Category: News

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.”

THE Clare construction industry is beginning to come back to life with a marked increase in the number of projects actually being commenced in the first half of this year.

The number of commencement orders issued in Clare has grown by a massive 53 per cent compared to last year. While these figures have been broadly welcomed, industry insiders have stressed that the growth is from a very low level and it will take a prolonged period of similar growth before the construction industry in Clare returns to a sustainable level.

There was further good news for the construction sector as the number of planning applications lodged in Clare during the first half of 2014 is up by more than 12 per cent when compared to the same period during 2013.

Commencement orders are considered to be a much more accurate way of mapping the health of the construction sector in a region as a large proportion of planning applications in recent years refer to the retention of historic planning applications, many of which may go forward to the construction stage.

Despite Clare’s positive showing in the National Housing Construction Index, the county is actually lagging behind the country as a whole with Ireland recording an overall increase of 66 per cent in commencements so far in 2014.

“The year on year increases for planning applications and project commencements bodes well for the construction sector in the short to medium term. The 66 per cent year on year increase in project commencements is incredibly positive, notwithstanding the slowdown in the rate of growth in project commencements since the start of the year,” said Danny O’Shea of Link2Plans who compile the National Housing Construction Index.

ENNIS is facing its worst ever rental property crisis – with prices set to rise by at least 10 per cent over the next 12 months.

The rental market in the county town is on the verge of grinding to a standstill – with just 29 properties available for rent in Ennis today, and only 12 three-bedroom, family style homes.

Rental property prices rose by 2.2 per cent in the the second quarter of this year – with the lions share of this rise being driven by Ennis.

A normally functioning rental market should see more than five per cent of the total property stock on the rent- al market at any time. Ennis requires a 1600 per cent increase on current stock levels to get close to that level.

“The last six months has seen a sharp decline on the number of properties available to rent in Ennis. We had a property last week which was rented after its first viewing for a increased rent, a lot of properties aren’t making it to the property websites they are going so fast,” said Mairead Carrig of Location Location in Ennis.

“Properties are being snapped up very quickly and there are very few new builds coming through. It would not be unrealistic if we saw price increases of 10 per cent of more in the year ahead. The powers that be need to make it easier for builders to get back to work in Ennis.”

The divisions between Clare’s two speed rental market also appears to be deepening with a large number of properties still available for rent outside of urban areas.

According to Ronan Lyons of Daft. ie, Ennis is just six months off a property shortage similar to those currently being experienced in Dublin and Cork.

Unlike Dublin and Cork however, there are few building projects planned for Ennis in the short and medium term.

“The figures for Ennis are really dramatic. A healthy market should have between 5 or 10 per cent of properties for sale at any one time but there is nothing close to that at the moment,” he said.

“Ennis is in the same boat as Cork and Dublin, there is just a lack of available accommodation, but it just on a small scale. Ultimately, this can only lead to large increases in rents.

“We have seen rent rises in four of the last five quarters in Clare and I could see rent rises significantly in the county over the next six months. It is very difficult to predict but I wouldn’t be surprising to see rents for the whole of the county rising by between 5 and 10 per cent in the year ahead.

“The places will see this the most is in Ennis and the parts of Clare which are close to Limerick and Galway. More and more now people want to be closer to jobs and services.”

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.

A MAN allegedly ran onto a public road in East Clare carrying a samurai sword during a dispute between members of the traveling community, a court has heard.

Gardaí received two calls to deal with a disturbance involving travelers camped along the side of the road at Bohatch, Mountshannon on July 25, Ennis District Court was told yesterday.

Details of the alleged incident were outlined as a 22 year-old man appeared in court charged with an offence contrary to the firearms and offensive weapons act.

Bernard Ward, with an address at Bohatch, Mountshannon, is charged with having a sword which had a blade or which was sharply pointed contrary to the firearms and offensive weapons act.

He is alleged to have committed the offence at Bohatch, Mountshannon, on July 25.

Inspector Tom Kennedy handed in a schedule of the arrest, charge and caution of Mr Ward to Judge Grainne O’Neill yesterday.

Defence solicitor Daragh Hassett applied to be assigned legal aid and handed in a statement of means for his client.

Insp Kennedy said the State had no issue with the granting of legal aid to Mr Ward.

Mr Hassett said he required time to seek disclosure from the State.

Judge O’Neill asked if the issue of jurisdiction – what court the case will be heard in – had been decided.

The Judge said she could not make an order for disclosure unless she knew if the case is fit to be tried summarily in the District Court or not.

Insp Kennedy said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had directed summary disposal of the case in the District Court.

He outlined a summary of the alleged facts of the case.

The court heard gardaí were called to deal with a disturbance involving members of the traveling community at Bohatch, Mountshannon on the day in question.

Insp Kennedy said it would be alleged that a garda who was at the scene saw Mr Ward exit a caravan and arrive on a public road carrying a “samurai sword”.

The court heard that it is alleged that when Mr Ward saw the gardaí, he ran back into the caravan.

It is alleged that when gardai searched the accused’s caravan they found the sword under a bed.

Mr Ward did not indicate yesterday how he intends to plead to the charge.

Judge O’Neill accepted jurisdiction and made an order for disclosure. She remanded Mr Ward on bail to appear again in court on October 7.

CLARE County Council, acting as agents on behalf of Irish Water, says it has recorded significant improvements in the quality of drinking water being provided by the Kildysart water treatment plant, but has advised that water restrictions will remain in place until today (Tuesday, August 12th) at least.

The Local Authority said a water quality testing programme will be carried out during next week, and that a “satisfactory sequence of test results” will be required before the existing restrictions can be fnally lifted.

The HSE, in conjunction with Irish Water and Clare County Council, imposed water restrictions on the Kildysart Public Water Supply scheme a forthnight ago, on Tuesday 29th July.

Approximately 1500 customers were advised as a precautionary measure that water on the scheme was not suitable for drinking due to the discolouration of the water caused by increased Manganese levels.

A Council spokesperson said:

“There has been a further significant reduction in manganese levels in the treated water due to remedial works carried out this week at the treatment plant, but a sequence of good results over a number of days will need to be demonstrated before the restriction can be lifted.”

“In the interest of public health, it is recommended that all users on the Kildysart Public Water Supply and the Coolmeen Group Water Supply should not use tap water until further notice.

“The exceptions to this can include flushing of toilets, flushing of internal house plumbing systems, dishwashing, personal hygiene and laundry as high manganese may lead to staining of clothes but is not a public health risk.

“Customers are also advised to discard ice cubes in fridges and freezers.

“We are unable to determine when normal service will be resumed, but Irish Water and Clare County Council will continue to liaise with the HSE with a view to lifting drinking water restrictions as soon as practicable,” the spokesperson added.

In the meantime, drinking water tankers are being deployed daily outside Kildysart Secondary School and the Hilltop Bar in Coolmeen up until to and including this Tuesday (today, 12th August), at least.

Further information will be disseminated via the media, on www. water.ie and the Irish Water Customer Contact Centre: 1890 278278.

Customers are requested to advise Irish Water or Clare County Council of elderly or disabled people who may require special assistance.