Month: November 2013

COUNTY solicitor John Shaw takes up the role this week as President of the Law Society in Ireland, effectively head of the legal profession in Ireland, an organisation that has 14,000 members countrywide. He is the first Clare-based solicitor to hold the post since Michael Houlihan was elected president back in 1983.

Originally from Dundalk in Co Louth, John Shaw has practiced in Ennis since he qualified in 1984. He is currently a partner in the law firm Michael Houlihan & Partners and serves as solicitor to Clare County Council. He is also a former President of the Bar Association in Clare.

“I’m both delighted and honoured to be elected President of the Law Society of Ireland,” John told The Clare People this week. “I think it is also fitting that 30 years after Michael Houlihan held the presidency that it returns to Clare,” he added.

“During my year I will be based in Ennis and will probably spend a day or two a week in Dublin. There are many challenges facing the legal profession in Ireland and in particular I hope to liaise with the Minister for Justice on the Legal Services Regulation Bill which is currently being finalised.

“Thankfully I have huge support from Michael Houlihan and Partners, with 12 solicitors and five partners we are able to make arrangements to allow me carry out all my functions of the office and of course online technology will also make it easier. I am grateful too to county manager Tom Coughan who has also offered his co-operation towards my dual role,” John told us.

Married to Mary Nolan, herself a solicitor with Nicholas & Nolan Solicitors in Ennis, John, who lives in Ballybeg on Ennis’s Gort Road, has three children, Hannah, Ellen and Julie. Oldest daughter Hannah (23) is currently studying law at Blackhall Place in Dublin, continuing the family tradition, while Ellen (20) is studying physiotherapy in Trinity, with youngest daughter Julie (16) attending Rice College in Ennis.

Although hailing from Co Louth John has many Clare connections. He is a nephew of the late PJ and Ella Garvey (who passed away earlier this year) from Corrovorrin Green in Ennis. John is a noted sports follower and is a member of Lahinch Golf Club. He will serve a one-year term in the role up until November 2014.

THE Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark and Loop Head Peninsula finished as runners up to the Brazilian region of Benito in the ‘Best Destination for Responsible Tourism’ category of the 10th annual 2013 World Responsible Tourism Awards.

The Clare destinations were shortlisted alongside six other sustainable tourism destinations and organisations including Bhutan, Lithuania, Bonito (Brazil) Nature Park and Glacier Region Kaunertal (Austria), Mara Naboisho Conservancy (Kenya) and Valleys Regional Park (Wales).

The final result was announced on Wednesday at an awards ceremony, hosted by World Travel Market at the ExCeL London Exhibition and Convention Centre.

Representatives from both Clare destinations used the awards event as an opportunity to actively promote County Clare and the recently an- nounced Ryanair services at Shannon Airport. Loop Head Tourism and Burren and Cliffs of Moher Geopark hosted an information stand at the event, in conjunction with Tourism Ireland.

CLARE County Council intends to carry out work to upgrade a section of the Rocky Road to allow for greater pedestrian access to the Ballybeg area of Ennis.

Yesterday’s meeting of councillors in the Ennis East Electoral Area heard the council is looking to repave the road from the Rocky Road roundabout to Ballybeg.

Senior executive Engineer Eamon O’Dea told the meeting the council intends to improve of pedestrian access along the walking route.

Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind) said the route would be used if work was carried out to repair it.

Cllr Johnny Flynn said the route could also be popular with cyclists.

Mr O’Dea made the announcement of the council’s plans to upgrade the Rocky Road following discussion on a motion tabled by Cllr Paul Murphy (FG). The Clarecastle councillor requested the council “prioritise completing the footpath from Rockmount Cross to where it currently ends on the Kilrush Road and to also provide a pedestrian crossing”.

Cllr Murphy told the meeting he received a petition containing the signatures of 300 people living in the area.

“There are a lot of kids walking to school (new Ennis National School) in the area and a lot of residents are very concerned about how busy the road is,” he added.

Cllr Pat Daly (FF) said the area is a “fierce busy road”. “It is important the NRA provide the money for the footpaths,” he added.

Mr O’Dea said funding would have to be sought from the National Roads Authority (NRA) as the section of footpath is on a national secondary road.

He continued, “The cost of providing a footpath and public lighting would be in excess of € 80,000. There is uncontrolled pedestrian crossing at the Kilrush Road roundabout on the N68. There is an alternate pedestrian access in daylight hours to Ballybeg by using the Rocky Road and the pedestrian pelican crossing at the Rocky Road roundabout on the N85.”

Earlier, town manager and director of Service, Gerard Dollard told a meeting of councillors in the Ennis West Electoral Area, that discussions are ongoing with Airtricity on the provision of public lighting in the Beechpark housing estate.

Mr Dollard said the works could cost up to € 25,000 and the council would have to decide on how to fund it.

ALMOST 500 horses and dogs have been put down in the county so far this year by animal welfare services, a number that far exceeds figures for Central London.

As many as 452 dogs were euthanised by the ISPCC acting for Clare County Council, with 37 horses also put down during 2013 to date.

This is an average of 11 animals every week and more than one a day. According to figure released as many as 962 dogs and horses were impounded by agencies acting on behalf of Clare County Council.

The majority of the animals impounded or surrendered were dogs, with 915 canines taken in.

Of these 452 were re-homed including 148 who were re-claimed by owners.

FINE Gael selected two further candidates for 2014 Local Elections last night (Monday), as the two nominees from the Shannon area were added to the ticket.

There are just two nominees for the Shannon Selection Convention as Clare county councillors John Crowe and Sean McLoughlin were both nominated and selected without the need for an election.

It is now understood that the Fine Gael executive will add at least one if not two more candidates to contest the six-seat election.

On Friday night the party will select candidates for the new eight-seat West Clare constituency, with the Killaloe convention taking place on Monday next.

Fine Gael is the first of the political parties in Clare to select candidates for the local elections next May, with Labour stating it will hold its conventions by the end of the month.

Sinn Fein said that it is in the process of selecting candidates but has no dates or names as yet.

Fianna Fáil is expected to select its candidates between the end of November and the first week in January, beginning in the Shannon Municipal Area.

It is understood that the three councillors from the area will be nominated alongside newcomer Louise McNamara. Candidates will have until two weeks before the convention to put forward any nominees.

To be nominated for convention the candidate must have the support of one cumann or five individual members of the party.

In Ennis there are already up to 10 names being suggested as possible contenders for the party in the eightseat constituency, with a new look Killaloe area opening up possibilities for former councillors to return.

In West Clare the executive has suggested that the convention be divided into two separate district selection process to avoid the majority of the candidates coming from either the old Kilrush Electoral Area or Ennistymon Electoral Area.

Once again there is much speculation as to who will be put forward for convention.

The father of the council PJ Kelly has yet to decide if he will go before convention in a bid to serve for a fifth decade on the council. New names such as former GAA county board chairman Michael O’Neill and Ennis Chamber of Commerce CEO Rita McInerney are also been spoken about as possible contenders in West Clare for the party.

A CLARE secondary school was the subject of a suspected arson attack on Halloween night that resulted in the destruction of a resource classroom and significant damage to another. The interior of the prefab classroom at Ennis Community College was gutted in the blaze, which began shortly after 9pm on Thursday. Mindless thugs also took time to break windows in a second prefab unit, which is used for specialised classes for deaf students. Clare Fire Services were called to the scene at 9.10pm and worked hard to prevent the fire reaching the main building on the secondary school complex. Part of the nearby building suffered some external fire damage however, with part of the building also subjected to internal smoke damage. The intense heat from the fire also melted the PVC window frames. It is not yet known the cost of the damage, but a number of computers as well as the entire inside of the first prefab classroom was destroyed. There was no apparent attempt to set fire to the Unit for the Deaf after the windows were smashed with what is believe to have been a fire extinguisher. Gardaí sealed off and preserved the scene overnight while a full technical examination was carried out on Friday afternoon. Gardai in Ennis are continuing to investigate the fire, which they have described as suspicious. Two units of Ennis Fire Brigade also attended the fire at Ennis Community College. They were alerted to the incident by Munster Regional Communication System at 9.10pm and arrived at the scene just eight minutes later. The fire service got the fire under control in just over an hour and the “incident was closed down” at 10.28pm. Anyone with any information on the incident is asked to contact Ennis Garda Station.

FIRE personnel from Kilrush came under attack from youths throwing stones while carrying out their duty on Halloween night.

The fire unit was called to an illegal bonfire in the town by concerned residents who feared it would get out of control.

While the reserve members of the fire service were dealing with the flames, four to five youths threw stones in their direction, hitting the fire engine.

No firefighters were injured in the incident.

Denis O’Connell, Senior Assistant Fire Officer with the Clare Fire Service, said that almost every year the members of the fire service face some aggravation when they are called to control bonfires.

“This was not very serious as no one got hit, but no one should have to put up with that when they go to do their day’s work,” he said.

The assistant fire chief explained that bogus calls were as frustrating to the fire service as these senseless attacks.

“If we get a call we have to take it serious. If there is a unit in an area on a call, we then have to take a unit from another area if there is a second call in that area. This affects the call out time to an incident,” he said.

“It is very serious on a busy night to get a bogus call,” added Mr O’Connell referring to a bogus call out in Shannon on Thursday night last – Halloween night.

Thursday proved particularly busy for the Clare Fire Service with 10 call outs in total.

Four of the call outs were to bonfires, in Kilrush, Kilkee, Shannon and Ennis, and one was the bogus call out.

“Ten calls is a lot in one day for seven brigades,” explained Mr O’Connell.

Last year there were 10 bonfire call outs in the county.

Mr O’Connell attributes the drop in bonfire call outs to just four this year to the strong public campaign by Clare County Council last week. Members of the public reporting any waste being gathered for potential bonfires and the weather. He said the rain quite literally dampened plans for the Halloween tradition this year.

CONCERN has been expressed that the designation of buildings as protected structures is killing off some of the oldest businesses in the town.

A special meeting of Ennis Town Council will take place later this month after councillors yesterday chose not to adopt the town manager’s recommendation that 183 buildings in Ennis be retained on the record of protected structures.

Councillors have sought a meeting with the county conservation officer to highlight concerns they have over aspects of the policy.

Cllr Brian Meaney (FF) told the meeting the high cost of renovating properties that are protected structures is unfair to owners.

Cllr Meaney said the policy also runs contrary to the council’s aim of encouraging more people to live in the town centre.

He said the council could adopt a policy that protects the built character and heritage of the town while at the same time affording property owners the flexibility to renovate their businesses using modern building methods and materials.

Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind) said protected structure status had prevented the owners of Keane’s on O’Connell Street from extending their business.

Highlighting the example of one of the town’s oldest shops, Pyne’s on Abbey Street, Cllr Peter Considine (FF) said it was a small family-run business that could not afford the cost of maintaining and renovating the building due to the high cost of carrying out work to a protected structure.

“It’s a one of a kind, a dying kind and are we going to kill it further?” he added.

Town Manager Gerard Dollard said that while he agreed there should be some State support to cover the cost of such works, “If members wish to change this they better have very good and valid reasons for doing so.”

He told the meeting the council is statutorily obliged to make a decision on the protected structures list before the end of the month.

A special meeting to discuss the matter will take place on Tuesday, November 19, at 5pm in Waterpark House.

A LIMITED policy of pedestrianisation will be in effect in Ennis during December after a meeting heard a lack of support exists among businesses for a longer period of pedestrianisation.

The council had previously proposed pedestrianising O’Connell Street on December 7 (Saturday), December 14 (Saturday), December 21 (Saturday), December 22 (Sunday), December 23 (Monday) and December 24 (Tuesday).

At yesterday’s meeting of Ennis Town Council, Town Clerk Leonard Cleary said the council had sought the views of business people, rate payers and property owners in the town.

He said Ennis Chamber had proposed closing O’Connell Street to traffic on the final two Saturdays and the days leading up Christmas Day.

“A larger December pedestrianisation policy does not seem to be gaining currency at the moment,” explained Mr Cleary.

Under the 2013 policy, O’Connell Street will be pedestrianised from December 21 to 24. Town manager Gerard Dollard told the meeting the on / off nature of pedestrianisation had created difficulties around it.

He said until such time as the council makes a decision on whether proceed with a longer trial of pedestrianisation, the council would have to manage the existing approach.

Cllr Peter Considine said he was “disappointed” with the shorter period but agreed to support the proposal.

Welcoming the decision, Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) expressed concern “organised begging” could undermine the council’s attempts to create a festive atmosphere in the town centre in December.

Cllr Michael Guilfoyle (Ind) called for the council to take action against so called ‘chuggers’ who have set up in front of Dunnes Stores.

Cllr Guilfoyle said pedestrians are being forced out onto the street by people collecting money for charity. He told the meeting it was only a matter of time before someone is hurt.

Councillors agreed to a limited pedestrianisation as the council announced details of a free car-parking initiative for Christmas.

Town clerk Leonard Cleary stated, “Following the success in recent years, Ennis Town Council has developed and researched a Christmas Parking Initiative 2013. A recent consultation was held between representatives of Ennis business com- munity and Ennis Town Council with the key task of promoting shopping in Ennis over the Christmas and New Year period.”

Free parking will be in place up to 12 noon daily during December to January 6 both on street and off street. Parking will be free in Cloughleigh car park until January 6. The council is also encouraging staff of shops and business owners to free up spaces close to the town centre by using alternative spaces.

Mr Cleary said the council will promote the initiative online and through media. “The business community is also taking an active involvement promoting the initiative.”

CLARE County Council has been urged to deal with ‘disgraceful’ levels of noise and litter that have developed in the Watery Road area of Ennis.

Yesterday’s meeting of Ennis Town Council heard complaints about the condition of vacant properties in the area.

Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind) told the meeting residents are putting up with the sounds of chainsaws going “morning, noon and night” and wild foul and guinea foul running around houses. “They’re screeching like hell day and night,” he said.

He said Clare County Council should consider demolishing some of the empty houses.

“It’s a downright disgrace. I can’t understand why you have people living in houses at either end and four empty houses between them. Why can’t the vacant houses be knocked and the two put together?” he added.

Cllr Brennan said horses are also running loose in the area.

The meeting heard the scheme is the responsibility of Clare County Council. Cllr Brian Meaney (FF) said the council should consider serving a derelict site notice on the vacant properties.

He said the same tenancy rules and laws that apply to other local authority residents should also apply in the Watery Road.

“There should be no fear or favour in this regard,” he added. Cllr Meaney continued, “The situation in the Watery Road cannot continue. It’s an eyesore. It’s a fester.”

Cllr Peter Considine (FF) said the situation with anti-social behaviour is not unique to Ennis. “The Watery Road [problems] have been going on for over 15 years. It has deteriorated. It is a disgrace.”

Cllr Brennan called on Clare County Council to provide a full report on issues in Watery Road.

He said, “If I was breaking the law and I was causing the nuisance, I’d be prosecuted.”

Cllr Frankie Neylon (Ind) said there have been issues in other estates in Ennis including Bridge View where smoke bombs have been thrown through letterboxes.

Town manager and director of Service Gerard Dollard said a report from Clare County Council on issues at Watery Road would be available at the next meeting of Ennis Town Council.