Category: News

DORIS Akujobi’s face shines with pride when she talks about her children.

Eldest son Victor recently graduated from Dublin City University with an honours degree in Biomedical Science. Doris smiles as she tells how Victor now works in the nutrition sector in Dublin. It’s no surprise to Doris or her husband Anselem that their 22-year-old son pursued a career in science. The former Ennis Community College student represented Ireland at the Junior Science Olympiad in Brazil. Like her brother, Jennifer Akujobi (23) has a talent for science. She holds a degree in chemical science and medicinal chemistry.

“They are very good, I thank God for them,” says Doris.

Anselem, Doris and their seven children – Victor, Jennifer, Chris, Alex, Sandra, Stephanie and Michael – have made a happy life for themselves since first coming to Ennis from Nigeria in 2002. The weather was of course a shock but the family soon settled into their new life.

Doris speaks warmly of her children’s time at Scoil Chriost Rí and Ennis Community College.

She says, “We have been so lucky with the schools and our friends. Life is good. It is calm. It is quite compared to Dublin. Dublin is crowded.”

Anselem worked in the Dell factory in Limerick for five years up to 2009. He now works as a taxi driver. “It’s very quite,” he says, “There is no nice job but it is better than staying idle,” he adds with a wry smile. Doris has worked with the Brothers of Charity since 2008. Last year she graduated from the Open Training College with a qualification in social care with disability. The family were granted citizenship in 2003 after a two-year wait. This was an important step for Doris and Anselem. The family are proud to call themselves Irish citizens. Doris says, “We have been responsible for ourselves. We always wanted to set a good example for our children. When the mother and father are working it sets a good example for the children.” It does sadden Doris though that some people retain a negative perception of African immigrants. She explains, “Sometime I am in the shopping centre with a big trolley of food for my family and people are looking at me. They see you and they kind of give you a second look. They don’t know who you are. They don’t know you are working. They don’t see that we pay tax, work hard. We are doing something to contribute to the country.” Like many Irish parents, Anselem and Doris have seen their children move abroad to look for work. Doris says, “All Irish children, when they finish school, should be able to stay in the country and get work. Every day I pray for the country.”

KILRUSH Town Council’s finances are the healthiest in years and its soon to be disbanded council is determined to have all of the money spent on local projects before it is absorbed “ and lost” within a newly amalgamated county council.

According to the Financial Statement for last year, and published this week, there was an overall net surplus of € 19, 535 at the end of 2012, and € 200,000 transferred to specially marked projects.

This is no small feat considering that at the end of 2007, there was a cumulative deficit of € 187,000 in the council’s revenue account.

According to Town Clerk John Corry the savings were achieved by cuts to expenditure in different sectors including payroll, and despite cuts to the Local Government Fund and grants from the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government.

At Thursday night’s meeting of the town council it was agreed to set aside € 150,000 of the € 200,000 transferred to special projects to the proposed Cooraclare Road Sports Development with the remaining € 50,000 to go towards that Vande leur Walled Garden Capital Works Project.

The council is currently awaiting grant-funding approval from central government for the sport’s development before the project can go through. Grant funding has been refused for the project on two successive years, leading to the mayor Cllr Mairead O’Brien (Ind) having some reservations about setting aside such a large sum.

She pointed out that if the project does not get a sports grant this year, it will be put on the shelf and the money set-aside by the town council absorbed by the larger council.

“Can we set a date to say if it is not achieved can we say it will be used for astro turf pitch?” she asked.

It was agreed that if funding was not provided in the next round of sport capital grants, the funding would be transferred to another project. It was also agreed to tender for the astro turf pitch so that the council could move quickly to have this project carried out quickly, if the sport development did not get the green light.

Meanwhile the council finances were further boosted by local businesses compliance with paying commercial rates. At 76 per cent compliance for the third year in a row this is the highest return to any of Clare’s three rate setting councils, including the county council. Mr Corry said that every effort would be made to collect all outstanding rates.

“We are being as flexible as we can with rate payers, and going down the legal route is a last resort,” he said.

Development contributions were down again this year to € 2,153 from an all time high in 2007 of € 273,096.

SPORT has given plenty of joy to the Twumasi family since they moved from Ghana to Ennis 10 years ago. Brother Nicholas and William are talented GAA players with Eire Óg and Clarecastle respectively. Both have also excelled at athletics and on the soccer field. Last year 17-year-old Nicholas was part of the Avenue United team that reached the semi-finals of the under 17 National Cup. He is on the cusp of winning a Premier Division title with the Ennis club’s junior side. Nicholas dreams of playing at higher level, maybe in England or Scotland. Soccer is his favourite sport. But while sport has given Nicholas great days and memories, it has also introduced him to some of life’s uglier attitudes. Racism never encroached on the Twumasi family’s life except on the sports field. Nicholas explains, “I experienced it a lot. It got me in trouble a few times. It only stopped two years ago. I was surprised because we are all playing sports just for the fun of it. There is no need to do any of that when I haven’t done anything to you. I just lose it when things like that happen. It was players and people on the sideline.”

Dad Kwame says he too was surprised when insults were hurled at his son. He says, “They called him names when they played football. It is a game. You have to close your ears and not listen to them.”

Nicholas says he only ever experienced racism on the sports field. He explains, “That was the most difficult part, when you are playing sport and someone keeps racially abusing you. We reported it a few times but the referee would say there is nothing he could do if he didn’t hear it. With Avenue we reported it a few times and we were told there is noting we can do about it if the ref did not hear it.”

He adds, “The last time it happened, a guy started abusing me straight in front of the ref. It has died down since last year. It’s a lot easier now.”

The family moved to Ennis in 2002. After a 10-year wait, they secured citizenship last year. Kwame, a selfemployed former Dell worker, and his wife Comfort have five children and one foster child. Kwame says the family were welcomed to Ennis and enjoy their life in Ireland.

Citizenship, he says, has made it easier for the family to travel. Nicholas hope to study in England after completing his Leaving Cert. For him, citizenship didn’t come soon enough.

He says, “I couldn’t go through to ‘Football’s Next Star’ (football talent show) with Celtic because I didn’t have Irish citizenship!”

KILRUSH Town Council will be levied with a local property tax of approximately € 4,000 this year, a figure that will double next year.

It is as yet unclear however if this tax will be paid by the council or passed on to tenants with a rent increase.

The Kil rush local authority was a total housing stock of 185 units, and other properties including the town hall.

According to Liam O’Connor, Senior Staff Officer, Housing Social and Cultural Services, the details on how the council will pay the local property tax is limited at present.

He said that local authorities are still awaiting guidance from the Revenue as to how the registration of council houses will take place.

“All local authority property is to be valued on valuation band 1 (€ 0 – € 100,000). Properties for tenants with special needs are exempt from the tax. Local authorities will have to remit payment of the local property tax by year end,” he said.

“Cer tain issues have to be clarified such as are long-term voids liable for tax, and will local authorities recoup the charge from tenants. For further years local authorities will have to make a provision in their budgets for the payment of the LPT,” he added.

Kil rush town manager and director of Services Anne Haugh estimated that the payment this year will come to € 4,000, half of the annual property tax valuation.

A MEETING will take place in Ennis on Thursday night aimed at helping families affected by the growing problem of drug abuse.

The Mid-West Regional Drugs Task Force, together with members of the community from around Clare, is hosting a Substance Misuse Services Information day on Thursday, May 23, from 11am to 2pm at the Temple Gate Hotel. Fr Peter McVerry, from the McVerry Trust, will speak at the event.

Mary Leahy, Clare Community Forum, says; “If you want to know more, please come along to the Temple Gate Hotel.

“You may not be aware of what is available and this is an opportunity to have a cup of tea and see what services are here in our community, for our community. It’s not an area that many of us feel very comfortable about, so we want to encourage people to come along to this informal event.”

Those involved from the community came together after completing the FETAC 5 component certificate in Community Addiction Studies, hosted by Ennis Community College and supported by Clare VEC and the MWRDTF.

Pat Talty, of the organising group said;

“The course focused my interest in wanting to do something further, at a local level.

Together we decided that a starting point for this was to hold an information event, to inform ourselves and the people of Clare of the services available to us, our families and our community when substance use becomes problematic.”

Since last year, a number of new services have started in the mid-west region.

This includes the Community Substance Misuse Team (CSMT), which assists young people, families and communities develop effective and supportive coping strategies to deal with substance misuse issues.

Clare Youth Services, Bushypark House and the Health Services Executive Drug & Alcohol Service, CSMT and Limerick Youth Service recently responded to a clear need, and established a youth support group.

This group provides help to young people aged 14 to 18 years who are affected by a close family members drinking or drug use. Further information on all groups will be available on the day.

A MAN who engaged in what a Judge called “wild west behaviour” in pubs in Ennis has been sentenced to four months in prison.

Darren Maughan (21) threw a keg at the door of Kelly’s Bar in the Market, one of a number of offences committed in Ennis during April.

On Wednesday at Ennis District Court, Mr Maughan pleaded guilty to three charges of theft.

He also pleaded guilty to provoking a breach of the peace at Dan O’Connell’s bar, Ennis and criminal damage at Kelly’s Bar on April 8.

The court heard Mr Maughan stole nine bottles of Blossom Hill wine from Fine Wines off-license over two days, April 14 and April 15.

Mr Maughan, with an address at 20 Stonecourt, Drumbiggle, Ennis, also pleaded guilty to the theft of four bottles of Blossom Hill wine from O’Keeffe’s off-license on April 14.

The court heard that on each occasion, the accused walked out of the premises without paying for the alcohol. None of the property was recovered.

Inspector John Galvin told the court that the accused entered Dan O’Connell’s bar on April 8. He said Mr Maughan was barred from the premises and became abusive and threatening towards staff when asked to leave.

The court heard Mr Maughan was also refused entry to Kelly’s Bar. Insp Galvin said the accused threw a keg at the door of the premises causing € 500 worth of damage.

Mr Maughan has 39 previous convictions predominantly for public order offences, the court heard.

Defence solicitor William Cahir told the court that his client is a young man with serious problems with alcohol.

The court heard two of Mr Maughan’s brothers died because of alcohol-associated problems.

Mr Cahir said his client’s older brother is trying to assist him. He added, “He was out of control with alcohol consumption.”

Judge Patrick Durcan asked Mr Maughan to explain his “wild west type behaviour in the pubs of Ennis.”

Mr Maughan replied, “I was drunk. I was on medication. I am very, very sorry for what I did.”

Prior to passing sentence, Judge Durcan asked if Mr Maughan preferred red or white wine. Mr Maughan said, “I’d prefer to have none at all.”

Judge Durcan said he had deemed probation or community survive not to be a suitable sentence.

He said Mr Maughan had committed very serious offences against the people of Ennis, particularly those working in licensed premises.

Judge Durcan imposed sentences totaling four months in prison. He warned Mr Maughan that he would deal with him more harshly if he appeared in court again.

Judge Durcan commended Mr Maughan’s elder brother for the help he has given his sibling.

He told the Mr Maughan that he hoped his time in prison would benefit him.

THE town of Kilrush is back in the national eye, one week after it hosted the National Famine Commemoration, as it has been shortlisted for Best Kept Tidy Town in Ireland.

The Heritage town is one of just four nationally in the final stage of the competition.

Chairman of Kilrush Tidy Town Committee Paul Edson said that winning the award would be “a great stepping stone for the national Tidy Town Awards”.

Mr Edson said that while the town has never looked as good there are still some contentious areas that need addressing. He explained that the town could not become complaisant. Boundary walls in areas such as Pella Road, O’Gorman Street, Grey Street, and St Senan’s Terace needed to be addressed he said.

The Tidy Town’s committee is tak- ing the issue in hand by going door to door to residence and offering to help them to paint their wall if they wish to take on the project.

In what is likely to be the last every report to Kilrush Town Council the Tidy Town’s chairman said, “This might be our last ever meeting with the town council so we want to achieve as much as possible in the next 13 months.”

The council contributes € 4,000 to the Tidy Town fund.

Mr Edson fears that such funding will not be available from the amalgamated Clare County Council.

He said the Tidy Towns also want to concentrate on Francis Street, the largest and widest street in the town.

“It is like a beautiful around a painting that is not completed,” said Mr Edson.

He said the committee were seeking extra funding to put a three tier planter and hanging baskets for the street.

IRELAND’S oldest matchmaking festival is going pink this September with a gay and lesbian weekend being added to the month-long Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival.

This year’s matchmaking festival will begin with The Outing – a lesbian and gay weekend involving concerts, matchmaking and other events, all hosted by drag-queen Panti.

The event is the brainchild of local hotelier Marcus White who has contracted the organiser of the Dublin Pride Festival, Eddie McGuinness, to manage the event.

According to McGuinness, the event will the biggest gay and lesbian matchmaking event ever to take place, anywhere in the world.

“At the end of the day it’s about love – that what the matchmaking festival has always been about. Ireland is leading the world on gay issues and hopefully we will have gay marriage soon, so the time is right for something like this to take place,” said Eddie McGuinness.

“Nothing on this scale has ever been done anywhere else in the world. We are taking matchmaking into the 21st century. We have a five-year plan for this event. This year we are looking at attracting people from Ireland and the UK but this is going to become a very big international event.”

The Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival has been in operation for more than 150 years and attracts thousands of singles from all over the world to the North Clare village each September.

It is not as yet clear if Ireland’s last matchmaker, local man Willie Daly, will be directly involved in the gay and lesbian festival.

“We are trying to put a different twist on the festival. It is going to be same as any other matchmaking weekend – we will have entertainment, music and dancing – but this will be a gay and lesbian weekend,” said hotelier Marcus White.

“There will be matchmaking going on throughout the weekend. We are hoping to get Willie Daly involved as well. We are in talks with Willie at the moment and hopefully he will come n board.

“This has not been tried been tried anywhere else in the world. We are very open-minded up here in Lisdoonvarna. As Willie Daly says himself – love doesn’t distinguish, if you’re in love, you’re in love.”

The first ever Lesbian and Gay Weekend of the Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Festival will take place from Friday, August 30 to Sunday, September 1.

TWO local men are set to jet-ski from Clare to France this coming September in aid of three local charities.

The voyage, which begins in Liscannor on September 8, aims to raise vital funds for TLC4CF, the William Winder Rainbow Foundation and Burren Sub Aqua Search & Recovery.

Darren Hayes and Liam Cleary completed a round Ireland Jetski in 2010 and are now trying to raise corporate funds to support the cost of their check list and ensure that 100 per cent of the funds raised go directly to the charities.

According to Katie Murphy of TLC4CF, “we are thrilled that Darren and Liam are taking on this immense challenge again this year and this time going even further afield. “We are still falling short of approximately € 500,000 to completely the new state-of-the-art Cystic Fibrosis adult unit in the Mid-Western Regional Hospital.

The charity has said that they are overwhelmed to be chosen to benefit from this unusual yet wonderful fundraiser yet again alongside two other great charities.

“All of the funds raised from this challenge event will contribute to providing life-saving facilities for our members and of course it is so important to continually raise awareness of Cystic Fibrosis both locally and nationally,” Katie continued.

Katie lives with Cystic Fibrosis and stressed the importance of having isolated rooms for CF patients in hospitals to reduce infection and prevent further illness.

“It is through fundraisers like this that we are making these advancements to reach international standards of care for people with CF.

“Liam and Darren have been wonderful supporters of TLC4CF throughout the years and we would like to acknowledge their hard work and dedication.”

The 1,300 miles trip to France is hoped to be completed in seven days return, according to Darren, “covering 240/250 miles a day”.

For more information visit their Facebook page, Ireland to France Charity Jetski.

THE death of a homeless man on the streets of Ennis earlier this month may draw greater attention on the plight of people badly in need of help, a court has heard.

Judge Patrick Durcan was speaking last week following the death of Czech Republic national Josef Pavelka (52).

Mr Pavelka’s body was found in a laneway beside Supermac’s Fast Food restaurant on O’Connell Street on Saturday May 4.

Mr Pavelka and his Polish friend Piotr Baram had lived rough on the streets of Ennis.

Their plight attracted nationwide attention in April when Judge Durcan described as a “scandal” a situation whereby Mr Pavelka had spent time living in a public toilet.

Judge Durcan read about the men’s circumstances in a report handed into court by the Probation Services. Mr Pavelka appeared in court on public order charges.

Emergency accommodation was secured for Mr Pavelka and Mr Baram at a tourist hostel in Galway but they returned to live rough in Ennis.

When his case was called at Ennis District Court on Wednesday, Judge Durcan was informed that Mr Pavelka had passed away.

Inspector Tom Kennedy said no evidence was being offered in the case.

Judge Patrick Durcan said, “This man’s life in this country is a matter of which nobody can be proud.”

Acknowledging that Mr Pavelka had serious “self-inflicted difficulties” with alcohol, Judge Durcan said;

“It is shameful and sad that this man died in the circumstances that he did.”

The court previously heard that Mr Pavelka acquired a certain “celebrity status” after his plight came to national attention.

Judge Durcan said this status reflected the generosity of the people in Ennis towards Mr Pavelka.

Judge Durcan said he hoped that Mr Pavelka’s death would alert more people to the plight of people in need and “impel them to act.”

Judge Durcan added, “He always struck me as a kindly gentleman.”

Ennis Town Council has denied that the men lived in the two public toilets, saying it has no evidence that they were used for accommodation purposes.

Judge Durcan said he was “concerned” by the denial of the men’s living conditions by the local authority.

Mr Pavelka was a client of solicitor Daragh Hassett of Ennis based lawfirm, Hassett Considine solicitors.

Mr Hassett said that through his involvement with Mr Pavelka, he witnessed the enormous good work that charities and other organisations do for people in need.

He said that unfortunately help came too late for Mr Pavelka. Mr Hassett said, “He was a gentle man in every regard.”

Inspector Tom Kennedy said Mr Pavelka was always easy to deal with from a garda perspective. He added; “Most of our concern was for his own safety.”

Insp Kennedy said very good progress had been made in contacting the deceased’s daughter and sister in the Czech Republic.

He said discussions were ongoing with Czech authorities with regard to burial arrangements.

Judge Durcan commended the gardaí on their handling of the matter.