Category: News

THE body of a woman who died after she tripped and fell under a train in Dublin was returned home to Kilrush for burial.

Patricia Brennan was killed in the tragic accident on Thursday afternoon.

The Cappagh native who had been living in Dublin was blind. She was waiting on the platform at Raheny DART station just before 2pm when she tripped and fell onto the track as a fast-moving train was approaching.

Irish Rail said the driver put on the emergency brake but could not stop the train before it hit the woman.

She was hit by a train travelling from the city’s Pearse Street station to Drogheda, which was not scheduled to stop in Raheny station.

The 57 year-old was rushed to Beaumont Hospital, but later died.

It is understood a group of Spanish students were on the southbound platform at the time of the incident and witnessed the fall.

One of them broke away along the platform and tried to alert the driver of the oncoming train.

Ms Brennan’s family came originally from Scattery Island but have lived on the main land in Cappagh for more than 50 years.

Local man Sean Dunleavy, who went to school with the late Ms Brennan said she was a lovely woman who returned regularly to the town to visit her mother.

She is survived by her mother Bridget, sister Maria, brother-inlaw Jim, aunts, uncles, relatives and friends and was predeceased by her father and her brother.

Irish Rail offered its sympathies to the Brennan family and Ms Brennan’s friends for their tragic loss.

“Despite the efforts of the driver who applied the emergency brake and a young woman on the southbound platform who also alerted the driver to the incident, it was not possible to stop the train before it struck the woman,” a spokesman said.

Irish Rail said the driver of the train would receive counselling and support following the incident.

“Customers on board the train remained on board throughout, but were moved to the rear of the train away from where the emergency services were assisting the woman,” the spokesman added.

Patricia was laid to rest in New Shanakyle Cemetery Kilrush yesterday (Monday), following 10am Mass in St Senan’s Church.

INTELLIGENCE, hard work and the Young Scientist Competition are being credited for the success of Lisdoonvarna student, Keelan McMahon, who discovered last Wednesday that he’d earned the maximum 625 points in the Leaving Cert.

Keelan, who is a student at Mary Immaculate Secondary School in Lisdoonvarna, is a veteran of many Young Scientist Competitions which clearly paid off for him as he sat a total of five maths and science based subjects for his exams.

The Lisdoonvarna student, who works at the Cliffs of Moher Visitors Experience, also received his first choice course of Mathematical Sciences in University College Cork when the first round of college offers were made yesterday morning.

“I think the Young Scientist really helped, it definitely influenced me a lot. Before I went up to the Young Scientists I had very little interest in science. But going up there and getting the feel for different sciences when they are done properly got me interested. The Young Scientist definitely did play a big part of it,” he said.

“I’m really happy and a little shocked as well. It’s great to have it all over with to be honest. There was a lot of stress waiting for the results. I couldn’t sleep the night before, so I got up at 9am and went straight in to get them from the school.

“I got six A1s and when you include the extra 25 points for honours math that makes 625. I got the six A1s in math, applied math, physics, chemistry, biology and in German.

“I got an offer for Mathematical Sciences in UCC which was my first choice. I’m starting college there on September 8, which is three weeks away, and I’m looking forward to it. I picket that course because it was so broad and you can go into so many careers after it. But at the moment I’m looking at actuary.”

PICKPOCKETS are targetting Ennis with up to three separate incidents reported to Ennis gardaí on Wednesday last alone.

On each occasion wallets were stolen from unsuspecting tourists, all from back pocket locations.

Gardaí are warning members of the public to be on the lookout for suspicious behaviour and to keep valuables in front pockets for safety.

The latest warning comes almost three weeks after a public announcement was issued to supporters at the Clare – Cork Munster U-21 hurling final in Cusack Park, alerting the large attendance to reports of pickpockets among the crowd. This was an unprecedented public announcement at a Clare GAA match.

It is suspected that a gang with pickpocket expertise are ‘dropping in and out of Ennis’, identifying targets and then leaving the town quickly.

Gardaí are understood to be examining street CCTV pictures from a number of locations throughout Ennis in a bid to identify the thieves.

However an American tourist who had his wallet stolen in Ennis last week has said the experience did not ruin his visit to the town.

Timothy Sweeney from Washington told The Clare People last week how his wallet was taken from a rear pants pocket near Parnell Street on Wednesday afternoon.

Mr Sweeney explained that he turned and bumped into a young man.

He said it was only after the encounter that he noticed his wallet was missing. Mr Sweeney said the wallet contained € 110 and $200 and a number of credit cards.

“I was walking around with my camera out. It was obvious I was a tourist. I guess they thought I was an easy mark. It’s a lesson learned”, Mr Sweeney told The Clare People .

A WEST Clare artist, commissioned to sculpt a marble bust of Bobby Sands, saw his work unveiled in the Felon’s Club in West Belfast at the beginning of the month. Paraic Casey from Kildysart was working with white marble on the Greek Island of Thassos when he was approached by the Bobby Sands Memorial Trust to create a piece of sculpture to represent the iconic hun- ger striker. The 100 kilo piece was unveiled by Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams in the club dedicated to republican political prisoners as part of its 50th anniversary celebrations. The bust was hand-carved by the 31-year-old Clareman over two and a half months and three locations. The work began on Thassos Island and the marble was then moved to Athens while Paraic attended the Athens School of Sculpture. The life-size bust that stands at 60cm in height, 50cm in length and 35cm in width was then shipped to Kildysart to Paraic’s workshop for completion. The young sculptor explains that there were no short cuts taken with the work as it was all completed by hand. He even made the pointer he used to carve the piece using clay and then casting it in plaster. “I felt very grateful to be allowed to do this work and I would love to do more realist pieces like this,” said Paraic. “A lot of the work I do is garden sculpture and abstract work, but I enjoy doing realist pieces too. I work mainly in stone – limestone, granite and marble, but have also done some abstract work in wood.” From as early as three years old Paraic has been creating pieces of sculpture. He attended art college in Limerick but his love of sculpture saw him leave other mediums behind in favour of sculpting. He attended the School of Sculpture in Leitrim where he learnt his craft and further honed his talent in Greece. He hopes to continue to make commissioned pieces of all shapes and sizes from his workshop in West Clare.

CLARE County Council spent € 742.15 last month on the official launch of the its new Local Enterprise Office (LEO), but the spend was far from the € 4,000 splurge of some other local authorities or the frugal celebrations of Leitrim County Council who partied for just € 30.

On July 14, the Minister of State for Small Business, John Perry, officially launched LEO at Áras Contae an Chláir in Ennis, a department that has been operational since mid April.

Combining the resources of the Clare County Enterprise Board and Clare County Council’s business support unit, Clare LEO is one of 31 around Ireland that is tasked with delivering services and support to busi- nesses within a framework set by the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation and overseen by Enterprise Ireland.

According to figures released in a parliamentary question, 27 local authorities have already hosted official events to launch these offices.

The € 742.15 spent by Clare County Council on the official launch included photography costs.

The efforts of the neighbouring local authority, Tipperary County Council, were not as prudent however as it ran up the largest bill of € 4,385, which included a € 1,449 catering bill and a € 1,000 marquee hire.

Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown also ran up a bill over € 4,000 with the Taoiseach’s home county of Mayo coming in third with costs reaching € 3,717.

Clare was well below the mid-way mark in 16th place when it came to costs, but it was Leitrim that proved to be the most entrepreneurial when it came to showcasing its enterprise office. The € 30 it spent was for the cost of a courier to deliver a stand. The tea and coffee for the celebration was provided by the council canteen and kitchen with two small local companies displaying their home baking and providing the food free of charge.

Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton said official launches of these offices, which cost a total € 38,528.81, were part of an ongoing effort to raise awareness of their role.

“Each LEO has a small allocation for events such as these and the costs are incorporated into each Office’s budgets for the year,” he said.

SCORES of Clare horses are being trapped in a circle of neglect with many horse owners literally unable to give their animals away.

The number of Clare horse owners increased sharply during the Celtic Tigers years but reports of cruelty and abandonment have been widespread since the economic downturn, with many people now unable to af- ford the cost of keeping the animals properly.

However, according to Clare dog warden Frankie Coote, a large number of Clare horses are suffering from neglect on numerous occasions – with their owners unable to get rid of the animals. With a large number of horses bought or sold on the black market, many Clare horse owners have no longer got the money to keep their animals but do not have the documentation to sell their animals.

“We are dealing with the same horses now as we were dealing with four or five years ago. Because of difficulties with passports and microchips, there people are unable to sell them on to factories which has resulted in a lot of people owning horses who don’t have the means to look after them,” said Frankie Coote.

“We are being called out to the same horses again and again over the past four years. These horses are getting no vetinarial treatment, their hoofs are not being done and they are not being fed right. They are not getting adequate water in many cases.”

A number of Clare cases of animal cruelty have currently been referred to the DPP for possible investigation.

“We can take animals away in severe cases and we have sent a number of files to the DPP in relation to cases from last year,” said Frankie.

“But we do have a situation at the moment where we have a lot of peo- ple who just can’t take care of their animals but can’t get rid of them either. People should know that in emergency cases we have fodder for horses available and vetinarial fees available – so people can contact us for help.

“We are expecting this to be a difficult winter and we are certainly advising people not to over stock. But I think we need a legislation change really to allow for these [undocumented] horses to be moved on.”

TRIBUTES have been paid to the late Dr Frank Counihan, a man recalled as the “very essence of a good doctor”. Dr Counihan, who lived in t he Golf Links Road area of Ennis, died peacefully at home on August 5, surrounded by his loving family.

Dr Counihan (91) worked as a GP in Ennis for nearly 40 years, as well as in the former maternity section of Cahercalla Hospital. He was involved in a number of sporting and community organizations including the Samaritans and Lahinch Golf Club. At his funeral mass in Ennis Cathedral on Thursday, Fr Tom Hogan said Dr Counihan lived a full life, “a life that made a difference”.

Canon Bob Hanna, Rector of St Columba’s Church of Ireland described Dr Counihan as a “true renaissance man” who was generous to all people he met in Ennis.

“I look upon him honestly as one of great influences in my 20 year ministry here in the town”, Canon Hanna added. Dr Counihan’s daughter Caroline said her father was a man who lived life to the full in so many different ways. She continued, “He had a curious enquiring and always original mind. He loved to get to the bottom of things and his analysis of interesting questions was always swift clear and to the point. He was no intellectual snob or worldly academic but a humane and wise man”.

“He was very slow to judge anyone. He was a bit swifter to judge institutions who were uncaring or un-responsive. He felt that was absolutely out of order”, she said.

Caroline said her father “was the essence of a good doctor, someone whose presence alone was healing, calming and comforting”.

She continued, “The centre of Frank’s professional life was selfless, selfless and extraordinary unstinting service. He was tireless in attention to his patients and in this he was an inspiration to us and to others.

“He has asked us to express his apologies to the community for any mistakes he made. Frank had the highest standards of professional probity and it was allied to a great sense of inner spiritual and intellectual freedom and extraordinary positivity about life”.

He will be sadly missed by loving wife Mimi, daughters Caroline, Francesca, Rachel, Helen and Eve, son in law, grandchildren, sisters Mary, Honor and Ruth, brother Roger, nephew, nieces, relatives and a wide circle of friends.

THE government has not allocated any money for more than 30 Clare storm defense projects needed to prevent further devastation should storms threaten Clare coastal communities this winter.

The Office of Public Works wrote to Clare County Council last Friday, August 8, informing them that they cannot consider any new coastal protection works until funding has been released by the Department of the Environment.

Clare County Council had been waiting on news on a € 12.1 million submission for more than 30 new coastal protection structure, including those at the devastated area of Clohaninchy in Quilty, since February of this year.

The council made the submission as part of an overall funding allocation sent to the Department of the Environment in February.

At the time, the department re- ferred the situation to the OPW for consideration.

Last Friday’s admission by the OPW has created a chicken-and-egg situation regarding the € 12.1 million – with the OPW saying they cannot consider the submission until the Department of the Environment makes funding available, and the Department of the Environment referring the matter to the OPW.

The money allocated to Clare County Council to date is only to cover repair of flood defenses and other infrastructure.

No money has been allocated to build any of the 35 new structures required – following the previous flood defenses being completely swept away.

The Chief Executive of Clare County Council, Tom Coughlan, wrote to all councillors last Friday informing them of the situation.

This revelation comes after a series of communications between the OPW and Clare County Council in recent days, including a behind closed doors meeting which took place in Ennis on Thursday.

This revelation comes despite a number of assurances given by former Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan (FG) and Minister with responsibility for the OPW, Brian Hayes (FG) that all steps would be taken to avoid any “cash-flow issues” slowing works.

Both former minister are currently serving at the EU.

“We don’t know what is going on. Hayes [former Minister Brian Hayes] and Hogan [former Minister Phil Hogan] were back here promising money but it turns out that this money has never been signed off on,” said Kilkee Cllr Ian Lynch (IND).

“The councillors are blue in the face trying to bring about some movement on this issue.

“The Chief Executive [Tom Coughlan] and Senior Engineer [Tom Tiernan] are doing everything they can. The whole situation is incredibly frustrating for everyone involved.”

On March 11, former minister Bri- an Hayes (FG) announced funding to “immediately assist local authorities” in the repair for coastal defenses.

“The physical damage will take time to repair and I am pleased that my Office has responded so quickly. The amounts being made available, together with the guidance provided by the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government on works and development consents required will greatly assist local authorities in these works,” he said March.

“Furthermore, I am also conscious of the urgency of these works and in order to assist local authorities in a practical way and avoid any potential cash-flow issues, my Office will con sider advance funding requests of up to 80 per cent where a contract for works has been made.” The Clare People contacted the OPW in relation to this story but a spokesperson declined to make any specific comment on last Friday’s revelation.

“The matter of both multi-annual funding for storm damage and further funding for the February 2014 storms is a matter for Departments of Environment, Community and Local Government and Public Expenditure and Reform,” a spokesperson said.

A spokesperson from the Department of the Environment yesterday declined to have any role in relation to the allocation of funding to the OPW.

“The Department of the Environment doesn’t fund coastal protection works so we wouldn’t be making funding available to the OPW. The department’s role in this matter was to co-ordinate the submissions from LAs [local authorities] in respect of the estimates of the cost of damage to public infrastructure caused by the second period of severe weather from January 27 to February 17 and these have been compiled.

“A Government decision on funding for damage caused by this second period of severe weather has not yet been made,” said a Department of Environment spokesperson.

THE Director of the upcoming Merriman Summer School in Ennis believes the event remains relevant and important in shaping discussion in Irish society.

Speaking ahead of the school, which runs in Ennis from August 1317, Professor Patricia Coughlan says the events such as the Merriman still have a future.

“I absolutely think so. I’m a huge fan of them.

“I think it’s a place to thrash things out where people can have an input into what is a national discussion. I think it is a more thoughtful medium”, she says,

“The radio is very good. Television tends not to be so good for this because it tends to be soundbites.

“There are good discussions on radio but the constraints of time on a radio are very narrow.

“This is something more leisurely and something where you can draw things out a bit more”.

This year’s theme – Emotional Life in Ireland – will be discussed and debated by authors, academics and musicians.

Prof Coughlan, who is Professor Emerita in the School of English at UCC, says summer schools have a relevance beyond academic and literary circles.

“They do. I’m really a fan of summer schools, generally. It’s an Irish invention that doesn’t exist elsewhere.

“I think it’s one the things that we do really well. I hugely respect the people that attend summer schools because they are not necessarily people with influence.

“They are serious people who want to hear things trashed out and discussed. They take issues seriously and I think that’s a very positive sign of our culture”, she explains.

Prof Coughlan said she also made a conscious decision to invite more young speakers to the school.

She explains, “One of the parts of the brief was to engage some younger speakers and I very much sought to do that.

“That’s not to outlaw the older speakers. But looking at the programme, most of the speakers are actually under 50 and probably under 40, between the poets and all the other speakers.

“They are younger scholars and critics primarily. To be honest it was easier to find people doing this kind of research in the various disciplines and who were interested in discussing. It was actually easier to find younger people. It’s a topic that’s only coming into being discussable now.”

FAMILY, friends and many clergy members turned out in Ennis last week to celebrate the life of the late Canon Frank Mulvey (pictured above).

Born in 1935, Canon Mulvey was the son of the late George and Margaret Mulvey from the Clonroad area of Ennis. He studied for the priesthood at St Patrick’s College Thurles and was ordained on Thurles Cathedral on June 14, 1959.

He was ordained for the Archdiocese of Cardiff and in August 1959, his first parish was in Gendros, Swansea. He had a brief spell in Cardiff before serving for 12 years in Tredegar in the Welsh Valleys.

After a number of years in St David’s parish in Newport, he moved to Rumney, Cardiff where was attached to the Blessed Sacrament Church for 28 years.

In 2009, he was joined by family and friends to celebrate his 50th year in the priesthood. To mark the occasion, he was made a Canon.

Canon Mulvey was on his annual summer break back home to Ennis when he became ill.

He died peacefully in the company of his family at University Hospital Limerick on August 6.

At his funeral mass in Ennis Cathedral on Friday, family and colleagues recalled a warm and generous person who loved sport, particularly golf, the Clare hurlers and the Munster Rugby team.

“Canon Frankie despite his many years in Wales never lost his love of his native county and especially rejoiced in their wonderful success down the years”, recalled Fr Brendan Quinlivan.

He told mourners, who included members of the clergy from Wales, how Canon Mulvey’s house was often a ‘haven’ for people travelling to rugby games Cardiff Arms Park.

Fr Quinlivan said Canon Mulvey was a man of “deep prayer and reflection” who came to love Wales and it’s people.

Shane Mulvey shared with mourners memories of his Uncle Frankie’s much-anticipated visits home to Ennis. “He was always thinking of others such was his nature”. Shane told mourners his uncle was a keen photographer who lived for his visits home to see his sister Rita and brother Tony. “We were so happy to have him home for the last few days and we got to hear him sing one last time. I’d like to thank him for everything he’s done for us. A very special man to the end. We’ll miss you very much Frankie”, Shane added.