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CLARE farmers are within touching distance of an end to the fodder crisis – one of the worst feed shortages to hit the county’s farms in decades.

Clare IFA chairman, Andrew Dundas, believes that the next ten days are critical with any remaining fodder running out and grass growth just starting to begin in earnest.

The organisation helped to harvest a further 1,100 bales of silage from land banks at Shannon Airport last Wednesday, Thursday and Friday more than twice what they had predicted they would get from the site.

This mean that 2,300 bales of silage were harvested from the airport over the past two week. While these bales have already been allocated to Clare farmers and are likely all used up – they provided a vital stop gap to get farmers through the worst of the crisis.

“We have gotten a bit of heat and grass is starting to grow. It will take a week or two to get going properly but hopefully the end is in sight,” said Mr Dundas.

“The next few days are the real pressure time on farms but at least an end is, hopefully, in sight. Shannon Airport came at the critical time – there were a lot of farmers in a critical situation over the last 10 days and the bales [from Shannon Airport] really saved them.

“This was about getting people over the hump and I think it made a big difference in the county. I would say all those bales are eaten at this stage – but they were there at a crucial stage.”

One silver lining of the fodder crisis was the way that the local farming community – including the farming organisations, co-ops, marts, local businesses and farmers – came together to see themselves through the crisis.

“A bit of growth is crucial now. It will take a few weeks for the grass growth to come back and hopefully that will be the end of it,” continued Andrew.

“There was a great effort right across the farming community in Clare to get through this. Everyone worked incredible hard and a lot of organisations and people out there deserve a lot credit. It was a real cross community effort – from Shannon Airport to the marts, co-ops and all the agri-businesses. It was a great community effort.” Tue07May13

INTERNATIONALLY renowned acoustic group Lúnasa have announced their plans to break a Guinness World Record next month in Ennis.

The group is calling out for more than 1,020 musicians to take part on June 21 in Abbey Street car park, Ennis, in order to break a world record for the largest tin whistle ensemble.

Tracy Crawford, of Ennis Roots Music Weekend, has said that the event has received a massive response from an international audience because of its promotion during Lúnasa’s American tour and that they are expecting a lot of visitors from overseas.

Bands, groups, and music schools have also been invited to take part alongside anyone who wants to learn to play ‘The Siege of Ennis’ on the tin whistle for the first time.

According to Tracy, “The event is for everyone and it’s a chance to take up an instrument. It will be very exciting to try break the world record and we are really looking forward to it.”

The current world record for the largest ensemble of tin whistlers stands at 1,015 which was achieved at an event organised by Scoil Acla in Keel, Achill Island, on July 31, 2010. The ensemble performed the “Dawning of the Day”.

Custy’s and The Irish Shop in Ennis have a range of whistles available for the event in store.

“When purchasing a tin whistle,” Tracy continued, “make sure and tell them that you are taking part in the Guinness World Record Attempt to claim your free copy of the ABC tune notation.

“We chose the ‘Siege of Ennis’ because of its obvious connection with the county and to make it interesting we are going to play it in two different keys.”

Tracy has also announced that the weekend will further feature an International Street band competition and the chance to perform with the Kilfenora Ceilí Band.

The event coincides with the Gathering 2013 and will feature a free open air concert by Lúnasa, Socks in the Frying Pan, The Kilfenora Ceilí Band and special guest Maura O’Connell.

For video tutorials and more information on the record attempt visit www.ennisrootsweekend.com.

GONDOLA type boats and greater use of the Rover Fergus could see Ennis become Ireland’s answer Venice. That’s according to one local councillor who wants to see Clare become the romance capital of the mid-west.

Ennis councillor Johnny Flynn (FG) is urging Ennis Town Council to draft new byelaws that would al low gondola boat journeys through the town centre.

Speaking earlier this month, Cllr Flynn explained that gondolas are boats that were traditional to the River Shannon and Fergus Estuary.

He said, “These were common to the River Fergus and what I would want to see is Ennis become Ireland’s answer to Venice.”

Cllr Flynn’s proposals are due to be discussed at today’s monthly meeting of Ennis Town Council.

In a motion, Cllr Flynn states that Clare needs to develop a unique selling point to capitalize on the Wild Atlantic Way tourism initiative.

He says that the town’s waterways could be utilized more. According to Cllr Flynn boat tours could run from Knox’s Bridge to Steele’s Rock.

He states, “In order for Ennis and Clare to benefit in terms of jobs etc from the development and the promotion of the ‘Wild Atlantic Way’ tourist trail from Donegal to West Cork there is a need to develop a Unique Selling Point, a USP, for the county and its capital town to attract stayovers in the county. Clare is home to the month-long world famous Matchmaking Festival at Lisdoonvarna.

“Ennis due to foundation on an island and its history of flooded streets has been known over the decades as ‘Ireland’s Venice’.”

Cllr Flynn states that the council should seek to build “on Lisdoonvarna’s world renowned matchmaking reputation by promoting Clare and Ennis town as the premier romance county and town destinations along the ‘Wild Atlantic Way’ by immediately drafting byelaws to permit and regulate: (a) horse drawn journeys in jarveys in and around the town centre; (b) gondola boat journeys on the Fergus River from Knox’s Bridge to Steele’s Rock to Post Office Field. Steele’s Rock is so called as result of Tom Steele famously serenading across the Fergus the woman of his dreams living on the opposite riverbank.”

A CAMPAIGNER for the homeless is facing a possible prison sentence after being convicted of stealing almost € 27,000 from an 87 year resident of St Joseph’s Hospital in Ennis. At Ennis Circuit Criminal Court on Thursday, a jury convicted Josephine O’Brien (59) on nine of 10 counts of theft from the bank account of Stephen O’Halloran.

Ms O’Brien, with an address at 15 Bridgeview, Roslevan, was found guilty of stealing € 26, 503 on dates between July 2006 and October 2010. The pair first met when they were patients living in Ennis General Hospital. They subsequently lived together in rented accommodation.

The two-day trial heard that after Mr O’Halloran became a resident of St Joseph’s Hospital in December 2005, he gave Ms O’Brien his ATM card for the account that received his English pension.

The court heard that when enquiries were made to arrange for the pension to pay for Mr O’Halloran’s care in St Joseph’s, there was very little money left in the account.

Ms O’Brien admitted making the transactions over the period from January 2006 to October 2010, claiming she had consent to do so.

The court heard evidence from Mr O’Halloran who said she did not have the authority to make the withdrawals. The court heard that Mr O’Halloran said Ms O’Brien visited him for the first six months of his stay in St Joseph’s but that the visits stopped after June 2006.

This was disputed by Ms O’Brien. The court also heard evidence from Detective Garda Beatrice Ryan who investigated the theft.

In a Garda interview, Ms O’Brien said, “I know I shouldn’t have taken the money but I did.”

She told gardaí, “I am sorry. I want to pay it back.”Ms O’Brien told gardaí that she never spent the money on herself. She said she used it to pay rent and to fund a drop in centre for the homeless in Chapel Lane, Ennis.

Ms O’Brien is co-founder of the Homeless Education Learning Programme (HELP), an Ennis-based organisation that supports homeless people. In his closing speech, Counsel for the State, Stephen Coughlan said there had been a pattern of Ms O’Brien “clearing” out Mr O’Halloran’s bank account.

He said, “You don’t get a blanket authority to raid a person’s account.”

Counsel for Ms O’Brien Lorcan Connolly BL said, “She opened a drop in centre. Is that the profile of a dishonest person?”

It took the jury two hours to return a unanimous verdict of guilty in nine of the ten counts Ms O’Brien was charged with. They returned a verdict of not guilty for the count covering January 2006 to June 2006.

CLARE opposition to a massive organic fish farm planned for off the North Clare coast took shape following a mass meeting of local fishermen and women in New Quay.

The meeting, which was originally organised by Clare TD Michael McNamara (Lab) as a means of developing local coastal businesses, turned into a virtual campaign meeting to oppose the proposed fish farm – which locals claims is the biggest threat to indigenous local fish industries. The proposed twin fish farms will cover 500 acres of water off the Doolin and Fanore coast if it given the green lights by the Department of Agriculture. Government agency Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) have proposed that a licence be granted for a third party operator to build and manage the farm – which they claim will create 500 jobs.

These claims are being opposed by a number of groups, including Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFA) – a second government agency, who claim that the project will create far fewer jobs and will also destroy a large number of smaller local businesses.

Doolin local, Mattie Shannon, attended the meeting and said that the vast majority of local people are against the fish farm. “Everybody who attended the meeting and has anything to do with fishing or Doolin or the Aran Islands was against the proposed giant fish farm. BIM are proposing to build 10 of these off the west coast – from Mizen Head to Malin Head,” he said.

“There are a number of large fish farms like this in Canada but, under their own regulations, a farm of this size would no longer be allowed in Canada. It really is massive, it is half the size of Inis Oirr.

“They are dangling theses jobs in front of people. They started off talking about 300 jobs and then they upped it to 500 jobs. It is quite possible that there are a large number of jobs in it but whether these jobs are for local Clare people in another thing,” he said.

“At the same time this will destabilise jobs that are there already in smaller family operations all along Galway Bay. South west are the main winds in that area, so any contamination or spills or anything like that will wash in to us and effect all the small industries that are there already. I don’t know why we are talking about threatening jobs that are there already to create jobs for some multinational company.”

RECEIVING your First Holy Communion used to be a traditional celebration of receiving a holy sacrement for the first time; nowadays parents are spending hundreds of euros on what has become somewhat of a competition.

Many fear that My Big Fat Gypsy Wedding has set a trend of vulumtuous dresses and extravagant parties that are costing parents up to € 600, according to a survey conducted by EBS; but is this true for our home town of Ennis and have we lost sight of Catholic practice and fallen into the trap of hypocrisy and mass delusion?

Despite the on-going economic crisis, the amount of money being spent on a child’s First Holy Communion has increased dramatically over the last few years.

It empties the already dwindling pay-packets of parents and, in fact, the earnings of a typical eight year old child making their First Holy Communion could pay for majority of the party.

The survey shows that in 2011 thousands of Irish children received monetary gifts to the value of nearly € 350. The survey further suggests that in 2013 their days makings will add up to nearly € 500 – almost enough to pay off the average party.

Barefield National School Principal, Mr John Burns said “Families are generally sensible and curtail the costs within their budgets. However, there are a minority of people who can be extravagant and can expend a considerable amount of money, which they may not have.

“In my time, we went home. The evening was spent at home with my family and relations. Today, families use hotels or organise caterers for home dining with the all important bouncing castle.

“It is a most exciting day as it involves the whole family being connected together in preparing for this wonderful sacrament. It is not meant to be a one day religious ceremony. It is for life”.

There is however, only so much that can be taught in our schools. Whilst our teachers prepare and educate our children for their big day in every way possible, home is their biggest influence. The home is the “domestic Church”, and also where the heart is.

When the public were asked their opinion on cost control during First Holy Communion time some felt that parents let their children get away with the fancy dress and extravagant parties. However, Emily McGrath believes that “it’s still under the con- trol of the parents and it’s up to the parents to make a stand and say how much they are prepared to say.

“There was much more family involvement when I made my first holy communion”, Ms McGrath continued, “there would have been a big reception, but there still would have been emphasis on the dress.

“I think people tend to forget that the obsession with fancy communion dresses goes back quite a long way, it’s not just today.

What is really important is realising that this is your child’s day to take “centre stage” and for their relationship with God to further grow and flourish.

Fr Ger Fitzgerald of the Killaloe Diocese believes that too much focus can sometimes be put on the aftershow and that some forget what is really important on the big day.

“I think it easy to sensationalise big dresses and hummers whilst missing the kernel of truth that shows us that there is real faith on display here, in the prayer of the children.

“It is I believe also easy to bemoan the fact that there are the presence of hummers and outlandish dresses”, he continued, “but, I think that we, as priests and Church, should try to educate a little more.

Fr Fitzgerald further stated that during “our teaching and preaching we should try to point out that maybe the First Holy Communion is perhaps not the place for these things as it can distract not only the adults but also the children from what has taken place.

“I think that if we highlight the “extras” we, the Church and media, should work together to highlight as well the absolutely necessary components, those being the joy with which the children come to receive and also the faith they display in their prayer and in their wonder and awe in the presence of something that is greater than all of us combined. They are a joy to us and many of us could learn from their example of simplicity, true humility and love of God”.

Ennis National School recieved their First Holy Communion two weeks ago and, according to Fr Fitzgerald, “they sat there, rapt in attention, hands joined, watchin. In their world, they knew something was happening, something special.

“As I looked on”, Fr Fitzgerald continued, “one could effortlessly see that they knew this was a special day and that Jesus, their friend, was coming to them in a new way. In the way they prayed, in the way they behaved, in the way they watched and paid attention and most specifically in the way they received, they demonstrated that they at that moment were close to Jesus and that is what communion is ultimately about, a relationship with the Lord”.

Andr e w Ha milt on a ha milt on@cla r e people.ie

A CLARE war hero, who was refused a personal bi r thday card from Queen Elizabeth II, as he “could not prove he was British”, will instead receive a letter to mark his 100th bi r t hday today (Tuesday).

The U-tur n by Buckingham Palace, which fol lows a petition by 800 people, means Dr William Navin who is originally from Clarecastle, will now receive a message from the Queen.

Dr Navin was bor n in Clare on April 30, 1913, and his family still own and operate Navin’s Bar in Clarecastle village.

His late brother Fr Charles Navin ser ved most of his li fe as the parish priest in Tubber. His other brother Dr Cyril was a monsignor in America while Pat rick ran the publ ic house in Clarecastle.

Dr Navin left Ireland for Coven tr y in 1939, to work with the ear, nose and throat specialists at Walsgrave Hospital. This was not to be however and he ended up in general practice as the war broke out.

During World War II he was a medical officer and ser ved with the Home Guard, ear ning seven medals for ser vice.

The reti red GP car ries an Ir ish passpor t, even though he is also en- titled to a British one.

Buckingham Palace said the Clare native did not qualify for the queen’s bi r thday message without a Br itish passpor t as proof of citizenship.

However t he petition by the people of Coventr y saw a change of hear t being the palace gates and t his man is to be sent a personal letter from the Queen instead of t he t raditional card.

The decision came after the LordLieutenant for the West Midlands, Paul Sabapathy CBE, cont acted the anniversaries office.

He said he had been informed t he Queen’s secretar y would now be sending a letter to Dr Navin on the Queen’s inst r uction.

Dr Navin’s family said they were ext remely disappoi nted when they received the letter from Buckingham Palace denying hi m t he card.

The letter stated, “Her Majesty only sends messages to people who are citizens of Her Realms or UK Overseas Ter ritor ies, and as your father was bor n in what is now the Republ ic of Ireland, I am afraid it is necessar y to see evidence of his Br itish citizenship.”

Dr Navin has t hree chi ldren, seven grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren, and lives on his own in Coventr y since his wife Molly died 23 years ago.

AN EAST Clare businessman could be on the verge of changing the way that people are buried forever. Killaloe-based inventor Bar ry Spearman has founded the company New Age Memorials – Europe’s first provider of fiberglass headstone.

According to Bar ry, his new headstone could save people thousands in cleaning and other costs when compared to traditions headstones. The idea for fiberglass headstones came to him about two years ago, when he was tr ying to clean one of his own family headstones.

“I was quoted € 250 for sandblasting and re-lettering which I thought was excessive. Then I bought various stone cleaning chemicals and none of them worked well,” he said.

“Up to that time, I had not thought about the ongoing costs involved in maintaining headstones and it was only when I mentioned it to other people I discovered that a whole industry of cleaning headstones had come into existence.

“I thought there must be a modern material, with similar properties to stone, but without the drawbacks, that could be used just as efficiently.”

Barr y had his Eureka moment while fishing on Lough Derg.

“Every few months, a bit of surface mould might grow where rain has lodged, but this is easily brushed off. This boat, li ke 90 per cent of all modern boats, is made from marine grade fibreglass. I had found my headstone material,” he said.

Spearman set up the company in May 2012, and has been working with a number of companies trying to perfect moulds, finishes, designs and the manufacturing process.

“I discovered that a design for a fibreglass headstone was patented in 1973 in the US. This patent has now lapsed and the design was totally different from mine,” he said.

“Now that the product has been perfected I hope to sell directly to the public in order to keep the purchase costs down. This would not happen if sold through under takers. I have just begun to advertise in the local papers and free sheets and also by putting posters up in shops and so on.”

TWO retail chains in Clare under went major changes this week.

The Clare branch of the book shop chain Hughes and Hughes is to come under Eason’s umbrella next month, while video rental Xt ra-vision’s branches went into receivership, yesterday, Monday.

The jobs of t he staff at t he Ennis and Shannon branches hang i n t he balance as t he joint receivers attempts to find a buyer for the t roubled fil m and games rent al business.

Operations at the movie rent al chai n at both stores are expected to continue as normal.

In a st atement, Xt ra-vision confir med that all gift cards and customer credit balances remain unaffected and are ful ly redeemable.

It added t he company said that it has become unable to meet its debts as t hey fall due as a result of the wit hdrawal of t rade credit by a number of its key suppliers.

Xtra-vision has been negatively affected by the rise in online streaming of movies and digit al pi racy.

“Whi le the company’s ret ail business conti nues to grow, its movie rental business has declined more rapidly t han anticipated, most noticeably in areas with high speed broadband, which is linked to high levels of i llegal downloading,” the st atement said.

Meanwhile Hughes and Hughes in Ennis is one of three Hughes and Hughes shops to go under the Eason & Co franchise.

Eason reached agreement with Hughes and Hughes for its stores in Ennis, St Stephen’s Green and Sant r y to transfer and operate as Eason franchises from May 2013.

A franchise store will also open this year in Shannon.

Coupled with two new openings in Mallow and Kil lar ney, the Shan- non shop will be par t of t he new 35 jobs to be created.

Hughes & Hughes was founded in 1986. It was placed into receivership in early 2010, owing € 9 million to Ulster Bank, but Derek Hughes acqui red the rights to the name later that year and, with t he backing of Aidan Masterson and Pierce Molony of Bus Stop newsagents, he opened six shops under t he Hughes & Hughes name.

Mr Hughes said going the franchise route with Eason would reduce its dependence on book sales – they account for just 40 per cent of Eason’s revenues – and cut out cent ral overheads.