Author: admin

TRIBUTES were paid last evening (Monday) to popular Tulla publican John Minogue.

The man described as ‘knowledgeable”, “wise” and “well liked” by those that knew him best, passed away in Cahercalla Hospital, Ennis yesterday morning, just a week shy of his 86th birthday.

The face of Minogue’s Pub for six decades, John also served as an Independent member of Clare County Council for 31 years.

He loved his hurling as much, if not more than his politics, and as Fr Harry Bohan recalled, “I’d say Clare hardly played a game he wasn’t at.”

Famed in many local stories John is also reputed to have taught Christy Moore the song ‘Spancilhill’ by Robbie McMahon that later passed into the national repertoire.

Christy Moore, at the time a clerk in the local bank, played some of his f rst gigs in the back room of Minogue’s pub in Tulla.

Minogue’s or “The Hotel” as it was referred to by many since the days of the fairs, was central to a lot of community events and John was central to the public house.

“He was a very popular man. There was somethings he never missed.

“He was a huge hurling fan and never missed a match. He was at every funeral too. He was linked with a lot of people,” said Fr Bohan.

“He was at everything and knew everything locally. He was a wise man and well liked.”

His popularity and hard work saw him elected to Clare County Council in f ve successive elections, starting in 1960.

He topped the poll for the Killaloe Electoral Area in his last two elections – in 1979 and 1985. He left local public off ce in 1991 but continued to help and assist the local people and community.

Labour TD Michael McNamara last night said the passing of John Minogue would be widely mourned.

“He was one of the most popular members elected to Clare County Council in modern times,” he said.

Deputy Timmy Dooley (FF) described the late publican as a “fantastic Community leader.”

“I found him to be a wise political council from the time I was elected,” he said adding he got to know him well while living in the village of Tulla. John Minogue is survived by his wife Kathleen, daughter Sandra, relatives and many many friends.

THERE is a new boss overseeing the hospitals in the mid west.

Colette Cowan took up her new post as CEO of the University Limerick Hospitals group on Monday last. The position was vacated when the former CEO Anne Doherty took up a new position as CEO of Cork City Council.

Ms Cowan will take up the role at a turbulent time for the hospital group as it deals with an over stretched Emergency Department at the university Hospital Limerick, and expanding waiting lists.

The new CEO comes to the position however with a wealth of experience. She has over 26 years experience working in the Irish Health Service, 15 of which are in management and most recently was Acting CEO & Chief Director of Nursing and Midwifery for The Saolta University Healthcare Group (previously known as the West North West Hospitals Group).

prison off cers were required to quell the latest disturbance that occurred in Ennis Courthouse on Friday evening. Three gardaí and two pris on off cers left the courtroom to pro vide assistance to their colleagues after loud banging and shouting was heard from the cells.

Following the incidents a prison of f cer told the court from the witness box that a man had become “quite agitated and violent” after another man allegedly passed him some ille gal substance while in court. He was subsequently removed from the cell to a prison van.

The court heard that a prison of f cer was accidentally injured during the disturbance.

Flanked by f ve prison off cers and two gardaí, the accused returned to the court. In May, the same man, a Mr Eddie O’Sullivan with a Limer ick address, appeared in court wear ing just his boxer shorts after strip ping in protest at getting chicken nuggets and not a snack box for his lunch, while in custody.

AN ENNIS man who admits striking a former Clare hurler in the side of the head with a pint glass walked free from court last week after his case was adjourned for a year.

Alan Markham suffered serious head wounds when he and a friend were the victims of a violent attack in Ennis on the night of December 21, 2013.

Mr Markham was socialising with friends when he was struck in the head from behind with a glass by Jordan Whelan (19) as he walked in the Abbey Street car-park.

Mr Markham, a Munster title winner with Clare, and a friend Sean Hogan chased three teenagers to the grounds of the Coláiste Muire secondary school.

Mr Markham was struck a number of times in the head and legs with a stick before being knocked to the ground.

Mr Markham was knocked to the ground where he was repeatedly kicked

“I just lay on the ground and covered my head”, he later told gardaí.

Three friends who had been drinking in Ennis on the night pleaded guilty to their respective roles in the robberies against Mr Markham and Mr Hogan.

Shane McCarthy (19), with an address at Shalee Drive, Ennis and Jordan Whelan (19), with an address at Dun na hInse, Ennis, admitted robbery of money from Alan Markham at the Coláiste Muire, Ennis on December 21.

Evan Toomey (18), with an address at Oak Park, Ennis, pleaded guilty to the robbery of € 100 from Sean Hogan, also at Colásite Muire, Ennis on December 21.

Mr Toomey and Mr Whelan both appeared before Ennis Circuit Crim- inal Court on Friday for sentencing.

Judge Gerald Keys said aggravating factors in the case were the fact that the robberies were “a joint enterprise, violence was used”.

He said mitigating factors in the case were the accused’s cooperation with gardaí and early admissions which saved the exchequer the cost of a trial.

The Judge said all three men had also expressed regret for their actions.

In respect of Jordan Whelan, Judge Keys noted his previous good record and his positive engagement with the Probation Services. Adjourning the case for a year, Judge Keys told Mr Whelan that if he stepped out of line again over the next 12 months he would send him to prison.

“That I promise you, I will do”, added the Judge.

Judge Keys continued, “I hold the view that when one gets into trouble for the f rst time, one should be given an opportunity. I am now giving you that opportunity.”

He said, “If you step out of line, I am telling you, you will go to jail.”

In respect of Evan Toomey, Judge Keys noted his bad record and the fact that he had committed further offences the commission of the offence on December 21, 2013. He imposed a two year sentence.

Mr Toomey also received an 18 month concurrent sentence for a theft related offence committed in Ennis on January 12, 2104.

He received a further two year consecutive sentence for theft and robbery offences committed in Ennis on March 2, 2014 while on bail.

Judge Keys said members of the public must feel safe walking the streets of Ennis, day or night, without fear of being “mugged or robbed”. Sentencing of Shane McCarthy was adjourned to a later date.

A HEROIN addict who threatened to bite a taxi driver in the face if he didn’t give him back the fare has received a three-year prison sentence.

Jonathan Higgins (28) had only just been released from prison when he carried out the robbery against taxi driver Ken Murphy at Ballyliddane West, Sixmilebridge, on June 12, 2014.

At Ennis Circuit Criminal Court on Friday, Judge Gerald Keys imposed a three year prison sentence with the f nal year suspended. Judge Keys said taxi drivers should be able to go about their business day or night without the threat of robbery or violence.

The victim declined the opportuni- ty to submit a victim impact report but Judge Keys said it was reasonable to assume the attack had some effect on the man.

Mr Higgins, with addresses at Brother Russell House, Mulgrave Street, Limerick and Laurel Lodge, Clare Road, Ennis, pleaded guilty to robbing € 50 from Ken Murphy at Ballyliddane West, Sixmilebridge, on June 12, 2014.

Detective Garda David Laing of Shannon Garda Station told the court gardaí received a complaint of robbery from Mr Murphy on June 13.

The court heard that on June 12, Mr Higgins asked the taxi driver to bring him from Ennis to Sixmilebridge.

Mr Higgins originally offered to only pay € 20 but later agreed to pay the full € 35 fare.

He gave Mr Murphy a € 50 note and got back his change. Det Laing said the taxi stopped at the Applegreen shop at Captain Macs cross in Ennis. Mr Higgins went inside and bought tobacco.

Det Laing said that en route to Sixmilebridge, Mr Higgins told the driver he had been in prison.

Det Laing said that when the taxi arrived in Sixmilebridge, Mr Higgins asked the driver to go towards the Killaloe road.

The car eventually ended up at a dead end where Mr Higgins pulled the handbrake and became aggressive towards Mr Murphy.

The court heard that the victim told gardaí, “He was shouting he would do me and bite my face”.

“He put his head over me in a man- ner that he was going to bite me”, Mr Murphy said.

Det Laing said Mr Murphy decided to cut his losses and give Mr Higgins the € 50 note.

The court heard Mr Higgins gave the taxi driver a false name and told him he didn’t care if he called the guards.

Det Laing said Mr Higgins was identif ed from CCTV footage ob tained from the Applegreen store.

Mr Higgins has 34 previous convictions including for burglary, theft, trespass and robbery.

Det Laing agreed with defence counsel Brian McInerney’s statement that Mr Higgins is a “chronic heroin addict”.

Counsel said his client came from a dysfunctional background, started abusing drugs at an early age and spent a period of time living rough.

He said Mr Higgins, who is in custody serving a sentence, is engaging with drug rehab services in prison and is also taking classes in English, art and music.

Counsel asked Judge Keys to take into account Mr Higgins’ admissions and early guilty plea which he said spared the victim having the re-live the trauma of the robbery in a trial.

Mr McInerney said this was a spontaneous crime with no element of planning.

Judge Keys imposed a three year sentence with the f nal year suspend ed on condition Mr Higgins continue drug rehabilitation on his release from prison and obey all directions of the Probation Services.

CLARE councillors will attempt to block the transfer of the county’s water infrastructure to Irish Water. This news comes in the wake of the revelation that Clare County Council, and not Irish Water, are still the legal owners of the vast majority of the county’s multi-million euro water infrastructure.

Shannon Cllr Gerry Flynn (IND), who proposed a motion to abolish Irish Water at this months meeting of the local authority, says he will investigate ways to prevent the transfer of the water assets, and may bring forward a new motion at next months meeting of Clare County Council.

The revelation came to light following a motion about the Castlecrine Reservoir discussed at the November meeting of the Killaloe Municipal District.

“This is a big revelation and the transfer of assets to Irish Water is something that we were particularly interested in.

“I will be investigating the situation and if there is something that could be done about this transfer I will bring it forward,” said Cllr Flynn.

The council’s ownership of the wa- ter infrastructure came to light following a motion put forward by Cllr Alan O’Callaghan about the status of the approach road to the Sixmilebridge reservoir.

Responding to questions, a council spokesperson conf rmed that the Castlecrine reservoir was still legally the property of Clare County Council – before going on to conf rm that all the major water infrastructure in Clare is still owned by the local authority.

Speaking on the motion, Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) said he was “astonished” that Clare County Council still owned the water infrastructure.

“I’m kind of astonished to be honest, to learn that the handover [to Irish Water] will happen in the future. Over € 1m is being spent down in Killaloe. Have Irish Water been given control of certain reservoirs but not others? There is a lot of money being spent.

“How can Irish Water be spending money is areas that they don’t own? Who is spending the money?” he said.

The council spokesperson conf rmed that money currently being spent on water and sewage projects is being spent by Clare County Council, on behalf of Irish Water.

AN organisation that provides assistance to homeless people in Clare says an increasing number of fami lies are seeking their help.

HELP the Homeless and Vulnerable says it has provided food and sup port to three families in Clare in the past 10 days.

The Clare organisation, which helps homeless people in Clare and around Ireland, is holding a number of events in Ennis over the next few weeks to highlight the issue of home lessness.

Volunteers will hold a soup run at O’Connell Square, Ennis tonight at 9pm.

“We are going to have a stand and we will be giving out soup to people that need it.

“We are in touch with quite a lot of people at this time of the year”, a spokeswoman for HELP said.

The event will be followed by a sleep out in memory of the late Josef Pavelka in Ennis town centre on December 22.

In 2013, Mr Pavelka’s plight received national attention when a district court judge described it as a “scandal” that Mr Pavelka was liv- ing in a public toilet in the Market in Ennis. Five weeks after the remarks of Judge Patrick Durcan, Mr Pavelka’s body was found in a lane-way behind Supermacs on Ennis’s O’Connell Street late on a Saturday night.

Mr Pavelka’s remains were buried at Drumcliffe cemetery in Ennis af ter his family did not seek the repa triation of his body.

An inquest subsequently found that the Czech national had toxic levels of alcohol in his system when he died of a heart attack in May 2013.

Volunteers will sleep out in Ennis in memory of Mr Pavelka.

“Its not a fundraiser, its just some thing we’re doing to highlight homelessness and remember Josef.

“There will also be a few musicians playing on the night”, the spokeswoman said.

HELP volunteers will provide Christmas dinner to homeless people at an event in Roslevan on December 25.

Further details are available on the HELP the Homeless and Vulnerable Facebook page.

There are also plans to provide a drop in centre for homeless people in Ennis.

A BURREN girl, whose pet goat was stolen more than three months ago, is to write to Santa Claus asking for her safe return.

Nine year-old Rosa O’Dea has been searching for her pet goat, Hazel, since she was stolen from a farm close to Carron in mid-August.

According to Rosa’s mother, Regina O’Dea, a number of goats have been stolen in the area in recent month and her daughter is still hopeful that her pet goat may be returned.

“She is still really upset, but she is mad as well. She is quite cross that anyone would think of stealing her goat. She has written to Santa Claus, asking will he be able to help and bring Hazel back,” said Regina.

“We are just hoping that someone will recognise Hazel and get in touch. It’s a long shot we know, she could be anywhere in the country by now. She may have been passed on to people who wouldn’t realise that she has been stolen. Rosa is still really bothered about it and still speaks about it all the time.”

Hazel and a male goat Bill, were both bottle reared by Rosa since they were kids. After searching locally for months, the family are hopeful that someone may recognise the goat and return her before Christmas.

“Rosa bottle reared both the goats. Hazel and Billy, and now Billy just follows everyone around the farm, he just misses Hazel so much.

“He has even followed walkers and gone off the road looking for her. He has never done that before,” said Regina. There is no way that Hazel would have roamed off. She has been there for the past four years with Billy and they stay together all the time. When goats are bottle fed and kept as pets, they don’t tend to stray.

“They took the female goat and left the male – the male would not have been much use to them. We are convinced that she was stolen, this has happened to a lot of people in the area. We’ve heard from a lot of the local people. Besides, she would not have gone on her own – the two of them have been together since they were born and they probably really miss each other now as well.”

Anyone with any information about Hazel’s whereabout is asked to ring Regina on (087) 4143598.

A KILRUSH man accused of stealing ladies underwear has said the charge is all a “mix-up”.

Jonathan Kenny (30), with an address at Elm Drive, Kilrush is charged with stealing female underwear from Penny’s Shop, Francis Street, Ennis on November 3, 2014.

Mr Kenny appeared before Ennis District Court on Wednesday.

Inspector John O’Sullivan handed in a schedule of the arrest, charge and caution of the accused.

Insp O’Sullivan told Judge Patrick Durcan the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had directed the matter suitable for disposal in the district court.

Defence solicitor John Casey said his client could be put on his election in respect of the charge.

Judge Durcan put the charge to Mr Kenny and asked him if he wanted to have the case heard in the district court or before a Judge and jury in the circuit court.

Mr Kenny elected to have his case heard in the district court.

After reading out details of the charge in the busy courtroom, Judge Durcan put it to Mr Kenny, who was standing near the dock, that he seemed “amused” by the matter.

“I noticed when I read the charge to you, a grin spread from your right ear to your left”, the Judge said.

Mr Kenny replied that the alleged incident sounded different when it was read out.

“It was just a mix-up between me and my girlfriend”, he added.

Mr Casey said he required a short adjournment of the case.

Mr Kenny was remanded on bail to appear again at Ennis District Court on December 10, when he is due to indicate how he intends pleading to the charge.

A FORMER factory worker who pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography at his home in Ennis has avoided an immediate prison sentence.

The 49-year-old father of one pleaded guilty in March to possession of f ve images and 43 movies of child