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THE most important thing about gardening is to begin.

Once you start to dig the soil, sow a seed, plant a plant or tend to nature in any way you are embarking ona journey that can lead to unexpected places. In many ways it is a journey within. When you are pottering in the garden, tidying and tending, embarking on a project or harvest- ing the fruits of your labour, you can feel at one with yourself and the universe. When you dig the soil you ANucm DOMOUD Kee meOynle-lMmy alee ser-lMmyyen(ee| nurtures and sustains us. There is no better way to get connected to the goodness and the bounty of the earth that I know of. And the results can be spectacular. Not just in the sense of peace and calm satisfaction that pervades the body and mind but in the abundant generosity of nature in her gifts of colour, form and taste.

So, how to begin? The first thing to say is that it’s easy; seeds and plants want to grow; all they need is a chance. So don’t be afraid, give it a go and see the results. There is something amazing about sowing a seed and witnessing its first green shoot piercing the soil and emerging into the light. Truly it is a miracle, and it happens all the time – even without our help.

Start small. A garden should be a pleasure not a burden. You can al-

ways expand. Pick a few seed pack- ets that you fancy. I would always encourage everyone to grow a few flowers. They are so easy and give us such joy. To begin with, annuals (ie they flower and go to seed in one year) are a good choice; Calendula (Marigold), with its beautiful bright orange and yellow heads, would cheer anybody up.

Nasturtiums are also good value, sprawling and crawling with their beautiful edible leaves and flow- ers to fill any vacant space. There is Cosmos to tower over them all summer long in their willowy grace and, of course, Sweet Pea to climb up a fence or a pole and provide a gorgeous aroma. To finish it off, if you have the space, poppies are easy to grow and self-seed abundantly, and sun-flowers (while needing a lit- tle more care) will reward you with a stunning display. They also attract beneficial insects to help keep your garden pest and disease free.

Apart from their beauty, all these flowers are easy to grow. You can start them in a tray or a pot of compost in early spring, say April or May, on a bright window sill inside, and plant them out once the danger of a hard frost 1s past. Or, even easier, once the soil has warmed up outside, say May or June, sow them directly in rows in a garden bed and transplant them to their final position once they have germinated

and are established. Be sure to water them well before you lift them care- fully with a fork, and water them into their new positions.

So there you have a beautiful flower garden which will flower throughout the summer and into the autumn, especially if you pick the flowers regularly. As a bonus it is easy to save the seed from these flowers for planting in subsequent years. You only have to buy the seed once and then you have them for Nate

Now for food plants. Again, start small. Even a window-box and a few pots can provide an abundance of leafy greens and herbs to enliven and season your meals. Once you begin to eat them from your own garden there is no turning back.

There is nothing like fresh, vi- brant, tasty, succulent and flavour- some vegetables harvested from your own garden. That is just the taste, let alone the wonderful feeling of pride and achievement you get from growing some of your own food and being, in some small way, self-reliant. Then there’s the treats for the belly.

Your body knows what’s good for it and once it gets sufficient expo- sure to real food; food that is grown in a live organic soil, food that is full of health and vigour and life- giving forces, there is no going back to the dead stuff; food that has been

poisoned, pumped up, irradiated and bred for a long shelf-life.

So be warned, you are embark- ing on an anarchic journey when you plant a seed. Salad greens are a good place to start. They are easy, quick, look beautiful and taste delicious. Because we eat them raw they are a particularly important and nutritious food.

There is no harm in having some ordinary lettuce such as a Cos-type, loose-leaf or Iceberg mixed in as well. A few Nasturtium flowers thrown in adds colour and the leaves add a peppery taste. Other easy-to- erow vegetables for beginner gar- deners include peas, beans, potatoes, cabbages, kale, beetroot, parsnip, swede, turnip, onions, radish and carrots.

Most of these can be sown thinly, in the positions where you want them to grow, once the soil has warmed up and been cleared of weeds. Then you can thin them, to the spacing they require, when they get big enough to handle. Thinnings of young plants often make lovely snacks early on in the year, they are extra-sweet and succulent.

Another way is to begin some seeds inside in trays or pots of soil or compost on a bright window sill. | QT om daTereemeslOmMm ns sloe MU sloAa IE hVc reached a good size and the danger of frosts is past, transplant them out- side in their growing position. Water

them in well.

Frost-sensitive plants, such as tomatoes, peppers, aubergines, pumpkins and courgettes respond well to this treatment and then you don’t always need a greenhouse or polytunnel to grow them on. Some of the varieties we grow at Seed Savers have been selected for their ability to ripen outside in an aver- age Irish summer, such as Stupice, Marcel and Aurora tomatoes, the Ebisu pumpkin (the creamiest one I’ve ever had the good fortune to eat), and the Healthy Pepper (better in the warmer south of the country).

SO go on, get a window-box or cultivate a piece of ground. Begin with a few seeds. Look after them and they will return your care many times over. When you pick those flowers or harvest your own vegeta- bles you will get a warm, satisfying (even Self righteous) feeling inside. When you cook the food and share it with friends you will be glad.

ENNIS Chamber of Commerce has urged the Government to make em- ployment legislation more _ under- standable and accessible to small businesses.

The call came as Minister for La- bour Affairs Tony Killeen launched the Code of Practice for Employer and Employees on the Prevention and Resolution of Bullying at Work.

The code is an update of the Health And Safety Authority’s existing code of practice, bringing it in line with

the 2005 Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Act.

The Act requires employers to manage work activities in such a way so as to prevent, as far as reasonably possible, improper conduct or be- haviour at work.

The code will come into practice on May 1. Launching it during the week, the minister said the code, “emphasises that the best place to deal with a complaint of bullying is at the level of the company work- place. A significant element of the code places an emphasis on the reso-

lution of incidents of bullying using an informal process and professional mediation services.”

The code explains what bullying means and deals with the responsi- bilities of employers and employees to prevent or resolve it. It also reflects the legal requirement that employ- ers carry out a risk assessment and where bullying is identified as a haz- ard, they ensure that it is included in the safety statement.

Welcoming the publication of the code, Ennis chamber chief execu- tive, Rita McInerney, said that it was

essential that workplace bullying be tackled.

But she added that it was to be hoped that the code was presented in a way which could be understood and incorporated into businesses jo e-le18 (een

“There is such a a high amount of new legislation coming out and it needs to be communicated and de- livered in a consumable fashion,’ she said.

Such is the confusion among busi- ness people about interpreting leg- islation which they are obliged to

implement that the chamber has run courses for its members on under- standing employment legislation.

The code also provides guidance on identifying bullying and gives advice on how to prepare an anti-bullying policy for the workplace.

The code requires all employees and employers to be vigilant of their own behaviours. promotes a “sys- temic and robust method for dealing with cases of bullying as the best way to prevent the behaviour being re- peated and reduce the health effects for those who have been bullied”.

FARMERS are being urged to look to the sea to insure their future pros- perity as a special conference hosted by the IFA last week pointed to the possibilities rewards to be gained through fish farming.

The conference, which took place in Enfield on Wednesday, also heard calls for the Government to take steps to maximise the farmed sea- food market.

IFA President Padraig Walshe, opening the conference, pointed out that recent developments had opened many opportunities for the industry.

“The Seafood Strategy report, pro- duced by Dr Noel Cawley, was the

result of a comprehensive process of dialogue and interaction with in- dustry, which a united body like IFA was able to engage in fully,” he said.

“I am pleased to see that there are 39 key IFA proposals in the final document, which is proof of the hard work put in by the respective salmon, freshwater and shellfish committees within the organisation.

“The fact that our campaign has led to a direct increase in public invest- ment supports to the sector from just over €30 million in the last NDP to over €100 million in the next one, 1s a key victory.

“Specific items proposed by IFA have been included, such as a dis- aster contingency fund, seed capital

arrangements for new businesses, a review of the licensing system and provisions for collective actions.” With only one in three fish on Irish plates coming from farmed stock, the IFA is calling on the Government to give priority to planning, invest- ment and marketing to those wishing to enter the fish farming sector. “The next crucial step is translating those proposals into action. IFA will play its full part in the implementa- tion of the strategy,’ he continued. “We see the strategy comprising four key action areas for the aqua- culture sector; the NDP investment and aid provisions, which IFA will work on with BIM and Udaras na Gaeltachta to translate into an Op-

erational Programme; the R and D priorities for issues such as biotox- ins and new species which IFA will work on with the Marine Institute under their “Sea Change” strategy; the licensing review, which IFA will work on with the Department to complete in 2007 through the Min- ister’s Aquaculture Forum and the Communications Programme, which IFA will draw up with BIM and im- plement as soon as possible.”

Others to speak at the conference included Donal Maguire of BIM, IFA Aquaculture Executive Secre- tary Richie Flynn, Marine Institute CEO Dr Peter Heffernan and RTE’s Marine Correspondent, Tom Mc- Sweeney.

MORE potential problems for farm- ers in relation to the N18& Ennis by-pass emerged this week as lo- cal farming leaders put pressure on Clare County Council over what they described as roadside fencing. During a meeting with Clare Coun- ty Council officials the chairperson of the IFA in Clare, Seamus Murphy, expressed his concern for motorists if the problem is not rectified in the

near future.

“Under the terms of the National Roads Agreement which was negoti- ated by IFA with the National Roads Authority, all local authorities are required to construct ‘stock-proof’ fencing,’ said Mr Murphy.

“However much of the fencing along the new motorway remains unfinished and a significant number of gates still have to be erected.

“As the grass grazing season starts again many farmers are about to let

their livestock out in the fields. Clare County Council must immediately inspect all roadside fencing and gen- eral accommodation works and en- sure all livestock are fenced in and motorists using the new N18 Ennis by-pass are not put in danger.”

This is not the first standoff be- tween Clare IFA and Clare County Council over work on the bypass. Earlier this years a group from the farming organisation met with rep- resentatives from the local authority

and the main contractors, GAMA Construction, to discuss a number of farms which had been flooded as a result of run off waters from the by- eee

The main section of the Ennis bypass opened earlier this year, on budget and ahead of schedule. The rest of the project, including link roads into different parts of the town, are due for completion this week to meet the project deadline of April ae

THE vote by staff at Shannon Air- port to accept the airport authority’s restructuring deal has been widely welcomed.

The Clare County Development Board described the result of the bal- lot by SIPTU members as a, “defin- ing moment for the future develop- ment of the local airport”.

The ballot followed last month’s agreement reached between airport trade unions and management.

Councillor Patricia McCarthy (Ind) acknowledged that 200 jobs would go

under the restructuring plan.

“T am confident that these jobs will be compensated for by the new serv- ice providers at the airport,” said Cllr McCarthy, Cathaoirleach of the County Development Board.

Tom Coughlan, Director of the board said that it looked forward to working with the Shannon Airport Authority to promote Shannon Air- port.

“With passenger numbers last year of 3.6 million, the County Develop- ment Board sees ongoing investment in the development of the airport as critical in determining the growth

potential of County Clare and the entire Shannon region. Shannon In- ternational Airport is at the heart of the success of the Atlantic Corridor and is fundamental to its potential to deliver innovation, economic growth, and a competitive industrial and tour- ism base,” he said.

Limerick Chamber of Commerce also welcomed the result. Chief Ex- ecutive, Maria Kelly said that with the advent of Open Skies, it had “become even more critical that the Airport reduces their cost base to be- come more competitive and attract new business”.

Shannon Airport management and the Dublin Airport Authority were among the first to react to the news on the vote. It will allow savings of €10m annually for the airport.

Shannon Airport Authority Execu- tive Chairman, Pat Shanahan said the acceptance was the “next step to en- suring Shannon Airport has a viable platform from which to grow. I would like to acknowledge the commitment shown by staff representatives”.

He added that the “implementation of the programme is vital if Shannon Airport is to successfully meet the challenges of Open Skies”.

ALMOST €60 million in funding was allocated to Irish forestry plan- tation holders for 2007, representa- tion one of the largest payments ever made in the history of the state. Minister of State at the Department of Agriculture and Food, Mary Wal- lace, made the announcement last week of €57 million to be allocated to the 15,000 forestry plantations na- tionwide. This is the annual forestry premium payment under the Forest- ry programme of the Department of Agriculture and Food. With the aver- age size of forestry holdings being in the region of eight hectares, and the average payment per forest-owner will be approximately €3,800. “New planting of forestry is vital

to sustain the forestry sector into the years ahead and it is important that the package on offer is most attrac- tive to landowners,” said Minister AWETEE Teron

“I was particularly pleased there- fore that planting grant levels have increased in some cases by up to 25 per cent in the last two years, while the annual forestry premium paid to farm foresters has increased by 15 per cent, with a new maximum pay- ment of up to €574 per hectare per annum.”

In addition to this the newly intro- duced Forest Environment Protec- tion Scheme (FEPS) providing a top up grant of €200 per hectare bring- ing the €574 per hectare to €774 per hectare per annum. This scheme was designed to encourage the establish-

ment of high nature value forestry on farms that participate in REPS.

“Properly planned forestry is one of the most environmentally friendly end-uses to which we can put our land, directly affecting the sequestra- tion of carbon from the atmosphere. Forestry in Ireland already delivers a significant range of environmental goods in addition to its timber out- jouulm

“I believe that every landowner should seriously examine forestry as a land use option taking into account the returns, both short and long term, and how it would fit in with their cur- rent enterprises and activities.”

Meanwhile, Minister Wallace also warned forest owners about the risk of forest fires in the coming weeks. Every spring in Ireland, several hun-

dred hectares of forests and wood- land are destroyed by fire.

Recent good weather conditions indicate a serious risk of forest fires over the next few days and weeks.

‘Forest owners have a duty to make themselves aware of these threats and to take appropriate actions to se- cure the safety of their forest invest- ments,” she said.

“The highest risk period occurs between February and June, when eround vegetation is dead and dry following winter. The areas at high- est risk from wildfire tend to be lo- cated adjacent to or within moorland areas. Prolonged dry periods and seasonal high winds in spring help create ideal conditions for wildfire to spread quickly through highly flam- mable moorland vegetation.”

THE Association Secondary Teach- ers in Ireland (ASTI) 1s today to be- gin legal action against the Minister for Education, Mary Hanafin, over the appointment of a school manager at Seamount Secondary School in ree

The Rescue Seamount Campaign and the ASTI last week accused the

minister of acting illegally by ap- pointing a school manager, instead of replacing the board of management at Seamount.

Both groups have accused the edu- cation minister of acting unlawfully in her decision to allow the board of management to be dissolved. Last Tuesday, they gave her seven days to withdraw her approval.

“This issue is not about the future

of the school. Even if the school is only opened for another 5 years, it is essential that there is a board of management,” said Jane Joyce of the Rescue Seamount Campaign.

“It gives parents a stake in how the school is run. When we sent our children here, we did so on the un- derstanding that there would be a board of management and that is not the case. This is not what we signed

up for,” she added.

The Rescue Seamount Campaign and ASTI have received separate legal advice suggesting that the min- ister has acted unlawfully in her de- cision to allow the school’s trustees, the Sisters of Mercy, to dissolve the board.

Responding, a Department of Edu- cation spokeswoman said that Minis- ter Hanafin acted lawfully in accord- ance with the 1998 Mercy Act.

“The Mercy Order, as patron of Seamount College, notified the min- ister of its decision not to appoint a new board of management when the term of office of the outgoing board expired,” said the spokeswoman.

“The Education Act 1998 provides that a patron may, subject to the ap- proval of the minister, appoint any person or body of persons as the patron thinks fit to perform the func- tions of a board of management.

‘As the patron had decided not to appoint a new board of management, the minister has, at the request of the patron, conveyed the necessary ap- proval, under section 16 of the Edu- cation Act, for the appointment of a manager to perform the functions of the board of management.”

The future of Seamount College has been in doubt since the Sisters of Mercy announced its intention to phase out the school over a period of five years, last October.

The Rescue Seamount Campaign has been appealing for the Sisters of Mercy to give them more time to ne- gotiate the construction of a new co- education school by the Department of Education in Kinvara.

GARDA resources during the Wil- lie Clancy music festival last year were “grossly inadequate” as just six gardai were on duty on a night when 1,700 people were in the town.

That was the view expressed by a judge, who heard details of an assault case in court last week.

Judge Joseph Mangan made the comments at Kilrush District Court, in the case of three men who were

charged with assault, arising out of a series of incidents in Miltown Mal- bay on a night in July last year.

Two of the three were convicted, while a charge against the third ac- cused was dismissed. Brian Sexton (18), of Spanish Point, Miltown Malbay, was convicted of three as- sault charges. David Halley (22), of Woodfield, Ballynote, Kilrush, was convicted of a charge of assault, causing harm. A charge of assault against David Kelly, of High Street,

Kilrush, was dismissed.

Sergeant Joe Hehir told the court the incident happened during Willie Clancy week. Judge Joseph Mangan asked how many patrons were in the town that night and was told there were between 1,000 and 1,700.

He then asked, “How many gardai?” and was told there were six.

The judge said, “Sergeant Hehir has stated there were up to 1,700 patrons in Miltown Malbay on this night. S1x gardai on patrol in that situation

is grossly inadequate. It’s not fair to the people of Miltown Malbay and it’s not fair to the majority of patrons who went there to enjoy themselves and, above all, it is not fair to the six members of the gardai,” he said.

He imposed a three-month deten- tion sentence on Sexton and fined Halley €500. He fixed recognisances in the event of an appeal, for both young men. Halley’s solicitor Eu- gene O’Kelly told the court his cli- ent thought his friend was in trouble

on the night and went to rescue him. “He didn’t go to Miltown to cause trouble,” said Mr O’ Kelly.

Sexton’s solicitor Joe Moloney said his client came from a decent family and his mother was in court with him. Judge Mangan said, “Mr Sexton instigated and initiated all of the trouble on the night. If it weren’t for him, there wouldn’t have been any trouble. His words and his ac- tions led to mayhem on the night and he has to face the consequences.”

THE 220 people who attended the Ennis Chamber Annual President’s Dinner in Dromoland Castle on Fri- day night heard a spirited defence of Shannon Airport from Chamber President John Madden.

Mr Madden called on all public representatives and election candi- dates to secure from the Govern- ment the promised debt-free status for the airport, along with the nec- essary marketing budget to allow the airport to succeed in an Open Skies environment.

He said he is hopeful that airport staff will accept the revised restruc- turing offer. He stated that if the restructuring package is agreed, Government must then guarantee that Shannon is properly and rapidly constituted as an independent entity with debt-free status, as promised in crystal-clear language by the former Transport Minister, Seamus Brennan.

“The marketing plan proposed by the Mid West Regional Authority must then be agreed by Government. This includes the provision of €44 million for marketing the airport and a further €9 million for route devel- opment,’ he added.

He also said that the Chamber is actively promoting the concept of a Festival Co-ordinating office for En- nis, and expressed concern about re-

cent closures of businesses in Ennis.

Guest speaker was Mary Ann O’Brien, of Lily O’Brien’s Choco- lates, who was awarded the title of Image Businesswoman of the Year this February.

Ms O’Brien spoke about the work of the Jack & Jill Children’s Foundation,

which she and her husband Jonathan Irwin set up to provide help for fami- lies with children up to the age of four who have severe developmental delay and require extended care.

The Foundation, a registered char- ity, raises money to provide care and acts as an advocate for the families.

The inspiration for the Foundation came from their son Jack Irwin, who was born healthy in 1996, but suf- fered an invasive trauma two days later. There were no services to care for him, and the family looked after him at home with the help of many JGuLOILO KS

In the past 10 years, the Foundation has helped over 700 children. Cur- rently it is assisting eight children in Clare and 11 in Limerick.

Auctioneer Philip O’Reilly spoke about the work of Gorta, the Free- dom from Hunger Council of Ireland, which his company 1s supporting.

Mr O’Reilly then held an auction to raise funds for both charities. In the space of a few minutes, the eight items donated by local and other companies were disposed of for €6,500.

ESSENTIAL road safety work and the creation of a park-and-ride serv- ice for Doolin were the main topics up for discussion at a public meeting held in the village last night.

Local politicians and non-elected members of Clare County Coun- cil were invited to attend the meet- ing, which was organised by Doolin Tourism Committee.

Speaking ahead of last night’s meet- ing, Niall O’Dwyer of the Doolin Tourism Committee outlined some of the main topics up for discussion.

“There is a huge volume of tourists coming to Doolin every year, far more than a lot of people would believe. We have been neglected by Clare County Council,” said Mr O’ Dwyer.

“There is a need in the short term

for some emergency road works to take place. The roads are very dan- gerous, some areas have no speed limit and tourists are afraid to walk on the roads in the evenings. There has been a number of near misses.”

Clare County Council are currently awaiting the granting of a foreshore licence from the Department of the Environment before work can com- mence on a planned sewage system in Doolin.

A three-year delay in the granting of the licence has prevented the local authority from undertaking repairs on the Fisher Street area of Doolin where damage to footpaths and roads is now causing a health and safety hazard.

“We are waiting to speak to the council and see what their view on it is,’ continued Mr O’Dwyer, before last night’s meeting.

‘There are plans for the creation of a park-and-ride service from Doolin and Liscannor to the Cliffs of Moher and we want to see what the council’s views are on that and how it will be operated.”

The Doolin group has received Support from a number of local county councillors who have asked representatives of the group to make a presentation to the next local area meeting of Clare County Council.

“I would be calling on the council to put temporary works in place, for the safety of locals and tourists,” said Cllr Martin Conway (FG). Regardless of whether they will have to be dug up again in 12 or 18 months, some essential works are needed now.”

For a full report on last night’s public meeting, check out