Category: News

SIX cars have been burned out on Clare County Council property in North Clare in recent weeks – while an attempt has also been reported made to set fire to a house in one of the traveller accommodation units in Ennistymon.

Lahinch based councillor Bill Slattery (FG) said that the situation at some of the councils traveller accommodations units in Ennistymon was become dangerous.

“I think the next thing that will happen is that a house will go up in flames. It has been tried before [in Ennistymon], or so I have been told. We will have another situation like the Ashline situation in Ennis,” said Cllr Slattery.

“A third car was burned out outside one halting site over the weekend, that makes six cars burned out between the Deerpark and the Kilfenora Road site in recent times.”

Speaking at yesterday’s North Clare Area meeting of Clare County Council, Cllr Joe Arkins (FG), said:

“There may have been six cars recently but the real number is probably closer to 66.

“The only way to solve this type of situation is to attach fines to social welfare payments.

“These people are fined but they can’t pay the fine – they go down to prison, say hello to the guard on the way in and wave goodbye to him on the way out,” he said.

“But if they have to pay for their actions out of their social welfare payments, it won’t be long before they realise that they can’t keep doing what they are doing.”

THE Office of Public Works (OPW) says it will attempt to “minimize as much as possible” any interruptions to traffic during the construction of the latest phase of the Ennis Flood Relief Scheme.

Work on the estimated € 7.1 million project from Bank Place Bridge to Doora Bridge has already commenced at locations around Ennis town centre.

It is anticipated that the works will approximately 18 months to complete and will lead to the protection of 849 residential and 425 non-residential properties on completion.

Defences including enhanced river walls, pumping stations and new drainage systems are included in the project, which is aimed at protecting Ennis against a 100-year flood event.

Mayo firm Wills Bros Ltd are carrying out the works.

Work is currently underway at Abbey Street car park leading to a temporary closure of an area close to the river wall. Drainage works in some areas of the town may lead to lane closures, explained Richard Long, Senior Employee On-site Representative for JB Barry / OPW.

He said, “There are going to some disruptions but we not going to close roads. It will be more a case of lane closures. Traffic plans for streets in different areas are being drawn up and they will have to get the approval of the local authorities. We will be reviewing our plans and we will attempt to minimize as much as possible any disruptions. The overall goal is to protect Ennis from floods.”

Major works will take place in the coming months at Francis Street and Ennis Courthouse where a new pumping station will be installed. Other areas including Harmony Row and Newbridge Road will be affected by the works.

Improvements to embankments near Knox’s bridge and the Clarecastle barrage also form part of the project.

Mr Long said, “The plan is to get it done as quickly s possible.”

Phase one of the Ennis Flood Relief Scheme, which involved works at Parnell Street and Mill Road, is credited with preventing floods in large areas of the town centre during November 2009.

Earlier this month An Bord Pleanála approved an application from Clare County Council to construct the Ennis South Flood Relief Scheme which when completed will deliver flood defences in Clonroadmore, Ballybeg and Clareabbey. The estimated cost of the project is € 4 million.

A MAN has appeared in court charged with the harassment of a woman on four occasions at a housing estate in Ennis earlier this year.

William Keane (39), with an address at 71 Hawthorns, Limerick Road, Ennis, is charged with the harassment of a named woman at Abbey Court, Limerick Road, Ennis.

It is alleged that Mr Keane did harass the woman on January 25 (2013), January 27 (2013), January 29 (2013) and February 3 (2013). Handing in evidence of arrest, charge and caution by schedule, Inspector John Galvin said the accused made no reply to charge after caution.

Legal aid was approved for solicitor Daragh Hassett. Mr Hassett said he required time to seek disclosure from the State.

Insp Galvin said directions are being sought from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in respect of the case.

Solicitor for the alleged injured par- ty, Stephen Nicholas, told the court that he retained a watching brief in the case.

Bail was approved for Mr Keane, on the condition he have no contact with the alleged injured party.

Mr Nicholas requested that that the Court order Mr Keane not to have contact of any kind with the woman.

Refusing the application, Judge Patrick Durcan said his original order already stated that the accused was not to have contact of any kind with the alleged injured party.

Judge Durcan added, “That means text, email, ringing, a letter, a knock on the door, anything.”

At one point during proceedings, Mr Hassett told the Court that the alleged injured party was attempting to speak directly to Judge Durcan.

Mr Hassett said he objected to anyone other than Mr Nicholas addressing the Judge.

Mr Keane was remanded on continuing bail to appear again in Court on May 15. DPP’s directions are expected to be known by that date, the court heard.

A CZECH man was carrying a concealed knife for his own protection when he was stopped by gardaí in an Ennis estate, a court has heard.

Milan Torac (22) was discovered with a four-inch knife by gardaí in Dun na hInse, Lahinch Road, Ennis on Jnauary 29 (2013).

Mr Torac, with an address at 7 Dun na hInse, Ennis, appeared before Ennis District Court on Wednesday.

He pleaded guilty to a charge of having a knife or a blade that was sharply pointed contrary to the firearms and offensive weapons act.

Inspector John Galvin told the court that gardaí found a small knife concealed in a canvas holder inside Mr Torac’s belt.

Insp Galvin said, “He said he kept it for his own protection.”

The accused has no previous convictions, the court heard.

Defence solicitor Billy Loughnane told the court that his client is an unemployed mechanic from the Czech Republic who has lived in Ireland for two years. Mr Loughnane said his client would say that the carrying of knifes in the Czech Republic is not uncommon.

He added, “There is no suggestion he had it for a sinister intent. Thankfully the knife has been confiscated”

Judge Patrick Durcan said he was concerned by the case. He said a dangerous situation could arise if Mr Torac had been carrying a knife with him while out drinking.

He added, “I am particularly conscious of how dangerous these weapons can be and I think every Judge is conscious them.”

Judge Durcan adjourned the case for a brief period to allow him to consider sentence. When the case resumed, Judge Durcan said he needed more time to consider the case. He remanded Mr Torac on continuing bail to appear again at Ennis District Court on March 27.

“This is an indication of how serious I consider this case,” he added.

Judge Durcan also requested to see the knife taken from the accused.

A JUDGE has branded as “crazy” the lack of places in facilities for juvenile offenders in Ireland.

Judge Patrick Durcan made the comment after being told that there were no beds available anywhere in the country on Friday for juvenile offenders.

Judge Durcan was imposing sentence on a 16-year-old Clare boy who pleaded guilty to a public order offence committed at a Health Services Executive (HSE) in Ennis last January. He also pleaded guilty to a charge of theft from Dunnes Stores last April.

Judge Durcan said he was com- pelled to agree with the recommendation of the Probation Services that a detention order be imposed on the teenager.

He said he would impose two detention orders of four months each.

However, Bláthnaid Connolly of the Probation Services, told Judge Durcan that no custodial beds were available anywhere on Friday.

Judge Durcan said, “This is a crazy situation.”

He said it is a matter for the State to provide facilities for young people.

Inspector Tom Kennedy urged Judge Durcan not to finalise his order without a place being available for the boy.

Defence solicitor Tara Godfrey requested that the Court finalise it’s order. She said that if sentencing was adjourned for a week, there was a danger her client “would run away or kill himself.”

Ms Godfrey added, “The court should make this order today.” The court heard that the boy had suffered from drug abuse problems and suffers from ADHD.

Solicitor for the HSE, Aisling Carr, said a significant number of resources had been allocated to the boy over the past year.

Ms Carr said the boy had missed appointments and not co-operated with his addiction counselor. She said the teenager must co-operate with the services to a certain degree.

The boy’s father told the court that he did not want his son to attend a particular service in Limerick City because issues had arisen with some people from the area.

Ms Godfrey said her client suffered from a “bad form of ADHD.

She added, “His father has tried to stand by his son every step of the way.”

Judge Durcan said the boy had to realize he could not be the sole determining factor of his own immediate future. He said the boy had “abused” any level of freedom afforded to him in the past.

Judge Durcan remanded the boy on continuing bail to appear again at Ennis District Court on March 27 for sentence.

He said the HSE had a “particular responsibility in this matter.”

A CLARE businessman has been ordered to pay just over € 13,000 to a 15 year-old girl who broke her wrist after she came off an inflatable slide.

Mike McKee of the Shannon based HT Promotions was ordered to pay damages of € 12, 500 and special damages of € 630 to Kyiah Moloney, at Ennis Circuit Civil Court on Tuesday.

Kyiah Moloney, with an address at Clancy Park, Ennis was suing through her mother Jacinta Moloney.

The girl was aged 11 when the occurred at a party at Carnelly Woods, near Clarecastle on June 6 2008. Kyiah Moloney sustained the injuries after a section of an inflatable slide deflated “suddenly and without warning”, the court heard.

The plaintiff claimed that the slide deflated because of an inadequate repair job carried out a few days earlier at the section of the slide where it deflated.

Mr McKee told the court that the slide could not have deflated in the manner alleged as the structure of the bouncy castle is compartmentalised in such a way to take into ac- count the effect of tears.

Mr McKee said the company advises hirers that only two people be allowed on the slide in question at the one time.

Under cross-examination from Counsel for Moloney, Pat Whyms BL, Mr McKee admitted that the restriction is not included in the printed terms and conditions given to customers.

Mr McKee said that the slide could have deflated because of someone jumping on the area.

The court heard that HT Promotions provides a range of inflatables and that the terms and conditions is a standard document.

Judge Tom O’Donnell said he was satisfied that no negligence is applicable to the plaintiff.

He said he was satisfied that there was no evidence of abuse of the section where deflation occurred.

He said he considered the terms and conditions “vague in the extreme”. Judge O’Donnell said it was “not adequate” that the hirer is given an oral warning regarding the number of people permitted in the inflatable.

He said that on the balance of probabilities, the plaintiff is entitled to succeed.

HOMEOWNERS in four Clare ghost housing estates remain exempt for the local property tax, due for payment from July.

However those that own or pay the mortgages on houses in 19 other es- tates exempt from last year’s “household charge” are now expected to pay up this new tax.

All properties identified as not liable for the new property tax by Clare County Council for the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government that are in the south and east of the county.

Ard na Deirge, Knockycloraun, Killaloe and Radharc an Locha, Scarriff Road, Mountshannon are two of the four Clare estates named in the list of unfinished housing estates published in the last week.

The remaining two estates are in Sixmilebridge – Chuirt an Droichead, on Main Street and Ard Ratha on the Broadford Road. Last year’s waiver applied in respect of the € 100 Household Charge was applied to 23 ghost estates.

The new list however contains 83 per cent less housing estates and reflects what the department describes as “the significant progress made by local authorities in reducing the number of problem estates.”

Not all householders agree however. Approximately 5,000 households nationally are eligible for an exemption under section 10 of the Finance Local Property Tax Act 2011.

Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan said;

“It is right and proper that households in unfinished developments should be exempt from payment of the Local Property Tax.

“The number of properties eligible for a waiver reflects the progress made in tackling unfinished housing developments, as well as the more objective approach to categorisation applied to the 2012 National Housing Development Survey.”

“I would urge people not to assume that just because they were eligible for a waiver from the household charge they will be eligible for an exemption from the local property tax. The list has changed substantially reflecting the improvements made by local authorities in resolving problems in unfinished housing developments,” he said. Information is available on the Department of Environment and Clare County Council websites.

WAS it a flair, was it a light aircraft, no, it was a meteorite that fell from the West Clare skies on Tuesday afternoon last and resulted in a massive land, air and sea search.

Around midday, a number of callers reported a “red flare” or a “fire ball” on the sky and making its way inland from Cappa towards Kilrush town.

Another caller later reported seeing what they believed to be a light aircraft on fire.

The Kilrush RNLI was one of the rescue services called to the scene of the mystery light and searched the area from Querrin Point to Cappa village.

“The information that was relayed was that people on the coast saw what looked like a small aircraft, which approaching turned into what seemed a ball of flame.

“At this time the same sightings were reported in the Shannon region,” explained Kilrush RNLI PRO Pauline Dunleavy.

The lifeboat was supported in the search by the Shannon helicopter, and crews from the Kilkee and Mallow Coast Guard, who at this time were involved with another incident in Ballybunnion and crossed the waters and joined in the search following the reports.

At about 2.30pm the search was called off as there was no sight of the mystery-flying object.

“After two and a half hours the search was stood down as the Aviation Department stated there were no aircrafts in the region and the conclusion was that it was perhaps a meteorite landing,” explained Ms Dunleavy.

The mysterious meteorite was just the first call out for a buy RNLI that day.

Just before 9.30pm Valentia Coast Guard again paged the lifeboat crew as a member of the public saw flares in the Kilrush area.

“We launched and after an hour we were stood down as there was no evidence along the shore from Cappa to the Moneypoint area.

“The unit of the Kilkee Coast Guard also carried out an intense shore search,” said a busy Ms Dunleavy.

She praised the members of the public that called in both possible emergencies, and urged anyone who does see anything suspicious out on the water to dial 999 without delay.

TWO East Clare men alleged to have committed offences at Scariff Garda Station last week are due to make their second appearance in court tomorrow tomorrow.

Brian Moloney (34) and Neil Kelly (38) appeared before a sitting of Ennis District Court on Thursday having been charged in connection with offences allegedly committed in the hours between March 18 and March 19 at Scariff Garda Station.

It is alleged that Mr Moloney, with an address at Bohatch, Mountshannon, did cause criminal damage to two windows of Scariff Garda Sta- tion on March 18. Mr Kelly, also with an address at Bohatch Mounthshannon (separate residence), is charged with arson of a car owned by a female garda at Scariff Garda Station on March 19.

Garda Bernard Casey of Shannon Garda Station gave evidence of arrest charge and caution in respect of Mr Kelly.

He said Mr Kelly made no reply to charge after caution. Detective Garda John Mulvihill gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution in respect of Mr Moloney.

Det Mulvihill said the accused said he had “nothing to say” in response to charge after caution.

Inspector John O’Sullivan said the State strongly objected to bail in respect of both accused. He said that while the charges are different, the State would allege that the circumstances of the offence are the same.

He said it would be alleged that this alleged offence was a direct attempt to intimidate a young member of the gardaí from doing her job.

Insp O’Sullivan said the State opposed bail on two grounds: the nature of the alleged offence and the strength of the alleged evidence.

Defence solicitor for Mr Kelly, Eileen Whelan said her client would be willing to abide by strenuous bail conditions Mr Moloney was represented by solicitor Turlough Herbert. Mr Herbert said his client would also abide by any bail conditions set down by the Court.

Judge Patrick Durcan approved bail subject to a number of conditions.

Judge Durcan said the Court required an independent surety of € 3000 for each accused.

Both men were ordered to reside at named addresses, to sign on at garda stations in East Clare, be law abiding and to surrender their passports.

Judge Durcan directed that a letter be written to the Department of Foreign Affairs advising that both accused had surrendered their passports. Both men were remanded in custody with consent to bail to appear again at Ennis District Court on March 27.

NEW procedures aimed at reducing the risk of residents choking on food have been implemented at Kilrush District Hospital, an inquest has heard.

A full review of supervision at the hospital took place following the sudden death of Bridget Griffin (86) at the hospital on November 17, 2012.

Ms Griffin, a resident of the hospital for two years, died after choking on a piece of chicken, an inquest into her death heard yesterday.

Originally from Labasheeda, Ms Griffin lived in Kildysart prior to becoming a resident of the hospital.

An autopsy found that cause of death was asphyxia due to choking. A verdict of death by misadventure was returned at Clare County Coroner’s Court.

The inquest heard that Ms Griffin was served a dinner of chicken, vegetables, soup and a glass of milk on the day.

Care assistant Singiata Kuckauskaik stated in a deposition that cut the chicken into pieces for Mr Griffin. She said that Ms Griffin declined an offer to cut the chicken into smaller pieces.

Another hospital witness told the inquest the chicken had been cut into “reasonable” pieces.

The inquest heard that Ms Griffin did not like gravy so staff always ensured she always had plenty to drink.

Ms Kuckauskaik returned to check on Ms Griffin at 12.55 and found her pale and unresponsive, the inquest heard.

The emergency services were called and nurses performed CPR for 45 minutes. A doctor pronounced Ms Griffin dead at the scene. Gardaí attended the hospital and the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) were informed of the incident.

Person in Charge, Tricia Joy, told the inquest that Ms Griffin underwent a procedure to have a lesion removed on the day before her death.

She said Ms Griffin underwent a full choking assessment on her return to the hospital. She was found to have a low risk of choking, the in- quest heard.

Ms Joy stated that reducing the risk of choking had been on the hospital’s agenda for the monthly quality, risk management and safety meeting since May 2012.

Ms Joy stated, “Significant changes involving the reallocation of staff have occurred to ensure that every communal room is supervised by at least two members of staff. Provisions have been made to ensure that residents assessed as being medium or high risk of choking are facilitated to eat in their room if they wish, under direct supervision of staff.”

A number of recommendations were made and implemented at the hospital following Ms Griffin’s death, the inquest heard.

These included the replacement of chicken fillets for chicken stew; mashing of vegetables using an electric mixer; full menu analysis; and the inclusion of a full choking risk assessment in every resident’s care plan.

Nurses are no longer allowed to leave the floor they are assigned to until every resident has completed their meal.

County Cororner Isobel O’Dea said she was happy that all safety procedures were carried as best as possible on the day. She returned a verdict of death by misadventure and expressed sympathy with the Griffin family. Insp John Galvin expressed sympathy on behalf of the gardaí to the family.