Month: February 2014

WEST Clare Coastal Windpower has lodged plans for a windfarm to be constructed outside of Doonbeg, months after An Bord Pleanála rejected their previous proposal to build a controversial windfarm in the same area.

Plans were lodged with Clare County Council last week for the construction of nine electricity generating wind turbines at Carrowmore South, Einagh and Shragh – two kilometres south of Doonbeg village.

These wind turbines would have a central stack 85 metres high, with a rotor diameter of 82 metres.

This would give a total height of 126 metres or 413 feet – or well over half the height of the Cliffs of Moher.

Besides the turbines themselves, the new planning permission also includes the construction of hardstandings, a control building, an electrical compound, a permanent meteorological mast as well as associated site roads.

Last July, An Bord Pleanála refused planning permission for what was described as an “industrial scale” € 200 million wind farm in the same location as the current proposal.

This proposal included 45-turbine each of which were in excess of 400 feet.

The proposal caused a rift in the local community with 79 landowners in the area missing out on a significant cash payment to lease their land for the windfarm.

One of the grounds for refusal was the pollution threat the windfarm posed to Doonbeg river that contains 5,000 freshwater pearl mussels – the highest concentration of the species in Clare.

The original decision followed a six-day oral hearing into the wind farm in April of last year, at which the country’s foremost authority on the mussel, Dr Evelyn Moorkens, said that if nothing was done to secure the future of the mussel, the species would become extinct there over time.

A decision on the proposal is not due for some months.

THE Irish Red Cross said it is available to help the people of Clare affected by flooding and storms.

More than a month after the first two storms that destroyed homes, infrastructure and livelihoods on the west coast of Clare and along the Shannon River and estuary, and weeks following the third storm, those affected are still referring to the fallout as an emergency.

In Doonbeg a special group has been set up to lobby for “emergency works” along the coast, while families in Cloughaninchy in Quilty battle with insurance companies as they struggle to repair their homes.

In areas like Loop Head, main roads remain impassable and farmers through out the county struggle to reclaim land in time for spring.

Acknowledging the issues facing people in the county the Red Cross said it is there to help.

James Lafferty, Irish Red Cross Clare Area Treasurer, said anyone in Clare’s affected areas that wish to apply for assistance from the Irish Red Cross should contact Fintan Breen, National Services, to be put in contact with their local Community Welfare Office. His e-mail is f breen@redcross.ie. Meanwhile the Red Cross is under financial pressure to provide such services.

“The Irish Red Cross, Clare Area, wish to make an appeal for funds and over the next few weeks we hope to raise much needed funds through church gate collections all over Clare,” said Mr Lafferty.

MONTHS of fundraising paid off yesterday as, what has been described as life changing equipment for people with Cystic Fibrosis in Clare and Limerick, was unveiled at the University Hospital, Limerick.

The fundraising drive by TLC4CF, which raised more than € 205,000, resulted in the € 160,000 Bronchoscope suite and an Exhalyzer D which cost € 44,000.

The Bronchoscope suite will be used to carry out internal examinations on the lungs and airways of children with Cystic Fibrosis.

Paediatric CF consultant Barry Linnane welcomed the launch of the new equipment and said, “The Bronchoscope suite allows us to visualise the internal structure of the lungs, and to obtain samples from the lower airways of children with CF. With this approach infection and inflam- mation can be detected even before the patient develops symptoms, facilitating early, targeted treatment.”

The installation of the new Exhalyzer D means the regional hospital is the first hospital in Ireland to acquire such specialised equipment. This piece of high-tech equipment has just been installed in the Paediatric CF Unit and provides a unique system of measuring and monitoring pulmonary function in children and adults.

Welcoming the launch of the new equipment, Ann Doherty CEO UL Hospitals stated that, “the added bonus of this equipment is that it allows us to attract more clinical trials and research to Limerick because it is a very sensitive and can measure clinical outcomes.

“New developments in technologies and research have the potential to improve the quality of life for people with CF and other inherited illnesses.”

A MAN accused of robbery in Ennis earlier this month as admitted breaching his bail conditions.

Mao Kimbadi (40), with an address at Laurel Lodge, Clare Road, Ennis, was granted bail subject to conditions at Ennis District Court earlier this month.

The accused, who is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, was ordered to reside at Laurel Lodge, observe a curfew between 10pm and 7am and sign on twice weekly at Ennis Garda Station. The State was granted liberty to re-enter the cases should any breaches arise.

Mr Kimbadi is charged with robbing a handbag and cash from a woman in the Causeway Link Road area of Ennis at around 11.30pm on January 18. He is further charged with possession of a knife at Clon Road, Ennis on January 19.

He appeared before Ennis District Court on Wednesday. Inspector Tom Kennedy said the State were seeking to have the accused’s bail revoked as conditions had not been abided by.

Detective Garda John Casey of Ennis Garda Station told Insp Kennedy he visited Laurel Lodge on January 26 and 27 within the hours of the accused’s curfew.

He said Mr Kimbadi was not present at the address, which provides temporary accommodation to homeless men. Detective Casey said after further enquiries, he was told Mr Kimbadi had not stayed at Laurel Lodge between January 22 and 31.

Detective Casey said the accused had abided by the signing on conditions.Defence solicitor John Casey said his client no longer resided at Laurel Lodge but lived with his sister in Dublin. He said his client was in Dublin when Detective Casey called to Laurel Lodge.

Mr Casey said it had been explained to Mr Kimbadi that he would have to apply to the court to have his bail conditions varied. He said Mr Kimbadi accepts he breached his bail conditions. Judge William Early ordered Mr Kimbadi to abide by bail conditions. He was remanded on continuing bail to appear again at Ennis District Court on March 26.

Mr Kimbadi’s co-accused Clara Chapman (19) is also alleged to have breached the terms of her bail.

Ms Chapman, with an address at Banner Lodge, Ennis, was not present in court when her case was heard on Wednesday. On Wednesday, Detective Casey said he visited Banner Lodge on January 26, 10pm. He said Ms Chapman was not present and he was told by the owner she had not resided there since January 18.

Defence solicitor Tara Godfrey said her client, an unemployed mother of one, had a number of appointments and may not have been unable to attend court. He remanded Ms Chapman on continuing bail to appear again at Ennis District Court on February 12.

CLARE farming is on the verge of a civil war, with farmers from the north and west of the county examining the possibility of picketing Clare Marts in Ennis later this week.

A group from the Ennistymon branch of the IFA met last night (Monday, February 10), to discuss a possible picket and boycott of the Ennis Mart. This follows plans announced to sell Ennistymon Mart to supermarket chain Aldi, which prompted more than 450 people to attend a protest meeting in Ennistymon last week.

Ennistymon IFA say they feel “incredibly let down” by members of the board of the Clare Marts, which includes many prominent IFA members. It is not yet clear if a sale has been agreed between Clare Marts and Aldi, with neither organisation willing to comment on the subject.

“We are being totally ignored and left in the dark, and that is adding to the frustration that we are feeling. There are a number of IFA members on the board of Clare Marts – a number of prominent members. We feel that they are selling out farmers in North Clare,” said Pat O’Donoghue from Ennistymon IFA.

“This company [Aldi] were selling sprouts for 9 cent just a month ago. How can something like that be proIrish farming? We feel incredibly let down on what they [the board of Clare Marts] are doing.

“The word had gone out before the meeting that the mart had already been sold and we thought that that might put people off from attending. But in the end we had more than 450 people there from right across the local community.

“We are looking for a meeting with them but we get no answer. We are having a gathering ourselves tonight [Monday, February 10] and the top of the agenda the possibility of picketing the mart.”

Speaking to The Clare People yesterday, Jackie Fitzpatrick of Super- valu in Ennistymon said that, while she recognised the need for competition, jobs would be lost locally if Aldi moves into Ennistymon.

Fitzpatricks currently employ 70 local people, paying out € 1.4 million in wages annually, last year, and spend more than € 400,000 with local suppliers.

“Obliviously I accept the need for competition but if a retail outlet like Aldi were to open a store in Ennistymon there would be consequences for local business. I would anticipate job losses both in my business and in other local business. ” The Clare People contacted Clare Marts yesterday who said they had nothing to say on the proposed sale.

IT APPEARS that Christianity and paganism coexisted in the Burren for hundreds of years – far longer than than had been previously thought.

Radiocarbondating of three bodies discovered at the Caherconnell Stone Fort in Carron has revealed that the woman and two infant children died somewhere between 535 AD and 649 AD.

The human remains, which were discovered underneath the fort last summer, have given archeologist a new perspective on the relationship between pagan and Christian peoples in the area.

The burial cist was discovered underneath the remains of a stone fort built in the area in the 10th or 11th century. The placing of the cists indicates that the fort was built on top of the ancient burial site, with part of the site actually visible inside the fort.

The current theory is that the people who built the fort were drawing on their connection to this pagan people buried their 500 years earlier to help legitimize their own rule in the area.

It has previously been determined that the fort belonged to a high status local, Christian clan.

“The fort was built on top of the burial site and it must have been done on purpose. By all accounts Christianity should have been fully in at this time, but it seems that the high status people who lived here were happy to keep one foot in each world,” said John Davoran of the Caherconnell Stone Fort.

Testing on the remain has shown that they belonged to a woman who was at least 45 years old, a baby aged between one and two and a very young baby, possibly a newborn or still born child.

The bodies were discovered during annual excavation led by Michelle Comber of NUI, Galway, last summer. There will be further excavation on the site this summer.

“I’d say we will be digging here for another 1,000 years. We have plenty left to discover,” continued Mr Davoran.

“We will be focusing on the fort again this year.

“We’d like to locate the original house of the people who built the fort. We feel that this could unlock a few more of the secrets of the fort.

“But we will be moving from the fort in the years to come.

“There is a large amount of interesting sites in the area and we are very keen to see what they contain.”

DOZENS of Clare people who were the victims of industrial abuse have contacted new state abuse agency Cara Nua during its first three weeks in operation.

Close to 100 people from the county are understood to have contacted the new agency – which has been set up to help connect victims of abuse with a selections of practical services.

The new agency cannot take on any candidates who have not been previously before the Residential Institutions Board or had a successful case before the courts. With the board now closed to new applications, some Clare people who have suffered abuse in an industrial setting may be excluded from the scheme.

Abuse victims can still choose to take a case through the courts, but only if their level of abuse they endured was severe enough to be considered and indictable offense. The statute of limitations for less serious offenses – such as assault (six years), personal injury (two years) and summary offenses (six month) – will have elapsed.

The group currently has a budget of € 74 million funded by the religious institutions but that could swell to € 100 million in the months ahead.

“We can only provide services to people who have actually received an award – either through the Resi- dential Institutions Board or through the courts. We are limited to those people and we can’t deal with people who have spent time in a residential institute but did not take a case or go through the courts,” Fiona Coyne of Cara Nua.

“That said we know of around 400 people who are currently going through redress and we will be able to help them once there cases have been completed. Unfortunately the redress board is closed to applications – they are currently hearing their last 400 cases.”

The scheme is mainly aimed at meeting the needs of the victims of industrial abuse as they enter old age.

“Our focus is on their quality of life now and promoting well being. We’re looking at the issues that they are faced with now, not their time in an institution. These people have already told their story [to the redress board] they don’t need to go into that side of things with us. We are just there to help,” continued Ms Coyne.

“We don’t provide services directly ourselves but if people do need counselling or any kind of physiological support we can put them in touch with people.

“We have a budget of € 74 million and out anticipation is that this money won’t last indefinitely, so we feel we many be able to fund this service for the next three years.”

Contact Cara Nua at 1800 212477.

THE awards continue to roll in for the Cliffs of Moher Visitors Experience, with the North Clare tourism location involved in the business end of three separate awards over the past week.

This glut of awards and recognition comes in the wake of the best year for tourism number on record at the Cliffs of Moher – with almost 950,000 people visiting the world famous tourism site last year.

Management are hopeful of breaking the one million visitor mark this year – and maybe reclaiming the title of Ireland’s most visited tourism site for the Guinness Storehouse in Dublin.

The website of the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience has just been shortlisted for the Samsung Digital Media Awards in the ‘Best in Travel and Tourism’ category, with the results due to be released later this month. This comes just weeks after the website was shortlisted for the prestigious Eircom Golden Spider Awards, finishing runner-up.

“The website is designed to have a high visual appeal with full screen background images and exciting video and 360 degree image content bringing the site alive. It can be viewed on mobile devices including smartphone and iPad,” said Geraldine Enright of the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience.

“Visitors planning their trip have use of an interactive map with suggested walking routes and can even book their tickets online at a dis counted price. The website is fully integrated with social media including Facebook and Twitter, YouTube, TripAdvisor, Pinterest and Stumble- upon. The story of the Cliffs of Moher is told along a timeline reaching back into the distant past.”

Meanwhile, the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience last week was presented with a Silver Merit Award at the 2014 CIE Awards for Visitor Attractions. The awards are chosen from an independent evaluation of feedback surveys completed by over 17,000 CIE Tours International customers.

A PROPOSED € 1.75 million facelift of the Ennis market has been given planning approval by members of Ennis Town Council.

The council now intends to “undertake a detailed engagement with users” of the market in Garraunakilla.

The council is proposing to develop a semi-enclosed structure on the existing car park for the purposes of a market and car-parking facilities.

The proposed 608-sqm structure would consist of two adjacent pavil- ions with a Plexiglas roof covering the central corridor.

The redevelopment would also include the upgrading or surrounding streets, lighting, drainage, street furniture and trees.

The plans also include provision for a shared surface area on Market Place from its junction with Barrack Street to its junction with the lower Drumbiggle Road.

According to a planning report presented to members of Ennis Town Council, the proposal “would narrow the existing roadway along Market Place resulting in clearer definition for all road users and provide natural traffic calming and increased pedestrian safety.”

Ennis Town Manager Gerard Dollard told the council’s February meeting a detailed consultation process would first take place.

He said most of the estimated € 1.5 million cost of the proposed redevelopment would be spent on improving facilities in the market.

The structure is expected to cost

€ 500,000. Mr Dollard said, “Our sole objective is to enhance the market. We want to strengthen the market.”

Urging councillors to adopt Mr Dollard’s recommendations, Cllr Brian Meaney (FF) said;

“This is a small step in a very long process but we need to grasp this opportunity with both hands.”

The council received submission from a number of groups and individuals including the Farmer’s Market, Rita McInerney, CEO Ennis Chamber of Commerce, and local businessmen Leo and Gearoid Mannion.

There was a broad welcome for the proposal however some concern has been expressed about the design of the proposed structure and how it would impact on the residential amenity of the area.

Archeological investigation of the site will have to be carried out prior to any development, as recommended by the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and the Clare County Conservation Officer.

It is thought archaeological work could begin within the next fortnight.

Councillors approved the Manager’s Report on Garraunakilla and also a formal application for approval for a loan of € 1.75 million.

A GROUP of traveler students from Ennis can become “role models” for their community and help break down barriers to education.

That’s according to one Ennis man who plays a key role in helping young people from Traveller backgrounds achieve success through education.

Peer support worker David McCarthy worked alongside the group who recently devised a Drugs Awareness Art Project, a campaign supporter by Ennis CDP, the Mid Western Regional Drugs Taskforce, Clare County Council, St Vincent de Paul and the Courts Services.

Mr McCarthy, who works on a weekly basis with 12 secondary school students in Ennis, says an absence of role models is one of the main factors why many young people from a Traveller background fail to complete education.

“Role models is a big one and a lot of them feel that it doesn’t matter if they stay on in school, they won’t get jobs. That’s what we’re trying to challenge. That’s our big challenge at the moment,” he explained.

However he believes certain preconceptions about Travellers are being challenged

He explained, “There still is a taboo around Travellers getting married young and having families and settling down (and not continuing in education). That’s been challenged in Clare over the past few years. In the past five years, we’ve had Paddy McDonagh who has finished his degree course and is teaching in Scariff at the moment. We have a Pa Sherlock who did a Sports and Recreation course in the University of Limerick. Lee Sherlock is studying in UL as well. I’m in college doing youth and community work.”

He continued, “Traveller students are still not finishing school in any way close to their settled peers but we’ve seen an increase in school retention to at least the Junior Cert year. Currently in our group, we have four lads going into fourth year. You can never tell if they are going to stick with it but I believe the lads will push through.”

15-year-old Brian McDonagh is a student at St Flannan’s College in Ennis. He is also a member of the peer support group that devised the drugs awareness campaign.

He said, “It was very enjoyable. Doing this project, it makes more kids aware of what drugs can do to you. This group gives kids a positive message rather than a negative message in life, to go down the right path and not do drugs. It’s really good.”

Brian, a member of Ennis Boxing Club, says he hopes to study sport at third level.