Category: News

THE futures of many of County Clare’s post offices are under threat, according to one Clare postmaster, as they could lose the contract for social welfare payments.

The Government must wake up to the threat to post offices in County Clare, the annual conference of the Irish Postmasters’ Union was told by Clare-born postmaster Tom O’Callaghan at the weekend.

Mr O’Callaghan from Kildysart, who is a postmaster in Upper William Street, Limerick, told the delegates to the conference in Fitzpatrick’s Hotel, Killiney, Co Dublin, that the future of hundreds of post offices nationally, and a number in Clare, were in the balance due to the fact that the social welfare payments contract is being internationally tendered.

“We understand that there is a very good chance that in the short term An Post will retain the contract but a second tender is to be issued in June that could result in a major transfer of the social welfare payment system to an electronic form,” he said.

“We are not against new technology or progress but the public are entitled to access their money in the way that best suits their needs. We do not yet know the full terms of the new tender but we are very concerned that it will force the successful tender to rush headlong down the e-commerce route.

“The Government should be very wary of the consequences, not just for an estimated 400 post offices that would close immediately if An Post were to lose the contract, but also for Irish society. It would be catastrophic,” the West Clare man warned.

Mr O’Callaghan, who represents postmasters in Clare, Limerick, Kerry and Kilmallock, told the delegates that the public were being forced more and more into using banks that don’t want to see customers, are forever increasing or introducing new charges and in whom the public have little trust. “As we saw last year people can also go weeks without having access to the cash in their bank account,” he said.

“Another issue we have with Government is their failure to utilise the outstanding network of 1,100 post offices throughout the country to provide additional services to com- munities,” said Mr O’Callaghan. “We commissioned the accountancy firm Grant Thornton to validate our figures and they established that by allowing the public to renew their motor tax in post offices it would save the taxpayer € 60 million.”

“We also believe there is a real opportunity to develop a system of electronic form generation where forms can be printed as required at post offices for a small fee; forms can be updated on request, and these services would save the Government money. Hospital charges could also be paid through our network.”

BIDS from all over the world have already been made for a priceless piece of JRR Tolkien memorabilia, which will go under the hammer as part of the first ever Burren Tolkien Festival this month.

A signed copy of ‘Tree of Leaf’ will be auctioned for charity in Lisdoonvarna next Thursday, May 16. The book is the first run of the first edition of the book and was personally given to Lisdoonvarna resident Jeremy Prince, when he was a student of Tolkien’s at Oxford.

The silent auction will be managed by Scéal Eile bookshop in Ennis and will form the finale of the Tolkien Festival.

A number of digital bids have already been received from international collectors and bids will be accepted through email or in person until 3pm on May 16. No detail of the bids will be made public during the auction and the largest bid will receive the priceless copy.

“People are already bidding by email and people will be able to bid in the room on the day,” said Pat Hynes of Scéal Eile.

“The book is special because we know Tolkien has handled it. He took it off his book shelf and handed it to Jeremy Prince 50 years ago. But it is also facsimile signed – so we know that it came from the very first print run, which is always the most valuable.”

The book has been fully restored by Scéal Eile in preparation for the auction.

“The book will be on display during the festival so people can come and have a look at it. We have had a lot of interest in the book already but I would imaging they will be a rush in the days before the auction,” said Eibhleann Ni Ghríofa of Scéal Eile.

“We should know soon after the deadline who will get the book; everything should be sorted out in 15 or 20 minutes. There are a few events due to take place after the auction close so it should be a great finale for the festival.”

Anyone who wishes to register to make a bid in silent auction can do so at a cost of € 50 at www.scealeilebooks.ie.

OPPOSITION to a € 60 million fishfarm proposed off the Doolin and Fanore coast solidified this week week with Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin and Clare TD Michael McNamara all coming out against the controvertial development.

The two main opposition parties have now both adopted policy documents against the proposed fish farm – and nine other large scale fish farms which are understood to be in line for construction along the west coast – should the Clare fish farm be granted a licence by the Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney (FG).

Michael McNamara has also become the first Clare Oireachtas member to put his cards on the table about the proposed fish farm. Following a meeting with North Clare fishermen and other connected with the fish-industry last month, the East Clare deputy last week raised concerns about the scale of the proposed development.

He also questioned whether Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), who are proposing the construction of the fish farm, have done enough to promote the fish-related employment which already exists in North Clare.

“I would question whether the scale of proposals by BIM, in relation to the development of salmon farms, is compatible with marketing and developing our own indigenous inshore fishing sector. The on-going availability of fresh, high-quality fish is also crucial to our tourism sector and should not be jeopardised under any circumstances,” he said. “Speakers [at the North Clare meeting] said that the cages would be unsightly from Doolin and the revenue yielded by tourism to the Cliffs of Moher, Connemara and the Burren could be put in jeopardy.” Deputy McNamara also said that markets for species such as bass, cod, mackerel and velvet crab should be assisted by BIM rather than proposing to build a very large salmon farm and end up “destroying” the industries and activities on which the coastal communities depend. Tue07May13

CLARE County Council has one of the best employee attendance rates in the country, surpassed just marginally by Wicklow when it comes to certified leave and Cavan for uncertified leave.

The percentage of working days lost through uncertified sickness and absenteeism at Clare County Council is at a mere .35 per cent, while certified days lost through certified sickness and absenteeism is at 3.65 per cent.

Eddie Power from the local authorities Human Resource Department believes a newly implemented Attendance Management Policy is playing a significant role in maintaining high attendance levels among the 800 staff members.

“It manages the best possible way the attendance at work, and addresses any major underlining issue staff may have,” he said.

“If there is a pattern of absenteeism we have a policy of sitting down with the person,” he added.

The HR officer said that staff support is in place in the form of a “staff welfare officer” who speaks with people in confidence to discuss any issues they may be having.

Professional counsellors from outside the local authority service are also employed if required by staff members. This service is strictly confidential, he said.

In cases where people may be absent for just one day due to illness, they are also required to sit down with their line manager for a “brief chat”.

“I think the figures here are fairly representative and show a good performance,” said Mr Power.

“We do our best to manage it and give support where need and when required.”

The current Attendance Management Policy was introduced to Clare County Council in 2011.

AFTER months of delegations meeting with ministers, political lobbying and strategic plans drawn up, the Loophead Peninsula was part of the new tourism imitative, the Wild Atlantic way, announced this week.

Minister of State for Tourism and Sport Michael Ring (FG) unveiled the final route for the new touring route running from Donegal to Cork, which includes the picturesque and rugged coastline of Clare.

The 2,500km final route was unveiled following a comprehensive public consultation process and includes 156 strategically placed discovery points for tourists along the way. While the route comprises the main spine of the Wild Atlantic Way, a series of looped itineraries off the spine are also planned to further develop the experience for visitors.

This includes a detour to Clare sights such as the Loophead Light- house and the Bridges of Ross.

While new clearer signage is to be erected to accommodate busloads of tourists embarking on the longest coastline drive for tourists in Europe, there are no immediate plans to upgrade the road infrastructure along the Clare part of the route.

The majority of the Clare part of the tour is along the N67, a national primary road, but the route also diversifies on to secondary routes particularly around Fanore.

Senior engineer with Clare County Council Tom Tiernan said that while realignment along the route is desirable, it is not on likely in the near future.

“Significant allocations of the route need significant improvement, but that is not part of any immediate plans,” he said.

He explained the buses and coaches are already using this route, and that the condition of the roads is similar to a lot of other counties along the scenic route.

THE Mol an Óige National School in Ennistymon is hoping to top the charts this summer with the release of a new single and music video aimed at making money to construct a school building.

Parents at the school have set themselves the ambitious challenge of raising the € 2 million needed to construct a new school in Ennistymon. The project has been given the green light by planners at the Department of Education but it could be years or even decades before official funding for the school is forthcoming.

Last month the school’s Parents Association decided to take on the ambitions challenge of raising the € 2 million themselves and have already raised € 4,000. They are hopeful that the song ‘Sroohil’, which was written and recorded by parent Fran Fray and a number of others, will help them in this effort.

The song is available for download on iTunes and Google Play and noted Ennistymon film and documentary maker Fergus Tighe, has also make a music video to go along with it.

“One of the parents, who is a song- writer, came up with an idea for a song. She came down to my house and sang it and then they recorded it at the Courthouse Gallery,” said Stuart Woolley of Mol An Óige.

“The song is totally about the school and the campaign. It is all about asking people to help and all about building the school. The school already has an anthem before it is built. We are hopeful that people will hear the song and think about the cause and building the new school.”

Anyone who wishes to purchase the single can locate it on iTunes or Google Play at a cost of € 2. A small number of physical copies are also being pressed. The campaign is the first time in Ireland that the construction of a large project such as a school has been attempted using online crowd-funding.

“The campaign is going along nicely so far. We got a few large donations in the early days but new seem to get a number of smaller donations every day – which is nice. The campaign has gone international to a certain extent, we have been getting a lot of people getting involved in France, Germany and Australia, as well as in America. Which is great,” continued Stuart.

KILKEE is badly in need of a radical overhaul if it hopes to face up to the demands of being a 21st century town, a new blueprint being put in place for the next five years has warned.

‘Towards a Better Kilkee – Kilkee Town Improvement and Economic Development Strategy 2013-2020’ that has been put in place by Clare County Council and Kilkee Town Council has highlighted a huge number of infrastructral deficiencies that have contributed to the town’s decline.

These include the quality of tourism provision and the lack of an industrial base on the back of decline in tourism related business and an acceptance of the fact that the town’s only industrial units have reached the end of their lifespan.

“While there is great loyalty and affection for Kilkee among regular visitors, the economic benefit to the town from tourism is declining,” warns the draft report that has been circulated to members of both Kilkee Town Council and Kilrush area county councillors.

“In order to reverse this trend, the reasons for decline need to be addressed. A telling number of rented houses reported unacceptable standards of cleanliness on arrival. The absence of a comprehensive online database of available accommodation for Kilkee also presents difficulty for those wishing to book accommodation.

“The restaurants were praised by many but an equal number found fault with the service. In order for the town to benefit from what are essentially free amenities like the beach and cliff walks, significant improvements need to occur to services available to people who come, or who may be encouraged, to visit Kilkee in order to generate economic return from the town.

“The current lack of provision of adequate convenience shopping floorspace and the absence of petrol supply also impacts on the town’s profile. The town also lacks provision for touring tourists caravans and campers,” the report adds.

In relation to the signature landmark of the Marine Parade Bandstand (below), the draft report warns that its condition “has deteriorated and renewal of many elements is now urgent”. There are now 32 vacant building in the town, among them the industrial units on the Carrigaholt Road that are now deemed to be an eyesore.

“Kilkee has many vacant buildings, residential and commercial,” the report warns. “Buildings or sites in a town which are vacant, under untilised or derelict take from the attractiveness and undermine economic confidence. Vacant premises generally reflect weak economic activity and poor demand for space, unless dealt with they can facilitate further decay in adjacent areas.

The enterprise units have been vacant for many year. The condition of the building fabric and services need to be realistically assessed. A feasibility study of options for viable new used needs to be undertaken as a matter of urgency.

“In the interim the site needs a thorough overhaul as in the current condition it conveys a negative image of Kilkee. The buildings are an important asset, notwithstanding that they are rundown and appear to have reached the end of their lifespan without substantial development,” it adds.

DUBLIN based company di rectors have purchased the landmark Bunratty public house and restaurant Dur ty Nelly’s for an estimated one thi rd of its premium 2008 value.

It has not been revealed how much new owners Martin Scully (50) of Merrion Row, Dublin, and his busi- ness associate Mary McCoy (43) of Dundrum paid for the business, but local property experts put it at between € 4 million and € 5 million.

Dur ty Nelly’s was previously purchased in 2008 by Ennis-based consortium Crystal Par tners, which was owned by businessmen Seanie Lyne and Noel Connellan.

It is believed that this consor tium paid more than € 12 million for the distinctive yellow building visible from the N18 dual carriageway.

Business par tners Mr Scully and Ms McCoy purchased the property last week from Bank of Scotland.

Reassurances have already been given that the 40 plus staff will be retained and it will be business as usual for the foreseeable future.

Minor changes to the interior work have been planned however.

Mr Scully, a director of 12 companies, said he and Ms McCoy were the “highest bidder” for the property, but its price remains “confidential”.

He confirmed however that they did not pay “anything near that” paid in 2008.

In the early 1980s previous owner Humphrey O’Connor bought the pub from Roger Por rit for £1 mil- lion.

The public house that dates back to a shebeen from 1620 is one of the most recognised in the country.

Although li ke most public houses business has suffered in the last number of years, it continues to attract tourists visiting the many attractions in Bunratty and the brand name Durty Nellies also car ries immense brand value.

ALMOST five percent of the priests currently service in the Diocese of Galway and Kilfenora have had official abuse claims levelled against them. The diocese, which includes the Clare parishes of Ballyvaughan, Carron, New Quay, Ennistymon, Kilfenora, Liscannor, Moymore, Lisdoonvarna and Kilshanny, has recorded of a total of 38 allegations made against 14 priests or members of religious orders since 1975.

According to the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church, the Church’s own internal watch-dog body, 27 of these allegations were reported to the gardaí.

The report indicated that three of the 63 priests currently serving in the diocese have had claims made against them. No individual priests were named in the report nor was any indication given as to what part of the diocese the priests are currently serving.

Speaking after the publication of the report, Bishop Martin Drennan said that the concerns expressed were “not of a sufficient nature” to warrant their removal from active ministry.

The report also recommends that a review of any cases of allegation which were made against living priests who are no longer in active service or are on administrative leave should be carried out.

Minister Drennan said that the results of the review were good news for the diocese.

“Last week’s report shows that we have at last turned the corner. It offers encouragement in many forms, safeguarding practice is reported as good in the diocese, complaints are dealt with promptly,” said Bishop Drennan.

“There is ongoing help available for victims of abuse. Counselling is offered to complainants and their families.

“The diocese works closely with the HSE and with the Garda Siochana in an effort to make sure that children participating in Church-related activities are safe. To date three hundred and fifty five people have been given training so that their work as safeguarding representatives may be as effective as possible.”

FIVE Clare restaurants have scooped majority of honorary awards at the Munster Regional Final at the Santa Rita / LIFE Magazine Irish Restaurant Awards, which took place in The Imperial Hotel in Cork on April 22.

Noel’s Restaurant, Bunratty, is now not only home to an award-winning seafood chowder, but it has the friendliest staff; after being awarded for Best Customer Service on the big night in Cork.

“It was a team effort,” began Noel Wallace, “everyone buys into the same plan and works together.

“We have a fabulous team here and we are absolutely delighted to receive the award, especially at a time where customer service is so highly valued.

“We had a great night and look forward to the All-Ireland event on June 10.”

Over 350 restaurant owners and staff celebrated their success and hard work at the awards and witness fellow restauranteurs accept the prestigious awards.

Other winners include JP Clarkes of Bunratty, awarded the title of Best Gastro Pub; The Wild Honey Inn in Liscannor, who received Best Restaurant; and the well-known Earl of Thomond in Dromoland, who accepted awards for Best Hotel Restaurant and Best Chef, David McCann.

L’Arco, an authentic Italian Restaurant located in the heart of Ballvaughan also received the award for Best Casual Dining for the second year in a row. Run by the Quinn family with Italian chefs from Sardinia, the aim is to offer an authentic and affordable Italian dining experience, suitable for families and diners seeking reasonable prices and in comfortable surroundings.

According to chief executive of the Restaurant Association of Ireland, “the awards cast a spotlight on the brightest and best players on the Irish restaurant scene.

“Restaurateurs are entrepreneurs, and that is reflected in the fact that the restaurant sector is the biggest employer within the hospitality industry. We provide employment to 64,000 people and the industry has annual sales in excess of € 2 billion; tonight, everyone is a winner.”

Nominations for the awards were made by members of the public online for the first time. All nominees were then assessed by regional judging panels, made up of industry experts across the region. Votes from the consumer, members of the Restaurants Association of Ireland and the regional judges are independently assessed by KPMG who give the County Winner in each category.