Category: News

THE government holds the key to ensuring that the Lynx Cargo transshipment facility to be developed in Shannon will be a long-term success and engine for new growth at Clare’s international airport. The Clare People has lear ned this week that the Dubl in Ai r por t Author it y (DAA) backing for the project to the tune of up to € 6 million which was heralded by Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan, must now be followed up by the opening of negotiations between the Irish and US gover nments on creating a cargo pre-clearance facility at Shannon.

“Lynx will only be a major success if the Irish and US government can reach a deal on the pre-clearance of cargo at Shannon,” one insider told The Clare People this week. “This has been done for passengers and, for the Lynx project to realise its full potential, it will have to be done for cargo traffic as well.”

This claim has been backed up by local Fianna Fáil TD and the party’s transport spokesperson, Timmy Dooley, who has challenged the Government to play its part in transforming Shannon into a new worldwide cargo hub creating thousands of long-term jobs.

“I am delighted after a prolonged period of time that the DAA are prepared to invest appropriate funding in Shannon to enable Lynx to build a facility there,” said Deputy Dooley.

“It’s a vote of confidence in the airport – the short-term potential is limited, there is long-term potential if the Irish government can secure a deal with the US administration for the pre-clearance of cargo at Shan- non,” he added.

It’s understood that the DAA investment in the Shannon project will amount to infrastructural works on the ground – making the site identified accessible by road, providing connection to the airport taxi-ways and fencing – before Lynx would step in and invest over € 2 million in building their temperature control facility.

The project was first heralded in 2009 when Lynx and the Shannon Airport Authority signed up to a memorandum of understanding to develop an international logistics hub in the Shannon Free Zone.

In 2009, the Mid-West Task Force called on the Government and DAA to back the Lynx project, while Shannon Development chief executive and task force member, Dr Vincent Cunnane warned that “the airport will not survive on passengers alone and needs a cargo hub”.

The decision by the DAA to finally back the project with capital investment was taken in mid-May, a move that now paves the way for Lynx to take the next step and lodge a planning application with Clare County Council to build its facility.

CLARE’S four TDs have started their term office in Leinster House by claiming nearly € 600 a day in expenses for the number of days the 31st Dáil has been in session in its first two months.

Figures secured by The Clare People this week have revealed that Deputies Pat Breen and Joe Carey (FG), Deputy Timmy Dooley (FF) and Deputy Michael McNamara (Lab) claimed the maximum amount of expenses for March and April of this year, even though the Dáil only sat 17 times in that two-month period.

Fine Gael colleagues, Deputies Breen and Carey, top the expenses league in Clare for these two months, each claiming € 10,091.68, a figure that’s broken down to € 5,045.84 for March and April respectively.

Deputy Timmy Dooley claimed € 4,982.84 per month in the same period for an aggregate expenses total of € 9,965.68, while Deputy Michael McNamara claimed € 4,951.84 for a total of € 9,903.68 for his first two months as a member of Dáil Éireann.

Meanwhile, the Oireachtas timetable of business in that period has revealed that the Dáil only sat for eight days in March and nine in April.

This means that in addition to earning an annual salary of € 92,672 a year, Clare’s four TDs who were elected in the February 25 General Election have claimed over € 40,000 between them in expenses for the 17 days that the Dáil sat.

The breakdown of those expenses reveal that for those 17 days that the Dáil convened, Deputies Breen and Carey each claimed € 593.62 per day, while Deputies Dooley and McNamara claimed € 586.21 and € 582.56 per day for the first two months.

A CLARE actress stars in an acclaimed new play that comes to Ennis next month.

Written and directed by Mick Donnellan, ‘Sunday Morning Coming Down’, tells the story centres on the McGuire family: Theresa, the long suffering mother; alcoholic father Joe and their sons Chris and John.

Based in the Mayo town of Ballinrobe, the drama follows the trials and tribulations of the McGuire family combining humour with moments of poignancy and emotional turmoil.

For Ballyvaughan actress Theresa Leahy, who first encountered the play when a friend emailed her a copy of the script, playing the McGuire ma- triarch has been one of her greatest experiences on stage.

She said, “She’s like a mother you’ve seen. She’s trying to hold the family together. She’s a proud strong woman who really believes in the sanctity of marriage. She’s religious and is just going to stay with this marriage. She’s trying to create a home in difficult circumstances with her husband’s drinking. I suppose she’s the most poignant part of it because you really see the effects of it on her. It’s the sadness against the hilarity of what’s going on in the pub and the stories that are going on outside.”

Theresa continued, “There are actually some very funny moments. That’s what so great about the play. One minute you are laughing you’re head off and that next minute you’re like, ‘oh what’s happening.’ It’s great.”

Theresa believes that the story, which sold out on its first run in Galway, strikes a particular chord with Irish audiences.

She explained, “Everyone has seen this, in friend’s houses, in villages. It’s a story that is everywhere but it’s never been written about. Everyone recognises the characters. The language is real. You know Theresa. You know what kind of person she is. You know Joe, you know that type of drinker. They are all recogniseable characters. It’s something in the soul of Irish people. It’s something that when you come and see the play, you’ll say you know these people.”

An active member of the theatre scene in Clare since moving to Ballyvaughan from Dublin 10 years ago, Theresa also studied science at Trinity College Dublin.

The mother of four has performed with the Burren Players and has helped guide Clare’s young actors and writers through her involvement with Clare Youth Theatre.

Last December, Theresa co-directed with Mairéad Ní Chonduin Canadh le Cheile, a project that saw 400 children from five schools in County Clare perform two unique concerts with original music and script.

Theresa said, “I think Clare is a real ‘can do’ county. If you can contribute someway then you can con- tribute. People are really happy to let you do that.”

Truman Theatre’s production of ‘Sunday Morning Coming Down’ comes to Glór on this Saturday, June 11.

Meanwhile another Clare actress Aoife McMahon, from Knocknamanna in Clarecastle, has landed the female lead in The Abbey’s forthcoming production of Brian Friel’s ‘Translations’.

The play, set in an Irish Hedge School in the early 19th century, begins on the famed Abbey Theatre stage on Thursday, June 23, with Aoife playing the part of Maire. Aoife (37) and a RADA graduate, previously starred in the TV series Random Passage .

NORTH Clare residents have been asked to be on the lookout for a 32year-old man who is believed to be hiding out in the Burren.

The man, who was last seen by the Doolin Unit of the Irish Coastguard in the Carron area in the early hours of yesterday (Monday) morning, is understood to be a survival expert, capable of surviving for weeks or even months alone in the wild. The Clare People understands that the man, who has been identified by gardaí as South Galway native James Geraghty, has been hiding out during daylight hours and moving around in search of food at night.

The man is not considered dangerous and is not wanted in relation to any crime, with gardaí treating the incident as a missing persons case and not a manhunt.

He was last spotted by a member of the Doolin Coastguard at 1.30am yesterday morning, close to Carron in North Clare. A number of other coastguard members arrived at the scene shortly after but could find no trace of the man.

James is described as being 5’ 9” in height, with short brown hair and blue eyes. When last seen, he was wearing a grey coat, woolly cap, black pants and black runners and was carrying a black knapsack.

A person matching that description was also spotted in the area around Mullaghmore in Corofin on Sunday and at Ballinderreen, just north of Kinvara, on Friday evening last.

A massive search involving the Doolin Coastguard Unit, local gardaí and members of the Galway Mountain Rescue took place on a large area of mountainous land between Slieve Carran and Abbey Hill on Saturday.

The search, which also utilised members of the SARDA Search Dog team and the Shannon Coastguard Rescue Helicopter was stood down on Saturday evening when no trace of the man was discovered.

“It was a very big operation involving 14 members of the coastguard, four volunteers from Galway Mountain Rescue as well as a number of guards,” said Matty Shannon of the Doolin Unit of the Irish Coastguard.

“We understand that the man is walking by night and hiding out during the day, which makes him difficult to track down. We went to Carron last night (Monday) with only three cars so as not to scare him off but he must have seen the lights from the cars.”

Anyone who may have seen James in recent days, or who has any information on his disappearance, should contact the Gardaí at Oranmore on 091 388030.

A KILDYSART couple, who provide round-the-clock care for their terminally ill son, say they will have to do the unthinkable and sign the six-year-old into the care of the State if there are any further cuts in the carers allowance or services provided by the HSE.

Bridget and Eugene Lorrigan have been providing round the clock care for six-year-old Jason who suffers from a number of serious mental and physical disabilities – the cause of which have never been diagnosed.

UNEMPLOYED males in the Newmarket-on-Fergus area are invited to take part in a focus group for a local community needs assessment.

Community group Obair is carrying out a community needs assessment, with a view to putting together a range of events for locals. The aim is that those who are struggling with any aspect of their lives will be helped out. It is also envisaged that the findings will play a key role in shaping the future of the village.

Obair is inviting residents in the village and surrounding areas to take part in the survey, particularly unemployed men.

Co-ordinator Kirsty Horner has been working on the project for the past few months and is hoping to have all the information gathered over the coming months. A public meeting will then be held and locals will be encouraged to attend this and present their ideas for the future of the village.

Focus groups have been carried out involving single parents and those representing people with disabilities and their findings will be made available at a later stage.

“We still require unemployed males, within Newmarket-on-Fergus, to come forward and be part of a focus group for the community needs assessment. It is important that we have their input so that it is a balanced piece of research.

“Their point of view matters, and is important in moving the needs of the community of Newmarket-on-Fergus forward. It will allow us to iden- tify the issues faced by unemployed males in Newmarket-on-Fergus,” said Ms Horner.

“We are targeting specific groups, for example one-parent families, people with disabilities, unemployed males and the elderly. The aim is to create a profile of Newmarket and find out what the needs are in the village and what is here already. . . what needs to be improved and what needs to be added,” she said.

“We will form a social inclusion committee, where people who have never been on a committee before will be involved,” she said.

“It is important that people get involved. It’s a chance for them to have their say,” she said.

Anyone wishing to get involved in the project should phone Kirsty in Obair on 061 368030.

A MILESTONE will be marked in West Clare later this month when Baltard National School celebrates its 100th anniversary.

On June 24, locals in Baltard, Doonbeg, will gather at the school for a Mass to mark the occasion. It will be followed by what promises to be a memorable evening of nostalgia. Old roll books will be wheeled out, while photographic exhibitions will also form a central part of the celebrations.

Past pupils, parishioners and all those who have been associated with the school over the years have been invited to the event.

Over the years, the school has been refurbished and in recent times, new technology has been added including interactive projectors and computer systems.

A booklet is being compiled for the occasion and anyone associated with the school over the years is invited to contribute to this.

The school has reduced in size over the years. When it first opened, there were up to 100 students. There are just nine students enrolled at the moment. The event will be hosted by the school’s board of management. Chairman Michael Haugh said, “In more recent years we have been struggling to keep going. We lost some young people moving on to other parishes.

“We have to try to increase the numbers. The catchment area is not big. We are depending on people to come in from outside. It has been a problem to keep the school going and to promote it,” he added.

“Nobody wants to see the school closing. It is a focal point. It is like a junction in a city there is so much traffic passing,” he added.

Anyone wishing to contribute should contact the school.

COUNTY Clare’s spiritual heritage walks through the eyes of modern ecumenical Christians will take place during the coming weeks. Clare Christian Heritage walks, Ar bóthar na Naomh, has, in the past, attracted both local residents and people from further afield, including Northern Ireland and England.

The walks have a historical, archaeological and spiritual input, some of which is provided by expert guides and some developed through the skills of those who participate.

The organiser is Dr Rosemary Power, a historical and folklorist, who is also a local minister working on behalf of the Methodist Church.

The first walk will take in some of the most scenic parts of East Clare; Inis Cealtra, Holy Island on Lough Derg, on June 11. A White Sunday walk, entitled, ‘Walking the Shannon’, will take place the following day.

Walkers will move to the Burren on June 18 and 19. They will take in the stretch from Noughval to Kilfenora on June 18 and further parts of the Burren will be visited the following day. Both walks will end with an informal service in Saint Fachnan’s Medieval Cathedral Church.

On July 9 and 10, walks will take place in West Clare – Scattery Island and Loop Head. Both will close with celebrations in Kilkee Methodist Church. On July 30 and August 1, walkers will move to the Corofin and Parkanbinna areas.

Similar walks have taken place over the past two years and have attracted a wide range of age categories,from very young people to more mature adults. “This is our third year. We have always covered different parts of the countryside,” she said.

“It has been very, very positive,” she added. “I think sometimes that religion helps people to focus on what is valuable in life. People have lost the sense of belonging to the land and are hoping to get that connection back.

“There is a very positive sense of the strength of the spiritual in our lives and to explore our relationship with what is around us.”

According to Ms Power, the aim is to keep the pace of the walks relatively easy. Prayers will be said along the route, while singing will also form part of the events.

There will be regular breaks along the route and Dr Power will present talks on the historical importance of some of the places of interest along the way.

“The focus will be on both religion in the wider spiritual sense and the valuing of the religious of the past and exploring the spiritual in our lives today,” she said.

“It is ecumenical – open to people of any Christian tradition,” she said.

Anyone looking for further information on the various walks should contact Dr Power on 087 9888 508.

TEACHERS and parents along with students past and present gathered on Sunday to celebrate the official opening of the recently renovated 16-classroom Barefield National School.

Completed last year, work on the latest extension at the school included the construction of eight new classrooms, six special education teaching rooms, a general purpose/sports hall and multi-purpose rooms, stores, offices, toilets, boiler room, separate external store and a new roadside drop-off zone, as well as a new sewage system.

Work on an initial eight-classroom school was completed in 1997 with previous developments taking place at the site in the 1950, 1993, 1995 and 1996. The school has been a part of community life in Barefield for 115 years. Sunday’s ceremony was attended by staff, members of the board of management, parents association, local priest Fr Jerry Carey and local politicians.

Ronan Connolly, chairman of the board of management, said, “We are justifiably proud of having played our part as the Executive of the school who saw this project through to fruition and I thank all my fellow Board members for their countless hours of unselfish and voluntary dedication in achieving this outcome. We only could do so, however, as a result of the huge level of support and guidance we received from all of the relevant stakeholders who have vested their time and energies in this project.”

Mr Connolly also paid tribute to the work of principal John Burns and said that the school building project “exhibits very clearly all the wonderful attributes of the Irish meitheal concept and the force which a volountary community of parties working together can generate”.

He continued, “We were fortunate indeed to receive the necessary Government funding to allow this very positive development to proceed at a time when our country is sadly blighted with so much financial pain and negativity and the new school represents a wonderful beacon of hope for the future”. Michael Butler, chairperson of the parent’s association, said, “As parents of the children who attend Barefield National School, we know how fortunate we are to have such a dedicated team of people who look after our children’s education and development on a daily basis. Up to now, the conditions were not as we would have liked them to be. Now, however, with the opening of the new school, we can be truly proud of what is a first-class and future-proofed environment in which they will receive their education.” John Burns, principal, said that a striking feature of life at Barefield National School has been the “continuing generosity displayed by parents over the decades in supporting a range of activities at our school”. He said, “Barefield National School is a focal point for our community, educating generations of girls and boys since 1895. Our school’s close link with our community has always been an important feature of our growth and development over the years.”

FORMER pupils of Barefield National School fondly recalled their schooldays as the school marked its latest milestone on Sunday.

Sr Kitty Baker attended the school between 1925 and 1932. Her thoughts are contained in a memorial booklet produced by the school to mark the official opening of a new school extension. Sr Baker recalled walking five miles to school often through fields and bogs.

She said, “We had nice teachers, Master O’Riordan and Mrs O’Driscoll. The Master was a very good singer and he taught the choir. Mrs. O’Driscoll taught us sewing and knitting which I loved. I was not too good at the Irish but I was good at arithmetic and the teacher often gave me a pencil or a rubber as a reward. My sister Nelly was the best in her class.”

Sean Howard, who attended the school in the 1930s, explained his family’s long connection with the school. Sean, whose grandchildren now attend the school stated, “Barefield school has always been very near and dear to me and my family. My grandfather, John Howard, was the headmaster in Barefield National School from circa 1864 to 1907. In the early years, the school was located in the grounds where the church now stands and in later years (1895) the ‘new school’ was built in Drum- quin.”

John Butler lived in a cottage in Ballymaley with his father, mother and brother, Michael. He was a pupil at Barefield National School in the 1960s.

“Back then, rural electrification had not arrived in Barefield so we did not have electricity or running water, just candles and oil lamps and we carried water from a spring well for drinking and cooking and took water from a barrel off the roof for washing etc”, he recalled.

Bríd Baker was a student at the school from 1983 to 1991. “The highlight of the year had to be our sports evening. We paraded from the school behind the marching band up to the small sports field where all the events took place. A boys and girls relay team were picked from this to represent the school in the parish sports competing against Doora National School and Knockanean National School,” she recalled.