Month: August 2014

THE number of Clare women travelling to the England and Wales for an abortion has dropped significantly over the past 12 months since legislation for the X-Case was enacted by the Government.

According to figures obtained by the UK Department of Health, the number of women obtaining an abortion who listed Clare as their home, fell by 15 per cent last year. This is the continuation of trend which has emerged in recent years with fewer and fewer women from Clare travelling to obtain a termination.

A total of 55 women gave County Clare as their home address when travelling for an abortion last year. This compares to 64 in 2012, 83 in 2011 and 75 in 2010.

There has also been a marked increase in the number of Irish women who do not give a county of origin when travelling to England and Wales for an abortion. A total of 855 women did not state any county of origin when travelling to the UK.

This means that almost a fifth of all Irish women did not give a county of origin, which could mean a larger number Clare women obtained abortions than the figures suggest.

A spokesperson from the Clare Pro Life Campaign said yesterday that many women who travel to the UK for abortion feel that they do not have a choice in the matter.

“Any number of women travelling to the UK for an abortion is too many. We feel that, 12 months on from the legislation, we still need to sit down and talk about the root causes of abortion,” said Maura Garrihy of the Clare Pro-Life Campaign. “We need to support Clare women who still feel like they have no other choice but to have an abortion. We feel that part of the reason why the number of abortions are down is the increase in information that is out there. People are now realising more that a baby’s heart is beating after 21 days and it is not just a clump of cells.

“When you talk to women who have had abortions, many of them feel that they have no choice but to have an abortion.”

THE Cliffs of Moher have been selected as the favourite place in Ireland to bring foreign visitors.

According to the results of the fifth National Heritage sur vey, more than 30 per cent of people say that they would take tourists to see the world famous tour ist at t raction.

Indeed, the Cliffs of Moher would seem to have developed a cer t ai n addictive qualit y for visitors with 22 per cent of those sur veyed saying they visited the Cliffs more than 10 ti mes this year.

The Cliffs of Moher have also been identified as Ireland’s most scar y heritage site with 79 per cent of people admit ting that it is t he heritage site they are most afraid of.

This news comes as t he Cliffs of Moher reveals that it is on course to at tract more than one million tourists to Clare this year – the largest number of visitors since records began.

“It’s great that t he nation are continuing to t ake enor mous pride in our herit age sites and landmarks and enjoying showing these off to overseas visitors. Our heritage sites are vital to the tourism industr y in Ireland but also in defining where we have come from and t he r ich legacy we hold i n Ireland,” said David Lane of Ecclesiastical Ireland.

“The research highlights the need for heritage proper t y owners to continue to protect the sites to ensure t hese remain prominent in t he lives of Irish people.”

Newgrange in County Meat h was voted as Ireland’s favourite heritage site, while al most all of those sur veyed, 99 per cent, rate Ireland’s heritage as ver y impor tant to the tourism indust ry.

A tot al of 46 per cent of people believe t here should be st ricter laws gover ning the protection of heritage sites, while 98 per cent of people thi nk t he Gover nment needs to conti nue to provide tax incentives to heritage proper ty owners regarding the maintenance and upkeep of t hei r heritage proper ty.

THE Clare tourism sector is leading the economic recovery in the county with tourism providers from all over the county reporting significant increases in numbers this summer.

The Cliffs of Moher Visitors Experience is set to shatter the 1 million visitor mark in 2014 – recording a nine per cent jump in tourist number so far this year. Coming on the back of a 14 per cent increase last year the North Clare tourist attraction is on course to take in 1,056,150 visitors this year, if current trends continue.

This massive increase could puts the Cliffs of Moher on course to become Ireland’s most popular tourist attraction – with Dublin Zoo and the Guinness Storehouse both likely to record similar visitor numbers for 2014.

Loophead Lighthouse has also seen a five per cent jump in tourism numbers with just under 17,879 people have visited the 19th century lighthouse since it was opened for the summer period in April.

According to figures compiled by Clare County Council, 57 per cent of these visitors were from Ireland, with North America, Germany and the United Kingdom accounting for 10 per cent, 9 per cent and 6 per cent respectively.

The White Tailed Eagle Viewing and Information Point in Mountshannon has also proven a large draw this year with 7,626 tourists visiting the eagles between July 4 and August 21.

This facility is being operated by the Mountshannon Eagle Group, Mountshannon Community Council and the Golden Eagle Trust and was funded by Clare County Council.

Visitor increases at the Cliffs of Moher have been driven in part by the new routes servicing Shannon Airport.

“We noticed an immediate im- pact when the new European routes started to Shannon Airport in April, especially from the German market and additional ferry services from France to Cork have also added to French family self-drive numbers,” said Katherine Webster of the Cliffs of Moher.

“We’re also delighted to see that British holiday makers seem to have rediscovered the west of Ireland and after a lengthy absence are here in numbers. We are confident that the Cliffs of Moher Visitor Experience will exceed the symbolic one million figure before the end of 2014.”

The Wild Atlantic Way has been credited as one of the driving forces behind the increase.

“The launch of the Wild Atlantic Way, the development of new services at Shannon Airport, and the upgrading of visitor facilities at the lighthouse have been significant contributory factors to the growth in visitors. There is a noticeable increase in visitors from Germany and North America with the French and Italian markets also appearing particularly strong,” said Kathy Lordan of Clare County Council.

“The success of the Loophead Lighthouse visitor project is indicative of the wider Peninsula’s increasing popularity as a sustainable, visitor destination.”

LARGE crowds turned out in Ennis yesterday to say goodbye to a woman who made an indelible mark on life in the town and beyond.

Friends and former colleagues joined family of the late Monica Gallagher at her funeral mass in Ennis Cathedral yesterday.

Mrs Gallagher, a mother of six, passed away following illness on Saturday, August 23. A former teacher at Coláiste Muire secondary school in Ennis, Mrs Gallagher was actively involved in a number of charities, community and sporting organisations.

She was one of the founding members of the Clare branch of the Samaritans and was actively involved in the Clare Daffodil Day committee. She was associated with the Sláinte an Chláir cancer support centre and worked with St Patrick’s pre-school for children with special needs.

She was a former lady captain at Ennis Golf Club and was heavily involved alongside her husband Hugh, with the Ennis Players.

Supporters of the annual Daffodil Day fundraiser, along with former captains of Ennis Golf Club, performed a guard of honour outside Ennis Cathedral yesterday.

Ennis Golf Club also remained closed for a time yesterday as a mark of respect to the Gallagher family.

At her funeral service, Fr Jerry Carey told mourners that Monica’s life brought her on myriad journeys and into contact with many people.

“Each of us was held dearly by her and I trust she too was held dearly by us,” he said. “She revelled in irreverence. She revelled in reverence by its very self; such was her stand on the take of life. Monica knew only generosity…she had the ability to enable others to be generous, learning that through generosity, happiness could be reached,” Fr Carey added.

Fr Carey told mourners that Mrs Gallagher was a woman who climbed the heights of the Alps, the hills and valleys of New Zealand, walked the Great Wall of China and did the Camino pilgrimage.

He continued, “She won her hearts because she had no limits. Her horizons were fabulous.”

She will be sadly missed by husband Hugh and children Siobhan, Hugh (Jnr), Sinead, David, Paul and the late Fergus, brother Seamus, sister Eugenie (Murphy), grandchildren, daughter in law, sisters in law, brothers in law, nieces and nephews, relatives and friends.

FRIENDS of a Polish man who died in tragic circumstances in Ennis earlier this year turned out in large numbers on Friday night to celebrate his memory.

Over 80 people attended a memorial soccer match in Ballycasey between an international selection of players and local club Rineanna Rovers.

The charity match was held in memory of the late Robert Godzisz.

Mr Godzisz, a factory worker who lived in Ennis since 2005, died following a suspected suicide in Ennis in June, four days before his 33rd birthday.

The father of one was a popular figure and respected figure in the community and was known for his love of soccer. He was actively involved in anti-racism campaigns and through his association with the Clare Intercultural Network, helped found the Ennis International soccer team.

Robert worked at the Organic Lens factory in Ennis.

A total of 52 players: Irish, Polish, Slovakian, French and Filipino – all united by soccer and their friendship with Robert – were involved in the game on Friday, which was organised by the Robert’s former club Rineanna Rovers.

Marcin Piotrowski, a friend and former work colleague of Robert, said the purpose of the game was to raise money to cover soccer fees for Robert’s 11-year-old son in Poland.

“From now on every year we are going to play a memorial game,” Marcin explained.

Marcin said he hoped the game would also help highlight the issue of suicide and generate discussion on how it can be addressed.

“In the last few months, two Polish people took their own lives. Our community is shocked about it because everyone knows them well. There are around 2,000 Polish people here in Clare and we all know each other well. People are quite close. For everyone, it was quite a shock. That’s the reason why people are trying to help as much as possible,” he said.

“He was a very important member of our community, always in- volved in soccer, in preparation of the games and building international teams, fighting against racism,” said Marcin of his friend.

A MAN has appeared in court charged in connection with a robbery in Ennis town centre last month.

James Connors (20), who is originally from the Shannon area, appeared before Ennis District Court yesterday.

Mr Connors, who is stated of being of no fixed abode, is accused of committing a robbery at Riverwalk, Woodquay, Ennis, on July 22. He is alleged to have robbed a HTC 1 mobile phone worth € 600 from a man.

He initially was brought before Ennis District Court earlier this month and the case came back before Judge Grainne O’Neill yesterday.

Garda Inspector John O’Sullivan told Judge O’Neill that an issue concerning an address for Mr Connors had to be resolved for bail to be finalised.

Judge O’Neill rose for a few minutes to allow gardaí check out the address supplied by Mr Connors.

When the case resumed, Insp O’Sullivan said the address – given in court as Caherdavin Meadows, Old Cratloe Road, Limerick – was acceptable to gardaí.

Mr Connors was granted bail sub- ject to a number of conditions.

He was ordered to reside at the stated address; sign on at Henry Street Garda Station in Limerick and observe a curfew between the hours of 12 midnight and 8am.

Mr Connors was ordered not to have any contact with the alleged victim or witnesses in the case.

He was further ordered to stay out of Ennis except for court appearances and pre-arranged consultations with his solicitor.

Defence solicitor Tara Godfrey requested the conditions be amended to allow her client collect a social welfare payment in Ennis.

She said Mr Connors is currently in the process of transferring collection of his dole money from Ennis to Limerick.

Insp O’Sullivan said this was acceptable to the gardaí. Judge O’Neill granted bail and remanded Mr Connors on bail to appear again at Ennis District Court on September.

Addressing the accused, she told Mr Connors that any breach of bail would be treated by the court as a serious matter.

Judge O’Neill warned Mr Connors that if he were to breach the terms of his bail, he could be brought back to court and potentially be taken into custody.

THE Employments Appeal Tribunal (EAT) has found that a council foreman who allegedly threatened to set himself alight in a work van four years ago was unfairly dismissed.

Awarding Joseph Floyd Snr, Lower Main Street, Tulla, € 30,000 for unfair dismissal, the EAT also found that the Clare County Council employee was not given sufficient notice of his dismissal and awarded him just over € 4,000.

Clare County Council can appeal the finding to the Circuit Court.

While the EAT ordered the council to pay Mr Floyd compensation it ruled out his reinstatement.

On May 13, 2010, local gardaí assisted by the armed Garda Emergency Response Unit, and the Fire Service were called to the incident at Feakle during which Mr Floyd had a petrol can and lighter with him in his van, while he protested against the outsourcing of council work to sub-contractors.

In the course of the hearing, the council gave evidence that the fore- man threatened to set himself and council property alight, leading to a lot of concern for his, and others’, safety.

Mr Floyd challenged this later claim in the tribunal.

The tribunal also heard that a letter was given to Mr Floyd during the stand off ass“uring him his job was safe.

Clare County Council official Leonard Cleary said he issued a letter “under duress” and “this formula of words used worked to save a life”.

He added that a union official on site during the “difficult and volatile situation” had seen the letter and was aware of the situation.

The day after the incident Joseph Floyd presented to work at Clare County Council, but was placed on administrative leave “for health and safety reasons and for his own well being”.

Mr Floyd then spoke to the local radio station Clare FM. Later that day Mr Floyd was informed by letter that he was suspended from work and an internal council investigation got underway.

In September 2011, the council told Mr Floyd that he was dismissed after finding him guilty of three charges of gross misconduct.

Mr Floyd appealed the findings and an unfair dismissal hearing as well as a hearing into failure to give minimum notice was heard over four days during dates on June 2013, October 2013, February 2014 and May 2014.

The tribunal satisfied itself that the claimant’s employment ended on 6 September, 2011, when he was dismissed without notice but the tribunal was not satisfied that a dismissal without notice was justified.

“The claimant had more than the 15 years’ service required to seek the maximum minimum notice award of eight weeks’ gross pay,” the three-person tribunal found.

The tribunal also found it unfair that the council found Mr Floyd guilty of serious insubordination, as he had not been charged with that.

“There was a lack of evidence to substantiate the charge of bringing the name of the council into disrepute. The tribunal was not satisfied that this charge was sufficiently proven to warrant dismissal.”

THE drinking water ban was finally lifted in Kildysart after four weeks and the people of Corofin and Ruan can once again use the water from their taps following a one-week ban.

Approximately 1,500 people were affected by the water restrictions imposed on July 29, by Clare County Council, acting as agents on behalf of Irish Water.

A further 1,800 were affected when a similar ban was imposed in Corofin town and its environs, Ruan village and the area served by the Killeen Group Water Scheme on August 14.

While the Killeen scheme is still not considered safe, customers are now being provided their water from the Dysart-Toonagh Group Water Scheme and Ennis Public Water Supply Scheme.

On Friday, following consultation with the HSE, the council confirmed the removal of drinking water restrictions that were affecting 3,300 customers in Kildysart, Coolmeen, Corofin and Ruan.

Kildysart Public Water Supply scheme had been advised as a precautionary measure that water on the scheme was not suitable for drinking due to the discolouration of the water caused by increased Manganese levels.

“However, extensive testing of the water provided by the Kildysart Public Water Supply scheme has shown that the water being supplied continues to meet the drinking water standards. All water restrictions have been lifted as a result,” a council spokes- person said.

Likewise water from the Kileen Group Water Scheme was not suitable for drinking due to the presence of an algal bloom in Inchiquin Lake.

“While water quality on the scheme has not improved sufficiently to warrant a lifting of restrictions, Clare County Council has confirmed that customers in the affected area are now being provided with an alternative supply via the Dysart-Toonagh Group Water Scheme and Ennis Public Water Supply Scheme. All water restrictions have been lifted as a result,” a spokesperson said.

“Inchiquin Lake meanwhile, remains closed to the public as is not suitable for recreational purposes. Signage has been erected notifying the public of the ongoing closure at the lake.”

THE people of Doolin have heralded the beginning of a new era following the opening of a new sea rescue centre in the village last week.

The € 1.8 million facility, which became operation last week but will not be officially opened for a number of months, has been the subject of intense local campaigning over the last 20 year.

Operator of Doolin Cave, John Browne, yesterday welcomed the new centre – describing the conditions in the old facility as “crazy”.

“It is such a necessary facility, the old situation that the coast guard was forced into was crazy – trying to get a boat down Fishers Street in an emergency,” he said.

“They [the coast guard volunteers] are such an important part of this community. It is important that they have the proper facilities to do their work.”

The new centre was also welcomed by Eugene Garrihy of Doolin2Aran Ferries.

“The facility is of huge importance to the work carried out by those brave men and women. In our ferries, it is a massive comfort to us to know that we have a back-up in the event that anything goes wrong,” he said.

“The coast guard have been waiting for this facility for some time now and any help that this could be for them and their work is very welcome. It brings to mind the great work that people like Mattie Shannon and Thomas Doherty have been doing for years, but also the men that came before them.”

THE construction of a new rescue centre at Doolin will help save lives by improving response times by the Doolin Unit of the Irish Coast Guard.

The centre, which was built at a cost of € 1.8 million, is large enough for all materials owned by the coastguard to be stored in one place, which will cut response times in emergency situations.

The new building, which will become fully operational this week, was due to be officially opened in October of this year but it is now understood that an opening ceremony will not take place until March of 2015.

“This will make it much more ef- ficient for us, all the equipment is in the one place so when the team comes there will be no searching around for equipment or anything everyone knows where it will be. It will take a few days to straighten it out and get everything in place but at the same time it will all now be in the one building and that’s what is important,” said Mattie Shannon of the Doolin Unit of the Irish Coast Guard.

“It will make us faster, especially for boat launches and emergency situations. Then as well when they [the volunteers] come back there will be more comfort. There will be changing rooms and bathrooms and showers and a proper area to wash down the boat.

“All the volunteers have been in over the past week, they have been transporting equipment from the various places that we store it, and there is still more to be done. The volunteers are working away, fitting out different systems like the wifi and things like that. We are still waiting for the communication aerial to be erected for the VHF radios and the paging system, they are going in this week. At that stage we will be fully operational.

“We are delighted to be moved in. We launched our first boat from the new centre last week and we have launched three times already. It’s a fantastic place and it’s going well.”