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A NORTH Clare student, whose third-level education was put in jeopardy because of changes to the student grants system, received the Dean’s Award when she graduated from NUI Galway last week.

Ballyvaughan student, Medb McCarthy, was one of three students used by the Union of Students of Ireland (USI) to launch a judicial review into changes made in the qualification criteria for the Non-Adjacent Maintenance Grant last year.

The review, which has still to be ruled on by the Supreme Court, is based around an increase in the distance from a third-level institution that a student has to live before they are classified as “non-adjacent”.

It meant that even though Medb lived outside Ballyvaughan, with no realistic opportunity to commute to or from college in Galway, she was still considered an “adjacent” or local student when it came to her grants payments.

“It was very difficult in final year. I managed to find accommodation in Galway that wasn’t expensive but it certainly wasn’t easy getting by in that last year. If it wasn’t for my parents I would have been able to afford it. There is doubt about that,” she said.

“I didn’t work [outside of college] in my final year. I knew a lot of people who worked in their final year and it really effected their results and I didn’t want that to happen to me.”

Medb was awarded the the Dean’s Award, which goes to this highest achieving student in each course, jointly with Eric Brockie. The pair received the award in the subject of Information Technology, after they designed an educational children’s computer game based on Homer’s Odyssey.

“We wanted to make a game for kids. I have a niece and nephew who are three and six years old and I know that age group well. I also studied Classics and for that reason I decided to loosely base the game on the Odyssey,” continued Medb.

“Eric, who made the game with me, studied Spanish so we also made a Spanish language version of the game. It was a lot of work but great fun too.”

AN AGE-OLD tradition will be marked in the Carron this Sunday as a group of local herdsmen will drive hundreds of cattle to their winter home on the upland Burren pastures.

The cattle drive is the centre point for the second annual Burren Winterage Festival, which is expected to attract hundreds of late-season tourists and visitors to the Burren this weekend.

The festival is aiming to mark the age-old process of winterage, which saw hundreds of cattle being moved to the Burren at the end of the summer, where they would spend the winter in relative dryness because of the porous limestone rock of the Burren.

The process of winterage has actively helped to shape the Burren over the centuries as the cattle helped control the spread of hazel and other scrub plants into limestone pavement.

“The Winterage Weekend is all about celebrating the local commu- nity and their traditions which have assisted in the Burren receiving such international recognition,” said Brigid Barry of the Burrenbeo Trust, who are organisers the event.

“Visitors and locals alike have the opportunity to get involved in some really interesting and fun events and all completely unique and connected to the magnificent landscape that is the Burren.”

Along with the cattle drive the Winterage Festival will also include a number of unique Burren events including the Burren Food Fayre, a number of open-farm events and even a prize for the best shorthorn heifer in the Burren.

The Burren last month became the first place in Ireland to receive a European Diploma for protected areas. The diploma, which is awarded by the Council of Europe, was in recognition of the natural and cultural heritage of the Burren, something that the process of winterage has been key to over the years.

The full Winterage Festival Weekend programme is www.burrenwinterage.com.

THE search is on for proposals from suitably qualified candidates to maintain and digitise the Shannon Development Collection, an extensive archive of photographic material, associated press clippings and brochures dating from the early 1950s to the present day.

This major collection recounts the evolution of the Shannon region from a large agricultural base to a leading industrial and tourism hub. The development of aviation at Shannon Airport, the birth of Shannon town and the Shannon Free Zone, as well as aerial shots showing different stages during the industrial development of the area are all chronicled.

It charts Shannon Development’s role in regional development. Among the material generated by the company are images and print material relating to tourism and industrial development throughout the region. It traces the growth of towns in counties Clare, Limerick, North Tipperary, South Offaly and North Kerry.

Speaking about its importance a spokesperson for the company said: “The collection contains an extremely significant historic legacy chronicling over 50 years of the Shannon region’s tourism, industrial and social evolution. In photos and words it records the early days at Shannon Airport and the birth of the world’s first Industrial Free Zone. It captures the many world leaders who visited Shannon and the many glamorous Hollywood movie stars who regularly visited the area among them, Gene Kelly, Bob Hope, Marlon Brando, Marilyn Monroe and Princess Kelly.

‘The collection is a true testament to the hard work and determination of the people of the Shannon region, the dedication of Shannon Development staff, and the commitment and drive of those who partnered with the company down through the years. It is a legacy to their achievements and we want to ensure that these pictures and stories are nurtured and made accessible to future generations.”

Among the photographic element of the collection are over 70,000 black and white negatives, 40,000 transparencies, and 10,000 colour negatives.

There is also a print element consisting of press clippings dating from 1959 to 2006. In addition there are a number of Shannon Development brochures and a full collection of printed copies of the Shannon Development Annual Reports dating from 1959.

Legislation is being enacted to bring together the independent Shannon Airport with the extensive property holding, experience and expertise of Shannon Development under the Shannon Group plc. The ownership of the collection will remain with Shannon Group plc.

Among the terms and conditions is that the collection must be kept together – catalogued, preserved and made available as a resource for researchers, interested organisations and the general public. The successful candidate will manage, store and digitise the collection on behalf of Shannon Group plc. They will be responsible for preserving this hugely important archive and making it accessible to the public. The closing date for receipt of proposals is Friday, October 25. Full details including terms and conditions can be obtained up to Friday, October 18, by emailing croninc@shannondevelopment.ie.

FINANCIAL issues, debt and the 2014 Budget announced on Wednesday are seriously impacting on the mental health of the county.

According to those on the coal face, including Clare MABS co-ordinator Denis Corbett and psychiatrist Dr Moosajee Bhamjee, more and more people are presenting at their offices with anxiety and depression directly associated with financial worries.

“It has been the cause of a number of suicides as well. It is a major issue. We are now getting people in families, wives and husbands – who are worried. People think it is only contractors and builders or business people who owe a lot to the bank that are coming,” said Dr Bhamjee who reported mental health issues related to financial worries are increasing in the county year on year.

“We are seeing people with anxiety and that anxiety is turning into depressive symptoms.”

He said there is also a resulting increase in alcoholism and marriage disharmony.

“People are accustomed to a certain standard of living and now find it difficult to adjust. A lot of people need tranquillisers to calm down and maybe sleeping tablets at night. Other people are using yoga and doing some light exercise to help,” he said.

“The whole society is stressed at the moment. This budget has put more stress on mental health, more so on the elderly,” said the psychiatrist and former Labour TD.

“Counselling does give people help, support and reassurance. It might not be able to solve their financial issues but it can provide a way of coping with stress.”

Mr Corbett agreed that MABS in Clare is also seeing an increase in people with financially related anxiety and depression seeking help.

“When your basic needs are threatened then you are in trouble,” he said.

MABS is calling for a working group to be established to develop and agree mental health guidelines for banks and lending institutes so that people in debt with mental health issues are treated appropriately.

“It is about support. It is not that people don’t want to act, it is that they can’t and need support,” he said.

On Friday at a special seminar on Budget 2014 in Ennis chairperson Dermot Hayes said, “This is the seventh year of budgets cuts on welfare recipients and low income families. Pushing people further into to cutting essentials. That enable them to live a quality of life and to sustain reasonable health and lifestyle.”

AS MANY as 5,770 children from Clare are to benefit from a free GP service next year according to the Minister for Finance, but local doctors said that as yet no one has spoken to them.

At the Budget 2014 forum, supported by Citizen Information Services and Alliance of Social Protection of Recipients, participants welcomed the initiative but with an element of caution.

Those speaking on behalf people with disabilities and people reliant on social welfare maintained that means testing should be introduced with the under five free GP service.

However Clare members of the National College of General Practitioners said that no direct contact has been made with GPs.

Doctors have said the free GP care scheme for five year olds and under, as proposed by the Government, will not be a “high-end” service because it will not be properly funded.

The GP organisation also warned yesterday (Monday) that some GPs might not sign-up to the plan.

Meanwhile Government representatives are adamant that the initiative, which has had a very mixed reaction, will go ahead.

Labour TD Michael McNamara said, “This is a historic and significant initiative which means that local families with children aged five and under no longer have to give a second’s thought about visiting the doctor when their child gets sick.

“There is clear evidence that people delay or avoid visiting their GP where a fee is required. Removing this cost barrier will mean that local families will be far more likely to address medical problems at an earlier stage, leading to better outcomes and treatment that is of less cost to the State.”

MILLIONAIRE Clare farmer JJ McCabe has added to his growing property portfolio in the past week by buying one of the most famous stately homes in the county.

And, in making his latest purchase, the colourful Clarecastle man has stayed close to home in purchasing Carnelly House in his native parish, which dates from the mid 1700s and is just 1km from his farm.

“It was up for auction in Ganley’s of Dublin and I bought it,” he told The Clare People .

“I belong to one of the oldest families in Clarecastle and we have been farming there for over 200 years. Carnelly is one of the oldest houses, it was up for auction and I went for it,” he added.

Mr McCabe, who earlier this year bought the Kilkee Bay Hotel and Ashford Court Hotel in Ennis, paid € 600,000 for the period mansion and its adjoining 74 acres.

This purchase price represents an 80 per cent fall in eight years – before the height of the property boom, the house and adjoining lands was sold by the Gleeson family in 2005 to a Dublin-based consortium called the Master Group for € 3m.

Carnelly House was built between 1830 and 1840, having been designed by Clare-born architect Francis Bindon as a wedding present for his sister, Anna, who married George Stamer.

The house has nine bedrooms, a gate lodge, a walled garden, original two story outbuildings and a courtyard.

Up until 2005, the house, which is in very good condition, was owned by the Gleeson family, who operated it as an up-market bed and breakfast.

The largest room in the house is the drawing room of 17’ by 33’, which has ornate stuccoed ceilings and walls by the Francini brothers and an elaborate niche with Corinthian pillars: doors on either side lead to the house’s conservatory. Other rooms include a formal dining room, morning room, library with extensive bookshelves, and all the working rooms for the house like kitchen, utility and boiler room.

After its sale eight years ago, Clare County Council granted planning for an € 80m development being promoted by Master Group. This included the construction of a 64-bedroom two-story private nursing home, as well as therapy room, a chapel, security room and 135 residential units. The foundations for this development were laid, while the planning permission was renewed in July 2011 until April 2017.

TRADE unions representing staff at Shannon Airport and Shannon Development have raised concerns about the future viability of the newly independent Shannon Airport.

Speaking at the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications Debate on the Shannon Aviation Services and Miscellaneous Provision Bill 2013, Owen Reidy of SIPTU said, “We have serious reservations and concerns about this prospect actually flying and working because we believe that ultimately, the success of this project is based primarily on planned growth on the airport site and on passenger numbers.”

He maintained that the projected numbers of the business plan for the airport does not stand up to the scrutiny of an appraisal by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. He said the projected or planned growth from 1.39 million passengers in November 2012 to 2.5 million passengers by 2021 were based on assumptions that do not stand up to scrutiny in the current economic climate.

“We are concerned that if this does not work, the overall project may suffer and fail, notwithstanding the fact that we wish it well. Should that arise, we would be concerned about any implications for the workers concerned in both entities,” he said.

During the same discussion Neil Pakey, Chief Executive Officer of the Shannon Airport Authority, received support for his call to extend the borrowing facility limit for the group to € 100 million.

This, he claimed, would allow the Shannon group to deliver on the recommendations of the task force and to ensure it can be as competitive as its European peer group airport companies.

“As any such borrowings would be subject to business cases and ministerial consent, we should not have a more restrictive limit than our competitors, be they private or public operators,” he said referring to previous operators he worked for who borrow and invest in their airports.

Chair of the meeting Clare TD Timmy Dooley said the committee would forward the recommendation to the Minister.

Clare County Manager Tom Coughlan reiterated the need for an extended borrowing limit.

“For the group to carry out its functions as envisaged, and one hopes there will be wider functions than those envisaged at present, it must be in a position to finance itself and it must be empowered to raise the necessary capital and finance to achieve its objectives,” he said.

Mr Pakey also proposed the renaming of the new look SFADCo to Shannon Enterprise.

THE National Roads Authority has been asked to clarify its position on the placing of signs on motorways and dual carriageways amid claims it is causing confusion.

Independent councillor PJ Ryan told the October meeting of Clare County Council, clarification on the policy is needed.

In a motion, Cllr Ryan stated that “this council would clarify with the NRA the position re: signs on or just off dual carriageway, motorway or primary roads as there seem to be a lot of confusion on this matter”.

Tom Tiernan, Senior Engineer in the Council’s Transport Department, said for road safety reasons, all illegal signs are removed from the motorway.

He explained, “Because of the fact that the motorway and dual carriageway system accommodates very large volumes of traffic moving at high speed, the safety of those using the system is of paramount importance. Drivers using the primary route network need certain basic elements of information to facilitate them in terms of destination etc.”

He continued, “The motorway signage system is designed to provide basic minimum information while at the same time it seeks to ensure that the information given isn’t overly detailed or cluttered and that it isn’t too much for a driver travelling at 120 km/hr to absorb without distraction. Effectively, the objective is to provide optimum information of the kind needed by an average motorway driver and to minimise the potential for distraction thereby facilitating complete focus on driving safely.”

Mr Tiernan stated, “For the reasons outlined in the foregoing, no signage other than that designed and approved by the NRA is allowed on the motorway system and any signage placed within the confines of the primary route system without approval is unauthorised and illegal.

“Since the NRA took over maintenance and management of the motorway system recently, this policy has been implemented fully by virtue of the fact that it is a clear stipulation in the NRA’s contract with the contractor who has been engaged to look after the motorway and dual carriageway network.”

Mr Tiernan told the meeting that any signs, which have been removed to facilitate this requirement, can be retrieved by owners at the new motorway maintenance depot adjacent to Junction 13, Tulla Road Interchange on the M18.

GARDAÍ in Clare are urging people to behave responsibly as part of their annual Halloween safety awareness campaign.

Community Guards and members of the Clare County Fire Services have given a series of information meetings at primary and secondary schools around the county. Ennis-based community garda Deirdre O’Doherty said there would be a visible Garda presence on Halloween night (Thursday, October 31) to ensure events pass off safely.

“People drinking and particularly underage drinking at a time when you have bonfires and people letting off fireworks would obviously be the biggest concern for us,” she explained.

Garda O’Doherty continued, “Most of the time there are no problems with kids but it does happen in Ennis, as it does in other towns around Ireland, that you will have people drinking. We would be urging people to let the Fire Services do their job on the night. People should also keep an eye on small kids around bonfires and we would encouraging people to keep pets inside. It’s also important people check on elderly neighbours.”

Ennis Gardaí and Ennis Fire Brigade visited all the classes in Barefield National School on Thursday October 17. The liaison garda officer for Barefield National School, Garda Nadine Keane and Garda Albert Hardiman were present along with Frank Gormley with Gearoid Blake and Stephen Hayes from The Clare Fire Brigade.

Deputy principal Paddy Conroy said the event was beneficial for students.

He said, “Students were shown photographs relating to Halloween dangers and the Garda Nadine Keane and Albert Hardiman advised that the use of firecrackers without a Garda license is an offence. The children viewed photographs and footage of injuries, which have occurred through the use of firecrackers. Old people, young people and animals can sometimes feel intimidated at Halloween so children must ensure that the festival is enjoyed in a responsible and caring fashion. Mr John Burns (Principal) thanked the Garda officers and the firemen for their time and advice and commented that they are friends who keep our communities safe.”

WHAT exactly happened behind the scenes of Clare’s thrilling All-Ireland senior hurling title win?

If you want to find out then you’re in luck, The Clare Hurling Supporters Club as part of their fundraising efforts for the upcoming team holiday, are releasing a behind the scenes DVD of their remarkable season.

The DVD, which will be available to buy in shops in November, features exclusive behind the scenes footage that includes peeks inside the Clare dressing room during championship matches, training sessions, team talks and players personal recollections of an incredible summer’s hurling.

The squad allowed a camera access to the dressing room, as well as team meetings and training sessions throughout the season and countless hours of footage are now being edited into ninety minutes of previously unseen history.

The hurlers are expected to travel for a team holiday towards the end of December and as part of the fundraising efforts for the All-Ireland champions, the supporters fund are releasing the historic DVD, an official team calendar, official Clare team Christmas cards and the official team photograph.