concern was also expressed over cars speeding on the road between Miltown Malbay and Quilty. JPC Chairman, Cllr Joe Arkins (FG) told the meeting that there is a perception that speed vans are put in locations where they catch a lot of people at the same time. He added, “There are many areas in rural Clare where there are problems with speeding that are not served by the speed van.”

Chief Supt Kerin said speed vans are used to monitor roads around the county.

CLARE businesspeople living abroad are among the international investors who have expressed an interest in buying the West County Hotel. The Ennis hotel was listed for sale in July for between € 2.5 million to € 3 million.

Formerly the flagship hotel within the Lynch group of hotels, the West County was placed into receivership in February.

According to CBRE, the property firm handling the sale, “there has been a lot of interest” in the West County Hotel.

Dermot Curtin of CBRE explained, “We’ve had interest from all over the world and from people in Ireland. There has been international interest in the property. A lot of Clare people are living abroad.”

He continued, “It is more difficult to sell properties than it was in the good old days. Obviously the big thing that has changed is that is more difficult for investors to get finance from financial institutions. But are finding that there is still a good deal still in the country.

“There have been a few more sales in recent months. We’re seeing a small lift in the market. € 2.5 million to € 3 million is the guide price but we’ll listen to the market,” he said.

Formerly the flagship hotel within the Lynch group of hotels, the West County was placed into receivership in February.

It sits on a high-profile six-acre site on the southern approach road to Ennis town centre and its accommodation includes 152 en-suite bedrooms, eight separate and inter-connecting conference/banqueting suites that can cater for up to 1,650 delegates, a modern leisure centre with a 20metre heated indoor pool, jacuzzi, steam room and sauna.

The leisure club includes a gym with more than 1,000 local members. The Boru’s Porterhouse bar and lounge has a capacity for around 500 people, and the hotel also has two restaurants. The site can accommodate 450 parking spaces.

Its arrival on the market follows the recent sale of the Clare Inn, which was also part of the Lynch group of hotels that went into receivership in January of last year.

This freehold and fully-licensed hotel property is only 20km from Shannon International Airport and the Shannon Free Zone, the manufacturing and logistics centre for the Shannon region.

The hotel has been a regular venue for the All Ireland and International Irish Dancing Championships and has also hosted the All Ireland Pool Championships.

Last year the West County hosted the AGM of the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) and the SIPTU annual conference.

A MAN with a Crusheen address, facing charges of allegedly having cannabis for sale or supply is due to appear in court again later this month.

Simon Bracken (45) Cappamore, Crusheen, appeared at a sitting of Ennis District Court on Monday.

Mr Bracken is charged with having cannabis for sale or supply at Ardrahan, Galway on June 13.

Inspector John Galvin made an ap- plication to strike out a new charge brought against Mr Bracken. Judge John O’Neill struck out the new charge.

Inspector Galvin sought a further application to have the existing charge brought against Mr Bracken under the misuse of drugs act adjourned until August 20.

He requested that the accused be remanded to appear again at Ennis District Court on August 20.

Defence solicitor Tara Godfrey told the court that this was her cli- ent’s sixth appearance in court in relation to this charge.

She said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had not issued directions.

Ms Godfrey said her client would consent to a further remand but that an application may be made if directions are not known by August 20.

Inspector Galvin confirmed that the DPP had not yet issued directions in respect of the case.

Asked by Ms Godfrey if the file had been sent to the DPP’s office, Inspector Galvin said he was not in a position to answer as he himself had not been dealing directly with the case.

Judge O’Neill adjourned the case and ordered Mr Bracken to appear again at Ennis District Court on August 20.

He noted that Ms Godfrey had consented to the adjournment and that the defence had forewarned the State that an application might be made if the DPP’s directions are not known by August 20.

WIND energy has a key part in the future of the Electric Ireland’s Moneypoint operation, the station manag- er at the Killimer power station has told The Clare People this week. In the week that the ESB celebrates its 85th anniversary, Moneypoint manager Glenn Pope has backed plans for wind to become a key com- ponent of the ESB operation in West Clare that went into full commission 25 years ago this summer. “Wind energy is still on the cards,” says Pope. “We lodged a planning application and we still hope to press ahead and develop a wind farm on the site. “The electrical infrastructure in terms of connection to the grid is already here, and we have the space (the site extends to about 550 acres). These are all positive factors for the development of wind farms. “If all goes well with the planning application, we would hope to press ahead with this project over the next couple of years,” he adds. Plans for the € 30 million wind farm were lodged with Clare County Council earlier this year – the development would include five turbines, at 154m (506ft). The wind farm is part of Electric Ireland’s plans to deliver a third of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020, which will include more than 1,400MW of wind generation. In the early 2000s Electric Ireland, secured planning permission for a 110m (360ft) nine-turbine wind farm at Moneypoint, but never pursued the project and instead embarked on a € 368m retro-fit project that has secured the station’s future well into the next decade. The 250-page environmental impact statement submitted with the planning application says “the wind farm will have no impact on the operation of Moneypoint or levels of employment there”, where there are 230 full-time staff and a further 100 contracts workers on site.

NOT one patient has been treated in the new multi-million euro unit at Ennis General Hospital one month after it was due to open.

It is understood that issues relating to staffing and more minor concerns about equipment are the latest obstacles holding up the process.

At the beginning of July, the HSE outlined a plan to move patients into the unit on a phased basis.

It stated that the first round of patients would be transferred to the 50-bed unit from the second week in July.

This was to be followed by reconfiguration works connecting the existing hospital and the new ward block in late July, a project that was to take approximately six weeks to complete. Once these works are completed, the transfer of patients to the first floor of the new unit was to take place.

It is now one month on from when the first patient was to be moved to the new state-of-the-art wards and there is still no life in the new hospital unit.

The HSE now say, “The 50-bedded unit in Ennis will be opening shortly on a phased basis. The ground floor will be occupied first, which will enable the first floor of the old part of the building to be vacated to facilitate the joining of the new building with the old building. Once this is complete, the first floor of the new building will be occupied.

“We are currently finalising human resource arrangements and awaiting the final pieces of equipment to be delivered to facilitate the opening of the ground floor,” it said.

Clare member of the HSE West Forum, Cllr Tom McNamara (FF) said he was disappointed that the hospital unit was still closed almost 10 months after the builders had handed over the keys to the health authority.

He accused the HSE of “dragging its heels” on the issue.

“I am absolutely amazed that all staffing issues and problems hadn’t been negotiated before this,” he said.

“We need this unit open because we need to bring confidence back to the service and give proper service to the people of Clare,” he added.