Category: News

A MAN was rescued off a tiny island just off the Doolin coast in the early hours of Saturday morning after spending the night camping on the rocky, uninhabited mound. The man, who lives in the North Clare area, spent the night on Crab Island before he was spotted by the Doolin Harbour Master who contacted the Doolin Unit of the Irish Coast Guard to assisted the man back to the mainland.

Concerns were raised over the man’s safety as weather conditions in the area at the time were described as “extreme”. The local unit of the coast guard managed to reach the man and ferried him and his equipment back to the mainland. The man had used a small kayak to reach the island in calmer waters on Friday evening.

Crab Island is a designated bird sanctuary and members of the public are not allowed to disturb the birds nesting on it. The island also has a long and often tragic maritime history.

In July of 1983, eight young men, including three brothers, drowned while swimming nearby when a strong current caught the men by surprise and dragged them out to sea. Crab Island is also the site where a German spy came ashore during World War 1. The man, who came ashore on an April evening in 1918, surrendered to locals because he believed that he had landed on the mainland and had destroyed his boat.

“We were on out way to provide cover for the Volvo Ocean Race in Galway when we got the call from the harbour master. We sailed to Crab Island and spoke to the man and we had to call out a smaller ves sel to get close enough to the island to bring him ashore,” said Mattie Shannon of the Doolin Unit of the Irish Coast Guard. “The sea was rough but the man was not in any immediate danger. We had to make three journeys back and forth to the mainland to ferry the man and al of his equipment back from the island.”

Meanwhile, on Friday, the Doolin Coast Guard unit was tasked to assist in the search for a number of walkers who had become separated from their companion near Blackhead in Fanore. The walkers had descended back onto the Green Road track but had come down on the steeper side and had suddenly lost contact with each other in the heavy mist. The walkers were found safely and reunited with their companions.

LOCAL hellraisers are turning to God in their droves with the foundation of Ireland’s first ever Bikers Church in Gort. The church, which is located in an industrial building on the Kinincha Road in the town, attracts more then 50 motorcyclists to service which takes place on the last Sunday of each month.

The service is run by the Christian Motorcyclists Association of Ireland, who were invited to base the Biker Church in Gort by local man John Joe Finn.

According to the Pastor, motorcyclist Graham Stephens, many bikers can feel uncomfortable entering more traditional churches.

“We invite everyone to come as they are. It doesn’t matter who they are of what they have done, we invite everyone to come and join in God’s love,” he says.

“Some churches wouldn’t be very biker friendly, they would see bikers coming in with tattoos and piercing and they might hold back and not really show true love to them.”

The church does not belong to any particular denomination of Christianity but instead bases their religious views on the words in the bible.

“If you are looking for something that is very traditional, this is not the right place for you. People [Christian bikers] have been hurt by things that have happened in the past and they are fed up with it. We just want a place where we can be ourselves,” continued Graham.

“We have a music team in the service on Sunday, so we have contemporary music with some heavy guitar and drums. We would start off with some Christian songs and worship music. We would start off with some Christian songs, some worship music, so the same thing that you would find in any other church. We also get people standing up and sharing their own stories so it is very relaxed and very easy going.

“A lot of bikers would not feel comfortable going into a traditional church but there is nothing in this church that would frighten anybody off. It’s just about the person themselves and God and we are trying to facilitate people getting to know God.

“We have people coming along to the services and some of them have very colourful backgrounds. But at the end of the day they are people just like us, they might not have made all the right decisions in their life but they are no different. We all screw up, it’s just that some of us do it more publicly than others.

“That is the thing about God, he forgives no matter what. That gift of forgiveness is one of the biggest gifts that mankind has ever gotten.”

For more information on the Christian Motorcycle Association and the Bikers Church visit www.cmaireland.ie.

EAST Clare County Councillor Pascal Fitzgerald made history on Friday when he was the first Labour councillor to be elected to office in County Clare.

The man from Westbury was named deputy mayor at the end of Clare County Council’s AGM.

In a heart felt speech, the new deputy mayor paid tribute to his daughter Joyce who he said was the one who encouraged him to run for public office.

“It is a hard game and we are in hard times,” he said.

Among his colleagues in the council chamber Cllr Fitzgerald was recognised as the man who fought off Limerick’s attempt to take over lands in Westbury, Meelick and East Clare. “It was not just me at the bridge who told Limerick ‘no’,” he said.

“We don’t just recognise parties we recognise people,” he said of Clare County Council.

Cllr Fitzgerald said the biggest issue facing the council during the next political year was Shannon Airport.

He said it was essential to the future of the county.

The East Clare councillor was nominated to the position by Independent county councillor and former mayor

Cllr Patricia McCa

rthy. She said she was

happy to nominated

him as he was from

an “isolated part of

County Clare” that

is very much part of

the county. She said it was

also appropriate for

a Labour council

lor to hold office

in Clare County

Council for the first

time this year – the

year of the party’s

centenary.

Cllr Christy Curtin (Ind), who like Cllr McCarthy is also a former member of the Labour Party seconded Cllr Fitzgerald to the position of deputy mayor declaring he had the qualities and experience necessary to hold such a position.

CRATLOE is the most expensive part of Clare for house hunters.

According to the real-estate website daft.ie the average asking price for a house in the southern part of the county, on the border with Limerick city and stretching up towards Sixmilebridge, is now at € 181,698.

However the prices here have dropped significantly since peak prices, from April to June 2007.

Back then the asking price for an average family home was € 371,091, over twice the current asking price.

As of June this year, the average price for a two-bed property in this area was € 114,577, a three-bed property € 161,458, and a four-bed property € 273,758.

On average house prices in Clare have dropped by 50.6 per cent since the height of the boom, but while almost all of Munster was showing an evening out of prices during between March and June, Clare and Limerick City were the exceptions.

Asking prices for house in Clare continued to drop by as much as 2.8 per cent during these last three months, with the average price now at € 151,211. The average four-bedroom house in the county has an asking price of € 186,000 however with five-beds reaching € 261,000.

Those wishing to become home owners can also expect to pay above the county average in Flagmount, Feakle and Caher where there is an average asking price of € 158,911, down 49 per cent since peak prices and Tulla and O’Callaghan’s Mills has an average asking price of € 153,599 down 45.6 per cent.

Prices are also relatively high in Doolin and Kilshanny at € 154,833, down 48.7 per cent in five years.

And if you want a bargain buy in County Clare your best bet is West Clare where houses covering an area from Kilmurry McMahon, up towards Connolly and Quilty and west to Cree have an average asking price of € 91,959.

A FORMER St Flannan’s College teacher, who was last week named as the Irish Secondary School Teacher of Year, has spoken out against the Government’s treatment of young teachers.

Newly-crowned teacher of the year, Evelyn O’Connor, has been contracted on a year-to-year basis since she left St Flannan’s in 2010. She believes that the Government is failing young teachers and students by the way they are managing the cutbacks in the education budget.

Currently, in Clare, one in every four Clare-based teachers are on temporary contracts from the Department of Education.

“Ultimately, this is very bad for students. I am worried about myself and my students. Continuity is so important in education. If a student has a teacher that they work well with, they need to know that that teacher will be there the next year and the year after that,” said Evelyn.

“The Government are pretending that they haven’t cut the student/teacher ratio but that is just not true.”

According to Evelyn, the popular preconceptions held by the majority about teachers are not true.

“I think the perception is different from the reality. The Government are trying to turn teaching into a part-time job and they are avoiding, whenever they can, giving any teacher a full-time jobs now. Instead, they issue teachers with fixed-term contracts with so few hours a week that they can never hope to be made permanent.

“These teachers then have to look for other jobs just to make ends meet and a lot just end up leaving the profession. Students ask me more and more, ‘Will we have you next year Miss?’, and I don’t know what to tell them. Because I don’t know.”

Evelyn also hit out against redeployment in the education system, which she says has created an atmosphere within staff rooms where teachers are afraid to speak up for fear of being redeployed by the management.

THE Clare unemployed who previously worked in middle management or in a supervisory capacity are finding their new job-seeking status particularly difficult, so much so that the local St Vincent de Paul has set up a support and information network targeted at this group.

Clare Connect will support people as they write a CV, prepare them to search for jobs in a changing economy and, most of all, according to facilitator John Quinlivan, “help them out of the feeling of hopelessness”.

He explained that a number of people began work a long time ago in jobs where they could work their way up the corporate ladder.

Many of these people worked all their lives in the same company and, when the recession hit, they were unprepared when they lost their jobs.

They then discovered that they were over-qualified for many positions they wished to apply for, or potential employers had concerns about the financial cost of employing someone with such experience.

“Even coming to terms with the whole thing can be difficult,” explained Mr Quinlivan.

However, he maintains there is help and hope out there through Clare Connect. Through this support, people can learn how to retrain, rethink their job-seeking tactics and, just as importantly, according to the group’s facilitator, meet other people in a similar situation so that they can support each other and learn that they are not alone.

On Thursday, July 12, Clare Connect will hold a meeting in the Information Age Park, Shannon Development Offices, Ennis, at 10am.

During the meeting, Liam Horan of Sluath Nua will help people plan their CV and work out the best plan for them. All are welcome to attend and it is free of charge.

Mr Quinlivan asked that those wishing to attend would let the organisers know by emailing clareconnect123@gmail.com.

The Clare Connect programme is part of the work carried out by the St Joseph Conference of the St Vincent de Paul. This conference specialises in education and helping people back into the work place.

It is supported by the Clare County Enterprise Board, Shannon Development, Clare Local Development Company Ltd (previously Leader) and Clare County Council.

CAROLNE and Mark Winder are living every parent’s worst nightmare. On June 3, shortly before midnight, their caring and charismatic 15-year-old son William died.

“He took his own life,” explained his heartbroken mother. “It was a moment of madness, that is what they say to us, but that doesn’t give us any answers,” added Dad Mark.

Now his brave parents, despite their harrowing grief, are fighting hard to prevent another family suffering the unbearable heartache and loss they face every day.

The Miltown Malbay couple, supported by their family and William’s many friends, are setting up the William Winder Rainbow Foundation, which will be a one-stop shop for teens in crisis and young people with any worries.

The foundation will provide a safe and confidential counselling service to teenagers, and provide support to families. Through the foundation, Caroline, along with her brother, Lee Brennan, will visit schools and explain to teenagers the impact William’s untimely death had on their lives. A trained counsellor will accompany the family to the schools to provide professional advice to teen- agers and answer any questions.

A wallet card with the details of all the support groups out there, including the William Winder Rainbow Foundation, will also be provided to students.

The foundation will make available a counsellor to any teenager who wants one, and can be arranged in confidence through the website or by calling the foundation.

“We want to make available a counsellor if a child needs one outside of the school environment so there is no one going, ‘Oh look, there’s Mary Jane going in for counselling, what can we tease her about’,” said Ms Winder.

“The counsellor is to be provided to the family also, if needed, to help bridge the gap between the adult population and the teenager,” explained Mr Brennan.

A blog and discussion forum overseen by a trained counsellor is also to be set up.

“William obviously didn’t know there was help out there. I want every other kid to know that, yes, there is help out there,” said Ms Winder.

“It can no longer be a taboo subject. There are kids out there hurting. The thought that William was going through whatever pain he was going through is heartbreaking. No parent should have to go through it. No child should have to go through what they are going through.”

“Me and Mark would be the first to say to parents: You say you know your child, we knew our child insideout. He just had that worry. The only worry we knew of was the exams and we truly believe that, three days before he had to sit his exams, it got too much,” added William’s courageous mother.

“We know children have been taking their lives for quite a while and we hear a lot about road deaths but no one talks about this. This is part of our society. If young people feel they no longer want to be part of our society, what is wrong? This is not just affecting the kids and their families, it is spreading out to the community and society,” added William’s uncle, Lee.

To help the community and teenagers who may need some support, the grieving family are putting the final touches to the William Winder Rainbow Foundation.

“We know our lad and the idea of the Rainbow Foundation…well, William would be in the thick of this,” said his father, Mark. “This is a starting point for something unique, but it is needed.”

CLARE’S newly elected mayor wants “Michael O’Leary to come to Shannon and negotiate a deal”.

At his inaugural speech as mayor of County Clare, Ennisman Pat Daly (FF) said he would like to see Ryanair back in Shannon International Airport as “a positive customer”.

“Some years back the airline brought in hundreds of thousands of visitors from England, France, Spain, Germany and Italy to County Clare, and it created a financial bonanza for businesses in the county,” he said.

The mayor added that Clare County Council should be included in the marketing of the airport that must be undertaken by its new management company.

He said the airport must also play a central role during ‘The Gathering’ next year.

He made the remarks in front of a crowded gallery, which included family and supporters who had gathered to see him named first citizen of Clare – the fifth man from “the town” to hold the honour.

There was no doubt as to who would be elected when outgoing mayor Pat Hayes (FF) handed back the chain on Friday.

As alluded to in his nomination of Cllr Daly to the post, Cllr PJ Kelly (FF) paid tribute to a unique selection formation brokered by then mayor Tommy Brennan (Ind) as far back as 2004.

Under this agreement, currently supported by all of the members with the exception of Independent councillor James Breen, Cllr Daly was to be selected for the 2012-2013 period, with Cllr Joe Arkins (FG) to take over the reigns when he steps down.

For now, however, all eyes are on the former tailor from Ennis, who spent 18 years working for former TD and Minister Tony Killeen (FF), a position he believes has given him the experience and expertise to carry out his new role.

The new mayor is optimistic about the future despite the harsh econom- ic times.

“It is clear to me that in these challenging times, opportunities will arise to move this county forward both in social and economic terms,” he said.

The Eire Óg chairman is also keen to see Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann come to what he described as “the home of traditional music”.

“Council management, Clare Comhaltas and councillors have been working very hard to deliver the fleadh to Ennis. And I hope, before I leave office, a date would be confirmed. An injection of € 30 million to the local economy would be a great positive boost, particularly at a time when businesses are under serious financial pressure,” he said.

Mayor Daly was also upbeat about the future of the hospital.

“At Ennis General Hospital in recent times, there has been a big increase in day care procedures, while huge numbers are using the outpatient facilities. I welcome the new state of the art 50-bed unit, which will open shortly.”

The new mayor and chairman of the council also has plans to make changes to the councillors’ monthly meetings – the details which have yet to be announced.

“It is important that we continue to deliver an efficient and quality service to the people whom we represent, that is the people of Clare,” he said.

The new mayor will be supported during his year in office by his wife Tikki and his three children Ciarán, Niall and Elen.

ON FRIDAY night, June 22, DJ Trevor White played a poignant piece of music as part of the end of the Junior Cert exams celebrations in the Queen’s nightclub, Ennis. The techno soundcloud mix was produced by 15year-old William Winder.

“Most of his friends, who were present in the night club, were celebrating the end of their exams,” said William’s mother, Caroline.

“He use to love going to the Queen’s disco and he had some friends there so it was lovely to see that it is not just our little community that has been affected. It has gone as far as Ennis and beyond.”

And those friends knew that their late fellow student loved music. They also knew him as a good friend, as Facebook pages testify to a young sensitive man, who was ever the counsellor and listener to their teen- age woes. William Winder was a good friend, who didn’t discriminate between genders or age when he offered help and assistance.

“That was a very special trait he had. William could get down and play with the kids. He was the first grandkid. All the kids just loved him. He was also one of us, the adults. We always counted him as one of us and the kids as the kids,” said his proud uncle, Lee Brennan.

“Even on his Facebook page, he was so proud of his little brother Jacob. A lot of 15-year-olds would be embarrassed by their little brother but, no, he loved it,” added Caroline.

A student at Ennistymon Vocational School, William had a lot of interests. He loved soccer, GAA and badminton, according to his parents.

“Unfortunately, with the Junior Cert, he had to cut back a bit. He loved music and DJ mixing. He loved dancing and golf. Golf was probably his biggest passion next to football and his music,” said his Mum.

A Liverpool fan all his young life, he was also a keen public speaker and was proud of his win in the Lahinch Golf Classic with his friends.

His biggest achievement was, however, no small feat, as he took on and climbed Kilimanjaro in aid of Ennis Voices for Autism. He had planned to climb the mountain again.

“He was always up for helping others – always,” said his proud father, Mark.

THE teenage community of Clare, as well as their family and friends, are already busy fundraising for the William Winder Rainbow Foundation.

Among the biggest fundraisers will be the ‘Climb 4 William’. On August 5, friends, family and supporters of the charity will climb Croagh Patrick for the charity.

Sponsorship cards are available from caroline@williamwinderrainb owfoundation.ie.

William’s uncles plan to follow in their nephew’s footsteps up Kilimanjaro to also raise funds for the charity.

Following on from William’s love of music, a teenage disco will be held on Wednesday, July 11, in O’Looney’s Surf Bar, Lahinch. Tickets cost € 10 and are available from Green’s Coffee Shop, Lahinch; Tara at Seaworld; and Catriona at the Ennistymon Fruit Stall.

A talent show and disco will also be held in the Falls Hotel in Ennistymon on August 22 for the foundation, while an indoor beach party will be held in Éire Óg’s clubhouse in Ennis in aid of the William Winder Rainbow Foundation and Cahercalla Youth Green Area Development.

The website, which is a one-stop shop for teen support and counselling, is www.williamwinderrainbowfoundation.ie. The site is currently being completed, but people can also log on to the organisation’s Facebook page for more information.