Month: January 2013

CLARE has the fourth highest number of Gathering events in Ireland – with only Dublin, Cork and Galway currently hosting more.

A total of 130 Clare events have already been officially registered as part of the Gathering with more likely over the coming weeks and months.

These events combine a mixture of annual events which have been revamped or expanded to coincide with the Gathering and brand new events. Some of the new events include The Concertina Cruinniú which is com- ing to Miltown Malbay in February, the Stephen Roche Atlantic Challenge in Lahinch this March and the Burren Tolkien Symposium which will take place in Ballyvaughan and Lisdoonvarna in May.

Other notable Gathering events include the long-awaited return of the Festival of Finn to Corofin in May and Wavemaster Surf and Music International Gathering at Spanish Point with the Stunning and Sharon Shannon already confirmed on the line-up.

The Arts Office at Clare County Council have organised a number of training events for local group who are involved in the Gathering.

These events will take place in Ennis on February 2, Kilrush on February 9, Shannon of February 16, Ennis on February 23, Killaloe on March 2 and Ennistymon on March 9.

“The Gathering is having a big impact on the arts in Clare this year on a number of levels. Many festivals and events are viewing the Gathering as a platform to showcase the work they do annually and are looking to attract new audiences to their events. The support for Gathering events information sessions, networking opportunities are very valuable to arts festivals and events in terms of promoting themselves and making new connections in the county,” said Siobhan Mulcahy, Clare Arts Office.

“I think 2013 will be a positive year for the arts in Clare in terms of festivals and events. The publicity and excitement surrounding the Gathering is invigorating the arts sector. It will once again be a challenging year for individual artists in terms of exhibition sales, and performances, but hopefully the rising tide will gather all boats and we can all look forward to more positive times ahead,” she added.

For more information on the Gathering training events and to book a place contact Monica Meehan at mmeehan@clarecoco.ie or call 065 6846228.

ENNIS has been deemed ‘Clean to European norms’ in the 2012 litter survey from business group Irish Business Against Litter (IBAL). Ennis, in 27th position, was among 13 towns out of 42 to receive the designation, with a further 22 classed as ‘cleaner than European norms’.

The report on Ennis by An Taisce, who are charged with conducting the surveys, stated, “A great improvement at Ennis compared to the earlier survey in 2012 when there were two seriously littered sites. This time there were none and eight out of the 10 sites surveyed got the top litter grade, including all four approach roads.

“Significant improvement was recorded at the Quin approach road previously it had been in quite a poor state – not so this time around.”

Dr Tom Cavanagh, Chairman of IBAL, added, “This is a significant result. Ten years ago, when measuring started, only two towns/cities in Ireland were deemed to have reached this standard.

“Here’s hoping that Ennis will be even cleaner than the average European town in 2013, the year of the Gathering,” he added.

The survey gave grade Bs to Ennis National School and the Railway Station.

According to IBAL, the Kilrush Road creates a “positive first impression” of Ennis.

On the Quin Road, the report states, “There was a significant improvement recorded at this site, especially at the bridge area. Hope- fully this high standard can now be maintained.”

Holy Family Junior and Senior School is described as a “great site”. The report states, “the extensive grass area was in very good condition and the planters were a lovely feature – all aspects of the site surveyed were in good order.”

On McHugh Villas, the report states, “A low density residential area which was well laid out – the grass area was nicely kept with colourful planting and mature trees – a top ranking site throughout.”

THE number of patients waiting on trolleys at Ennis General Hospital had fallen back to just one yesterday (Monday) following pressure on staff and facilities over the Christmas period.

Just last Thursday as many as 11 people were waiting on trolleys at the County Clare hospital, according to figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.

However as children returned to school yesterday and most people were back at work, life returned to “normal” at the hospital.

Meanwhile a blanket ban has been imposed on visitors to the area’s biggest hospital – The Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick – as a result of the winter vomiting bug (Noroviro).

Visiting to all wards at the hospital is prohibited with the exception of critically ill patients, but visitors must first contact nursing staff before they visit critically ill patients.

Parents and guardians only are permitted in the Children’s Ark and children should be kept away from all areas of the hospital.

“The hospital regrets this inconvenience but it is necessary at this time to prevent the spread of these illnesses to both patients and staff. Where appropriate, mobile phone contact between families should be considered as an alternative to visiting,” a spokesperson.

The hospital is also asking the public that only genuine emergencies should present at the Emergency Department (ED) and that where possible people should consult their GP before coming to the ED.

The vomiting bug is highly contagious and is in the community in County Clare as well as Limerick.

Norovirus does not usually cause serious illness, but it is very easily spread. People who contract it can be infectious for 48 hours after they recover.

The principal symptoms are nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea and generally begin very suddenly with nausea followed by projectile vomiting.

While there is a ban on visiting in Limerick, people can still visit patients in Ennis General Hospital during visiting hours.

LOCAL arts groups and festival organisers in Clare face a challenging 2013, despite a slight increase in funding for the county under the Arts Council’s Festival and Events Scheme.

Clare’s funding under the first round of the Festival and Events Scheme (formally the Small Arts Festivals Scheme) rose from € 20,500 in 2012 to € 24,500 in 2013. Despite this increase, the amount of money being awarded to individual festivals under the scheme has decreased, with an extra festival being added to the funding list.

This has resulted in flagship events such as the Iniscealtra Arts Festival (down 22.2 per cent) and the Ennis Book Club Festival (down 5.8 per cent) losing valuable funding. If this trend is continued into the second round of funding it could have a negative impact on another dozen festivals throughout the county.

This funding also represents a decrease of almost 58 per cent from the € 57,100 awarded to Clare festivals under the first round of the Small Arts Festivals Scheme on 2007.

According to County Clare Arts Officer, Siobhan Mulcahy, the local arts community have shown great resilience in the face of recent quotes.

“I think the cuts have been more challenging than damaging. Obviously, they impact on the quantity of programming that takes place but, inevitably, the quality of the artistic product has been maintained throughout the county, thanks in many instances to the tireless work of volunteer festival organisers and the work of individual artists,” she said.

“The increase in the number of festivals funded reflects the diversity of quality arts practice in the county. Festivals, as well as most arts practitioners, are realistic in terms of the current financial state of the country and in what they can aspire to with the limited resources available to them.

“For many, the success of getting funding from the Arts Council is a reflection on the quality of the festival and this augurs well to lever funds from other resources at local and national level.”

There were also cuts to Clare artists under the Touring and Dissemination of Work Scheme. Two Clare groups, trad/folk group Guidewires and Nicola Henley of the Wise Ways Projects, received combined funding of € 37, 500 under this scheme last year. No Clare artists received under the first round of funding this year.

Funding news on Clare’s main Arts Council funded projects, such as Glór and the Willie Clancy Summer School, is expected in the coming weeks.

FAMILY and friends gathered in Ennis yesterday to say a final farewell to the late Jack Wall, who passed away last week.

Originally from Ennistymon, John Joseph Wall was well known in Clare from his ownership of the Auburn Lodge Hotel and his long association with the Ennis Musical Society.

Along with his wife Anne, Mr Wall ran the Auburn Lodge from 1969 to 1990. He was also the proprietor of the Beehive Café in Ennis.

He served as a gunner with the British Airforce in World War II and lived in California for 10 years before returning to Clare.

Mr Wall, who lived in Ballymaley, was a long serving member of the Ennis Musical Society whose talent was recalled at his funeral service in Ennis Cathedral yesterday.

Friends recalled being enthralled by Mr Wall’s memorable performances for the Society. The service heard that Mr Wall was a man with a commanding stage presence and someone who wore his talent with great modesty.

He played lead roles in numerous productions including

CHARGES against Clare hurler Fergal Lynch were struck out at Ennis District Court last Wednesday, January 2, because of the length of time taken to bring the matter to trial.

Counsel for Mr Lynch (30), Darragh Hassett, applied to the court for the case to be dismissed saying that some of the dates recorded for summonses connected to the case were “factually incorrect”.

Mr Hassett also argued that the incident had taken an extremely long time to come to court, saying that Mr Lynch, who has an address at Dangan in Tulla, is a local school teacher who is well known to the gardaí because of his exploits on the hurling field.

Speaking for the State, Inspector Tom Kennedy, asked Judge Patrick Durcan for 14 days to gather “the correspondence about the case” but this request was turned down.

“This all related to an issue which took place three years ago. I am striking out the case,” said Judge Durcan.

A 48-YEAR-OLD man who choose to give up drink as his New Year’s resolution, was given a month to stay dry by Judge Patrick Durcan at Ennis District Court on January 2.

Kieran Lynch (48), whose address was listed as Quin, County Clare was found drunk and unconscious in Ennis on June 30, 2012. Mr Lynch, who was described Judge Durcan as “footless on College Road”, was discovered by a member of the gardaí at around 4pm in the afternoon of June 30. He was brought to a station in Ennis and released later that night.

Mr Lynch, who has 20 previous convictions all relating to alcohol, said he had attended a number of treatment centres in the past which, he said, had not helped him.

He told the court that he planned to “quit the drinking” in 2013. He also said that all of his previous convictions had been drink related and that he had been “ruined” by booze.

Mr Lynch was asked to take the stand and swore, under oath, that he would “not be in any situations where drinking was involved”.

Judge Durcan adjourned the case until February 6, 2012, at which time Mr Lynch will be asked to account for his sobriety over the pervious month. “I have noted your undertaking and I don’t want to hear from the inspector that you have broken it,” said Judge Durcan.

A CLARE man home on holidays for Christmas hid in a ditch after crashing his sister’s car into a bridge near Mullagh and was banned from driving for six months at Ennis District Court last Wednesday, January 2.

Brian Keane (26), with an address at Kilcolumb in Kilmaley pleaded guilty to obstruction and failing to give information when asked by a member of the gardaí but a further charge, under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, was withdrawn.

Inspector Tom Kennedy told the court that on December 20, 2012, at around 1am Mr Keane drove his car into a bridge near Mullagh – about five miles away from his house in Kilmaley.

The court heard that Mr Keane left the scene of the crash on foot and was discovered by a member of the gardaí “hiding in a ditch”.

Counsel for Mr Keane told the court that the defendant was driving a friend home when the incident took place.

He said that Mr Keane had become distracted and hit bridge.

He also said that Mr Keane was discovered in a nearby field and not in a ditch.

According to the defense solicitor the car involved in the incident – which was owned by Mr Keane’s sister – was written off in the incident but no major damage was done to the bridge.

Mr Keane has had to pay for a new car for his sister.

Counsel for Mr Keane told the court that Mr Keane was a block-layer by trade and had emigrated to Australia four years ago and had been “getting on well” in his employment abroad.

He was home for Christmas when the incident took place.

The court heard that he planned to return to Australia on the following day, Thursday January 3, unless he was prevented by the court from doing so.

The court heard that Mr Keane had a number of different conviction from various dates in 2008, 2006 and 2005.

The most significant of these was a charge of dangerous driving which was reduced to “careless driving” in March of 2008.

Judge Patrick Durcan noted that Mr Keane had a “bad record for a 26year-old” and said that considering that, he had no option but to disqualify him from driving for six months and fine him € 500.

COUNCILLORS in Ennis will next month attempt for a third time to settle on a name for the town’s new € 2.5 million inner relief road.

No decision was reached at yesterday’s monthly meeting of Ennis Town Council on the naming of the road after three votes were taken on the matter.

The matter initially came before the December (2012) meeting but was adjourned to January.

Councillors were asked to choose from a list of 10 possible names – Bóthar an Sean Ghéibhinn (Old Bridewell Road), Phoenix Road, Gaol Road, Old Gaol Road, Braids Road, Muhammad Ali Road and Bóthar na Rince.

Three other suggestions – Slí an Fhionnuisce (Phoenix Way), Bóthar an Fhionnuisce (Phoenix Road) and Ard Fhionnuisce (Phoenix Height) were submitted by TJ Waters of the Ennis / Phoenix Twinning Board.

Mayor of Ennis, Cllr Peter Considine (FF) and councillors Mary Howard (FG) and Johnny Flynn (FG) proposed that the road be named in memory of Ennis’ twinning with Phoenix. Councillor Tommy Brennan (Ind) and Michael Guilfoyle (Ind) proposed ‘Old Gaol Road’.

Cllr Brennan told the meeting that the inner relief road passed through the former house of the last jailer in Ennis. Cllr Mary Coote Ryan (FG) supported this proposal, saying, “It is no harm for us to go back in history and explain reason why the jail was there. I think it sounds good.”

Cllr Frankie Neylon (Ind) said the road should be named after Muhammad Ali. He said the former world heavyweight boxing champion had brought thousands onto the street when he visited the town in 2009.

Cllr Neylon also suggested that the road be called ‘Bothar na Rince’ to mark its proximity to the site of the former Paddy Con’s dance hall. Cllr Paul O’Shea (Lab) also proposed Muhammad Ali Road. Cllr Brian Meaney said he would like to see the route named Paddy Con’s Road.

After Cllr Neylon agreed to withdraw his proposal for Muhammad Ali Road on the basis that the legendary sportsman had already been hounoured with a plaque in the Turnpike area of Ennis, votes were taken on three suggested names.

Cllrs Brennan, Coote Ryan, Guilfoyle and Neylon voted in favour of Old Gaol Road. Cllrs Considine, Howard, Flynn and O’Shea voted for Slí Na Fhionnuisce. Cllrs Flynn, Neylon and O’Shea voted for Bothar na Rince.

Councillors agreed to defer the decision for another month.

THE Cliffs of Moher recorded it third highest year for visitors ever in 2012 – and its highest since the recession started in 2007.

According to new figures released by the Cliffs of Moher Visitors Experience, 873,988 people visited the North Clare tourist attraction last year.

Significantly, the number of fully independent travellers (FIT), or people who did not come to the Cliffs as part of a package or bus holiday, was slightly up on the 2011 figures.

It had been anticipated that FIT figures would dip at the cliffs last year following disappointing numbers as a result of the London Olympics and the Euro 2012.

However, a strong rally in individual visitors in September and October helped boost FIT figures, along with a dramatic 30 per cent increase in the number of Chinese visitors coming to the site.

FIT numbers are especially important for the Clare tourism industry as they are much more likely to stay in Clare as part for their holiday, while other visitors usually travel to the Cliffs from Dublin, Galway or Kerry.

There was further good news in the coach visitors sector, with an increase of 17.7 per cent in the number of people visiting the Cliffs of Moher by bus as part of a package holiday.

According to Katherine Webster, Director of the Cliffs of Moher Experience, 2012 was the Cliffs’ third highest years for visitors ever, behind 2007 with 939,772 and 2006 and estimated 911,876 visitors.

“We are delighted with the 2012 visitor number performance at a time when the wider tourism sector across Ireland and the world has experienced considerable difficulties.

“This achievement is a tribute to the staff of the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience and the agencies that have made considerable investments in developing the attraction during recent years,” she said.

“The challenge for us now is to explore new and innovative ways of attracting visitors to the Cliffs of Moher.

“Despite experiencing a second successive increase in visitors last year, we remain almost 7 per cent below the attraction’s peak year of 2007.”

Overall, the 2012 figure of 873,988 last year was almost 65,000 visitors over the 2011 numbers.