Month: August 2013

FAMILY, friends and former colleagues gathered to pay tribute to retired Garda Superintendent, Frank Doris, who passed away in Ennis last week. A native of Longford, Mr Doris worked in Kilrush and Ennis during the seventies and eighties. The 89-year-old father of three retired from the force in 1986.

Prior to coming to Clare, Mr Doris was a highly respected Detective Inspector with the Garda Fraud Squad in Dublin. He worked on a number of high profile cases during his time in Dublin and was one of the lead investigators on the Shanahan Stamp auction case in 1959 when a businessman was arrested for fraud after thousands of investors lost money in a huge scam involving the sale of Irish Free State Stamps. He was well known in legal circles and during his time in Clare, Mr Doris is said to have brought a deep knowledge of criminal law to his role as a Garda prosecutor in court.

Mr Doris, who lived in Roslevan, had a strong interest in sport, fishing and shooting. He played for the Longford senior footballers in the fifties and retained a keen interest in horseracing.

At his funeral mass in St Joseph’s Church in Ennis on Sunday, Mr Doris was recalled as a loving father, good friend and respected colleague. Burial took place in Newtownforbes, Longford. He is survived by his loving wife Rosaleen, daughters Elizabeth and Yvonne, son Thomas, grandchildren, family, extended family and many friends. JUSTAFEWWORDS . . . Colin Ryan is surrounde d by me dia at Clare ’s official p re ss night ahead of t he All-Ire land se nior hurling final in t he Temple Gat e Hot e l last Tue sday.

GARDAÍ are investigating the circumstances of the latest fire at a € 2.2 million Traveller accommodation site in Ennis.

Three housing units were damaged following an incident of alleged criminal damage at the Beechpark halting site last week. Gardaí say an accelerant was used to douse the buildings but it did not ignite for some reason. However considerable smoke damage was caused to the building’s interiors. No one was hurt in the incident as the Beechpark site is currently vacant. Clare County Council was in the process of a € 15,000 refurbishment of the property when it was damaged

In a statement, a council spokesman said the costs the damage had yet to be ascertained. He explained, “The site was vacant at the time. The council was in process of refurbishing the property when it was damaged. The contract value was € 15,865 excluding VAT.

The contractor had just commenced on site therefore the actual cost of works undertaken will be substan- tially less than the contract value. The cost of the damage has yet to be ascertained. However, the roof and parts of the interior ceiling were badly damaged by fire.”

The Beechpark development was completed in 2004 at a cost of € 2.2 million.

In February, Clare County Council revealed that it had no plans to refurbish or rebuild Beechpark following a series of arson attacks on Traveller accommodation.

The council had been forced to install CCTV cameras to prevent against further attacks.

The latest incident at Beechpark comes just days after a separate suspicious fire at another vacant Traveller accommodation site in Ennis.

The incident occurred at around 1.50am on Saturday, August 17, when a vacant house at the Ashline site on Kilrush Road caught fire in what Gardaí described as “suspicious circumstances”.

The fire service attended the scene and the Gardaí in Ennis are investigating the circumstances of the fire. This is the second time this year that fire has broken out at the Ashline site, which cost € 1.7 million to build.

AN INVESTMENT of less than € 800,000 would be enough to secure homes for 55 Clare families, many of whom have been on the waiting list for a number of years.

According the figures obtained from Clare County Council, there are currently 55 local authority houses out of commission in Clare – and in need of only minor works to being them back into circulation.

A needs assessment carried out by the council earlier this year revealed that there are currently 1,671 peo- ple in need of social housing in the county. While the cash-strapped local authority has had some success securing funding for housing in recent weeks, it is unclear when they will have finding available to bring all of these houses back into their housing stock.

Clare County Council was granted € 500,000 last week for the provision of six houses for people with special needs, while it also secured sizable funding for house retrofitting – which will upgrade the insulation on 250 social houses – earlier this month.

“As at mid-year a total of 55 social housing units are vacant but this fig- ure is subject to change on a weekly basis as vacant units are returned to stock and units become newly vacated. The estimated cost of returning 55 units to stock is € 775,000, or approximately € 14,000 per unit,” said Bernadette Kinsella, Director of Services with Clare County Council.

Meanwhile, the Irish Council for Social Housing (ICSH) have shortlisted Glensheen Court, developed by Banner Housing Association for the 2013 Social Housing Awards.

Glensheen Court is a housing project for people with disabilities located within 1km of Ennis town. Each apartment in the development apartment includes two bedrooms, two accessible bathrooms, along with a kitchen/living area with each apartment having a private open space area to the rear.

A number of special safety features have also been incorporated into the scheme to enhance tenant safety and security including front door keypad, visual telecom along with alarms in each bathroom. The Banner Housing Association is a non-profit charitable organisation based in Ennis.

The winners will be announced at a gala dinner held at the ICSH National Social Housing Conference which takes place on September 18.

CLARE had its best day on the jobs front for a long, long time yesterday when landmark Shannon company EI Electronics announced the creation of 70 new jobs.

The company, which has just celebrated it 50th anniversary in Shannon, announced that it would be swelling its local workforce from 430 to 500. This represents the largest single jobs announcement in Clare since the start of the recession in 2008.

The company, which is one of the real success stories of the Shannon Free Zone, is 100 per cent Irishowned and has become a world leader in the field of fire safety.

It already contributes an estimated € 30 million to the local economy each year and the new expansion is lightly to increase that figure by more than € 3 million.

In addition to it’s Shannon staff, the company also employs more than 50 people on mainland Europe – mostly in Germany and France. All of its high-skilled work, including research and manufacturing, takes place at it 12,000 square metre facility in Shannon.

The company is already one of Clare’s leading exporters – with more than 95 per cent of the good manufactured on site destined for the European market.

“I am delighted that EI Electronics has decided to expand its operation in Shannon with the creation of 70 jobs. This will have a direct benefit on a large number of individuals and their families. It is also a real vote of confidence in Clare and the wider region, as a place to do business,” said Clare Senator Martin Conway (FG).

“This expansion will make a significant difference to the wider region, and will undoubtedly lead to additional jobs being created in connected industries. The success of the workforce in EI Electronics is also proof that our indigenous companies can prosper and thrive.”

The company will host an open day for current and former staff members in Shannon later this week.

“As a major employer for 50 years, many thousands of people have worked at EI, covering three generations. This EI diaspora is spread over the counties of Clare, Limerick, Kerry, Cork, Tipperary, Galway and Mayo,” said managing director Michael Guinee.

“The Open Day gives these past employees the opportunity to come back to their alma mater, see the factory and possibly meet up with old colleagues.”

THE organisers behind the Ballyvaughan Bay Hop are examining the possibility of adding a number of mid-day sailings to the trial service which gets underway next Monday, September 2.

The service was officially launched on the Ballyvaughan Pier on Sunday with a family fun day presided over by the Mayor of Clare, Cllr Joe Arkins (FG).

The launch also saw the first journey undertaken across Galway Bay by the fast ferry – with passengers making it to Galway City is 28 minutes before and returning to Ballyvaughan in just 25 minutes.

“It was a really great day. Most of the village was out at the pier for the opening ceremony and the entertainment and the atmosphere was really good,” said Gwen Ryan of the Ballyvaughan Bay Hop.

“We took a number of people out on the boat around the bay before we made the journey across to Galway. Professor Kevin Leyden of the the Whitaker Institute at NUI Galway and Carol Gleeson from the Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark travelled on the first crossing along with a number of local politicians.

“I think everyone was surprised at how quickly we made it across to Galway and back again. It shows that it really will be a big benefit for people commuting to and from work each day.

“We are now looking at the possibility of adding a few extra sailings for the trial – maybe during the afternoon. These sailings would be aimed at tourists but also at people who might look at using the service to commute to work but are not in a position to try out the service at other times.”

The trial is being supported by the Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark under the TransTourism Project. The trial will be used to measure the potential social, environmental and economic impacts a marine passenger service would have on Ballyvaughan and the Burren.

The aim of Ballyvaughan Bay Hop is to establish a rural commuter fast ferry service from North Clare to Galway. Commuting on the ferry twice a day would reduce the average travel time between Ballyvaughan and Galway by more than two hours.

For more information or to buy tickets call www.ballyvaughanbayhop.com or visit www.facebook. com/ballyvaughanbayhop.

THE next step towards developing a new civic and arts centre in Shannon will be taken a step further when a public forum takes place in the airport town early next month.

The proposal by The Shannon Venue Ltd., to develop a new iconic, debtfree, multifunctional civic and arts centre for Shannon will be outlined at a meeting in the Oakwood Arms Hotel on Wednesday, September 4.

Shannon residents, civic and arts groups, and all interested parties are invited to use this opportunity to share their views, make suggestions or ask questions about the proposed community and not-for profit venture.

A one-acre site in Shannon town centre has been secured from Shannon Development for the proposed project subject to planning permission being granted.

Commenting on the project David Neylon, Property Executive, Shannon Development, said “Shannon Development is delighted to have been able to assist with this worthwhile endeavour which will have a positive benefit for the people of Shannon by providing a home for the arts, culture and many other community activities. We wish The Shannon Venue Ltd every success with the project.”

Project team member Derek Barrett says the proposed centre is a new opportunity for Shannon.

“We believe this facility will help make Shannon a better place to live, work and do business in. It will become a focal social and cultural point for residents, employees, industry and visitors alike. It will give a renewed sense of place, purpose and community,” he said.

“With a strong focus on being multifunctional, we are confident that we can meet and exceed the expectations of most, if not all the community groups that exist within the town.

“Having already received positive feedback and support from the town council, town manager, the county council, Shannon Chamber of Commerce and a range of large community groups that would consider using the facility, such as: Shannon Musical Society, Muse Productions, Eclipse, Shannon Gospel Choir, Christian Church and both secondary schools (St Patrick’s & St Caimin’s), we are now at the stage where we would like additional input from every other group within Shannon, together with residents and employees who may consider using this centre.”

THE Clare public’s need for information and assistance on legal matters continues to rise across the county, according to Clare Citizens Information Service’s annual report for 2012.

As many as 769 people attended the free legal advice clinics at the citizen’s information centres in County Clare last year.

While the report showed a slight decrease in the number of people requiring free legal assistance with financial matters, it also pointed not just a fundamental need in Irish society for accessible legal information and advice for individuals, but also for fairer systems that allow people to access their rights across a wide range of issues.

The Legal Advice Clinic’s statistics indicate that family issues, employment problems and money worries continue to dominate the agenda, constituting about half of all of its enquiries.

However, some areas of law have seen increased queries, such as housing/landlord and tenant law.

“The phenomenon of the ‘accidental landlord’ has been noted by FLAC – people who have had to rent out their homes to meet rising mortgage payments or invested as pension provision. They do not have the same resources as ‘professional’ landlords nor the funds to get necessary legal information and advice,” pointed out Paul Woulfe, Manager with the Clare Citizens information Service.

The report also recognises the work of volunteer lawyers in offering legal advice in free and confidential centres in Clare, in partnership with Citizens Information Centres.

Mr Woulfe said the centres provide an essential service for people who require legal advice to address a problem that they are facing, but who do not have the resources to pay for a consultation with a private solicitor

He said that most people only become aware of the law when they are in trouble but at that time, they need to be able to use it.

“For many, the law is confusing and intimidating. Alongside the dedicated management and staff of the Citizens Information Service in Clare, local volunteers solicitors provide a bridge between people and the law, so that they can understand their own situations better and can address the problems that they are facing, with dignity.

FIFTY years of second level education will be celebrated in Kildysart on Saturday, August 31.

The golden anniversary celebration will pay special tribute to the Salesian Education brought to the area five decades ago and its remaining influence.

In 1963 two second-level schools opened in the area, which have since merged to create St John Bosco Community College.

An all-girls secondary school was opened at Cahercon and at the same time the long-awaited vocational school opened its doors for the first time in Kildysart Village.

Prior to this, only students whose parents could afford to send them to secondary schools in Ennis or Kilrush received a second level education.

In 1970, seven years after opening, it was decided that the school in Cahercon would go co-educational.

This saw the arrival of five boys across the threshold of this hitherto all female establishment. In the years that followed, the school went from strength to strength reaching an attendance of 250 pupils, 50 of whom were boarders. In 1979 a new school was even built in Cahercon.

In the early nineties a sports hall was added to the facility.

In 2000 more changes came about as the school merged with the vocational school in the village.

By then most of the teaching staff were lay teachers as the numbers of Salesian Sisters had diminished.

A new school was built on the grounds of the original vocational school in Kildysart Village called St John Bosco’s Community College.

The property that was the Salesian Convent and Secondary School was sold marking the end of an era and the reign of the Salesian Sisters in the area.

Many of the current teachers at St John Bosco Community College, including principal Marian CoughlanFlynn, taught at Cahercon or are past pupils of the school.

On August 31 an invitation is being extended to all past pupils, parents, teachers and friends to join in the celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Salesian Education in County Clare.

A Mass will be celebrated at St John Bosco Community College, Kildysart, at 7pm by Father Michael Casey Provincial of Salesians in Ireland from Labasheeda and a past pupil of Cahercon.

TWO young Clare musicians will make their big-time radio debut on BBC Radio 4 later this week. Kilfenora youngster Jessica Nea and Fergal Breen from Doora-Barefield will both feature on ‘The Fleadh goes North’ radio show on BBC Radio 4 this Friday morning, August 23.

The show has been put together by the BBC to make the All Ireland Fleadh taking place in Derry this year, the first time that it has ever been hosted in Northern Ireland.

Jessica Nea is a talented multi-instrumentalist who competed in the the All Ireland Fleadh in the under 12 piano accompaniment and fiddle and was in both the Inis Óg Céilí Band and music group. Jessica will be joined on the show by Fergal Breen who competed in the under 18 flute, uilleann pipes and piano at the All Ireland Fleadh.

As it happens, it was a very successful week for both Jessica and Fergal in Derry as Jessica came second in under 12 accompaniment piano and the fiddle slow airs while Fergal came second in under 18 flute.

Both the Clare musicians will be interviewed as part of the show and millions listeners from all over the UK and Ireland will also have a chance to hear them play.

The show will be presented by Peter Curan, believes the Fleadh is one of the most important events ever staged in Derry.

“The 10-day spectacle, which combines performance with competition, is the biggest traditional music festival in the world and is the embodiment of Irish cultural identity. Seventy per cent of participants are young people, who come to compete in numerous fields from fiddle and accordion to banjo and harp,” he said.

The Fleadh Goes North will be broadcast this Friday, August 23, from 11am to 11.30am on BBC Radio 4. Radio 4 can be heard in Ireland online through the internet or via most digital television services.

GARDAÍ are investigating the circumstances of a suspicious fire that broke out at a former Traveller accommodation site in Ennis at the weekend.

The incident occurred at around 1.50am on Saturday, August 17, when a vacant house at the Ashline site on Kilrush Road caught fire in what Gardaí have described as “suspicious circumstances”.

The fire service attended the scene and the Gardaí in Ennis are investigating the circumstances of the fire. This is the second time this year that fire has broken out at the Ashline site, which cost € 1.7 million to build.

In February a fire caused an estimated € 200,000 worth of damage to two units which rendered the development unhabitable. Ashline is currently unoccupied and Clare County Council have previously stated that it does not have any plans to refurbish or rebuild the houses.

The Ashline Traveller housing unit was vacated in November 2012 fol- lowing an arson attack that damaged the last occupied unit in the group scheme. In total five units at Ashline have been the subject of arson attacks and the development of now vacant and closed. According to figures from Clare County Council, up to 14 per cent of all Traveller accommodation units built by the local authority in recent years have been destroyed by arson attacks with nine houses damaged beyond repair.

Seperately, Gardaí in Ennis are also investigating an incident in which a children’s playground was damaged. The incident occurred between 6pm n Friday, August 16, and 11am on Saturday, August 17, in the Cloughleigh area of the town. The surface of the playground was damaged.