Category: News

OFFICIALS at Clare County Council admit they are baffled as to how a heavy bin full of rubbish was dumped in the River Fergus in Ennis last week. The large wheelie bin was thrown into the river near Eason’s bookshop in Ennis town centre sometime between Monday and Tuesday. Black refuse sacks could be seen in the bin, which has drifted down river towards the Club Bridge.

The act of illegal dumping comes just days after Council workers and local community groups took advantage of low water levels to carry out a clean up of the Fergus.

The Council has contacted the company that provides the bin and asked them to make arrangements to have it removed from the water. A council spokesman said last week that a crane would be required to lift the bin from the riverbed.

“We’ve been in touch with the contractor but it’s going to be very difficult to get it out from its current location. You’d probably be looking at a crane to lift it. Its full of rubbish”, he explained.

The Council believes a group of people may have been responsible for hoisting the bin over a fence and into the river. The spokesman said, “Its one of the bigger bins so you’d need a lot of power to get it off the ground and into the river. Physically, you’d need a number of people to do it. We think that they might have wedged the bin up against the wall and forced it over.”

“To see it happen so soon after the clean up is really disappointing, especially at a time of the year when we are asking people to be responsible when it comes to getting rid of rubbish. It is very disappointing that this happened.”

Last month water levels in the River Fergus dropped to their lowest point since September 1995 following a prolonged spell of dry weather.

Community groups and local authority workers took advantage of the dramatic decrease in the water levels to clean litter from the river.

Ennis Town Council environmental staff assisted members of Fergus Salmon Anglers Association, Ennis Trout Anglers Association, Ennis Sub Aqua Club and Ennis Tidy Towns during last weekend’s cleanup.

Gerry Murphy, Environmental Warden, Ennis Town Council explained, “With water levels being so low, debris and litter on the river bed had become visible. Amongst the items collected during the cleanup were general litter items including plastic bottles, cans and wrappers. Amongst the more unusual items recovered were supermarket trolleys, traffic cones, footballs and even bicycles.”

MORE than 11 per cent of mortgage holders in Clare have defaulted on their payments and many of these cash strapped home owners now face unpaid property tax been taken from their wages or social welfare payments in the coming weeks. Paul Woulfe Development Manager, Citizen Information Clare and MABS has attributed the struggle to stay up with household payments to increasing taxes and bills at a time when working hours are being cut. He told The Clare People that the majority of the people failing to pay their mortgages are not necessarily out of work, but people who have had their working hours or wages cut. “We are seeing this especially in the retail sector which has been badly hit. “People are having their hours and working days cut, with some being made redundant,” he said. “They are going into arrears because of changes in their circumstances. “Then there are extra charges such as the property tax,” he added. The citizen information expert said that at this time of year people are under particular pressure as they face the back to school bills. He was also critical of costs, bills and expenses that target the less well off such as the National Car Test and car tax. The NCT must be carried out in cars over four years old every sec ond year and every year on cars over ten years old. Car tax is also higher on older cars. “People have multiple debts, but we always encourage them to speak to their banks,” he said adding that there is some helpful information on the citizen information and MABS websites. The Ennis based official said there has been a marked improvement in the number of people contacting the office about mortgage payments problems since the introduction of the Central Banks Code of Conduct for banks, but people are still struggling. “There is a way of dealing with banks and the in formations is available on keepingyourhome.ie, citizen information or MABS,” said Mr Woulfe. Meanwhile Insurance company Caledonian Life has warned that the increase in arrears and mortgage restructure arrangements is leading to potential underinsurance issues for Irish households. Tadgh Malone Caledonian Life representative in Clare said; “According to a Moodys report from less than a year ago 11.3 per cent of people in Clare have defaulted on their mortgage and unfortunately it is unlikely that this per centage has decreased with the latest Central Bank figures revealing that arrears are on the up and so too are restructure arrangements for homeloans, with nearly 80,000 mortgage accounts classified as restructured.”

THE inquests into the deaths of two fishermen who died off the coast of Clare last year are due to take place at Ennis District Court tomorrow (Wednesday).

64 year old Skipper Michael Galvin – a married father of three and his 35 year old neighbour Noel Dickinson drowned when their boat – the Lady Eileen- sank off the coast of Quilty last August.

Their disappearance sparked a massive search involving coastguard units from Kilkee, Doolin along with a rescue helicopter and the Aran Island Lifeboat.

The bodies of the men were subse- quently recovered in the wreckage of the boat.

The official report into the tragic sinking of the “Lady Eileen” found that the 10.85 metre boat probably encountered wind or wave action on the day when the local fishermen lost their lives at sea.

“It is probable that the “Lady Eileen” encountered wind or wave action or a combination of both. This caused the vessel to be swamped and loose reserve of buoyancy beyond which it was able to recover for its loaded condition, resulting in its sinking,” the report said.

The inspector who carried out the “Report into the Sinking of FV “Lady Eileen” on August 13, 2012” also had questions regarding recent work carried out on the boat.

The report was clear however that the incident that resulted in the sinking of the vessel, and the death of the two men, was sudden.

“Both men were active able-bodied experienced individuals. The evidence would suggest that the incident happened very suddenly and that neither Mr. Galvin nor Mr. Dickinson had any time to react to the situation and access the emergency equipment,” the report said.

The report did claim however that “Neither crewmember was found wearing a lifejacket,” and “the wearing of lifejackets would increase the chances of survival.”

A CLARE food company is to increase its work force by almost 50 per cent after it was given the go ahead to build a new café and restaurant in Bunratty.

Shannon based company Zest is expected to begin building the new eatery on the site of the former Avoca building early next year, the construction also providing up to 40 new jobs. The site has been vacant since the landmark building along the N8 dual carriage way was destroyed by fire in 2007.

It was purchased by Zest, which is the retail division of EFG Inflight Ltd, in 2011.

Last December Zest was granted conditional planning permission to demolish the existing structure on the old Avoca site, and build a new 680 square metre facility comprising of a restaurant, café, food hall and kitchen, as well as associated works, by Clare County Council

The local authority’s ruling was appealed to An Bord Pleanala by Maurice Walsh of Durty Nelly’s, who claimed it would “severely detract from the setting and character of Bunratty”.

An Bord Pleannala rejected the appeal and the project was given the green light in the last week.

A total of 15 conditions have been attached to the Bunratty development.

These include an order that a bat survey be carried out on the site, further changes to proposed signage, as well as other measures in the interest of visual amenity, traffic safety and local wildlife.

The new project is expected to create 40 jobs to add to the 100 more Zest jobs at its base in Knockbeg Point, Shannon Airport, and at its shops and cafes in Ennis and Limerick.

The company was founded in 2006, and the first Zest shop opened in Ennis in June 2010.

The Limerick branch is open in Pery Square at the Limerick City Gallery of Art and in the last few weeks the company opened a new store for Killaloe.

LOCALS in Doolin are growing angry with a small group of visitors who are ignoring advice from residents and continuing to get in the water with Dusty the dolphin.

Despite national and international media coverage for Dusty’s numerous dust-ups with the public over the past 10 days, swimmers did attempt to swim with the dolphin over the weekend.

“One lady did try to enter the water and swim with her – despite all the warnings. There is no getting through to some people,” a local told The Clare People .

It has also been revealed that Dusty is unlikely to leave Doolin as a result of recent violent interactions with swimmers – indeed, these interactions could actually encourage her to stay forever.

BALLYVAUGHAN grandmother and symphysiotomy survivor, Ellen Moore, says she will not accept the redress scheme proposed by the Minister for Health, James Reilly (FG), during their face-to-face meet- ing last week.

Ellen was one of a small group of symphysiotomy survivor who met with the health minister in Dublin on Thursday.

The meeting was originally organised by the Survivors of Symphysiotomy (SOS) group because of fears that the government was preparing to renege on promises made to wave the statue of limitations for symphysiotomy sufferers earlier this year.

It know looks likely that the government is indeed looking to perform a you-turn on their promise to lift the statue for women who were given symphysiotomy without consent.

Minister Reilly instead proposed a Magdalene style redress scheme for Ellen and the other symphysiotomy survivor.

This deal would see the women receive some level of compensation from the state but there would be no admission of fault and no apology.

This proposal was rejected by Ellen and the other representatives of SOS.

“We were there to talk about the statute of limitations and he [Minister O’Reilly] said that there was some issue with that and it was still with the Attorney General,” said Ellen.

“He did seem to be effected by our stories – he and his advisors. But his proposal would mean that there would be no apology and no admission of liability, and that is something that we cannot accept.

“It seems to us that he is trying to divide and conquer [using the redress system].

“Time is on their side. We are all older women and the longer this goes on the fewer of us there is.”

Hundreds of symphysiotomies were performed on women without their consent in Irish hospitals in the 1960 and 1970.

The controvertial operations involved breaking of a women’s pelvic bone during labour – which resulted in a litany of medical complications and complications.

Ellen has undergone more than 20 operations over the last two decades and is now in near constant pain.

BALLINRUAN’S Róisín Rodgers will carry the hopes of the county with her as she travels to Tipperary to take part in the International Miss Macra Competition this weekend.

Róisín, who is a keen traditional musician, hope to raise the profile of Macra Na Feirme in Clare through the competition – and who knows, maybe even bring the big prize back to the Banner.

Macra has undergone a renaissance in Clare in recent years with three new clubs forming across the county. The newest of these clubs is Róisín’s own club in Ennis, which is not yet even a year old.

“I am so proud to represent the county, especially as a someone who is relatively new to Macra. Ennis has been very, very active as a club in recent months and it has been brilliant for me to be involve in the club and not as Clare’s Miss Macra,” she said.

“It is a massive undertaking to represent Clare so I am a little bit nervous. It is only natural, I think, when you enter a competition like this. I’d be lying if I told you I wasn’t a little nervous.”

Róisín is a keen musician and is about to start a Masters in Music at UL. In the future she would like to play music during the summer, work as a primary school teacher in the winter and also publish a book about the Kilfenora Céilí Band.

“I love the club and I love my role as PRO. I really do want promote the club to the people of Ennis and to Macra as a whole in Clare. It is a real honour to be chosen as Miss Macra for Clare this year and I really do want to promote the work of Macra to everyone in the county,” she said.

“Ennis Macra is such a new club that there is a great opportunity now for people to get involved and really shape the club. The one thing that I keep telling people is that Macra is not just about farming – you can cater Macra to suit your own needs.

“Sometimes people think that to be involved in Macra you need to come from a farming background, but that is not the case. Each Macra club can change to suit the needs of the members.”

Róisín would like to thank everyone who has supported her including her sponsors including Sean O’Keaffe School of Motoring, Banner Equestrian Toonagh, Chez Marie Boutique, the G Nine 9 Boutique, Pat McCarthy Shoes and D2 Print.

A MAN questioned in connection with the alleged rape and false imprisonment of two women in Dublin last year spent some of his time living in Clare.

The man was identified in a weekend report as being the subject of a massive Garda surveillance for the previous 12 months because it was suspected he posed a threat to women. He has also previously been questioned in connection with an armed robbery.

The man moved between addresses in Clare and Dublin. He has been charged with a separate offence in Clare.

Yesterday, a senior Garda spokesperson confirmed that the man was a “person of interest” who had been stopped by gardaí.

However he said gardaí in Clare had not been engaged in an ongoing surveillance operation of the man who is in his forties.

The man is no longer thought to be in the country.

The offence alleged to have been committed in Clare is of a non-violent or sexual nature.

The man was named and pictured in The Sunday World Newspaper on Sunday last.

A SECOND major drugs seizure in the space of a month has been uncovered by a Custom’s dog at Shannon Airport.

Herbal cannabis, estimated to be worth € 50,000, was discovered at the airport on Tuesday July 23. Custom’s officers seized the drugs which were discovered in freight that arrived at the airport.

The plans to import drugs through Shannon Airport was foiled by a sniffer dog named Ollie. A spokesperson for the Office of the Revenue Commissioners confirmed that an investgation into the matter is continuing.

“Officers from Revenue’s Customs Service at Shannon Airport, yesterday (23/07/13), eized a quantity of herbal cannabis with an estimated street value of € 50,000.”

The spokesperson continued, “Following another positive indication by Customs dog, Ollie, Revenue officials discovered the drugs concealed in a consignment of freight that arrived into Shannon from Spain. Investigations are continuing.”

It is the second time in the space of four weeks that Ollie has foiled an attempted drugs importation plot at Shannon Airport.

Earlier this month Customs Officers seized herbal cannabis with an estimated street value of € 300,000 following a positive indication by Ollie.

The drugs were concealed in freight that arrived into Shannon.

The drugs were hidden in a consignment of freight that was thought to be destined for an address in Munster. Gardaí from Shannon Garda Station were assisting officers from the Office of the Revenue Commissioners with their investigation into the drugs shipment.

THE family of murdered Clare woman Emer O’Loughlin will take part in a new documentary into her death which will be shown tomorrow evening, July 30.

Hopes are high that an increase in attention for the cold case may lead to fresh information about the whereabouts of John Griffin, who the Gardaí have been tracking for more than eight years.

A number of Emer’s family were interviewed for the ‘Cracking Crime’ programme in April of this year when they came together to mark the eight anniversary of Emer’s tragic death.

It is hoped that a fresh spotlight being shined on the case may lead to new leads emerging for the Gardaí and Interpol. Indeed, there has been a great deal of attention for the case on social media in recent weeks.

A new facebook group entitled “Emer O’Loughlin – Help Catch Her Killer” was established earlier this years. Membership of the group has swelled from 600 people in early June to 2,400 now.

A number of previously unreleased images of John Griffin have also been circulated in recent week – with a particular emphasis on mainland Europe – where Mr Griffin is believed to currently reside.

Ennistymon woman Emer O’Loughlin lost her life in a mobile home in Tubber in April 8, 2005. A number of attempts have been made over the years to track down the chief suspect, John Griffin, with Interpol releasing a photograph and a description him in early 2011.

Despite a number of leads and suspected sighting of Mr Griffin in Europe, the official search has done cold in recent years.

Her body was found in the burnedout neighbouring mobile home and was only identified following DNA testing. The chief suspect in the case, John Griffin, was tracked to the Aran Island where Gardaí believe he tried to fake his own suicide before he fled the country.

Emer’s case will be featured in the first episode of ‘Cracking Crime’, which will be screened on RTÉ 1 on Tuesday, July 30, at 9.35pm.