Category: News

CLARE designer, Jackie Maurer, stole the show at this weekend’s Future Makers Awards, bringing two awards back to the Banner County – including the main overall prize.

The Ballyvaughan-based designer won the inaugural Scarva Pottery Materials Award and also won the overall Future Makers Student Award.

The combined prize fund for winning both awards was € 3,000.

“These awards are fantastic. They will give me a platform and allow me to further my work. I’m absolutely thrilled,” she said.

“Nine years ago I got my work into a major exhibition in the RDS. I’ve been making pieces since I was 16 years of age.

“I started out as a functional maker, I trained with Stephen Pearce. In 2008, I went back to college and completely changed the style of my work.”

A graduate of the Limerick School of Art and Design, Jackie is renowned for her unique wearable ceramic neck pieces.

This weekend’s award recognises excellence, creativity and technical ability, and offers professional support for students to build their profile at a very early stage in their career.

With a total prize fund of € 30,000, the Future Makers awards and supports the next generation of Irish designers, helping them develop an exciting future in the craft and design industry.

Future Makers promotes and dis tinguishes craftsmanship and excellence in design for creative students and graduates at a critical stage in their career.

A total of 28 designers made it as far as the grand final, which was hosted by Sonya Lennon, host of the RTÉ One Off the Rails programme.

EMERGENCY services recorded one of their busiest weekends in recent years as the Banner county took to the water to take advantage of the scorching heat.

A large number of incidents were recorded in the North and East of the county – with coast guard units in Doolin and Killaloe responding to seven different incidents, none of which resulted in major injury or the loss of life. This hot spell comes a week before the roll out of lifeguard services in county – with lifeguard’s not due to begin work at Lahinch, Kilkee, Fanore and Spanish Point until this weekend. Councillors at yesterday’s North Clare Area Meet- ing of Clare County Council suggested that an “emergency response team” be put in place to react to large numbers of locals and tourists descending on Clare’s coastal beaches outside the normal tourist season.

Speaking to The Clare People yesterday, Clare County Council’s Civil Defence and Water Safety Officer, Liam Griffin, said that lifeguard services had been maintained in the county – despite cuts to all other areas of the local authority staffing.

“Despite a considerable reduction in local government funding and other cutbacks within the sector, we have taken the decision to retain the same level of lifeguard cover as provided in previous years,” he said.

THE highest level of absenteeism within the HSE West is in the midwest area and more specifically among the nursing profession in Ennis, Limerick and Tipperary hospitals.

According to figures released by the HSE absentee levels within the mid west area is at 5.93 per cent, compared to 4.89 per cent in the west and 5.46 per cent in the former northwest health board area.

The sector most affected by long and short-term absenteeism is nursing in the mid-west with 6.46 per cent of staff not showing up for work on a regular basis.

Previously members of the HSE West Forum such as Clare’s Cllr Tom McNamara (FF) had warned that stress levels among nursing staff was extremely high as staffing levels were cut.

However at a recent meeting of the forum some councillors brought up the possibility that bank holiday absenteeism might be an even bigger issue, with figures requested for Friday and Monday spcific absentee rates.

At last week’s meeting of the forum, Galway’s Cllr Padraig Conneely was critical of high absentee levels across the HSE West, the councillor claiming there were issues about some staff taking long weekend by ringing in sick.

Cllr Damien Riedy asked that the members of the forum be furnished with a break down of how many staff are missing work on the Friday of bank holiday weekends and on ordinary Mondays and Fridays.

Absenteeism is an issue that the HSE continues to take very seriously according to officials.

Regional Director of Operations HSE West John Henessy told the meeting that there had been instances of disciplinary action taken due to missed work days; “I know of two staff members in the HSE who have lost their jobs due to absenteeism.”

Francis Rogers, Assistant National Director of Human Resources, said, “Attendance management is continuing to receive priority attention by the Area Task Force working closely with local service management.”

Meanwhile absenteeism in the medical and dental area in the midwest is also at an all time high at 2.77 per cent, with other patient and client care at 6.25 per cent.

WOMEN are considered the fairer sex, but now they can be officially labelled the longer living sex as well where Clare is concerned, the latest statistics for the county from the 2011 National Census of Population have revealed.

The figures that were released in the third bulletin report from the Central Statistics Office last Thursday, show that there are now 14, 519 people of pension age in the county, with women outnumbering men. The latest breakdown of the battle of the sexes in Clare comes on the back of the first bulletin report from the CSO that revealed that there were more women than men in the county for the first time since the 1871 census.

In April it was revealed that of the county’s 117,196 population, 58,898 were female and 58,298 were male. Now, confirmation that women in the county are living longer than men has come with statistics which reveal that there are 7,652 women of retirement age in the county as against 6,869 men.

The figures for those of retirement age in Clare shows that, in keeping with national trends, the county is home to an ageing population. The 2006 census returns for the county showed that there were 12, 519 people of retirement age, which represented 11.5 per cent of the total population of 110, 590.

Five years on there has been a jump of 2,065 in the numbers of people of retirement age living in the county, with the increase to 14,519 meaning that 12.4 per cent of Clare’s 117,196 population are now of pension age.

In releasing the breakdown of figures of those of retirement age, the CSO has split the post-65 generation into five different groups – 65-69, 7074,75-79, 80-84 and 85 and over.

The biggest gap between females and males is to be found in the 85 and over category, with females outnumbering males by more than two to one. There are 1, 581 of 85 and over in the county, 1,070 of them being females to only 511 males.

This trend of women being in the majority is continued in the 75-79 age group, where there are 1,359 women to 1,264 men and the 80-84 category where the breakdown stands at 1,069 women to 781 men.

LARGE surf schools have been accused of operating a monopoly on Clare’s beaches – with smaller operators not being allowed access to prime trading beach such as Lahinch.

Thousands of surf lessons take place at Lahinch, Spanish Point, Kil- kee and Fanore beaches each week – with dozens of surf school springing up around the county in recent years.

Yesterday’s North Clare Area Meeting of Clare County Council heard accusations that large surf schools were operating a monopoly and essentially forcing smaller operators out of business.

The meeting became heated when Lahinch-based Cllr Bill Slattery (FG) read out information on behalf a Lahinch-based surf school, which also trades on a number of other beaches in the county. Cllr Michael Hillery (FF), who is based in Spanish Point, then made representations on behalf of a Spanish Point-based “friend” who currently trades in Spanish Point, but cannot gain access to Lahinch. Fianna Fáil Cllr Richard Nagle, reprimanded councillor for making representative on behalf of individual surf school – while others schools were not present.

The trading bylaws which govern the licensing of surf schools in Clare are due to be updated next month. However, Irish Water Safety are due to complete a risk assessment on all beaches in Clare where surfing takes place.

It was decided at yesterday’s meeting to grant month-long licenses to the surf schools, to allow time for changes to be made to the trading bylaws, once the results of the risk assessment have been released.

“There are a number of individual who are licensed to provide les sons in Lahinch and throughout the country. The difficulty is that once you have a licence, you can employ as many people as you like. So one person with a licence could have 160 people on the beach with 24 instructors – is it a licence to trade or is it a monopoly,” said Cllr Joe Arkins (FG).

Separate bylaws limit the number of surf schools who can trade on Lahinch beach to six. However, no such bylaws exists on other Clare beaches, meaning that Lahinchbased schools can operate school on every Clare beach – while other schools cannot gain access to the town’s most popular surfing beach.

“The surf schools are becoming a victim of their own success. The number of surfers are increasing on a yearly basis and Lahinch can only cope with so many surfers at any one time,” said Cllr Nagle. Tue29May12

CRANNY Cross on the main Kilrush to Ennis road was the scene of two separate road traffic accidents within three days, one of which has left a young West Clare man seriously injured, while the other involved a minibus which was carrying a group of special needs children.

A young man was seriously injured as a result of the first accident during the early hours of Thursday morning last.

The 24-year-old from Kilmurry McMahon man was the sole occupant of a car that crashed at approximately 5am.

The young driver was still in a critical but stable condition in the Mid Western Regional Hospital in Limerick last evening (Monday).

Meanwhile, on Sunday afternoon, a van with a trailer attached collided with a minibus on the same part of the busy thoroughfare on the Kilrush to Ennis road.

It is believed that the trailer jackknifed on the road and crashed into the bus.

The minibus is understood to have been carrying a group of special needs children of varying ages at the time of the accident.

The injured were taken to hospitals in Ennis and Limerick.

The road was closed for almost three hours while a forensic examination was completed.

Weather conditions at the time of both accidents are not thought to be a factor.

As many as nine people were taken to hospital, and while no one was seriously injured, the driver of the bus had minor injuries which needed treatment.

Gardaí in Kilrush are investigating both accidents.

MORE than two years after the opening of the Western Rail Corridor between Ennis and Galway, passengers will soon be able to purchase tickets online.

Iarnród Éireann confirmed last week that the much anticipated rollout of online booking should be in place by this September.

The inability to purchase tickets online has been pinpointed by rail campaigners, including West on Track, as one of the reasons why passenger numbers on the line have not met initial expectations.

In a letter to Clare TD Joe Carey (FG) last week, the Chief Executive of Iarnród Éireann, Richard Fearn, confirmed that online booking would soon be coming but also confirmed that no plans were currently in place to introduce catering on the line.

“It is Iarnród Éireann’s intention to offer online booking for all Intercity and regional services. I anticipate that tickets for journeys between Ennis and Galway will be bookable on- line by September of 2012. By then, changes to the software controlling our online booking service will be made,” said Mr Fearn.

“On-board catering services are provided for Iarnród Éireann by Rail Gourmet Ltd, on our services where the level of patronage justifies the cost of provision of a trolley service. Rail Gourmet have considered the Western Rail Corridor route, but to provide a catering trolley on the line would require further subsidies, which Iarnród Éireann is not in a position to fund at present.”

Deputy Carey last week urged Iarnród Éireann to reconsider the provision of a trolley service, once the online booking situation had been resolved.

“I was also concerned that commuters couldn’t even get a cup of tea on the service at present, as no onboard catering services are available. I note that this aspect of Irish Rail’s business is handled by a third party but would encourage the company, following the availability of online fares, to look again at this aspect of the business,” said Deputy Carey.

“In terms of scheduling, I note that the fastest trains currently available on the route both leave mid-afternoon, and would not be relevant to the vast majority of commuters in terms of getting to work or college. If we could get an early morning train, with a running time of less than 1 hour 15 minutes, and this was advertised locally, it would in my opinion receive support. The Ennis to Limerick service has performed well since it returned and I believe there is potential to increase business on the Ennis to Athenry line.”

IT WAS an unavoidable, freak accident that shocked the parish. That was the consensus in Cree yesterday as the West Clare village tried to come to terms with the death of local man Michael O’Dea (74) following a farming accident on Saturday.

Mr O’Dea had been dosing a new- born calf with his son Eddie on the family farm in Clonina when the cow turned on the younger farmer.

It is understood that Mr O’Dea then moved to save his son and was fatally injured by the cow.

Eddie, whose ankle was broken in the attack, managed to raise the alarm, but his father was pronounced dead at the scene.

Local County Councillor Bill Chambers (FF) described the late farmer as “a grand man and a great man for the dogs”.

As well as farming, Mr O’Dea’s biggest interest was his greyhounds and he spent many a St Stephen’s Day at the Cooraclare Coursing Festival.

Chairman of Clare ICMSA, Martin McMahon said that the farming community was in shock and sympathised with Mr O’Dea’s family.

“Losing someone like that is a big shock and a big tragedy,” he said.

“At the best of times, no matter how careful you are, you can get caught. You could have the quietest cow in the world and after calving she could become the crossest cow on the farm. A lot of cases are unavoidable,” said the farming expert.

“Loading animals and things like that, there is a risk no matter how careful you are. Sometimes it is just outside your control.”

Gardaí from Kilrush and inspectors from the Health and Safety Authority are investigating the tragic incident.

Mr O’Dea is survived by his wife Maisie, four daughters and two sons.

The details of Mr O’Dea’s funeral were not announced at time of press last night (Monday).

THE piers and harbours in Doolin, Lahinch and Liscannor are to receive a facelift before the end of the year as the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food have granted assistance for some upgrade work.

The Government Department will supply up to 75 per cent of the cost of each project to Clare County Council calculated at € 97,500. As much as € 45,000 has been provided to make safe different areas of Lahinch beach.

The planned installation of protective railings at various locations including along ramped and stepped ac- cess from promenade to beach areas, along interfaces between promenade, shore and parking areas is estimated to cost € 60,000.

A further € 30,000 is to be provided for the € 40,000 harbour dredging works and the implementation of repairs in respect of the existing quay walls in Liscannor.

Up to € 22,500 has been provided for the € 30,000 work at Doolin Pier which includes the installation of appropriately located safety railings in the vicinity of the pier and on the steps used to facilitate access to ferries which used the pier to provide linkage with the Aran Islands and Cliffs of Moher. Other works will in- clude installation of parking control measures to ensure free movement of traffic including rescue craft to and from the pier area.

Fine Gael TD Pat Breen said, “It is envisaged that the local authority projects will bring much needed employment to local communities as well as providing improved infrastructure at the various piers and harbours. Initial estimates from the local authorities suggest that in excess of 1,200 man weeks of employment could be created from the approval of this programme.”

According to the Department of Agriculture, “Applications were received from 14 local authorities for 121 projects. The total value of the applications received was € 18,234,200. A shortlist of projects for consideration was compiled based on the prioritisation assigned by the local authorities with the aim of achieving a fair spread of the funding around the coastline. Local authorities were then requested to complete a more detailed application for the short listed projects.”

All works must now be completed by December 2012, and the total cost of individual projects must be less than € 150,000. All expenditure must be incurred in 2012 and all claims fully submitted by December 1.

A NORTH Clare hotelier travelled to China over the weekend for a toplevel meeting with members of the Chinese government, in an effort to open a door for thousands of tourists from China to visit Clare in the coming year.

Lisdoonvarna businessman Marcus White flew out to Beijing last Thursday, just days after returning from a similar trade meeting in Russia. It is as yet unclear whether either of these trade meetings will yield a major tourism breakthrough for the county, but the growing middle-classes in both Russia and China are considered to be one of the major future growth markets for world tourism.

In 2010, Mr White succeeded in forging a relationship with a major German tour operator which has brought more than 15,000 German tourists to North Clare in the past two years.

“This could be a big help to Shannon Airport. The publicity that was gained when Xi Jinping was here was really encouraging and was a big help for what I’m going. It is very important that we can find a way to deliver on this market,” said Mr White.

“I met with Ramazan Akpinar from Pegas earlier in the month. Currently, they bring more than 600,000 Russians on tours to Thailand every year, so if we can get even a small slice of that market, it will be massive for Clare and Ireland.

“We were in Russia trying to encourage him to work with us to bring more Russian tourists into Ireland. It was a positive meeting but it will probably take another year to develop this into something real.

“Russia is very much an up-andcoming country and now is the right time for the Irish tourism board to target that market.

“I think the only way to do this is to go over there and meet the people who make the big decisions. The Irish embassy [in Russia] have been very good to me but more needs to be done to make this a reality.”

White’s Hotel Group operates the Burren Castle Hotel, the Hydro Hotel, the Imperial Hotel and the King Thomand Hotel in Lisdoonvarna, as well as a number of hotels in Donegal.