Category: News

WITH the county struggling to survive this recession a Clare businessman has come up with a novel idea to boost tourism while generating jobs and investment for the region: why not build a casino in Shannon?

Emelyn Heapes claims that a casino in the county could bring untold millions in investment, jobs and tourism to Clare.

“I can think of no better place for Europe’s biggest gambling casino than the Shannon Duty Free Zone. It’s not like we are stuck for space and from a tourist perspective, geographically, it’s in the best location in the world and right alongside an international airport.”

Controversial businessman Mr Heapes told The Clare People that the casino, properly run and legislated for, would attract millions of gamblers and tourists alike into the Shannon Region.

He added that the airport management would be creating a destination that will attract every airline operator to fly into Shannon Airport because they will now have a demand and good reason to come here.

“It will probably fill every hotel room within a fifty mile radius of the place. It will allow every other tourism provider to generate packages to get the ‘gambler’ away from the tables and while here, take in some of the best tourist attractions in the country and it will generate million of euros in tax revenue for the Government, and most importantly, sustainable jobs.”

Clare TD and Fianna Fail spokeman on Tourism Timmy Dooley didn’t dismiss the idea, telling The Clare People :

“While I’d like to hear more about it, any concrete proposal that generates jobs and investment in Clare right now should at the very least be looked at.”

A GARDA campaign which is focused on preventing burglaries and thefts will get underway later this week. Thefts from cars in the tourist areas of Lahinch, Miltown Malbay, Spanish Point and Bunratty generally rise during the summer months and gardaí are advising car owners not to leave valuables in their vehicles.

The campaign gets underway on Wednesday and will continue until the bank holiday weekend. The aim is to engage with and raise awareness within communities of initiatives aimed at preventing crime. It is also geared towards promoting road safety during the summer months.

According to the Crime Prevention Officer in the Clare Garda Division, Sergeant Joe Downey, the primary focus will be on “burglaries, thefts from vehicles, theft of farm machinery, theft of pedal cycles and road safety”.

“Twenty-seven per cent of all burglaries occur through the front door. Thirty-two per cent of burglars enter your home through an unsecured door or window. 23.5 per cent of all burglaries take place between 12pm and 4pm. Thursdays and Fridays are the most likely days on which to be burgled,” said Sgt Downey.

Gardaí are making specific recommendations in relation to preventing burglaries. “Lock all your doors and windows, especially when the house is vacant. Never leave a window open for ventilation when the house is vacant. Use your alarm if you have one, no matter how short the period of absence,” advised Sgt Downey.

“Lock and secure all garages and sheds and secure away any property that could assist a burglar to commit crime,” he added.

He said that almost half of the re- ported thefts from cars last year took place between 12 noon and 9pm. Saturday was the most common day for this type of crime.

“Cash was taken in 27 per cent of incidents, mobile phones accounted for 15 per cent, handbags 14 per cent and sat. Navs. 13 per cent. There has been a 12 per cent increase in laptops stolen and an eight per cent increase in mobile phones stolen,” said Sgt Downey.

“Never leave valuables in the car or visible from the outside. Never leave property under the seat. Avoid parking in isolated areas and use well lit areas during the hours of darkness,” he added.

Gardaí are also advising farmers to take care of their machinery, as statistics show that more than 1,300 items of farm equipment have been stolen during the past year across the country. “Consider installing a CCTV system and an intruder alarm and consider joining a community alert group,” said Sgt Downey.

In relation to road safety, gardaí say that inappropriate speed is the single biggest factor in fatal and serious injury accidents and are advising drivers to slow down and avoid using mobile phones while driving.

WEST CLARE could be about to get another wind energy project worth millions of euro in the development stage as a new application to construct a windfarm at Shanovogh near Miltown Malbay has been lodged with Clare County Council planners.

McMahon Finn Wind Acquisitions Ltd are planning to build the windfarm on a site that’s two miles away from West Clare Renewable Energy project on Mount Callan, the green light for which was given by Clare County Council last August.

The application lodged with Clare County Council last Friday is for a windfarm comprising of six turbines with a height of 85 metres and was submitted to local authority planners by Cian Ó Laoithe Architects.

Last year, Clare County Council invalidated plans submitted by McMahon Wind Ltd for a 12-turbine wind farm on the same site, while a decision date on the new planning application is due in mid-July.

The latest application for a windfarm development in the county falls within the guidelines of the Clare County Council wind energy strategy that has set a working target of 550 MW of wind energy to harnessed in the county by 2020.

Between 2000 and 2010, 22 applications for wind farms were lodged with Clare County Council, with one of the first projects to be given the green light being in 2002 when the ESB were granted permission for a nine-turbine € 20 million renewable energy farm at Moneypoint.

Most recently, last December An Bord Pleanala has rejected an appeal by An Taisce against a Clare County Council decision to allow Hibernian Windpower to construct a wind farm incorporating 11 turbines of approximately 2500kW capacity each, at Boolynageragh, Lissycasey.

The development site, which is three kilometres north of Lissycasey, will have a total rated electrical output of 27.5MW. The capital cost of the project is up to € 50m, while the Mount Callan windfarm that’s set to be the largest community-owned windfarm development in Ireland is a € 200m project that aims to create 300 jobs during the construction phase.

It has been claimed that renewable energy area in Clare has the capacity to create 10,000 jobs in the county from now until 2020.

INFLATION is a word no-one wants to hear anymore but, for one Clare man, it’s a word that is music to his ears. At the weekend, Boris Hunka from Killaloe held the first concert ever to be put on in Ireland in an inflatable theatre.

Ireland’s first fully inflatable arts venue – the Pop-up Playhouse – was launched in Killaloe with performances by Juliet Turner and John Spillane as well as Size 2 Shoes, who were joined by soul six-piece Hunka Burning Love, fresh from their performance at the Europa League Final and the Killaloe Ballina Gospel Choir.

Musician and teacher Boris started looking into how a venue could be provided for the town without quite knowing what he was looking for, he told The Clare People .

“We (the music school) put on a lot of our own performances and that was the initial impetus. There really was no venue in Killaloe where you could stage a big performance. I started looking into how we could have one and it was one of those things on the net when you find what you’re looking for before you even know what it is you’re looking for,” said Boris.

Boris came across a company in China who specialised in making inflatable structures and he started cor- responding with them to see if they could provide something that would meet the requirements of a theatre.

“We were going back and forth for a long time but, eventually, they came up with a plan for what we wanted and it went from there,” he said.

The Playhouse takes the concept of the Spiegeltent – a mobile, stylish, portable venue – into the 21st century.

It takes the best part of a day to prepare the floor and lay it out flat on the ground but, once that is done, it takes just one hour to inflate and it can accommodate up to 500 people if all three sections are used.

“It’s also a structure which only requires financing when it’s actually being used. When it’s being stored on the back of a truck, it’s not using electricity or costing rates,” said Boris.

Leader funding helped pay for the structure, which cost less than € 60,000, as it will be used to provide rural communities with performances of music and theatre.

It is 15m wide, 27m long, 5m high, constructed out of .65mm fireproof PVC with an internal wall dimension of 1m – and can be assembled on any flat surface.

“On the outside, the structure looks part sci-fi, part inverted bouncy castle whilst on the inside it is an otherworldly feel with wooden flooring, velvet curtains, sound system, stage lights, vintage jukebox, inflatable sofas and an illuminated bar. The structure is also equipped with a fullsize cinema screen and a silent disco set-up,” said Boris.

Boris plans for the theatre to be inflated and running in Killaloe for the whole month of July while it will be also be visiting Lahinch, Kilkee and other venues over the summer.

The structure can also be used in smaller modules of one or two sections.

“I know this is the only one of its kind in Ireland and the Chinese manufacturers admitted they had never made one on this scale before. But now we have a theatre that can bring performances to small communities anywhere.”

THE SEAT vacated by newly-elected Senator Tony Mulcahy on Clare County Council is likely to be contested by two candidates.

Town Councillor Seán McLoughlin and Bunratty teacher Marinella Raftery are expected to go head to head in a contest for the Fine Gael seat in the Shannon electoral area.

A decision on who will take the seat will be made when the Shannon District of the Fine Gael party meets on June 2.

The Shannon branch has selected Seán McLoughlin, a cab driver, while the members of the other sections of the Shannon area – Sixmilebridge, Cratloe, Newmarket-on-Fergus and Bunratty – will also cast their votes on that date.

Sources within the party have told The Clare People that Ms Raftery is likely to contest the seat. She narrowly missed out on a seat on Clare County Council when she polled an impressive 766 first preferences in 2009.

She comes from a family with strong political roots.

A lot will be decided on how the party members from the Sixmilebridge area vote.

There are almost 90 party members in the Shannon electoral area; more than 40 of which are in the Sixmilebridge area.

Meanwhile, the Shannon branch of Fine Gael has selected Vincent Coleman to take Tony Mulcahy’s seat on Shannon Town Council. 33-year-old Mr Coleman, who works in Servisair in Shannon, has been the branch chairman for the past year and has been strongly involved in the party in recent years. His selection will be rubber-stamped on May 26.

Secretary of the Shannon branch, Cliona Curley, said Mr Coleman is the best candidate for the vacant position on the town council.

“He is the only one going for that. Vinny (Vincent) has put a lot of time into the party and we feel he is the best person for the job,” said Ms Curley.

STUDENTS from Ennis National School are taking part in a major new study aimed at addressing dyslexia.

Pupils from the school’s reading class are taking part in a research project for 10 to 12-year-olds at the Institute of Neuroscience at Trinity College, Dublin. The DEFT study there believes that difficulties in the brain’s executive function system are at the core of dyslexia, and aims to address this through a computer-based brain-training programme.

So far students from the reading class, which caters for children of average or above average intelligence who have difficulties with dyslexia, have travelled to Trinity College to become part of the project.

At the initial visit, they completed pen-and-paper tasks, and computer tasks, while the electrical activity in their brains was measured using an EEG. They will then return to Trinity College and any changes in brain activity and task performance will be noted. The researchers are predicting an “unprecedented level of broadspectrum improvements” as a result of this novel brain function training.

Students have been tackling braintraining programmes, studying for half an hour a day, for eight weeks. The training is aimed at the section of the brain that is linked to difficulties to dyslexia.

Teacher Fiona de Buitleir explained that the college hopes that the research will lead to the development of software to help those struggling with dyslexia. She said students have enjoyed participating in the project. “It’s great for their morale and self-esteem. They get to go to Dublin to do this im- portant job!” she added.

THE THEFT of a boat engine, valued at € 15,000, in Mountshannon has prompted gardaí to plead with boat owners to protect their properties.

An engine was stolen from a boat at the pier in Mountshannon harbour last Monday. The boat was found floating without its engine about a mile from the harbour. The engine was just two years old and was worth around € 15,000.

Gardaí are urging boat owners to be vigilant and ensure they take precautions to protect their properties.

Crime Prevention Officer in the Clare Garda Division, Sergeant Joe Downey said that valuable properties should be well protected.

While the theft of boats is not a common occurence, he said that thefts of engines have become prevalent in Clare in recent years.

“We seem to have had a huge increase in thefts (of engines) in East Clare, on Loug Derg and Mountshannon. A lot have been stolen in those areas,” said Sgt Downey.

“In the past, we intercepted people who were stealing them to export them and sell them. The advice is if you are leaving your boat for a week, take the engine off.

“When they are of high value, put in a tracking device and then when stolen they can be tracked. A tracking device is hidden in the engine and if it is stolen, the device is activated and it can be located,” said Sgt Downey.

Tracking devices cost in the region of € 1,000 and ideally should only be used on valuable properties.

Meanwhile, gardaí in West Clare are investigating damage caused to a car at the weekend.

A substance, believed to be acid, was thrown on a car parked at Cappa Drive in Kilrush between 2am and 7am last Wednesday.

Also in Kilrush, the library on O’Gorman Street was targeted by vandals overnight on Thursday. A back window was broken on the premises, but nothing was stolen.

AN association with one of the stars of world rugby has helped transform a small Shannon company into a major player in the sports and nutrition market, a meeting has heard.

Founded in 2007, ABC Nutrition manufactures sports and health nutrition products for domestic and international markets.

The company sells a wide range of products, including muscle gain supplements, which are developed from dairy proteins.

Last year, the company was a winner at the national enterprise awards and in 2009 claimed the Bord Bia small business award. Ten people are employed at ABC, which recorded a 50 per cent increase in sales in 2010.

The company’s rise at a time of economic uncertainty was described by co-founder Willie Wixtead at a public meeting in Ennis on Thursday.

Organised by the Clare branch of Network Ireland, the event placed the spotlight on Clare companies who had set up and prospered in what branch president Alice Carroll called “the teeth of the recession”.

A native of Broadford, Mr Wixtead said the company is currently exporting to 12 countries. Spain, Ireland and the United Kingdom are among ABC’s biggest markets while further business opportunities are emerging in Eastern Europe, he said.

Mr Wixtead, who earned his qualifications in food technology at the University of Limerick, said that exports account for around 85 per cent of the company’s total sales. He described sports and health nutrition as a “buoyant market” and said the company’s success was linked to Ireland’s reputation as one of the world’s premium producers of dairy products.

Rocky Elsom, captain of the Australian rugby team, is one of ABC’s most well-known customers while the company also manufactures products for GAA players and professional boxers. Mr Wixtead said, “We’ve been able to deal with people at a high level which has been good for the company”.

Recalling his own company’s difficulties during it’s first year of operation, Mr Wixtead, who played hurling for Broadford, urged budding entrepreneurs not to be disheartened by early setbacks. He said a strong online presence; the netting of a high profile customer and the assistance of state agencies are key factors in creating a successful business.

He added that ABC’s success in winning industry awards was “important not for the glory but for presenting the company to the world.”

MORE than 100,000 ex-pats and people with Irish roots living in the US will be getting an invitation to come to Clare and be part of the reunion of the Dalcassian clans.

Clare Tourist Council will be travelling to the biggest Irish festival in the States in August to promote the county and travelling with them to Milwaukee will be members of the Brian Boru 2014 committee.

They will take a stand at the event which attracts the largest number of people with Irish connections of any Irish festival.

As part of the promotion of the Banner, the 2014 committee will be extending an invite to the celebrations planned for Killaloe and Lough Derg to all descendants of the Dalcassians.

Sir Conor O’Brien, chief of the Dalcassians, has agreed to be president of the commemorative event and it was he who suggested extending an invitation not just to the High King’s descendants but to all the Dalcassians, said 2014 committee chairman, John O’Shea.

“We’re absolutely delighted to have been invited by the Clare Tourist Council to travel with them. We had planned to go next year but this means we can start promoting the event and give potential visitors from the US two years to plan their trip. This is the Irish festival that all other festivals look to and we will be making the most of the opportunity to let people know about the Brian Boru celebrations,” John told The Clare People .

Confirmed as patrons of the 2014 festival are Rugby hero, Keith Wood and comedy giant, Brendan Grace, both residents of Killaloe

The prestigious Milwaukee festival is a hugely important event for tourism interests hoping to attract lucrative US business to Ireland.

“We are planning to make a second trip next year and we’re hoping to bring some geneologists over with us, just to give people a taste of what they might find,” said John.

Plans are well advanced for what looks set to be one of the most spectacular festivals the Banner county has seen.

It will open with a ‘march of the warriors’ from Killaloe to Clontarf and talks are in train for Killaloe to become the honorary capital of the country for the duration.

The committee are also negotiating with Skyfest to have the spectacular show on Lough Derg for that year and there is huge fun a pageantry planned to mark the 1,000th anniversary of Brian Boru’s passing.

AN ENNIS man who has played an active role in youth services in Clare for over 10 years has been elected to the board of Youth Work Ireland.

Glen Guilfoyle became involved with Clare Youth Service (CYS) as a young child participating initially in the Summer Camps Programme before joining his local youth club as a teenager. He was an active member of the Cloughleigh Youth Club where he excelled in debating.

He participated in national and international youth exchanges and represented the youth service at a number of international conferences. As a teenager, Glen was active as a senior member ( junior leader) in the youth club and volunteered with the youth cafe ‘Elmo’s Attic’ and the Summer Camps Programme for several years.

At 18, Glen became an adult volunteer with the Cloughleigh Youth Club and the HUB Cafe, which is an alcohol- and drug-free project for over18s. He remained an active volunteer throughout his years at college where he studied economics, sociology and politics.

He worked as the Welfare Officer in NUI, Galway Students’ Union from 2002 to 2003 before serving as the Welfare Officer for the Union of Students in Ireland from 2003 to 2004. Here he was responsible for representing and lobbying on behalf of third-level students as well as coordinating campaigns across 50 colleges.

He joined the staff of Clare Youth Service in 2005 where he worked primarily in Club Development and as an outreach worker on a number of projects targeting ‘hard to reach’ and ‘at risk’ young people. He has worked on both rural and urbanbased projects as well as in the area of volunteer support and training.

He left CYS late in 2010 and is currently working in a community-based youth project in Limerick City.

The board of Clare Youth Service proposed Glen for the YWI board. Margaret Slattery, CEO said, “Glen is a strong candidate and will be a real asset for the board of Youth Work Ireland. His wide experience of the realities of volunteering and working in the sector combined with his education and prior work experience make him an ideal candidate.”

As a co-ordinating and development agency for youth services throughout the country, Youth Work Ireland has, since 1962, sought to give voice to the needs and aspirations of young people, to support and encourage trained volunteers and staff and ultimately, to improve the quality of life for young people in the context of community based youth services.