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A NEW countywide music education programme part funded by rock giants U2 kicked off in Ennis yesterday.

Scoil Chríost Rí in Ennis is playing host to Clare’s newest summer music camp. The camp, which runs until August 15, is the first project rolled out under the Clare Music Generation project.

In January, Clare secured a € 400,000 funding boost from the U2 and Ireland Fund’s supported National Music Education Programme.

The overall aim is to provide the first countywide music education service in Clare.

Clare Music Education Partnership will receive close to € 435,000 in seed funding which will enable high quality, accessible music education programmes to be provided for children and young people in their local communities.

Clare/Limerick Education and Training Board (formerly Clare VEC) is the lead statutory agency for the programme.

Scoil Chríost Rí in Cloughleigh has been chosen as the launch-pad for this new era in music education following the success of the school’s 5th and 6th class students in the Pan Celtic Music Competition in Derry in May.

“Scoil Chríost Rí are very proud of their musical endeavors and believe in the power of music to develop a child’s confidence, wellbeing an feel good factor when playing music in whatever genre they like” said Karen Vaughan of Scoil Chríost Rí. She continued, “Music crosses all boundaries and is a gift for life, which is why we are passionate about the teaching of music of all genres, in particular traditional Irish music which instills in a child a strong sense of cultural identity which is at the heart of musical ethos for this camp. “We wanted to see what when you mix six genres of music together rap, hip-hop, percussion classes with djembe, bodhrán an samba drumming, rock classes with drums, electric and bass guitars, acoustic and all the different traditional Irish music instruments”. The camp is sponsored and supported by Clare Local Development Company and Music Generation Clare in association with the music team at Scoil Chríost Rí. Adrian Healy Development Officer with Clare Local Development Company said, “Clare Local Development Company is delighted to get involved with Scoil Chríost Rí in this initiative. “The school has a strong musical education ethos, which we felt would yield benefits for those in the local RAPID area. “We were happy to come on board the project and to fund the purchase of musical instruments for the school. “Clare Local Development Company believes that the investment in the musical education of young people is hugely beneficial for the holistic development of younger people, both from an individual and community point of view.”

FURTHER evidence of an impending housing crisis in urban parts of Clare has emerged with Clare Citizens’ Information Service last year recorded a dramatic rise in queries from people worried about becoming homeless.

According to figures obtained from Clare Citizens’ Information Service, nearly 2,500 Clare people experiencing housing difficulty contacted the service in 2013.

With rents on the increase in urban areas such as Ennis and Shannon, fears have been raised that of a surge in families becoming homeless in Clare, as rent supplement is no longer enough to cover rents.

This has prompted the Clare Citizens Information Service and Focus Ireland to team up to launch a new Information Guidebook aimed at tackling home- lessness before it become a widespread problem in the county.

The guidebook, which is entitled ‘A Guide to Information Givers on Preventing Homelessness’ is aimed at helping front line staff to deal with the increasing volume of queries relating to homelessness.

“Citizens Information Services have experienced a surge in the numbers of clients with housing problems related to financial issues.

“In 2013 there were 1287 housing queries to CICs in Clare in addition to 1002 queries related to Rent Supplement.

“The booklet will support information advisors in assisting individuals and families who come to our services who may be homeless or at risk of losing their homes,” said Paul Woulfe of the Clare Citizens’ Information Service.

“The combination of escalating rents, rent allowance caps and unwillingness among many landlords to accept rent supplement, is forcing lower income households out of the housing market.

“However, we know through our work that it’s possible to help families and individuals from losing their home through early intervention and support.

“This new guidebook will play a part in helping efforts to prevent homelessness at a local level nationwide in areas where there is currently no specialty housing advice service.

“Many problems have been associated with the Rent Supplement rent limits set in Budget 2012.

“Primarily they were set at levels that did not enable eligible households to secure and retain basic suitable rented accommodation.

“Many callers to our centres could not find suitable accommodation within the limits outlined.”

have signed up to a website which promises to get them dates with wealthy older Sugar Daddies. Of the ten women who have signed up to the website, seven say they are based in Ennis while there was one user in Kilkee, Clarecastle and Fanore. They range in age between 18 and 31 and many had detailed profiles with a large amount of personal information and pictures. The owners of the website told The Clare People this week that young women are not paid directly to go on dates with older men – but they often receive lavish gifts from their older male suitors. Spokesperson for the Seeking Arrangement site, Angela Jacob Bermudo, said the site is designed to connect struggling college students, described as ‘Sugar Babies’, with ‘Sugar Daddies’.

A MAN allegedly ran onto a public road in East Clare carrying a samurai sword during a dispute between members of the traveling community, a court has heard.

Gardaí received two calls to deal with a disturbance involving travelers camped along the side of the road at Bohatch, Mountshannon on July 25, Ennis District Court was told yesterday.

Details of the alleged incident were outlined as a 22 year-old man appeared in court charged with an offence contrary to the firearms and offensive weapons act.

Bernard Ward, with an address at Bohatch, Mountshannon, is charged with having a sword which had a blade or which was sharply pointed contrary to the firearms and offensive weapons act.

He is alleged to have committed the offence at Bohatch, Mountshannon, on July 25.

Inspector Tom Kennedy handed in a schedule of the arrest, charge and caution of Mr Ward to Judge Grainne O’Neill yesterday.

Defence solicitor Daragh Hassett applied to be assigned legal aid and handed in a statement of means for his client.

Insp Kennedy said the State had no issue with the granting of legal aid to Mr Ward.

Mr Hassett said he required time to seek disclosure from the State.

Judge O’Neill asked if the issue of jurisdiction – what court the case will be heard in – had been decided.

The Judge said she could not make an order for disclosure unless she knew if the case is fit to be tried summarily in the District Court or not.

Insp Kennedy said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had directed summary disposal of the case in the District Court.

He outlined a summary of the alleged facts of the case.

The court heard gardaí were called to deal with a disturbance involving members of the traveling community at Bohatch, Mountshannon on the day in question.

Insp Kennedy said it would be alleged that a garda who was at the scene saw Mr Ward exit a caravan and arrive on a public road carrying a “samurai sword”.

The court heard that it is alleged that when Mr Ward saw the gardaí, he ran back into the caravan.

It is alleged that when gardai searched the accused’s caravan they found the sword under a bed.

Mr Ward did not indicate yesterday how he intends to plead to the charge.

Judge O’Neill accepted jurisdiction and made an order for disclosure. She remanded Mr Ward on bail to appear again in court on October 7.

UNEMPLOYMENT figures rose for the second month in a row in July, despite a reported increase in the numbers being employed in the county’s tourism sector.

With good weather bringing a large number of visitors to Clare beauty spots, especially on coastal areas, a significant drop in the number of people signing on the live register had been expected for July.

However, the number of people signing on increased from 8,717 in June to 8,796 in July – an increase of 79 people or just under 1 per cent.

While the June increase in the live register figures was understood to be a result of a large number of university students being unable to find summer work after the end of the college year – it is as yet unclear what has caused the negative trend to continue into July.

As in the previous month, the Ennistymon Area Office was the only area to record a reduction in the live register last month with numbers falling from 1,314 to 1,310.

The largest personnel increase in the live register was felt in Ennis where the number signing on increase from 4,934 in June to 4,968 last month.

This increase of 34 people represents a 0.6 per cent jump in just a month.

The largest percentage increase was recorded in West Clare however with the Kilrush office recording a 2.6 per cent increase in the numbers signing on.

A total of 1,255 signed on in West Clare last month, an increase of 32 on the 1,223 who signed on in June.

East Clare saw a similar trend with the numbers increase by 17 from 1,246 in June to 1,263 – an increase of 1.4 per cent.

While the recent months have shown a downward turn, the numbers recorded on last months live register is still far smaller than those recorded in of July 2012 and 2013. Indeed, last months figure represents a reduction of 1,641 people or more than 15 per cent when compared to the same month in 2012.

This recent negative turn on the county’s live register comes after consistent reduction saw the number drop it their lowest levels since the start of the recession in May of this year.

TRIBUTES have been paid to the late Dr Frank Counihan, a man recalled as the “very essence of a good doctor”. Dr Counihan, who lived in t he Golf Links Road area of Ennis, died peacefully at home on August 5, surrounded by his loving family.

Dr Counihan (91) worked as a GP in Ennis for nearly 40 years, as well as in the former maternity section of Cahercalla Hospital. He was involved in a number of sporting and community organizations including the Samaritans and Lahinch Golf Club. At his funeral mass in Ennis Cathedral on Thursday, Fr Tom Hogan said Dr Counihan lived a full life, “a life that made a difference”.

Canon Bob Hanna, Rector of St Columba’s Church of Ireland described Dr Counihan as a “true renaissance man” who was generous to all people he met in Ennis.

“I look upon him honestly as one of great influences in my 20 year ministry here in the town”, Canon Hanna added. Dr Counihan’s daughter Caroline said her father was a man who lived life to the full in so many different ways. She continued, “He had a curious enquiring and always original mind. He loved to get to the bottom of things and his analysis of interesting questions was always swift clear and to the point. He was no intellectual snob or worldly academic but a humane and wise man”.

“He was very slow to judge anyone. He was a bit swifter to judge institutions who were uncaring or un-responsive. He felt that was absolutely out of order”, she said.

Caroline said her father “was the essence of a good doctor, someone whose presence alone was healing, calming and comforting”.

She continued, “The centre of Frank’s professional life was selfless, selfless and extraordinary unstinting service. He was tireless in attention to his patients and in this he was an inspiration to us and to others.

“He has asked us to express his apologies to the community for any mistakes he made. Frank had the highest standards of professional probity and it was allied to a great sense of inner spiritual and intellectual freedom and extraordinary positivity about life”.

He will be sadly missed by loving wife Mimi, daughters Caroline, Francesca, Rachel, Helen and Eve, son in law, grandchildren, sisters Mary, Honor and Ruth, brother Roger, nephew, nieces, relatives and a wide circle of friends.

THE NUMBER of children being baptised in West Clare has dropped significantly in recent years as the effects of emigration further impacts on rural Clare.

According to figures produced by the Diocese of Killaloe, the number of baptisms in the west of the county fell from 170 in 2010, to just 157 in 2013 – this equates to a drop of almost 8 per cent.

The worst hit areas were Kilmihil which recorded a 39 per cent decrease (from 23 to 14) and Doonbeg which saw a 33 per cent decrease (from 21 to 14).

Despite losing all of it’s government funding in 2012, Kilrush based Rural Resettlement Ireland continued to rehouse urban families in rural areas.

“Indeed, according to founder Jim Connolly, the organisation has brought three new families to West Clare so far this year.

“Where we see the drop in population most is in requests from schools, who are desperately needing two or three students who need students to save a teachers job.

“We get requests like this from families from all over the west – it’s like they are ordering families off a fence.

“We have three villages in West Clare who are getting new families this summer, all with young children. I know that in each of these cases they are saving a teachers job,” said Mr Connolly.

“It seems to me that all over the West [of Ireland] a generation has been lost.

“The spin at the moment that Ireland is pulling out of recession applied only to Dublin and to the East coast.

“I’m not a doom merchant, I’m a very positive person, but as far as I can see it every rural town in Ireland is as dead as a dodo.”

Rural Resettlement Ireland has also began taking requests from homeless families who are currently being kept in emergency accommodation by ur- ban local authorities.

“None of the current situation makes common sense. We have a housing crisis in Dublin.

“For the first time ever we are now taking inquires from people who are homeless – people who had a mortgage, Mr and Mrs Average who had a mortgage and couldn’t keep up with it.

“We were dealing with one family last week who were being put in a Travelodge by a local authority,” continued Jim.

“You have hundreds and hundreds of families who need a home, and on the west coast we have thousands of homes with no-one in them.

“It just doesn’t make sense.”

have signed up to a website which promised to get them dates with wealthy older Sugar Daddies. The owners of the Seeking Arrangement website told The Clare People

THE government has not allocated any money for more than 30 Clare storm defense projects needed to prevent further devastation should storms threaten Clare coastal communities this winter.

The Office of Public Works wrote to Clare County Council last Friday, August 8, informing them that they cannot consider any new coastal protection works until funding has been released by the Department of the Environment.

Clare County Council had been waiting on news on a € 12.1 million submission for more than 30 new coastal protection structure, including those at the devastated area of Clohaninchy in Quilty, since February of this year.

The council made the submission as part of an overall funding allocation sent to the Department of the Environment in February.

At the time, the department re- ferred the situation to the OPW for consideration.

Last Friday’s admission by the OPW has created a chicken-and-egg situation regarding the € 12.1 million – with the OPW saying they cannot consider the submission until the Department of the Environment makes funding available, and the Department of the Environment referring the matter to the OPW.

The money allocated to Clare County Council to date is only to cover repair of flood defenses and other infrastructure.

No money has been allocated to build any of the 35 new structures required – following the previous flood defenses being completely swept away.

The Chief Executive of Clare County Council, Tom Coughlan, wrote to all councillors last Friday informing them of the situation.

This revelation comes after a series of communications between the OPW and Clare County Council in recent days, including a behind closed doors meeting which took place in Ennis on Thursday.

This revelation comes despite a number of assurances given by former Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan (FG) and Minister with responsibility for the OPW, Brian Hayes (FG) that all steps would be taken to avoid any “cash-flow issues” slowing works.

Both former minister are currently serving at the EU.

“We don’t know what is going on. Hayes [former Minister Brian Hayes] and Hogan [former Minister Phil Hogan] were back here promising money but it turns out that this money has never been signed off on,” said Kilkee Cllr Ian Lynch (IND).

“The councillors are blue in the face trying to bring about some movement on this issue.

“The Chief Executive [Tom Coughlan] and Senior Engineer [Tom Tiernan] are doing everything they can. The whole situation is incredibly frustrating for everyone involved.”

On March 11, former minister Bri- an Hayes (FG) announced funding to “immediately assist local authorities” in the repair for coastal defenses.

“The physical damage will take time to repair and I am pleased that my Office has responded so quickly. The amounts being made available, together with the guidance provided by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government on works and development consents required will greatly assist local authorities in these works,” he said March.

“Furthermore, I am also conscious of the urgency of these works and in order to assist local authorities in a practical way and avoid any potential cash-flow issues, my Office will con sider advance funding requests of up to 80 per cent where a contract for works has been made.” The Clare People contacted the OPW in relation to this story but a spokesperson declined to make any specific comment on last Friday’s revelation.

“The matter of both multi-annual funding for storm damage and further funding for the February 2014 storms is a matter for Departments of Environment, Community and Local Government and Public Expenditure and Reform,” a spokesperson said.

A spokesperson from the Department of the Environment yesterday declined to have any role in relation to the allocation of funding to the OPW.

“The Department of the Environment doesn’t fund coastal protection works so we wouldn’t be making funding available to the OPW. The department’s role in this matter was to co-ordinate the submissions from LAs [local authorities] in respect of the estimates of the cost of damage to public infrastructure caused by the second period of severe weather from January 27 to February 17 and these have been compiled.

“A Government decision on funding for damage caused by this second period of severe weather has not yet been made,” said a Department of Environment spokesperson.

A CLARE stonemason has secured a € 223,000 write-down on his € 346,390 family home mortgage as part of a Personal Insolvency Arrangement (PIA).

The arrangement was approved by Judge Patrick Meaghan at the Circuit Court in Ennis on Tuesday.

A separate PIA in respect of the man’s wife was also granted by Judge Meaghan

The court heard the man was left with debts of almost € 2.3 million following the collapse of the man’s stone products business which went into liquidation last year.

Judge Meaghan said he recalled the case because the size of the debts involved. He complimented all sides for finalizing the agreement.

He said this represented “quite a feat” given the difficulties surrounding the titles of some of the man’s properties.

Earlier this year the man was granted court protection to allow his Personal Insolvency Practitioner (PIP), Jim Stafford, time to negotiate with secured and unsecured creditors.

Judge Meaghan said all creditors voted 100 percent in favour of the PIA at a creditors’ meeting.

The Judge said that because of the man’s low income he was unable to engage in a multi-year payment plan to his creditors.

Judge Meaghan said the man did not have to sell his home. He explained that KBC Bank have agreed to reduce the mortgage on the family home from € 346,000 to € 123,000 subject to a dividend of € 15,000 being paid to the bank as an unsecured creditor.

There is a reduction in the term of the mortgage of three years and three months.

The man is to pay a revised monthly mortgage payment of € 1,200 on the family home for 10 years and three months up to his 70th birthday.

In order to pay a dividend to his creditors the man is to sell the following assets; a farm and stables totaling 31.86 hectares; a residential buy-to-let property; a residential buy-to-let apartment; a commercial buy-to-let property and several other plots of land.

The man will also make available a lump sum to pay the PIP’s fees.

According to the arrangement no other assets of the debtor will be sold pursuant to the PIA.

Judge Meaghan said, “I am pleased to approve this arrangement.

“It was a particularly difficult case given both the size of the debts and the complexity with regards the security in respect of the assets”.

Judge Meaghan said the debtor’s banks may have legal claims against the debtor’s former solicitor for breaches of undertakings provided to the banks.

He said it is accepted this arrangement does not prejudice these potential proceedings

The unsecured creditors are listed as KBC € 333,683; EBS € 423,428; Ulster Bank € 829,982; Bank of Ireland € 8,926; Bank of Scotland € 85, 536; Emberon Finance Ltd € 29,928; Vanguard Auto Finance € 195,343 and Niamh Perrotta € 75,000.