Category: News

ONE million euro has been donated to the Diocese of Killaloe to promote vocations and to help fund the training of new priests in the diocese.

The money was a bequest to the diocese in the will of an unknown local person, on the condition that it only be used to promote new priests entering the ministry.

The cash windfall was yesterday described by diocesan spokesperson, Fr Brendan Quinlivan, as a sign of “new hope” for vocations in the diocese.

The Killaloe diocese currently has one person studying to become a priest, while a number of other men are currently considering entering formal studies.

“This is a sign of great hope for the diocese. The person who made this donation must have been someone whose life was greatly impacted on by the priesthood,” said Fr Quinlivan.

“The money will be used for the promotion of vocations and also to help fund the studies of anyone from the diocese who decides to study to become a priest. Between accommodation and the cost of studies it can cost between € 15,000 and € 20,000 a year for a person to train to become a priest and this could take between five and seven years.”

According to Fr Quinlivan, the type of people who decide to join the priesthood these days are very different from the people who joined in the past. New entrants are generally older, and must undertake psychological testing as well as a period of deep reflection before they are allowed to begin their studies.

“We had two ordinations in the parish this year, we currently have one person in studies and we have a number of people who have expressed an interest in becoming a priest and are currently in a period of discernment,” continued Fr Quinlivan.

“It is different from how it was in my day when people came straight from school. These days we are finding a lot of older men, who have lived through the Celtic Tiger and have come to the conclusion that there is something different out there for them.

“Many of these people may have to give up jobs to begin their studies so it is a total change of life for them.”

The diocese will receive the € 1 million in three different payments over three years. Pic kin g u p to wa rd s th e we e ke n d bu t e a rly in d ic a t io n s a re n o t gre a t , m o re c lo u d wit h o n ly spo ra d ic su n sh in e .

CLARE County Council received complaints against 60 of its tenants last year in relation to anti-social behaviour.

According to figures received from the local authority, complaints were made against 60 of the council estimated 1,500 tenants in 2012.

It is unclear, however, how often each of these 60 tenants were complained, with some people complained on several or even dozens of occasions.

According to Liam O’Connor of the Housing Section at Clare County Council, the complaints are evenly distributed around the council’s properties and there are no anti-social blackspots.

Mr O’Connor also said that the local authority takes a proactive approach to dealing with anti-social behaviour by any of its tenants.

“A small proportion, approximately four per cent, of all tenancies would be reported during any one year as creating a problem in their neighbourhood,” he said.

“The council investigates in each case and works to resolve the issues. In very serious cases, where there is no improvement in the situation following the council’s intervention, eviction proceedings are taken by the council. One or two such proceedings would be underway during the course of any year.

“The council has formed a network of residents’ associations in which there are now 46 residents associations participating. Periodic network meetings are arranged with training and help being provided to the associations, whose voluntary work in their neighbourhoods is highly valued by the council.

“There is also active participation in the council’s ‘best kept estates’ awards each year, with 25 groups receiving awards at various levels last year.

“Notwithstanding this preventative and positive work with residents which contributes to a higher quality of life in those estates, the council also takes an active role in addressing tenancy breaches where those are reported. The council also liaises with statutory organisations including An Garda Siochána and the Health Service Executive on a regular basis, with regard to anti-social behaviour and related issues.”

A FORMER Clare County Council worker who was found dead at his home in Kilrush last May died as a result of misadventure, an inquest has heard.

The body of Michael Noel Blunnie (61) was discovered by gardaí at his home at 2 O’Gorman Street on May 1, 2011.

An inquest into his death heard that Mr Blunnie died from positional asphyxiation, with alcohol intoxication and heart disease as contributory factors.

County Coroner Isobel O’Dea ruled that Mr Blunnie died by misadventure.

Door-to-door enquires were car- ried out in the area following the death and CCTV footage was also obtained.

Supt Gerry Wall of Kilrush Garda Station told Clare Coroner’s Court on Friday that “no evidence of criminality was established from these lines of enquiry”.

The inquest heard that an ambulance was called to the house on April 30 after Mr Blunnie complained of stomach and chest pains. Mr Blunnie refused to get into the ambulance. A friend, Paul O’Connor, said he placed a blanket over Mr Blunnie when he fell asleep that evening. When he left, he also placed a rag in the front door to jam it shut because there was no lock.

Mr O’Connor said, “He drank a naggin of whiskey while I was there.”

The inquest heard that Mr Blunnie’s house was in poor condition, with no electricity, heating or running water.

Michael Sweeney told the inquest that he had left his family home in Kilrush at around 6am to look for a lighter. After trying a number of houses, Mr Sweeney called to Mr Blunnie’s house. He told the inquest that he had known the deceased for a number of years. Mr Sweeney walked in, took the lighter and noticed Mr Blunnie lying down. He added, “I did not stay there. I panicked and left. I hate dead bodies.”

After calling to his brother’s house, Mr Sweeney phoned the gardaí, the inquest heard.

Of Mr Sweeney’s demeanor, Garda Gander said, “He appeared to be distressed and upset and struggled to get across what happened at 2 O’Gorman Street….He was very forthcoming.”

Deputy State Pathologist Dr Kahlid Jaber told the court that blood and urine analyses showed that Mr Blunnie “was drinking heavily at the time he passed away”.

He said the primary cause of death was positional asphyxiation with acute alcohol intoxication and hyper cardio-vascular disease as contributory factors.

Ms O’Dea said, “It is quite clear from the evidence there was no suspicion of foul play.” She paid her condolences to the deceased’s family and friends.

Retired garda Michael Ryan also paid his condolences to the Blunnie family. He said, “Mick Noel was nice, gentle man.”

AN ENNIS resident who has been a victim of recent anti-social behaviour says he will drive to the office of the Minister for Justice, Alan Shatter, and complain to him in person if action is not taken to improve the service being offered to the public by gardaí in Clare.

The Glenina resident, who asked not to be identified, says he is only raising the issue with Minister Shat- ter in the hope that it will spark a change in the way anti-social, violent and intimidating behaviour is treated by the gardaí.

“I don’t have anything against any garda, but I think the people have just lost faith in them.

“I know their resources have been stretched but that makes it all the more important to engage with the local people,” he said.

“All I want is for this to spark a change. It is no good for the gardaí to sit there and wait for the people to come to them – they have to part of some sort of community approach to solving this problem.

“Until they do that, nothing is going to change – it will only get worse. When I was at school, everyone knew the local policeman.

“He was part of the community. It is not about driving up and down the Gort Road. It is about getting out of the car and actually talking to people. It is an old fashioned idea but it will work. What is happening in Ennis is bad but it is nothing compared to situations which have happening in other places.

“So it can be fixed. But if something is not put in place to fix this then it will get worse.

“We cannot bury our heads in the sand any longer. I’m not interested in Dublin or Limerick, if something is not done in County Clare soon then it will only get worse.

“If I don’t get a reply from Alan Shatter I will get into the car and go and visit him in his constituency office,” he added.

KATIE Taylor’s historic Olympic triumph came as no surprise to one former teammate of the Bray boxer.

Ennis woman Edel Malone wore the green jersey alongside Katie on Irish soccer team from under 17 right up to senior level.

Having observed up close the dedication of Ireland’s newest Olympic champion, Edel says Katie is the perfect role model for any young sportsperson.

She continues, “When you speak with her, she’s the most humble person and she has this gentle spirit about her but when she gets onto the pitch and into the ring, the fire inside her, her passion for that sport, comes out. Her training was always number one. Any athlete should use Katie as a role model, for her attitude, work ethic and natural ability. Just look at how far it has taken her.”

Apart from their Ireland days, Edel and Katie also crossed paths on the club scene, most famously in 1998 when Clare took on Wicklow in the prestigious Kennedy Cup.

Edel recalls, “We probably know each other since we were 12. She played with Lourdes Celtic and I was with Lifford. We would’ve played against each other in All-Ireland competitions. If there was someone you had to really mark on the other team, that was Katie. Then we played in the Kennedy Cup. It’s traditionally a boys’ competition but that year there were three girls in the whole tournament. She was with Wicklow and I was with Clare. The two of us made it to one of the finals so we got to play against each other.”

A Clare team, managed by John O’Neill and Vinny McDermott, claimed a narrow 1-0 victory.

Now living in New York where she has just completed a Masters in Documentary Studies and Production, Edel had to rely on updates from her mother and friends to follow Katie’s nerve-shredding quest for gold.

She thinks that having fulfilled a life-long ambition, her former teammate could hang up the boxing gloves for a return to soccer.

Edel, who is currently nursing a knee injury, says, “It will be interesting to see if she returns to football. She could do that. She’s achieved everything in boxing. If it wasn’t a boxing tournament she was preparing for, she was getting ready for a soccer match. I think she could very well go back to playing soccer also.

“You can only imagine the amount of pressure she was under. One of our other friends who plays soccer and is quite close with her, she texted a few days ago saying she had met Katie after she’d won gold. She said that Katie was over the moon and that she was so relieved,” she adds.

Selina Moylan and Susan McNamara are two Clare women who also played with Katie Taylor on Irish soccer teams.

A 17-YEAR-OLD boy is recovering in hospital in Galway today after receiving head and neck injuries while diving in Kilkee on Sunday.

Limerick teenager, Killian Rae, received 30 stitches to a large headwound after he dived into shallow water at the East End of the pier in Kilkee just after midday on Sunday.

Mr Rae, who is a regular visitor to Kilkee with his family, struck his head off jagged concrete underwater the water and was airlifted to hospital. The Clare People understands that he has responded well to treatment and should be released later today, August 14, with no permanent neck or back damage.

The youngster was rescued from the water in a joint operation by the Kilkee Rescue Service and the Kilkee Unit of the Irish Coast Guard and was treated on site by the HSE rapid response unit.

The Shannon-based coast guard helicopter was dispatched to airlift the youth to hospital but it was unable to find a suitable landing spot close to the pier. Instead, Mr Rae was transported to the Kilkee Golf Club where he was airlifted from the first tee.

Spokesperson for Kilkee Marine Rescue Manuel Di Lucia said the lack of a dedicated helicopter landing site in Kilkee could put lives in danger in the future.

“It worked out okay in this situation – except that all the sand from one of the bunkers on the first tee was blown away – but this is not an acceptable situation.

We need a proper helicopter landing space closer to the pier in case of an emergency like this,” said Mr Di Lucia.

FORGET Katie Taylor, a woman from Miltown Malbay may have the most recognisable Irish female face on the planet.

For the last six months, Lourda Sexton, from Ahey Bridge in Miltown, has been broadcasting to hundreds of millions of people on the Chinese television network CCTV.

The Chinese state broadcaster has a potential reach of more than half a billion people in China, but also broadcasts internationally on a number of cable television platforms. Based in Dubai, Lourda has been back home for the last four weeks, compiling a number of broadcasts from Ireland, including one from the Willie Clancy Summer School.

“I worked in TV and radio in Dubai for a number of years and I was delighted to get this chance to work for CCTV. China Central Television is like the BBC or the RTÉ of China – it has 13 channels and I work for the news channel, which is an Englishlanguage channel,” said Lourda.

“I’m normally in Dubai and I cover a mixture of stories but I’m spending the summer in Ireland covering a lot of different stories from here. It’s exciting work, I get to go to a lot of interesting places and meet a lot of different people.”

After the visit of Chinese VicePresident, Xi Jinping, to a Clare farm and the Cliffs of Moher earlier this year, hopes are high that agricultural and tourism links can be forged between the Banner county and China.

“I’ve already covered the Volvo Ocean Race in Galway and the Willie Clancy Week in Miltown and I’d hope to do a few more stories from this side of the country. It really is a mixture of trying to show off Ireland, and what it can offer, and the links between China and Ireland,” said Lourda.

“In China, they do have an interest in Ireland. They have an interest in everywhere. There are around 60,000 Chinese in Ireland for one, so they do want to know what is going on here.”

Lourda will remain in Ireland until September and is on the look-out for any local stories which may have an interest for a Chinese audience. Anyone who thinks they may have an interesting story can contact Lourda on lourdasexton@gmail.com.

Anyone who wants to see Lourda in action can locate her on channel 510 on SKY.

EMPLOYMENT numbers at the Shannon Development managed Free Zone dropped by three per cent in 2011 as the company grappled with the demands of the economic recession, but there are still over 7,700 working in the industrial estate.

The Shannon Development annual report shows that employment numbers were boosted by 406 over the past year, which when measured against job losses of 580 over the same period meant that there was a net loss of 174 for the year.

“Shannon Free Zone is home to over 100 companies and generating almost € 3 billion in annual sales, more than 90 per cent of which are to export markets.

“Despite the economic downturn, Shannon Free Zone continues to be a strong revenue generator for the local economy.

Companies based at the Free Zone collectively contribute over € 600 million to the Irish and Shannon region economies annually in areas such as staff payroll, materials and services.

“While overall employment at the Zone fell 3 per cent year on year, it should be noted that almost 90 per cent of these job losses were the result of downsizing and not closures, enabling Shannon Development to continue working with these companies to identify new market opportunities. The company is encouraged by the slowdown in job losses, reporting a net loss of 174 jobs during the year. Jobs in indigenous companies at Shannon Free Zone continued to grow in 2011, in the past two years indigenous jobs have increased by over 10 per cent from 949 to 1,045,” the annual report adds.

Among the job highlights in 2011 was the announcement by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton of 170 new jobs to be created through a joint partnership between US company ZAGG International Distribution Ltd and Irish company CREGG Logistics.

The jobs are supported by Shannon Development and ZAGG is confident of creating a further 130 jobs over the next four years.

In addition, Bustec, the Shannon Free Zone-based technology firm, announced a $21 million (€ 15 million) contract with US technology firm Lockheed Martin to supply data capture and testing equipment which will be used by the US Navy.

“Considerable progress was made on marketing the Free Zone to potential overseas investors in 2011,” says the annual report.

During the year, Shannon Development succeeded in securing 19 itineraries from prospective new clients for the Shannon Free Zone, seven of which were generated in partnership with IDA Ireland.

“Shannon Development approved financial supports to Shannon Free Zone companies in 2011, which leveraged investments of € 13 million by these companies. A total of 20 Shannon Free Zone companies received Shannon Development support packages across key areas such as R&D, employment, management development, international marketing supports and training.

“These supports illustrate Shannon Development’s commitment to enable Free Zone companies maintain market leadership and underpins their future growth and success,” the reports adds.

CASHING in on the ‘Shannon’ brand that is instantly recognizable around the world is the way forward for the region, Shannon Development chief executive, Dr Vincent Cunnane has said following the publication of the company’s annual report.

“The ‘Shannon’ brand is instantly recognised internationally and is synonymous with innovation and entrepreneurship, due in no small part to the many ‘world firsts’ that were born at Shannon over the years,” said Dr Cunnane.

“For example the world’s first tax free zone in the modern era was developed here,” Dr. Cunnane added.

Shannon’s international reputation was further enhanced with the visit in February 2012 of the Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping.

“We were honoured to be invited to brief the Chinese Vice President and his delegation on all aspects of Shannon Development’s regional economic development remit and particularly on activities at Shannon Free Zone,” said Dr Cunnane.

“Our objective in briefing Mr Xi was to create the environent to enhance good relations between Irish and Chinese businesses and to highlight Shannon as an ideal gateway location for Chinese businesses wish- ing to trade in Europe,” he added.

This message was further delivered when Dr Cunnane was a guest speaker at the China Civil Aviation Development Forum in Beijing.

China will invest over $230bn in the aviation sector in the next five years and, during his visit to China, Dr Cunnane met with senior man- agement from the Civil Aviation Administration of China and a number of Chinese airlines, cargo operators and Chinese airport chief executives to explore potential business opportunities for Shannon.

“I was delighted to have been invited to speak at the prestigious Chinese Civil Aviation Development Forum. I was asked to address the Forum on how an airport can successfully enhance local and regional economies. Over 750 top aviation industry influencers from China and around the world were assembled. It was a unique opportunity to promote Shannon,” said Dr Cunnane.

The linkages between Shannon Development and China began in the 1980s when Mr Jiang Zemin, who was then Senior Vice Minister of State Imports and Exports Administration and later became President of China, led a Chinese government delegation to Shannon to study our Shannon Free Zone and the Shannon Development ‘model’ of a regional development company.

The knowledge gained by the Chinese delegation was subsequently used in the development of China’s very successful Special Economic Zones.

The Chinese government initially opened four Special Economic Zones based on the Shannon model, which were extremely successful in attracting foreign investment, stimulating trade and invigorating growth.

“The zones became a major driver for China’s economy, allowing private investment to flow into the country underpinned by a significant transfer of skills and technology. There are now several hundred such zones all over China. Shannon Development is very proud to have been associated with such major innovation,” said the Shannon Development report.

A GROUP of Clare artists will be relocating to the Dingle peninsula this weekend for a ground-breaking exhibition that represents the first instalment of a show that is expected to travel to a number of venues throughout the country from now until the end of the year.

Five artists, four of whom are from Clare, have been chosen to stage a group show to mark the reopening of a landmark building in Ballyferriter called Tig an Tobar as a gallery space.

The exhibition, which is the brainchild of Ennis-based artist Shelagh Honan, combines a range of different artistic mediums including large-scale projections, ‘camera obscura’, sound installations as well as painting and drawing.

‘Call It What You Will’, which has been supported by Údarás na Gaeltachta, takes place from Friday to Sunday. It will be officially opened by RTÉ broadcasting legend Michéal Ó Muircheartaigh on Friday at 7pm.

“The aim of the exhibition is to bring art to public and local spaces, to contribute to a local dialogue through a conversation of stories, images and sound that have been created specifically for this location,” says Ms Honan.

“Tig an Tobar was also once a shop and a restaurant, while there is an openness to the space that makes it ideal to craft a public art project and create a unique impression that can be the start of the space being a regular venue for exhibitions,” adds the curator of ‘Call It What You Will’.

The other Clare artists involved in the exhibition are Maria Finucane from Tulla, Fiona O’Dwyer from Ennistymon and John Hanrahan from Ennis, while the fifth participating artist is Dublin-based Mike McLoughlin.

The patron of the event is Sheelagh Doyle, who lived in Lahinch for nearly a decade before moving to live on the Dingle peninsula.

A further Clare involvement was provided by Ennis-based Christy Healy, who operates Atlantic Diving School.

Along with his son Stephen, he was involved in underwater video recording for one of the installations, as was Martin Lyall who is also based in Ennis.