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THE people of Kilmurry Ibrickane are planning to buy the election, and the news is unlikely to lead to any controversy or tribunal.

The plan is all legal and above board – as the election is the local mayoral election and buying the position 1s all part of the fundraising for the Leon XII celebrations later this year.

The Leon Committee in Quilty are moving full steam ahead with a number of projects in the run up to the centenary celebrations of the Leon XIII rescue.

The main event of the year, the Leon festival, will be held during the last weekend in September. One of the highlights of the festival will be

the open currach racing competition, with teams from Connemara and Kerry providing strong competition for the local crews who are practic- ing hard. Some of the local people, including their priest, never even sat in acurrach before they started train- ing for the event.

Another part of the build up to the festival is the Mayor of Kilmurry Ibrickane and Deputy Mayor “elec- tion”.

Once elected both dignitaries will act as the official representatives of the area for the centenary year.

With attendance of other dignitaries from far and wide already confirmed for the festival, the new mayor and deputy will be responsible for pro- viding the Céad Mile Failte.

The Leon Committee are now look- ing for nominations for the office.

All nominations are to be placed in the official nomination boxes by April 15. The nomination forms and nomination boxes are located in shops in Kilmurry Ibrickane and anyone can enter.

Once nominated the candidates must buy their way into office, with the help of friends and generous pa- triots.

The “election” will be decided by the number of tickets each candi- date sells for the June Bank Holiday weekend fundraiser in the Quilty Tavern.

The candidate who sells the most tickets will be elected the Mayor of Kilmurry Ibrickane for one year.

A comedian and live music have been lined up for the fundraiser on June 2, before the mayor is presented with the chain of office.

The official mayoral candidates will be announced in the local media and will start selling tickets as early as April 16. The funds raised will go towards the running costs of the OORT Ee

Full details are available from members of the Leon Committee or on official nomination forms in- Store.

THE people of Kilrush and west Clare have raised €4,500 for Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin after a local boy spent months recovering in the hospital’s leLerwermbnsy Le

Kyle Carmody suffered severe burns last November when his pyja- mas caught fire while playing in his Kilrush home.

More than 12 per cent of the five year-olds little body was burnt, in- cluding half of his chest and under his arm as a result of the accident.

The brave little boy endured treat- ments, which included the removal

of the burnt skin and skin grafts, be- fore being discharged from hospital POM EVILUE Dae

As a result of his treatment and care, Kyle’s parents Flan and Tanya wanted to give something back to the hospital, and organised a fundraiser for Sunday, March 25.

The couple have been amazed by the support that the fundraiser re- ceived and will now donate €3,500 to St Ann’s ward in the Burns Unit at the children’s hospital.

The remaining €1,000 is to be do- nated to the hospital’s physiotherapy Weenie

“We would like to thank all the people who supported the event and

thank people for the wonderful spot prizes,’ said Flan.

He paid tribute to local artists Patrick Roche and Morgan Roughan who gave their services free of charge at the special fundraiser held in Tubridy’s Bar Cooraclare.

‘People are great, there is so much going on and they still support this,” he said.

The relieved father also paid trib- ute to the treatment his son received, and the dedicated professionals that continue to help the young boy back to health.

‘We have seen first hand the serv- ice Kyle got. No money could buy that service. Nurses don’t get paid

half enough,” he added.

‘Doctors and nurses can only work with what they have. From the time he got burnt in Kilrush, we saw how fast they can work with what they have.

‘People that do this work see it as a job, but for parents like Tanya and I, it means a lot to us. That is why we like to do something to give some- thing back.”

Kyle has returned to school in the Gaelscoil. He has his dressings changed three times a week and con- tinues to have regular physiotherapy.

Kyle’s parents continue to sing the praises of the medical staff in Ennis, Crumlin and now in Kilrush.

Wer WYONE Le there are a lot of representatives from the community on the Doonbeg Community Development Company it was important that everyone was

asked to give their views.

“In order to keep ideas fresh we need to go back to the people to get a broad sense of the issues,” she said.

“T think it 1s important that people have their say. There will be other issues that we won’t be aware of or haven’t thought of.”

She said that this was the ideal op- portunity to present the issues to the election candidates.

The PRO said it was also important that the potential TDs saw that there was an active community group, which was “a catalyst for ideas and a vehicle for delivering projects”.

The availability of such a group would ensure that grants could be located to the area for use on com- munity projects.

Among the issues already raised in the growing and changing communi- ty is the future planning and develop- ment of a rural community.

“We now have large housing estates and we need to be aware of their af- fect on a small community. It is very difficult for a community group. We want the community to survive and grow and at the same time it can’t be over run because the services aren’t there and the community spirit could be lost.”

McInerney said that concerns have been raised regarding holiday homes and the need to cater for the people that live in the area all year around.

A number of the issues raised to date have been unique to Doonbeg, but many others reflect concerns in

communities across Ireland.

Included is the need to protect the local post office and its service and the work of the FAS community em- ployment scheme.

“We want to be proactive, rather than reactive,’ she said. Anyone wishing to contribute to the docu- ment can do so by submitting his or her ideas in writing to the Doonbeg Community Development office lo- cated in the Community Centre be- fore April 18. “We will try to encom- pass aS much as we can,” said Ms McInerney.

The “manifesto” will be sent to all the Clare candidates and distributed to all the houses in the community. The candidates will then be invited to meet the community.

HIKING boots are being dusted off all over the county in preparation for two highest profile walking events of the place in north Clare over the Lovee nesta eE hace

First up is the fifth Annual Dun- leavy Walk which takes place in Doolin on Sunday April 15, while just seven days later walkers from the Burren Chernobyl Project have their fundraiser in Liscannor.

Work is ongoing in six Ukrainian hospitals where children and adults effected by the Chernobyl nuclear disaster receive life changing help from the Ennistymon based project.

New initiatives this year include a

programme allowing effected chil- dren to leave the orphanages and re- turn home while another sees groups of trained physiotherapists travel to help the children regain some physi- cal mobility.

“At the moment we have 300 chil- dren in Gorodishche and we are feeding them with yoghurt and fruits. They never get out so it is important for them to get the vitamins,’ said Carmel Mescall of the Burren Cher- nobyl] Project.

“It cost €1,000 to buy nappies for the children each month. The money raised helps to organise volunteers to travel from Ireland and help. There is also the Special Olympics Summer Camp who are a group of physios

trained at the time of the Special Ol- ympics in Ireland.

“They go over and work with the children and help them with their mobility. It’s really great that some- thing good like the Special Olympics can go on producing another good thing like this.”

Besides the work at Gorodishche, the Burren Chernobyl Project also helps 200 children at Cherven, 500 adults at Cylb, 300 adults at Tarasik1, 300 adults at Cosovo and 400 adults at Yazouk1.

“In the future we are looking at running workshops for special needs children and their families,’ contin- ued Carmel. “We feel the way for- ward is to get the children back into

their own homes and give them day care support.

‘They can get the support and en- couragement of their families while the parents can still work during the CP haat

For more information on sponsor- ship cards contact 7071130.

Meanwhile, The Dunleavy Spon- sored walk will take to the road this weekend in Doolin. The walk will begin at lpm this Sunday, April 15, at the Russell Community Centre in Doolin.

Walkers can choose from walks of three or five miles and refreshment and entertainment will be available for all participants at the centre after Woe

ENNISTYMON will play host to a very special musical event next week as America’s foremost high school orchestra pay an historic visit to north Clare to perform a one-off concert.

Muinnesota’s Moorhead High School will offer young and old the unique chance to experience the very best of classical and contemporary music when it’s 50 piece wind ensemble takes to the stage at the Falls Hotel next Monday, April 16.

This is one of only two Irish con- certs for the touring orchestra,

with all proceeds going to Ennisty- mon’s Mol an Oige Steiner Primary School.

“A few months ago I was contacted by a person from Hibernia Ireland organisation who had heard about the school and wanted to help. She mentioned that the ensemble were coming and offered them to play in Ennistymon free of charge,” said Roisin Garvey of Mol an Oige.

“Tt will be really great for young people to be able to come along and experience this concert. Adults get to go and see concerts all the time and this is organised to take place at seven to allow young people to come

along.

“We have contacted all the national schools in the area and hopefully as lot of children will come along. It would be a real thrill for them to see this live music, especially when it is being played by other young people. It is a real coup to get them here, be- sides Ennistymon they are only play- ing in Dublin.

“Fundraising is so important for the future of the school. At the moment it is paying three full time teachers without any support for the Depart- ment of Education. We began last year with 11 students and now it is up to 41. The school caters for everyone,

we have children in every class and are fully compliant with the new pri- mary school curriculum. The wind ensemble has toured and competed in music festivals all over the United States, Canada and attended music schools throughout Austria and Ger- many. The ensemble will perform under the direction of Douglas C Engstrom who has been Musical Di- rected at Moorhead since 1976.

Tickets, at a cost of €12 are avail- able from The Falls Hotel, Unglerts Bakery, Sergeant Pepper’s Sandwich Bar and Custy’s Music Shop in Ennis or call 086 1043528 for more infor- mation.

A KILLALOE-BASED – architect looks set to join the general election race in Clare to highlight shortcom- ings in the planning system.

Garry Miley said yesterday: “The time has come I believe, to make a stand. The planning system at the moment is not democratic.”

Some of the faults that Mr Miley pointed out were long delays, inaccu- rate recording of issues discussed at pre-planning consultations, planning applications being invalidated for trivial reasons and inconsistencies in eleLortSloyem eared enerce

In his online blog, Mr Miley said that he was approached by a Dublin based group, including an independ- ent councillor and some of his col-

leagues, that wondered “if I might be interested in running for Dail Eire- ann on a ‘planning’ ticket in the up- coming election”.

Mr Miley said that Clare was an obvious place to run because it was a “four seat constituency with no star performers”.

“It’s my experience that the average people of Clare are more motivated by planning matters than anywhere else in the country, which means there’s a ready-made market for the message,” he said.

He added that it was “doable” to gain a Clare seat because Fine Gael had gained a seat in the last election with just 4,500 first preference votes and some transfers.

“The quota in Clare is, I think, around ten thousand but Fine Gael

managed to pick up their single seat in the last election with only 4,500 first preference votes and a bunch of transfers.

“Now, I can think of at least 4,500 people living in County Clare with a grievance about the planning system. Some decent transfers is all 1t would take.

“Manageable, I think, if you con- sider all the architects, engineers, planners (in private practice) build- ers, homeowners and developers across the county who’d easily pro- vide a match for the big party organi- See B (OD eon

Mr Miley said that he hoped some- one would run on the planning issue.

“If push does come to shove and no one else comes forward I will stand.”

TWO east Clare organisations have been awarded cash from the De- partment of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs under the Pro- gramme of Grants for Locally Based Community and Voluntary Organi- sations 2006.

The grants of €5,100 for the Scar- iff-based Alpha Project and €1,812 for the East Clare Community Co-op were announced by Minister Tony Kileen, who said that “it 1s impor-

tant that the voluntary effort of lo- cal community groups throughout County Clare is recognised.”

The Alpha Project aims to provide education for adolescents whose needs are not best met by the conven- tional exam-based system.

The 15 participants in the pro- gramme take part in hands-on learn- ing with projects such as building a Yurt – a traditional hut-style shelter – for use as a chemistry lab as there wasn’t room in the project’s accom- modation to practice chemistry.

By doing so, they not only got to study chemistry but learned the nec- essary physics to construct the dwell- ing properly.

A spokeswoman for the project said they are “delighted to get the grant. We don’t as yet get funding from the department so this will be important for buying equipment and training.”

On the list of things likely to be bought with the grant money are sewing machines, and equipment for physics and chemistry.

The project has 15 students and

next year, it’s hoped that 15 younger adolescents will come on board.

Of the first intake of students to eraduate from the alternative learn- ing system, all have gone on to some further form of education or training, including Leaving Cert studies and FETAC courses.

The other east Clare grant went to the East Clare Community Co-op, an umbrella organisation for communi- ty groups based in Scariff. The co-op could not be contacted for comment PLO OUI B DO Blom

THE CHERRYTREE’S Chef de Cuisine, Mark Anderson, was one of a chosen few to take part in a top cookery competition last week.

The chef who has been delighting diners on the shores of Lough Derg in Killaloe/Ballina, was short-list- ed in the hugely popular Féile Bia Chef’s Competition 2007.

Mark was chosen from the 40 en- tries that were received. The aim of the competition is to encourage chefs to support artisan producers by sourcing the maximum of authentic and freshly available produce and highlighting this on the menus.

As part of the competition, profes- sional chefs were asked to submit a copy of their restaurant menu.

The six shortlisted chefs from all over Ireland took part in a cook-off in Athlone, Co. Westmeath.

Mark’s dish of choice for the com- petition was noisette and chop of spring lamb, wild mushroom boudin, Shallot ‘tarte tartin’, slow roasted garlic puree pomme fondant with tarragon infused jus.

The dishes were reviewed by the judging panel which consisted of food writers Marilyn Bright and Georgina Campbell, Lorcan Cribbin, Commissioner General, Eurotoques Ireland and Maire Dufficy, Bord Bia Food Advisor.

Mark Donohue, the head chef in The Oak Room Restaurant, Adare Manor was the winner on the night but the Cherrytree chef said it was a “very enjoyable experience” to have

been shortlisted to take part. This was not the first time that Mark was shortlisted. “It’s always good to see what other people are doing in their restaurants,’ he said.

As a member of the Bord Bia group of restaurants, The Cherrytree is committed to using the best of lo- cally produced produce wherever possible.

“We’re committed to using quality Irish products. That was our inten- tion from the start. We source local products as much as possible and all our meat is traceable. If you order lamb, I can tell you what field it was grazing in,’ said Mark.

And, he added, the restaurant 1s fortunate to be based in east Clare, where there are increasing numbers of producers growing and farming

organically and selling their produce on.

The Cherry Tree Restaurant was opened by proprietor Harry MckK- eogh in February 2000 and Mark has been with the establishment since its opening.

He won the ‘Georgina Campbell Chef of the Year’ Award in 2006 and together with his team in the kitchen, Mark changes his menus monthly to use the best of local ingredients, many of them organic.

Mark, 33, is originally from Clon- mel, County Tipperary.

A FISH which is threatened with extinction, could be saved by a new plan to increase its numbers in Lough DOyse

The humble Pollan could repay the favour by breeding in large enough numbers to make the lake more at- tractive to anglers.

The scientific co-ordinator of the study, Dr Fran Igoe, a marine bi- Ologist with the Shannon Regional

Fisheries board says a new scheme will try to solve why stocks of once plentiful Pollan in Lough Derg have declined.

If the Tipperary Leader Group car- rying out the research are successful, “it will hopefully restore the once ac- tive Pollan commercial fishery in the lough”, Dr Igoe said.

The fish species is found only in Ire- land’s five large lakes, and stocks in Lough Derg, Lough Ree and Lough Erne have seriously declined.

The situation has become so bad that a Local Area Species Action Plan has been drawn up by the Clare Biodiversity Forum.

Dr Igoe explained that the neces- sary steps include investigations into the possible impact of hydro-power, pollution and non-native organisms on fish numbers.

Eleven angling clubs which use the lakes and the Lough Derg Sub-Aqua club will be supporting the research.

“This is very significant as there is

no other animal except perhaps the Irish hare, that comes close to this kind of uniqueness when it comes to our wildlife heritage in Ireland’, said Dr Igoe.

Competition for food, the impact of water quality and a study to see where the fish spawn will all be part of the investigation.

Universities in Ireland and Canada as well as experts with the Irish Char Conservation group will be working with personnel involved in the study.

ENNISMAN Noel Moloney, a re- gional manager with Trocaire in Af- rica, has thanked the people of his hometown for their continued sup- port of Trdcaire’s Lenten campaign.

This year’s campaign highlights the agency’s work supporting equal rights for women and men in the de-

veloping world.

“Statistics show that 70 per cent of those living in poverty worldwide are women,’ said Noel, “while in Africa women produce 80 per cent of the food from agriculture but earn only ten per cent of the income. If we don’t support equal rights for women and men in the developing world, we have no chance of eradicating pov-

erty. Trocaire’s work helps women to have a voice, to earn an income and to become more independent.’ ‘“Trocaire has received fantastic feedback from people in Clare again this year,’ continued Noel. “The amount of work that goes on behind the scenes by clergy, parish workers and teachers is phenomenal and can never be underestimated. Their com-

mitment to Trocaire’s Lenten cam- paign every year is crucial”.

Trocaire boxes can be returned to any Catholic church around the country. Donors returning their con- tributions by post are asked to send cheques or money orders to Trocaire, Maynooth, County Kildare.

Call 1850 408 408 or log on to www.lent.ie for further information.