Month: January 2013

AN Ennis man convicted of harassment has been ordered not to have any contact with his ex-partner.

At Ennis District Court on Wednesday, William Keane (39), was told by a judge not to beset, approach, or contact the woman in any way.

Mr Keane, with an address at 1 The Hawthorns, Limerick Road, Ennis, pleaded guilty to harassing the woman at her home in Ennis. The incidents occurred over a 12-month period on dates unknown between October 1 (2011) and September 1 (2012).

Judge Patrick Durcan accepted jurisdiction of the case after hearing an outline of the facts.

Inspector Tom Kennedy said the woman reported the incidents to gardaí in April.

She said that after the relationship ended, Mr Keane delivered a letter to her home.

She said on other occasions in March (2012) and June (2012), the accused was seen walking around the house and looking in the windows.

Mr Keane was also seen standing in a lane opposite the house. The court heard that the woman installed CCTV cameras at the house.

Insp Kennedy said the woman felt in fear and reported Mr Keane’s behaviour to gardaí.

He said the activity had ceased since gardaí had become involved.

The court heard that Mr Keane, a former Dell worker, started the relationship with the woman after the end of his marriage.

Defence solicitor Daragh Hassett said that while his client’s behaviour falls into the lower level of harassment offences, Mr Keane had made a “complete nuisance of himself”.

The court heard Mr Keane told gardaí that he did not know why he kept calling to the house.

Mr Hassett said that after the relationship broke down, Mr Keane got accommodation near the woman’s home. He said that his client had been drinking at the time he engaged in the behaviour.

Mr Hassett said the letter delivered to the woman’s home had been an invitation to meet for coffee.

Mr Hassett told the court that Mr Keane has since changed his lifestyle, is seeing a counsellor and has taken up jogging.

Insp Kennedy said the he accepted that Mr Keane’s behaviour was at the lower end of harassment offences. Mr Keane, who has no previous convictions, faced a possible € 1900 fine or 12 months in prison.

Judge Patrick Durcan said cases of this nature are very distressing for the person concerned.

He said Mr Keane had engaged in a persistent level of harassment over a one-year period. “This is very serious,” he added. He said the court has full sympathy with the injured party.

Judge Durcan said he was satisfied that Mr Keane is not a criminal and he did not want to give him a criminal record.

He said the court acknowledged Mr Keane is making efforts to get over his difficulties.

He ordered Mr Keane to pay € 500 to the court poor box. Judge Durcan also ordered the accused not to beset, approach or contact the injured party or be in any place where the injured party might be expected to be. Mr Keane apologised for his actions.

Judge Durcan adjourned the case to March 6. Addressing Mr Keane, he said, “I wish you well and commend you on your approach.”

THE consultation process between State agencies and the public on the blueprint for the development of the Shannon Estuary will be kick-started in Kilrush next week.

The people of Clare have been urged to have their say in the major strategic plan for the future development and management of marinerelated industry on the estuary by attending the public consultation that will take place in Kilrush Town Council on Monday next between 4.30pm and 8.30pm.

“I encourage the people of Clare to attend the upcoming event,” said Mayor of Clare, Cllr Pat Daly.

“This is an ideal opportunity for people to voice their views on how best to manage this important resource. I believe that the people of Clare have a key role to play in the management of the Shannon Estuary to ensuring that future development takes place in a coherent and sustainable manner. I hope that many new opportunities will be afforded to the people of Clare, and the wider region, as a result of this plan,” he added.

The Draft Strategic Integrated Framework Plan (SIFP) for the Shannon Estuary was launched last month by Jan O’Sullivan, TD, Minister of State for Housing & Planning and has been commissioned by a multi-agency steering group comprising Clare County Council as lead authority, Kerry County Council, Limerick City and County Councils, Shannon Development and Shannon Foynes Port Company.

The land and marine-based plan, the first of its type to be developed in Ireland, indentifies a number of strategic sites along the Estuary for future possible development in the areas of industry, tourism, energy, fishing and aquaculture and marinerelated industry.

The plan will be on display until February 15 to give the public an opportunity to view the proposals and put forward their opinions to the appointed project consultants, RPS Consulting Engineers.

On completion later this year, it is anticipated that the SIFP will be incorporated, by means of Variation, into the relevant County and City Development Plans.

CLARE women are waiting months and sometimes even years before they seek counsell ing following an abor tion.

Cura i n Ennis provide counselling for a range of issues related to crisis pregnancies, including abor tion. According to Cura, which is funded jointly by the Health Service Executive (HSE) and t he Irish Bishops Conference, more and more women are seeking counselling years after an abor tion has t aken place.

“There is a range of complex and difficult emotions which take place around this time [the time of an abor tion]. We would see a lot of people i n the days and weeks after an abor tion – but we would also see people years after,” said Cura spokesperson, Charlot te Keer y.

“Often times people can feel li ke they have dealt with the issue but maybe a new baby coming into a house or somet hing si milar can trigger off all kinds of emotions for a woman who has had an abor tion.

“It wil l often be somet hing that has never been discussed with a husband or a par tner or t he fam- ily at large. So we do provide after the fact counsel ling for men and women who have been affected by abor tion. We do see more and more men coming into us.” While Cura do provide free preg- nancy tests and counselling for women involved in a crisis pregnancy, they do not provide women with di rect or indi rect contact infor mation for abor tion cl inics abroad. “We will discuss all options including parenting, adoption and abor tion. The one t hing t hat we would be ver y clear about is that we do not provide contact infor mation for abor tion clinics,” continued Charlotte. “We are honest and up front with t he people who come i n and that is how it has to be. We tal k to people in an open way and we are not t here to tell people what to do. If people need suppor t t he suppor t is always t here and t hat includes counsel ling after an abor tion.” Cura in Ennis can be contacted directly on Monday evening between 7pm and 9pm and on Wednesday mor ning’s between 11am and 1pm on 065 6829905. The Cura national lo-call number is staffed from 9am to 9. 30pm. Monday to Friday on 1850 622626. The Clare People contact the Diocese of Ki llaloe in relation to this stor y but no comment was available at the ti me of going to press.

A RECEIVER is set to be appointed this week to the Ennis-based building firm, Brian McCarthy Contractors Ltd. The company, which employed 220 people at the height of the construction boom, announced last week that it was to cease trading.

Staff at the company’s Cork site were informed of the decision at lunchtime last Monday.

Management met with staff at a meeting at the South Court Hotel in Limerick on Tuesday. 20 jobs are to be lost as a result of the decision.

The company had been in business for 36 years, carrying out work for the HSE, the Office of Public Works (OPW), the Department of Education, Aldi and Roche.

A spokesman for the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) said the sector was “shocked” at the closure.

He said, “Everyone in the industry is shocked and saddened at the news that a well regarded company like Brian McCarthy’s has become the latest casualty of this unprecedented crash in the construction industry.”

“It’s indicative of the trading conditions in the industry, which are bordering on the intolerable and the severe competition that exists in the industry at the moment. This is the sixth year of the downturn that has seen massive reductions in output and employment. 180,000 people have left the industry in the current crash.”

The spokesman added, “Brian McCarthy’s have said that they found part of the problem to be the awarding of public projects to below cost tenders. It’s leading to severe overcompetition and many believe that the prices at which contracts are being awarded are simply un-sustainable.”

The company carried out a number of high profile projects at the University of Limerick including the construction of the Irish Chamber Orchestra building, the President’s House and a number of student accommodation blocks.

Closer to home, Brian McCarthy’s completed works on the Holy Family Primary School in Ennis and a number of projects at the Roche Pharmaceutical Plant in Clarecastle.

A DECISION to grant permission to plans to develop outdoor café facilities aimed at boosting “activity” and “vibrancy” in Ennis town centre have been appealed to an An Bord Plennála.

The Ennis-based Duesbury Limited sought planning permission for the incorporation of one car parking space at O’Connell Street, Ennis, to provide extended pavement area to allow provision of an outdoor seating area adjacent to Poet’s Corner/Town Hall, along with provision of fascia signage and surround to existing central door-way and incorporation of existing Poet’s Corner porch with main bar area. That part of the Old Ground Hotel is classified as a protected structure.

In granting planning permission, the Council ruled that the applicant shall obtain the appropriate the consent of the Road Authority to the alteration of the public footpath and roadway.

The Council ruled that the proposed development would not seriously injure the amenities of the area or of property in the vicinity and would be in accordance with the proper planning and sustainable development of the area.

Under the conditions of the planning permission, the proposed paving shall match the existing pavement on O’Connell Street.

In a report submitted on the proposed development, the Director of Service and Ennis Town Manager, Ger Dollard, noted there had been no objection from the Fire Department or the Conservation Officer.

He stated, “I would concur with the planner’s report that the principle of outdoor seating is considered acceptable and would improve the vibrancy and character of the street.

“This is the type of activity that the Planning Authority would wish to encourage to increase activity and vibrancy on the main thoroughfare in Ennis.”

The decision has been appealed to An Bord Pleánnala by Ennis businessman Oliver Moylan, who also filed an objection to the proposed development.

In his submission, Mr Moylan states that it is not for a public authority to grant public space for a private enterprise.

Mr Moylan, who owns the Ennis Cash Company, says Woolworths were refused permission to build on two feet of the O’Connell monument in 1960. The submission states that the removal of two parking spaces would result in an estimated loss of € 800,000 to the Council in one year, based on calculations carried out in a previous parking survey.

He states that the development would create “enormous danger” to pedestrians and motorists. Mr Moylan argues that Ennis is already well served by cafés, pointing out that 15 such businesses are located between the Old Ground Hotel and Hughes and Hughes bookstore.

He added, “As there are 200 wet days in Ennis every year, canopies and heating will have to be put in due course. What an obstruction to passing traffic.”

CLOSURES or a reduction in opening hours of district Garda stations has emerged as a serious concern for rural communities in Clare, a meeting has heard.

At yesterday’s meeting of Clare County Council, councillors were divided over the impact on communities of the closure of eight local Garda stations.

Stations in Quin, Inagh, Lahinch, Broadford, Mountshannon, Doon beg, Kilmihil and Labasheeda will close as part of budget cuts.

Despite strong opposition from Fine Gael members, a motion tabled by three Fianna Fáíl councillors Bill Chambers, Pat Keane and Cathal Crowe, requesting the Council to call on the Minister for Justice to reverse the decision to close the sta- tions – was voted through by 18 votes to 10.

Opening the debate, Cllr Chambers said the closure “represents another nail in the coffin of rural Ireland”.

He added, “The very core of what rural Ireland is and represents is being eroded by a government that seems to have turned its back on its grass roots.”

Cllr Crowe said the closure of the Broadford Garda Station would only save the Exchequer € 5,000 per annum. He said Government Oireachtas members should give their political and financial justification for the closures in the Council Chamber.

Cllr Gerry Flynn (Ind) said stations give rural communities a sense of comfort and security. He added, “This Government stands for closing down rural Ireland.”

Cllr PJ Kelly (FF) said a form of “rural decommissioning” is taking place, calling for a major re-activation of the community alert scheme.

However the closures were defended by Fine Gael members who said Gardaí would now be freed up for mobile patrols.

Cllr Joe Cooney (FG) said he had been given assurances by Chief Supt of the Clare Garda Division, John Kerin, that policing in rural areas would not suffer.

Of greater concern, Cllr Cooney argued, was a proposed reduction in opening hours of Killaloe Garda Station.

Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) said crime levels had fallen in Ennis and that the county compares favourably to Limerick and Galway. He said in light of reduced crime levels, he could not support the motion.

Cllr Patricia McCarthy (Ind) said she would rather see gardaí on the beat than spending a few hours a day in a station.

Cllr Christy Curtin (Ind) said the closures represented “devastation” for West Clare.

Cllr Pat Burke (FG) told the meeting that while the closures are regrettable, people in Mountshannon are not concerned. He said the area would be well served by community gardaí and a re-invigorated community alert service.

Cllr Burke said Chief Supt Kerin had said gardaí would be willing to hold clinics with communities concerned about crime.

Cllr Joe Arkins (FG) said communities would be better served by mobile Garda patrols, adding, “Crimes don’t happen in Garda stations.”

Cllr Richard Nagle (FF) said the closures are serious; adding that only two stations – Kilrush and Ennistymon – would cover an area from Loop Head to the Galway border.

He said, “There will be continued retirement with no recruitment. The idea that you can keep stretching resources is not realistic.”

Cllr Cathal Crowe claimed later that Fine Gael councillors were engaged in “more flanking and shielding of Minister (for Justice) Alan Shatter than you would see in Thomond Park.”

He added, “You’re here to either shield your Minister or represent your communities. I know why I’m here.”

This drew a strong response from Cllr Joe Cooney who said he had never shielded any Minister. “I’ll stand up for the people of Clare and I always will,” he said.

Councillors also agreed on a motion from Cllr Joe Arkins that said in the event of any station closures, any additional resources be allocated to mobile patrols.

CLARE County Council is to write to the Office of Public Works (OPW) and the Minister for Justice, Alan Shatter (FG) seeking that the eight Clare Garda stations earmarked for closure be retained in community use.

It was confirmed last month that Garda stations in Quin, Inagh, Lahinch, Broadford, Mountshannon, Doonbeg, Kilmihil and Labasheeda are to be closed early in 2013.

At last night’s January meeting of Clare County Council, Lahinchbased Cllr Bill Slattery (FG) raised concerns over what might happen to those Garda stations when they are closed.

“I would like these buildings to be retained for community use. We have no community centre in Lahinch, no place for meetings to take place or for young people and different groups to gather. But we have a fine building here and a fine site at the Lahinch Garda Station. I would really hope that these buildings be retained for community use and not sold off to developers or other people,” said Cllr Slattery.

The motion was seconded by Miltown Malbay Cllr Michael Hillery (FF), who said that the proposal should go forward only if attempts to retain the buildings as Garda stations fail.

“If these Garda stations are to be closed, then I feel that they should be retained for community use. I know for a fact that there has been a lot of investment in Garda stations in places like Lahinch and other areas in recent years and that investment should not be lost,” said Cllr Hillery.

Other councillors also suggested that the Garda buildings could be used for other purposes such as community art galleries or for promoting tourism.

“I think they could be used for tourism-related purposes such as a hostel perhaps,” said Cllr Gabriel Keating (FG).

“They certainly should not be left there or boarded up to rot away.”

THE Banner County’s very own Mr Boxing, Colum Flynn, is set to be honoured with a civic reception by Clare County Council.

The motion to honour Mr Flynn was proposed at yesterday’s meeting of the local authority.

It was jointly tabled by councillors James Breen (Ind), Tony Mulqueen (FG) and Mayor of Clare, Cllr Pat Daly (FF).

The motion stated, “That this council award a civic reception to Colum Flynn, for his life-long dedication to boxing in this county.”

Cllr Breen told the meeting that Mr Flynn has made a massive contribution to sport in Clare over the past 40 years. These sentiments were echoed by Cllr Daly, who said, “He has done great work for boxing and GAA and he highly deserves this honour.”

Mr Flynn was a founding member of Ennis Boxing Club in 1961.

Along with long-time coach, Ollie Markham, Mr Flynn has helped to nurture the talent of generations of Clare boxers. Munster titles arrived in 1964 but success on the national stage eluded Ennis.

Speaking in 2011, as the club celebrated its 50th anniversary, Mr Flynn recalled the success the club enjoyed in the 1970s.

He said, “We’d never won an Irish title and in 1976 we made a breakthrough in Castlebar in the juvenile championships, we won the heavyweight – Mike Queally.

“Mike Daly, as well, from Cloughleigh, he was a great bit of stuff. He won three titles in succession.

“Then Ollie crowned it when he won the senior middleweight title. He had three or four internationals as well. That was the year it took off and we thought it would never end.”

Success didn’t always flow like it did in 1976 but there were some good days all the same. Ollie’s son, Trevor, won seven Irish titles on the trot in the early ‘90s.

The club paved the way for the formation of Clare County Boxing Board. Boxing flourished around the county, with clubs starting up in Kilkishen, Tulla, Sixmilebridge, Shannon and Ennistymon.

Mr Flynn fell in love with boxing at an early age, after watching Muhammad Ali fight in the 1960 Olympics.

Well known from his involvement with the Clare senior hurling team, Mr Flynn was present in the Civic Room of Ennis Town Council when Ali was named the first ever-honorary freeman of Ennis.

PARENTS in Shannon are invited to have their say on which of four patron bodies they would like to see running primary schools in their area.

The bodies, which have indicated they would like to become patrons of any divested schools in Shannon, include the County Clare VEC, An Foras Patrúnachta, Educate Together and the Redeemed Christian Church of God.

Parents of children aged 0 to 12 years in 38 areas across Ireland are being asked by the Minister for Education and Skills what patrons they would like to see operating their local primary schools.

As part of this, parents in Shannon are being asked for their views.

The survey went live yesterday (Monday) on the Department of Education website and is an expansion of pilot surveys on primary school patronage which were conducted late last year in five towns.

The aim of the survey is to establish the level of demand from parents for diversity of school patronage in each of the towns. The current patrons of schools in Shannon are the Catholic Bishop of Killaloe and the Church of Ireland Bishop of Limerick, Killaloe and Ardfert.

If parents indicate they would like a wider choice of patron, then the Department of Education and Skills (DES) will ask existing patrons to come up with a plan to transfer some schools to other patron bodies.

“This is an historic opportunity for parents in Shannon to have a real say in the type of school they wish to send their children to, be it denominational, multi-denominational, allIrish or other,” said Minister Ruairí Quinn.

“In Shannon, there is little prospect of any new schools opening as the population remains stable and there is enough capacity within existing schools. However, if parents demonstrate through this survey that they want a greater choice of primary school, then we will work with existing patrons to transfer patronage to ensure they can send their children to a school which best reflects their own ethos and beliefs.”

The survey can be accessed online via www.education.ie and parents or guardians of primary school going children and 0 to 5 year olds in the 38 towns and suburbs (list below) are also being urged to fill it in before February 8. They will need to have their PPS number in order to complete the survey – for verification purposes. Paper-based versions of the survey are also available.

IRISH Rail has been urged to improve accessibility at Ennis Rail Station after claims that passengers are sometimes forced to cross platforms through the doors of two stopped trains.

Irish Rail yesterday denied the claim that was made at yesterday’s meeting of councillors in the Ennis West Electoral Area.

In a motion tabled at the meeting, Councillor Brian Meaney (GP) called on the committee to request Irish Rail provide seating and shelter on the Galway platform at Ennis Station. He said the absence of seating and shelter on the Galway platform is causing difficulty to elderly and disabled passengers. He said the new footbridge is still not accessible to disabled people.

Cllr Meaney added, “It is still quite frustrating to see elderly people moving across the footbridge and having nowhere to sit apart from the plinth of the Old Victorian footbridge.”

He called on the committee to write to Irish Rail to highlight these concerns.

Cllr James Breen (Ind) asked if Irish Rail is in compliance with Irish and European law on disability.

Cllr Breen said that as someone who has to use a crutch, he would have great difficulty catching a train on the Galway platform.

Cllr Meaney told the meeting that he had heard instances where passengers who are unable to use the footbridge are brought through the trains that are stopped side by side on the tracks.

He said in other circumstances, trains are switch tracks in order to collect passengers.

Councillors said this was not a satisfactory situation for passengers. They agreed to write to Irish Rail.

Cllr Meaney added that much of the recent criticism of the number of passengers using the Galway line was “unwarranted”.

Speaking yesterday, a spokesperson for Irish Rail denied that passengers are transferred across platforms through stopped trains.

She said, “We would never have a situation where passengers are brought through from train to train. As far as we are aware that has never happened in Ennis. There are situations where we bring trains into the other platform.”

The spokeswoman acknowledged there are issues around access for disabled people at the station.