Category: News

ONE in every eight second-hand cars in Clare have been clocked and reads significantly less mileage than they have actually travelled.

This means that almost 6,000 Clare motorists are driving vehicles which are worth much less than they think – and could also be close to a dangerous equipment failure.

According to figures compiled by Cartell.ie, 5,357 Clare cars have had their mileage tampered with. It is not illegal for a person to change the mileage on their own car – which means that the equipment to tamper with odometers is easily available within the industry.

It is illegal to sell a vehicle under false pretenses however, but it is difficult to assertain the true mileage of a vehicle without carrying out a full diagnostic on the vehicles engine.

The figures were obtained by calculating the number of Clare drivers who discovered a mileage discrepancy in their vehicle when the checked against official records on the Cartell.ie website.

“I think the number of cars that have been clocked in Clare would shock a lot of people, but you have to remember that it is not illegal to clock a car in Ireland. If it is a private sale, there is very little danger for a person who wants to clock their car and sell it on to someone else,” said John Byrne of Cartell.ie. “The equipment is easily available and it is a lot more prominent that people realise. Some people don’t see the problem with it, it has become the accepted standard in a lot of places and they don’t see it as being an issue.

“Clocking in itself is not illegal. But it is illegal to sell a car as one thing, when it really is something else. But that is very difficult to catch. The National Consumer Agency manages to prosecute approximately one person a year, which is a drop in the ocean.”

Cars which have been clocked are potentially dangerous to the driver.

“There is a safety element in all of this. You could be driving along the motorway and all of a sudden you have a drive failure on your car. That is a dangerous situation to be in and it is something that you won’t expect if your car has 100,000 more kilometres on the car than you think,” continued John. A win t ry fe e l t o t h e we e k, d u ll, win d y a n d we t a t t im e s, b u t we sh o u ld e sc a p e t h e b ru n t o f t h e lo w o ve r t h e c o u n t ry.

THE Office of Pubic Works (OPW) has failed to respond to an urgent request by Clare County Council to fix one of Clare’s busiest roads, which is in danger of falling into the sea.

It was revealed at yesterday’s North Clare Area meeting in Ennistymon that the Government agency, which last year assumed responsibility for all flooding and coastal erosion funding, has yet to respond to an urgent request for funding to protect a section of road between Liscannor and Lahinch from being washed into the sea.

The road is one of the main access roads used by tourists to access the Burren and also carries more than 700,000 people to or from the Cliffs of Moher each year.

“We have conveyed to them [the OPW] that we consider this work to be urgent. We have taken the step of getting an engineer to do a design of a retaining wall and the others works needed,” said Stephen Lahiffe, engineer with Clare County Council.

“We applied for this funding in 2012 and we have still to get a response – 2012 is nearly over and we have still to get a response. We have taken the step of getting a consultant engineer to come up with a design – so we are ready to go if we get a positive response.”

Ennistymon-based Cllr Richard Nagle (FF) asked for the council to invite down a member of the OPW to view the road, to ensure that Clare County Council would not be blamed by the government agency, if the road is lost to the sea.

“We need to emphasis to the OPW the importance of coastal erosion works at this location. The sea is rapidly eating the coastline away, it is undermining the road at this location and sooner or later that road will collapse,” he said.

“If it does collapse, then a lot of funding will be needed. This has been going on for several years and is getting worse and worse. It is an exposed and vulnerable area – we need to invite an officer from the OPW to come down and visit the site. This could be solved with a small investment now, it we wait until it collapses it will take a huge amount of money to replace it.”

It was also confirmed yesterday that € 40,000 allocated to strengthen the sea wall in Liscannor cannot be diverted to the road.

ANTI-HOUSEHOLD tax campaigners in Clare are claiming a victory today after Clare County Council decided to stop asking grant applicants for proof of payment of the house- hold charge. This is despite Clare County Council’s insistence that the letters were discontinued because they had worked – and allowed the local authority to reach the 65 per cent compliance rate demanded by the Department of the Environment.

“At the beginning of the week, Clare County Council implicitly threatened to withhold or delay student grants to those boycotting the unjust household tax, but following a protest by the Clare CAHWT, we have secured in writing a commitment from the council that they will not discriminate in any way against such students,” said Paul Whitmore of the Clare Campaign Against Household and Water Taxes.

“We marched into the council offices to demand a clear written promise from them that they would not in anyway discriminate against non-payers, and would stop sending these threatening forms to grant applicants.

“As a sign of the huge impact of people power, we have now received these guarantees in writing. This is a huge victory for our campaign. Hopefully in the future, the council will think twice before attempting such scare tactics.”

Students form NUI, Galway, GMIT, UL and LIT also staged a protest again the warning letters at the of fices of Clare County Council last week.

“The decision of Clare County Council is short-sighted and ridiculous,” NUI, Galway Student Union president Paul Curley last week.

“Students don’t own houses and linking the payment of the Household Charge to their grants is a cheap shot. We call on Clare County Council to abandon this badly thought out plan and process students’ grant applications as a priority.”

A LIMERICK man, who stole a television and games console from a hotel in Lahinch and then promptly returned them, has been ordered to make a contribution to the court poor box.

Christopher Murphy (41) was told by a judge that he had engaged in “bizarre” behaviour in the seaside town last year.

At Ennis District Court on Wednesday Mr Murphy, with an address at 2 Sheelin Drive, Caherdavin, Limerick, pleaded guilty to stealing a Black Phillips flat screen TV valued at € 500 and a Nintendo Wii valued at € 200 from the West Coast Lodge, Lahinch, on November 26, 2011.

Inspector John Galvin said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had directed summary disposal of the case. Judge Patrick Durcan accepted jurisdiction.

Insp Galvin told the court that the manager of the hotel contacted gardaí alleging that the accused had taken the television and games console from the hotel. The court heard that Mr Murphy had checked into the hotel under the name John Ryan.

Insp Galvin said Mr Murphy drove back to the hotel a few hours later and returned the property.

Mr Murphy admitted to gardaí that he had taken the property.

Defence solicitor Daragh Hassett said his client had been staying in the hotel with his partner.

He said Mr Murphy didn’t know why he stole the items.

“It was a spur of the moment thing,” he added.

Mr Hassett told the court that Mr Murphy had become involved in a “show of bravado” with another guest, after which he drove of with the television and the Wii.

Inspector John Galvin described the sequence of events as “very unusual”. Judge Patrick Durcan said, “This was bizarre behaviour.” He ordered Mr Murphy to pay € 250 to the court poor box. The case was adjourned to October 24.

A 79-YEAR-OLD farmer was confused when he drove the wrong way up the dual carriageway near Bunratty earlier this year, a court has heard.

Stephen Costelloe had been driving to Shannon Airport to meet his son when the incident occurred on the N18 at Bunratty on January 27, 2012. At Ennis District Court on Wednes- day, Mr Costelloe, with an address at Busherstown, Moneygall, pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of careless driving.

Garda Barry Doherty of Shannon Garda Station told the court that Mr Costelloe drove in the wrong direction after becoming “confused”. The court heard that the incident occurred at around 6.50pm.

Defence solicitor Tom Stamp said his client had been “very confused” on the night.

He said Mr Costelloe was very “lucky” not to have been involved in an accident.

Garda Doherty told the court that he had seen “numerous” incidents where drivers had travelled the wrong direction on the dual carriageway and motorway.

Noting Mr Costelloe’s good record, Judge Patrick Durcan ordered him to pay € 250 to the court poor box by January 9, 2013. No conviction was recorded against Mr Costelloe.

Judge Durcan said that there is an onus on drivers to drive responsibly.

However Judge Durcan added that if the fine was not paid by January, then Mr Costelloe would be convicted of careless driving.

Addressing Mr Costelloe, Judge Durcan said, “I understand completely what happened. I wish you a safe journey home.”

A MAN charged with a spate of crimes in the Kilmihil area has been ordered to appear before the December sitting of Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.

Thomas Farrell, 30 Riverdale Green, Clondalkin appeared before Kilrush District Court accused of taking a van and crashing it, and on another date taking power tools during a burglary.

Detective Garda Ollie Downes told the court that at 5pm on July 6, a white Berlingo can belonging to Kevin Callahan was taken from outside his workshop.

“Later we got a report that it was crashed about one mile from the village,” the detective said.

The van valued at € 5,500 was subsequently declared a write-off.

“Mr Callahan said he left the keys on the pier outside the workshop on Quay Street. Mr Farrell was subsequently arrested and admitted seeing and taking the keys and taking the van,” said Det Downes.

The court also heard that during a burglary at a private resident at Lackin, Kilmihil, between July 27 and July 28 a number of items were take including a number of named power tools. On July 28 Gardaí stopped a bus at Ballismore, and found the stolen goods on board.

Mr Farrell told Gardaí that he found the goods in a pile in the front garden, the court heard.

Judge Patrick Durkin remanded Mr Farrell on continuing bail to appear before Dublin Circuit Criminal Court on December 18.

As he granted bail he said he was taking into account that Mr Farrell came from Dublin to Kilrush for the court hearing.

The defendant has six previous convictions including road traffic, public order and an assault conviction going back to 2000.

A 22-YEAR-OLD Kilrush man was fined € 500 for breach of the peace after he became irate with gardaí when they stopped him on his pedal bike.

Sean McMahon, 1 Burton Street, Kilrush, was not in court when the case due for hearing was called.

Garda O’Callaghan gave evidence that at 1.20am on Friday, May 25, 2012, he stopped the defendant who was on his pushbike.

“He became very irate from the outset,” said the garda adding that it was “apparent he was highly intoxicated.”

When the garda and his colleague told him he would be arrested “he lashed out with hands, feet and head”.

Garda O’Callaghan said the defendant was then arrested in Burton Street and restrained on the way to the garda station.

“He wasn’t remanded for a while due to his level of violence,” said the garda stationed in Kilrush.

Solicitor for Mr McMahon, Hazel Hehir, asked the garda if her client was on his way home when he was stopped.

“I believe so,” replied the Garda.

“He was peacefully on the way home when you stopped him and questioned him,” she said.

She said her client was 22 years of age and lived alone. She added that he became frustrated on the night in question.

“He is going to England soon to get away from Kilrush and people he hangs around with,” she added.

Judge Patrick Durkin dismissed the section 4 intoxication charges against Mr McMahon, but fined him € 500 for using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour.

He gave him three months to pay with 10 days default.

The judge said he took into account that he had no previous convictions but also had to consider that he did not turn up in court.

He issued a bench warrant on other matters pending against Mr McMahon.

During the afternoon sitting of Kilrush District Court Mr McMahon appeared before Judge Durkin. He told the judge he had left the court to go home for a cup of tea.

The bench warrant was vacated.

AN Ennis woman who was convicted of soliciting a man to murder her then partner would like to return to live in her native town again.

However, Sharon Collins is not planning on moving back to Ennis anytime soon. She was released from the Dochas women’s prison centre last Monday. Ms Collins is on temporary release and will not be on full release until her sentence ends in December.

The 48-year-old was jailed for six years in November 2008 after a jury found her guilty of soliciting a man to murder her partner, PJ Howard, and his two sons, Robert and Niall Howard, on August 15, 2006.

Her co-accused, Essam Eid, was also jailed for six years for demanding money with menace and handling stolen property.

Her solicitor, Patrick Moylan of O’Kelly Moylan Solicitors, said Ms Collins would like to return to live in Ennis again but is worried about the impact of media intrusion on her family.

He said, “She would like to return to the town. She has always been supported by her family and friends and that support has continued. However, she knows that the level of media attention her moving back to Ennis would bring on her family and friends would be unfair.”

The former administrative worker with Clare VEC has continued to maintain her innocence. Under the terms of her release, Ms Collins is not permitted to engage with or speak to the media until her full release in September.

She is currently working on two books that will focus on her experiences since 2006. Mr Moylan explained, “She is writing two books. One will be about the case and one will about her life inside prison.”

Neighbours are said to be unhappy with the level of media interest in the area. It is understood that a reporter from a Dublin tabloid was chased from a garden near the home of a relative of Ms Collins last week.

AN IRAQ war veteran who admitted forging a doctor’s prescription has been warned that he faces up to five months in prison.

Ross Culligan (25), with an address at 41 Church Drive, Clarecastle, pleaded guilty to forging a prescription contrary to the misuse of drugs act on dates unknown between February 14 and February 22 (2012) at 41 Church Drive, Clarecastle.

At Ennis District Court on Wednesday Mr Culligan also pleaded guilty to using the forged prescription at Mary Jo Duffy’s Pharmacy, Tesco, Ennis on February 22.

He also pleaded guilty to an offence under the firearms act at Ennis Garda Station on February 23.

Inspector John Galvin told the court that the Director of Public Prosecutions had directed summary disposal of the case.

Judge Patrick Durcan accepted jurisdiction of the matter. Insp Galvin told the court that staff at the pharmacy alerted gardaí after Mr Culligan attempted to use the prescription. The accused was subsequently found in possession of a .22 calibre bullet by gardaí. Insp Galvin said there was “no hint that he had it for any sinister reason.”

He said Mr Galvin told gardaí that the bullet had come from his foster father’s house.

Insp Galvin said that when confronted by gardai, Mr Culligan was “forthright, honourable” and admitted having the prescription.

The court heard that the offences were committed one month after Mr Culligan had been placed on probation. Defence solicitor Daragh Hassett told the court that his client had been diagnosed with a psychiatric illness as a child.

He said after working as a tradesman, Mr. Culligan joined the British Army. The court heard that the accused served with the Irish Guards in Iraq.

Mr Hassett said, “He saw all the things that people shouldn’t really ever have to see.”

Mr Culligan was discharged from the army after four years for medical reasons, the court heard.

Mr Hassett said his client had been prescribed medication for panic and anxiety.

Judge Durcan noted that Mr Culligan had committed the offence while on a nine-month probation order.

He said, “The man has problems, certainly, but pharmacies have problems with people like your client.”

Mr Hassett said his client is liaising with the probation services and is “staying out of trouble.”

Judge Durcan said, “I have considered the issue of a community order and I am of the view that it is not a suitable case for community work….. It is out as far as I am concerned.”

Judge Durcan said that he “had in mind” a five-month prison sentence. He ordered the preparation of a presentence report from the probation services.

The case was adjourned until October 24.

CLARE farmers will be allowed to be buried on their own property in the future, provided Clare County Council gives the burial the thumbs up. The Department of the Environment have confirmed they there is no longer any statutory legislation preventing a Clare landowner being laid to rest on their own land. However, each home burial will have to receive official permission from Clare County Council before a burial can legally take place. Kilnamona farmer Cllr James Breen (Ind) says he now intends to apply to Clare County Council for permission to be buried on his farm when he passes away.

“I’m delighted with the news from the department and I can’t see any reason now why a local authority should not allow a farmer or his family to be buried on his own land if that is what they wish. I think that this is something that a lot of people will opt for in the future,” said Cllr Breen.

“It is a wish of my own – I want to be buried on my own land when I go to my eternal reward. You see farmers who love their land and the next thing they die and they have to go maybe 20 or 30 miles away to be buried. If they could, I think a lot of them would want to be buried on their own land. I can’t see the floodgates opening up but I think if anyone wants to be buried on their own land they they should now be allowed.”

In an official letter from the Department of the Environment to Clare County Council, it was confirmed that once environmental matters such as water contamination were taken care of, the department had no objection to Clare County Council granting approval for home burials to take place.

“I’ve no intention of dying just yet but when the time comes I will be getting buried on my farm. I have 40 acres in Kilnamona and I have identified one field where I would like to be laid to rest. It is entirely up to the rest of my family then if they would like to join me there after that,” continued Cllr Breen.

“There is nothing more sacred than a mans own land. The birds, the bees, the foxes, the wildlife will run wild over it. It is a sacred place.”