Category: News

IT’S the end of an era in Ennis after well-known businessman Jimmy Brohan retired after 49 years in business. Jimmy has decided to step away from his hardware business on Parnell Street. The premises will be taken over by new Clare owners. Family, friends and a large group of traders gathered in O’Halloran’s Bar last Thursday for a presentation to mark Jimmy’s 49 years in business. A native of Ruan, Jimmy started out at John Roughan’s store just off O’Connell Square in 1963. He worked there for 20 years before leasing and eventually buying the premises in the mid-1980s. An incident in the year 2000 damaged the building and forced the relocation of Brohan’s to Parnell Street. In an interview with the paper last year, Jimmy spoke about the skills needed to run a successful business. He said, “One secret is that you have to be nice to people. If you’re nice to people and treat them right, they will come back to you. We have people coming to us since I started and now their family are coming (to us). Only for them we wouldn’t be here. “We do a good town trade but we get a good country trade as well. We get them from other counties too. A few years ago, you’d have people from Cork on the way to Knock, busloads, they would always call to me on the way back.” A family-run business, Brohan’s is known for having a wide collection of stock. Jimmy said, “People still come to me with the old spraying cans, copper spraying cans that the farmers would use. They weren’t made for 30 years or more but I still have bits and pieces for those. That’s just one item. There would be lots of other bits and pieces that people come to us looking for. I don’t care how old it is, I love to have it.”

NEARLY half of Clare’s population was born outside the county, a new set of statistics relating to the 2011 National Census of Population have revealed this week.

The figures released by the Central Statistics Office in its ‘Migration and Diversity – A profile of diversity in Ireland’ report have been broken down into seven different categories – those born in Clare, those born in counties in the State outside Clare, those born in Northern Ireland, England, Walsh, Scotland, the United States and also a category for other countries.

Accordint to the census returns 60,174 people who are resident in Clare were born in the county, a figure that translates into 51.3 per cent of the county’s total population of 117,196, with the remaining 57,022 born outside the county.

The majority of these are made of up people who were born in other counties in the State – 36,863 in total which account for 31.45 per cent of the population. This large number of Irish nationals born outside the county can largely be attributed to the fact that Clare has been with a maternity hospital services for over a quarter of a century, a state of affairs that seen most of the county’s births taking place in Limerick and Galway.

British subjects make up the largest category of Clare residents born outside the country. A total of 7,529 were born in either England or Wales, 971 in Northern Ireland and 345 in Scotland. This mean that British nationals, which number 8,845 in total, make up 7.5 per cent of Clare’s population.

There are 1,732 American citizens resident in the county, a figure that translates into 1.5 per cent of the county’s population, while residents who were born in other countries number 9, 582, which represents a percentage of 8.1.

SHANNON anti-war protester, Margaretta D’Arcy, had planned to scatter the ashes of Booker Prize-shortlisted playwright John Arden on the runway at Shannon Airport on Sunday, but was prevented in doing so.

Seventy-eight-year-old Darcy, who has protested at Shannon Airport on a regular basis since the beginning of the war in Afghanistan more than 10 years ago, managed to scale the fence at Shannon Airport on Sunday with fellow protester Niall Farrell.

The protest was undertaken to highlight to use of unmanned drone attack craft in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The pair managed to occupy the runway at Shannon Airport for 15 minutes before they were apprehended by security.

Ms D’Arcy was the long-time partner of the late John Arden, who passed away earlier this year. The pair were regular visitors to Shannon and recently performed a play about the Ralahine Commune, a co-opera- tive society founded in Newmarketon-Fergus in 1831.

In a statement released to the media, Dette McLoughlin, of the Galway Alliance Against War, said Shannon Airport had been used for special extraordinary rendition flights.

“Over the past 11 years, Shannon Airport has been transformed into a US military base, literally into a Warport. Millions of armed US troops, millions of tonnes of weaponry travel freely through Shannon, including the killer drones that daily rain down terror and death on the peoples of Afghanistan and Paki stan,” she said.

“Shannon Airport has been an integral part of the CIA’s illegal “extraordinary rendition” programme. It is known that the kidnappers and torturers of a number of victims of the CIA have travelled unhindered through our country. This makes consecutive Irish governments guilty of colluding in torture as well as mass murder.”

A Garda spokesman said two people were arrested, then released without charge. A file has been sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.

IT WAS an issue that took over the airwaves two weeks ago, and last evening it ironically became one of the talking point in the county council chamber.

The decision by Clare County Council to include a reminder about paying the household charge with third level grant application letters became an issue when it was interpreted that the council would not pay the grant if the household had not paid the controversial tax.

Cllr PJ Ryan asked that the council would inform its elective representatives of any announcements of public interest, prior to the media being informed.

“It is not nice to get a call at 7am from someone from Morning Ireland to see if you had any comment,” he said.

“Then you go to the local shop to field a barrage of abuse from local ladies who asked “what are you f-ers doing?” I don’t know how this was put into the media. Was it the Min- ister’s office or Clare County Council?”

Describing it as an embarrassment to councillors, Cllr Christy Curtin said it the letter was ill conceived and caused confusion on processing the grant.

Cllr Pascal Fitzgerald added that the issue was “all over facebook” the night before the story broke.

“I went into the shop and people were asking why are you a councillor if you don’t know what is going on.”

Co Manager Tom Coughlan said the council was not aware it was go- ing to become an issue and if he did he would have informed the councillors.

He said, “An individual who got a letter decided to publish it on the internet.

“The first I heard of it was at 11pm that night.”

“ Morning Ireland picked up the story that Clare County Council was not going to pay the grants, but that was not the story.”

It was an administrative decision to send out the letter and to return to the council chamber every time such a letter was to be issued would be unworkable micromanagement according to the manager.

He added, “You just don’t know when the next story is going to break.”

“We made it clear during the day that we were not withholding the grant, but what compounded the issue was Tipperary County Council who said it was going to follow Clare County Council and withhold the grant,” he said.

“We were never withholding the grant,” he said.

SECTIONS of the ceiling of one of Clare’s largest shopping centres fell in following heavy rain during the week. The incident occurred at Dunne Stores in Ennis on Tuesday when water poured onto the busy shop floor shortly before 1pm.

Sections of the ceiling have been removed for repairs. One eyewitness said, “It was like a waterfall. It was unreal the amount of water that fell.” It followed a series of exceptionally heavy showers that drowned the county capital. Parts of Parnell Street suffered flooding, with the water at one stage rising above the level of the footpath.

Local businessman Alfonso D’Auria said people in the area were shocked by the amount of rainfall. He said, “Now, in fairness to the (Ennis Town) council, they have done a bit of work on the drains. They cleared away a lot of the leaves, which made a huge difference. But the amount of rain that fell that day was incredible. I don’t know if it was just a freak thing but it looked bad for the street, the amount of water that was just sitting there. The amount of people using the footpath who got drowned wet there was just ridiculous.”

Mr D’Auria said the problem was compounded by rubbish being dumped in the area. He explained, “We have people dumping big black bags of rubbish in the lanes every week. Every week there is rubbish being dumped. I’ve had to put locks on my bin. There is only one bin on Parnell Street.”

Ennis Town Council has said that the tender process has started for phase two of the Ennis Flood Relief Scheme. Phase one of the scheme is credited with preventing floods in large areas of the town centre during November 2009.

Last week’s council meeting heard that residents in the Tulla Road and other areas along phase two of the scheme have encountered difficulties securing house insurance because their homes in a flood risk area. Town Engineer Eamon O’Dea encouraged people to contact the Council. He said the Council would request the Office of Public Works (OPW) to write to insurance companies. Mr O’Dea said that once complete, the scheme would alleviate flooding in the area.

Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) called for the OPW to provide a blanket certificate for residents in the area.

AS MANY as three letters from the Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan failed to clarify the future financial health of Clare County Council.

At last evening’s meeting of the local authority, County Manager Tom Coughlan was perplexed as to what exactly the reply from the minister’s private secretary to the council meant.

The council had asked the minister to clarify if there was any chance of it receiving all or some of the € 247,000 cut from its budget in July.

In the letter to the council, the department stated, “Household Charge income will be kept under constant review and it is a matter for local authorities, including Clare County Council, to use their local knowledge to follow up on non-compliant households in order to maximise collection of the charge and the information available from the data-sharing exercises underway centrally to identify households that may be liable to the household charge.”

In a personally signed letter to Deputy Pat Breen (FG) and Deputy Joe Carey (FG), the Minister referred to a conversation he had with the deputies last week.

“I’ll be reviewing the position for all local authorities in November and will have regard to their respective Household Charge compliance rate,” he said.

Mr Coughlan said he was not sure from those responses if the Minister was going to review the € 247,000 cut or not.

“It is not for me to interpret,” he said.

The manager and councillors were also in disagreement about the department secretary’s suggestion that, “I am satisfied that the revised general purpose grant allocations provided for 2012, together with the income available from other sources, will enable local authorities, including Clare County Council, to provide a reasonable level of services to their customers.

“The budget as adopted is under pressure and there is very little scope for reductions going forward,” said the manager.

He said the council made a decision in July to continue with the budget as adopted and that is what he would do until otherwise directed.

He added he would make savings wherever possible.

CLARE County Council may be strapped for cash but it recognises there are people much worse off in the country that need “a helping hand”.

As a result it will propose that the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny, and the Government to set up a voluntary organisation or foundation entitled A Helping Hand, which will do exactly what it says in the title.

The brainchild of West Clare councillor Gabriel Keating (FG), the purpose of the organisation is to provide financial support to the most vulnerable people in society.

It is proposed that the organisation would seek financial aid from the wealthy and better off in Ireland and abroad, and it would also devise other ways and means to meet its targets through sponsored projects or fund raising events.

“As the recession continues all voluntary organisations have seen an increase in the numbers of people seeking help. Voluntary organisations are not immune from the recession and they have witnessed a dip in donations from ordinary individuals and as well as that corpo- rate donations are not as regular as they were during the good times.

“Through our history we have a reputation for helping people all over the world. When other countries suffer disasters such as famine, earthquakes or tsunamis, Irish people continue to respond generously. Here at home, somehow people continue to respond generously to the many deserving causes, promoted by organisations such as West Clare Cancer Support and many others.

“In the early years of our freedom and independence we built new hospitals and institutions to help the sick. These were funded by an Annual Irish Sweepstake Draw that attracted worldwide support,” said the councillor.

“While the Lotto was set up since 1987 to help fund good causes, I believe that it is clear now at this point in our history that a National Voluntary Organisation – made up of people with vision, talent and imagination – is needed to bridge the gap in funding for those who are most in need.”

The Helping Hand Foundation by the Government would target the financially well off for funding.

“I am thinking par ticularly of wealthy Irish people who are now living abroad and who would love to contribute to this countr y but maybe they have never been asked. It would also utilize people who have a proven track record in volunteering and through their work have earned respect from the people such as reti red presidents, bishops and people in public life, entertainment and sport.

“In these very difficult times or recession and hardship we cannot and must not forget the most vulnerable in our society. We must extend a helping hand to those who most need it,” he said.

SHANNON Airport will soon begin a new life as a debt-free, standalone airport, The Clare People can reveal. The Shannon Airport Task Force will present its plan for the future of the airport to Government next month – and that plan will include the removal of € 100 million of historic debt from the books of Shannon Airport.

This development is seen a vital boost to the airport’s prospects of survival and growth when it eventually emerges free of the grip of the Dublin Airport Authority.

County Manager, Tom Coughlan yesterday confirmed the details of a meeting which took place last week between representatives of the council and Rose Hynes of the Shannon Airport Task Force.

The statement outlines a new future for the airport, with plans to grow passenger number to 2.5 million per annum over the next five years. The task force will recommend a new approach which will see a combined focus on passengers and freight services at Shannon.

Speaking last night, Mr Coughlan welcomed the announcement, saying it is what the local authority had been hoping for and was in line with plans set out by the local authority in the Clare County Development Plan.

The news was also welcomed by Councillor Pascal Fitzgerald (Lab).

“This is great news for the airport. This gives Shannon a real fighting chance in the future. If the debt had been maintained at the airport, it would have been difficult to see how they would have managed it, to be honest.

“So this is very good news,” said

THE National Roads Agency (NRA) have been accused of incompetence, in their approach to signage of the M18, by councillors at yesterday’s meeting of Clare County Council.

In a joint motion put forward by Cllrs Michael Kelly (FF), Bill Slattery (FG) and Joe Arkins (FG), a call was made for Clare County Council to begin to interact vigorously with the roads agency in an attempt to improve mistakes and omission in signage.

A call was made for the review of all signs on the M18, with all areas which were signed on the old N18 to also be included on the motorway. A number of popular tourist attractions are currently not included on the motorway – with Cllr James Breen (Ind), offering to sing Spancil Hill, if it would help the NRA to recognise the famous townland.

“I’m not happy at all with this reply at all. This is typical NRA speak. It is them saying that we don’t have a say down here; they know what is best for us. At the present time, there are areas of high tourism that attract a lot of people to the county, but yet when they come here they can’t find the place because there are no signs,” said Cllr Michael Kelly.

“The NRA has decided that businesses in places like Ruan, Tubber and Kinvara don’t deserve a sign anymore. We need to write back to the NRA and tell then that these places didn’t become obsolete with the creation of the M18.

“You have a body like the NRA come in here and changing the spelling of places like Ballyvaughan, Lahinch and Corofin. They think that they know better. I think they need to come down here and engage with us.”

During the debate, Cllr PJ Kelly accused the NRA of making serious mistaken on the signage on the M18, including signs which indicate that drivers are getting further away from Galway, even as they are driving towards Galway on the M18.

Responding to comments from the councillors, Director of Services Ann Haugh, said she would interact with the NRA more in the future.

“This is a matter for the NRA. There are prescribed rules for signage from the NRA which dictates where tourism signage is placed,” she said.

“I haven’t engaged with the NRA before this motion came forward today, but I will be engaging with them in the future.”

FIGURES from the Department of Justice show that Ennis solicitor Tara Godfrey was the highest earner from criminal legal aid cases in the county for the second year in a row. The Ennis solicitor earned € 144,434 last year with solicitor Darragh Hassett second on € 96,092.