Category: News

BOOKS of Evidence have been served on two men alleged to have damaged a family home in Ennis last year.

Michael Molloy (20) and Patrick McCarthy (19) are both charged with committing criminal damage at Westbourne Court, Watery Road, Ennis on October 28.

It is alleged that both accused did without lawful excuse damage two car windows, two glass door panels and a 51” flat screen TV and glass stand intending to damage such property or being reckless as to whether such property would be damaged.

Both men appeared at Ennis District Court on Wednesday.

Mr Molloy has an address at 2 Ballymaley Halting Site, Ennis.

Mr McCarthy has addresses at 2 Ballaghboy, Quin Road, Ennis.

The court heard Mr McCarthy has a new address at An Páirc Bruach na Abhainn, Ennis.

Garda Irene O’Flynn of Ennis Garda Station gave evidence of serving the books of evidence on solicitors for each accused.

Inspector John Galvin said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had consented to both men being returned for trial to the next sittings of Ennis Circuit Criminal Court.

Legal aid was approved for Tara Godfrey, solicitor for Mr McCarthy and one Junior Counsel.

Legal aid was approved for Daragh Hassett, solicitor for Mr Molloy, and one Junior Counsel.

Judge Patrick Durcan delivered the alibi warning.

Both accused were remanded on continuing bail. THREE men charged in connection with disturbances that allegedly occurred at a wedding in Ennis last year have had their cases adjourned for a month. Three men – Jimmy Doherty (39), John Doherty (47) and Simon Doherty (41) – have been charged with offences arising out of an incident that occurred at Ennis Cathedral, O’Connell Street, on October 11 (2012). Jimmy Doherty, with an address at 8 Maiville, Kilrush Road Ennis, and Simon Doherty, with an address at The Cottage, Granard Road, Edgeworthstown, Longford, are both charged with the assault of John McDonagh.

They are also charged with engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour with intent to provoke a breach of the peace. John Doherty, with an address at 60 Abbeyville, Ennis, is charged with engaging in threatening, abusive or insulting behaviour with intent to provoke a breach of the peace. John Doherty is also charged with assault causing harm to John McDonagh.

In February the court was told that the alleged incident occurred during a wedding ceremony. Judge Durcan declined jurisdiction, saying the nature of the alleged injuries and the allegation that a religious service was disrupted were seriously aggravating factors. The case was to be referred back to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP). On Wednesday, Inspector John Galvin told the court that more time was required for DPP’s directions. He requested the cases be adjourned until April 24. Defence solicitor John Casey consented to the adjournment. The men were remanded on continuing bail to appear again in court on April 24.

AN OUTBREAK of whooping cough in the community has been attributed to a “fading in the immunity with age” of a childhood vaccine.

Cases of pertussis, more commonly known as whopping cough, has doubled in the last year from 217 cases in 2011 to more than 444 cases in 2012, with a number reported in Clare.

The illness can be fatal if contracted by infants, and public health specialists are now calling on pregnant women to be vaccinated against the disease, even if they were previously vaccinated as a child.

First year students in secondary schools are also been vaccinated against whopping cough as part of a routine secondary school vaccine programme, as the vaccine is now considered to have a ten-year life span.

Dr Rose Fitzgerald, Specialist in Public Health Medicine based in the mid-west, said the most at risk from pertussis are babies less than two months as they are too young for the vaccine.

The HSE is therefore putting emphasis on pregnant women and recommending they be offered Tdap vaccine between 28 and 32 weeks of pregnancy to enable protection of the very young baby via the transfer of maternal antibodies.

Close family adult contacts of babies born before 32 weeks are also recommended vaccination if not vaccinated.

Siblings of these babies should be age appropriately vaccinated.

As many as 32 per cent of whopping cough cases occur in case where children are less than six months old.

A MAN who head-butted a garda after an all night drinking session has been ordered to carry out 100 hours of community service.

Ennis Garda Colin Egan sustained a chipped tooth after he was assaulted by John Nihill (25) at the Hawthorns Estate at 9am on New Year’s Day.

Mr Nihill, with an address at 25 the Hawthorns, Limerick Road, Ennis pleaded guilty at Ennis District Court on Wednesday to assault causing harm.

He also pleaded guilty to a charge of unlawful possession of cannabis.

Inspector John Galvin told the court that gardai were called to a disturbance at the house on the morning of New Year’s Day.

He said Mr Nihill was very aggressive and appeared to be under the influence of an intoxicant.

Insp Galvin said the accused jabbed his finger at Garda Egan, telling him, “I’ll do you if you come out from behind that uniform.”

Mr Nihill was arrested. As he was being led away from the house, the court heard, Mr Nihill lunged forward and head butted Garda Egan in the face.

Gardaí used pepper spray to restrain Mr Nihill.

Insp Galvin said Garda Egan suffered a chipped tooth but was back to work within a day or two of the incident.

Gardaí searched the house and found cannabis valued at € 40, that Mr Nihill said belonged to him.

Defence solicitor John Casey said his client had been drinking since 6pm on New Years Eve and had stayed up all night playing poker with friends.

An ambulance attended the house after Mr Nihill’s partner injured her foot in a fall, the court heard.

Mr Casey said his client, a father of one, became agitated when gardaí arrived at the house.

He said Mr Nihill has “no recollec tion” of the incident.

Mr Casey continued, “He normally has the demeanor of an extremely quite person…He aplogises fully and frankly for his behaviour on that morning. He has no explanation for it.”

Mr Nihill hasn’t drunk alcohol since the incident, the court heard.

Judge Patrick Durcan said gardaí had been subject to Mr Nihill’s intimidatory nature on the night.

He said he was of the view that the accused should receive a prison sentence. Judge Durcan adjourned the case for a brief period to consider sentence.

When the case resumed, Judge Durcan said he had considered the matter. He said freedom was the most important right a person has.

He said he has “no time whatsoever” for people who treat gardaí with disdain and who assault and injure gardaí.

Judge Durcan imposed a 100-hour community service order in lieu of three months in prison.

He adjourned sentencing on the drugs charge for a year. He told Mr Nihill to co-operate fully with the Probation Services.

Judge Durcan added, “In my view what you did on that night was very wrong.”

UP TO 50 people in Clare live week to week on dialysis, and most of these people are on a waiting list for a kidney transplant.

The average wait for a life saving organ donation is now up to three years according to Peggy Eustace, treasurer of the Clare branch of the Irish Kidney Association.

There are currently 36 people from Clare travelling to the haemodialysis treatment unit at the Mid Western Regional Hospital Limerick and to the Fresenius Unit on the Dock Road Limerick for treatment.

Clare people from the north of the county travel to Unit 7 in Merlin Park, while up to half a dozen are on home dialysis.

There are three members of three different Clare families awaiting a transplant, as in many cases the conditions that lead to organ failure are hereditary.

This year Ms Eustace and the IKA are encouraging people not just to support their fundraising efforts during organ donor week, but also to carry a donor card or avail of the organ donor section of their drivers licence.

“There is a great debt of gratitude to families of donors who give the gift of life at a very difficult time,” said Ms Eustace.

Last year 78 Irish families made that decision and 206 organ donation operations took place.

In 2010 however there was almost a record low for organ donation, 2011 was a record high and 2012, at 17 per cent less than the previous year, was below average. The Irish Kidney Association chief executive, Mark Murphy, said, “I don’t know of another European country, even of a similar size population, with such wide swings in deceased donor activity.”

Throughout this week IKA volunteers will be out on the streets, and in shopping centres throughout the county, selling ‘forget me not flower’ emblems (the symbol of transplantation), brooches, pens and shopping trolley discs. All proceeds will go towards the Irish Kidney Association’s aid for patients on dialysis and those patients who have received a kidney transplant. Donor cards will also be available.

THOSE of us who have endured years of the “hilarious” comments of “You’re Claire and you are from Clare” or other derivatives of this hilarity, can now have our ultimate revenge; there is a full weekend dedicated to us and we get lots of free stuff and discounts for a week.

Claires and Clares from all over the world are to gather in the Banner County for the weekend of June 23 as part of the ‘Welcoming Claire to County Clare, Ireland’.

Not only will the Claire/Clares be welcomed to their name sake county with a special discount card for businesses around the county, they will also be part of a world record attempt – to gather the most people of the same name in the same area.

The Mohammads of Dubai currently hold the record of 1,096, but they have yet to gather in a place called Mohammad making the Clare record attempt unique.

The quirky Gathering event is not just about encouraging support in numbers for all the Claire’s who have endured years of unfunny amateur comments, it is also a chance to promote the county on a worldwide stage.

One family from North America have already been in touch with organisers to say they will be bringing their daughter Claire to the event.

They want her first trip on as plane to land on Clare ground.

A group from Manchester are also planning to travel to support their friend Clare and benefit from the many discounts being provided through Ennis Chamber of Com- merce.

Leading the project is the Clare Volunteer Centre.

“You don’t have to be from County Clare, you may not have even heard of County Clare but you may know someone whose name is synonymous with being ‘clear, bright and famous’”, explained Sharon Meaney, Manager of the Clare Volunteer Centre.

“We hope it will encourage people to come to Clare. It will showcase the county and all it has to offer,” she said.

A special Youtube video – featuring Clare Daly from Clare – was also launched last week to promote the event and can be seen on http://www. youtube.com/watch?v=MIyn2jCxw6 w&feature=youtu.be. Information is also available on facebook and twitter. Tue2April13

MAUREEN Mason is alive today and living a full life thanks to the generosity of an organ donor.

And while the mother of four from Scariff is grateful for this act of generosity on her own behalf, she is also thankful to two other donor families, whose decision to donate their loved ones organs, saved and improved the standard of life of two of her brothers.

When Maureen and her brothers were teenagers their mother was diagnosed with polycystic kidneys, a hereditary disease that eventually leads to the failure of the kidneys.

The family were tested for the condition and it was discovered Maureen and two of her brothers Tommy Joe and Andrew Sheedy also had the condition.

Eight years ago Tommy Joe became very ill but by 2008 he was well enough to under go a kidney transplant.

In 2010 Maureen received the news she had been expecting but which was still a shock to the system – she would also require dialysis.

“After my brother’s diagnosis they were keeping a check on me in the renal clinic. Then in 2010 I was told I was facing dialysis, it was a terrible downer to hear it,” she said.

From that day on Maureen’s life was structured around dialysis.

Every Tuesday at midnight she would sit in the renal unit in Limerick while she received the life-sustaining treatment. On Thursday at 4pm and again on Sunday at midday the process would be repeated.

“We were made very comfortable but I was not able to sleep. There were two needles in my hand – one for the blood leaving and one for its return. You would be very conscious of that because you had to keep your hand very straight, but other than that it was comfortable. You could read and watch television,” she explained.

The Feakle native was to receive a second shock just four months after she started dialysis.

There was a kidney available for her.

“I was shocked when they called so quickly. I was told most people wait for at least two and a half years. I got the call at work. It was marvellous but then you don’t know how you feel,” she said, conscious all the time that someone else had passed away to allow her this life saving operation. The all-important call came at noon that day, and thanks to a Garda escort from Scariff to Dublin Maureen had her operation at 5pm. “The kidney worked straight away and I was discharged six days later,” she said. “I am so grateful to the family who made the decision to donate at a very difficult time. It was a happy time for me but I was aware that it was a sad time for someone else. He or she [the donor] is always in my thoughts and prayers,” she said.

“Hundreds die every year waiting for a call. I was lucky.”

Since her transplant, Maureen has the freedom to live a life free of dialysis, full of energy and free of dietary restrictions.

She now enjoys spending time with family and friends, and of course chocolate, coffee, milk and other treats again.

“On dialysis it is difficult to arrange anything.”

In 2011, Andrew, Maureen’s younger brother was the third member of the family to receive a kidney transplant.

Maureen said that she would encourage people to carry a donor card and speak to their families about any such decision.

She thanked her employer and the local community for their support and assistance with fundraising for the IKA.

PLANS for the development of a community-owned pier is in stalemate, as a cash-strapped local authority does not have the funds to pay for a report that would allow the community to access Government funding.

Doonbeg Community Development and the Doonbeg Fisherman’s Association have spend years working on plans to develop Doonbeg Pier but have now been told a change in the planning process and the inability of the council to pay for a € 40,000 EPA report means their plans of developing tourism and the fishing industry can go no further.

The Doonbeg Pier was constructed in 1995, and was later extended by 35 metres.

Hundred thousand euro plans were then drawn up that would extend the capacity of the pier to allow boats to moor at high and low tide.

These plans to dredge the inner harbour, build a protective breakwater, which would protect Doonmore Tower House, reclaim the shore space and construct a larger slip way received planning approval from Clare County Council in 2007.

Shortly afterwards a foreshore lease application was submitted to the Department of the Environment but no conclusion was reached.

While the lease application gathered dust in government offices planning legislation changed, which meant that the planning permission granted in 2007 became null and void.

It was then recommended that the planning process would have to begin again.

In a letter to TDs senior engineer with Clare County Council Tom Tiernan said, “A new application would more than likely have to be submitted to An Bord Pleanala and there are significant costs involved with the preparation of such an application and the fee which would have to be paid in association with same – € 40,000 to € 50,000 is my best estimate. Clare County Council doesn’t have resources at its disposal to pursue this.”

An allocation in 2008 of € 525,000 from the Minister for Agriculture for the project also cannot be allocated until full planning permission is granted.

Tommy Commerford, PRO of the Doonbeg Fishermans Association, said that the current Minister or Agriculture, Simon Covney, has also reassured the community of his financial support for the project, but the council must first pay for the EPA report.

Michael Flanagan, Chairman of the Doonbeg Development Company, said the development of the pier would provide a new source of income for fishermen. There is currently just one fisherman working full time from the pier that once provided a livelihood for half a dozen local families.

The developed pier would also create extra jobs by stimulating the promotion of sea angling, leisure trips to view the cliff scenery off Doonbeg and help promote Doonbeg as an angling centre.

“In order for businesses like that to flourish we need to have the facilities,” said Mr Flanagan.

A WEST Clare school principal is expected to become the second president of the INTO from the county in six years.

At the primary teacher’s union 145th Congress in Cork this week, Mullagh’s Sean McMahon is likely to be elected vice president of the national union.

Traditionally this means he will become president at the union’s 2014 congress next Easter.

In March 2008, Corofin man Declan Kelleher was appointed president of the INTO after a long career in teaching and working for the union.

Like Mr Kelleher, Mr McMahon has been a strong union man championing the cause of small rural schools, class sizes and teaching principals.

The North Clare man has been involved in the INTO since the 1980s and had represented District 11; Clare, Tipperary and Waterford, on the CEC since 2007.

He will lead a strong delegation of 20 from the Clare branch of the INTO to a congress that will put forward such motions as calling for larger taxes for high earners and for free primary school education to live up to its constitutional claim.

The Clare West branch will also call for the INTO to fully investigate the proposed changes in school patronage with a view to ensuring that teachers’ rights are fully protected during these changes.

This proposal will be put forward by secretary of the branch Brid Hanrahan INTO and Liam Woulfe Principal of Labasheeda National School.

THE legendary West Clare athlete Willie Keane was hailed as a hero of Clare and all Ireland on Easter Sunday night as the Stella Maris Hotel in Kilkee played host to a special tribute night in his honour.

Over 200 people turned out at the celebratory function staged in the Kilkee man’s honour that doubled up as a fundraising night for the West Clare Cancer Centre in the town.

On the night friends, former teammates and rivals from around the county and around the country joined together to pay homage to the Kilkee colossus Keane whose remarkable athletics career saw him win 56 AllIreland titles between 1969 and ’79.

“Willie Keane was the king,” said former international cross-country colleague Mick Priest from Meath, “and as far as I am concerned he still is the king who did so much for NACA athletics in his career,” he added.

Sixty-three-year-old Keane was interviewed on the night by RTÉ GAA correspondent Marty Morrissey and in a wideranging discussion that was interspersed with contributions from the floor he recalled a stellar career in which he landed national titles in every distance on the track from 1500 to 10,000 metres as well as being cross-country runners of his or any generation.

“Every organisation needs a hero,” said former rival Colm Rennicks. “We didn’t have to look any farther when we got Willie Keane. That man is a legend. When you’re in the presence of greatness, you should recognise it. I knew I was in the presence of greatness the first time I met him. I still think it – it hasn’t changed,” he added.

World renowned physical therapist, Gerard Hartman revealed how it was the Keane who inspired to get involved in athletics – a journey that saw him become a scholarship student in America, multiple triathlon champion and physio to such athletic luminaries such as Paul Radcliffe and Sonia O’Sullivan among others as he has treated 61 Olympic medal winners and 47 World Champions.

“I used to see this man on Kilkee beach in an An Clár vest going up down, up down, up down. I didn’t who he was,” revealed Hartmann. “Willie was professional even though he didn’t know he was – it was his application that helped him win 56 national titles.

“Willie Keane was a great inspiration to us all – when I saw him on the beach in 1972 and I was inspired. I started running and became national triathlon champion seven times and been to six Olympic Games as a physical therapist.

“I wonder how many people have been inspired by Willie Keane – I’m sure up the country they’re all around the country. You were an inspiration to me. It’s a phenomenal tribute when you’re acclaimed by your own people. The parish and the people around you who value what you did are here tonight to respect years and years of application, dedication and success,” he added.

Among the other contributors on the night included Willie Keane’s wife Marie, Laurance Larkin of St John’s AC, former Clare NACA chairman Tommy McCarthy, Ger Keane on behalf of the Keane family, Paddy McDonnell who co-hosted the event with Marty Morrissey, chief Kevin Shaloo and Willie McGrath of the West Clare Cancer Centre.

THE Clare Crusaders Clinic is calling budding barbeque party hosts to dust off the barbeque and hold an event to remember in aid of the children’s charity.

The event to be held on Sunday, May 26, and supported by Munster Rugby and Clare FM is encouraging families, friends and local communities to come together across Clare and fire up their barbeques to help raise funds for the Clare Crusaders Clinic.

As part of the event, those wishing to host a barbeque for the clinic will be asked to pay a registration fee of € 10 to the charity. In return, hosts will be entered into a draw for a number of prizes with an overall winner’s prize of Munster Rugby player appearances at their barbeque.

Each barbecue organiser will be supplied with a promotional pack containing clinic tee shirts, posters, flyers and a donation bucket together with a discount coupon, which can be used to purchase a specially prepared barbeque pack at cost price from their local Centra store.

Manager of the children’s clinic Ann Norton said, “Many homes around the county often enjoy having a barbeque on a summer’s afternoon. This year we are asking families and groups to organise a barbeque for Sunday, May 26, with their guests donating to the clinic. Who knows who might arrive at your door?

“The initiative forms part of our continuing season-long relationship with Munster Rugby which has seen players visit the clinic, support with our cook book and the charities match day experience, providing essential funds and greatly boosting our profile.”

The Clare Crusaders charity was formed in 2005 through the ambition of a small group of parents to overcome a lack of publicly available therapy for children with cerebral palsy and autism in County Clare.

The clinic has expanded from one therapist to four full-time and four part-time therapists expanding the range of services provided to over 200 children. Services are provided at no charge to parents and include speech and language therapy, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, special teaching and reflexology together with regular group therapy activities. The clinic is available to children of all ages from infants to young adults, ensuring early intervention at a young age or supporting a child’s progression through school life whether in the mainstream or special school environment.