Category: News

FR MARTIN Keane from Cranny takes a close interest in everything that goes on in his Kenyan parish but the organisers of a special fundraiser for the Building of Hope are a tad relieved that the latest project there does not directly involve him. “I’m not sure how appropriate it would be to hold a Vicars and Tarts night for a project Fr Martin is closely involved with,” said Cree volunteer, Marion O’Malley.

When Gerry O’Malley came back from the last Building of Hope project in Kenya, his wife Marion and their friends didn’t expect that he would be so moved by the plight of children he saw at another school there.

“People would ask him how he got on, probably expecting him to say ‘grand’ but instead it would become an hour-long conversation. I’ve never seen him so affected by anything.” said Marion.

After returning from Kenya and seeing conditions in the nearby School for the Blind and Visually Impaired in Migombani, Gerry from Cree and two other volunteers, Michael Lillis, also from Cree, and Michael Haugh from Doonbeg had all become firm friends. The three were determined to go back and make life better for the blind children. They teamed up with Gerry’s friend, Paul Rees from Kilnaboy and pal Tina Fitzgerald from Ennis involved and the gang of six decided they would club together in their efforts at fundraising to reach the ambitious target of € 18,000 between them and so began a series of Thursday night planning meetings.

Their first fundraiser was a golf clasic held in Ennis Golf Course on May 14, and a night of fantastic music and dance was held with the Kilfenora Ceili Band and friends at the weekend in the Auburn Lodge. Both events were a great success.

“We’de really like to thank everyone who helped or supported us. It was a great night and people were so generous,” Marion said.

But the push dosn’t stop there and now the six amigos are planning two golf Four-Ball outings, one in Spanish Point and one in Kilrush, on June 18 and July 16 respectively. And going from sport to having great sport, they are also planning a Vicars and Tarts night in the Claremont Disco in Lahinch on July 29.

“Tina’s husband, Ger Fitzgerald, is giving us the disco and there will be music in the front bar as well on the night. We asked all the younger crew what sort of theme we could have for the night to make it a bit of fun. We got a lot of suggestions like a beach party, then one of the young ones suggested Vicars and Tarts and everyone thought it would be great fun.”

Willow in Ennis have kindly sponsored a Guess designer handbag for the tartiest tart and Ennis Fuji Center are sponsoring a digital camera for the vicar with the shiniest halo.

Tickets for the disco and registration for the Four Ball are available from McCarthy’s Garage, Miltown, from Marion at 086 2600844, Tina at 085 7645910, or by contacting any of the volunteers. Fu n d r a is in g e v e n t s gu id e

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.

A WEEK after the Queen’s historic state visit to Ireland, a city bearing the Royal Charter has emerged as the biggest obstacle to the € 30m windfall that would come to Ennis if it plays host to Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in 2012. The Clare People has learned that moves are being made within elements of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann to bring the traditional music festival to Northern Ireland for the first time in its history, with Derry emerging as a possible venue to play host to the 2013 Fleadh.

Sources within Comhaltas Ceoiltóirí Éireann have told The Clare People that any decision to bring the Fleadh to Derry in 2013 when it will be UK City of Culture could scupper Ennis’ 2012 bid.

“If it goes to Derry, the chances of it coming to Clare in 2012 will recede,” one Comhaltas insider revcaled this week.

“This is because the usual thing is for a town to get the Fleadh two years in a row, but giving it to Derry will strengthen Cavan’s bid to be given the Fleadh for a third year in 2012 before they would then hand over to Derry the following year.”

The precedent for Cavan to be given the Fleadh three years in succession is there as Tullamore hosted the festival in 2007, ‘08 and ’09, but Ennis is still seen as favourite to host what would be the 62nd staging of the event.

“Ennis put in a great bid,” the Comhaltas member revealed. “And it’s between Ennis and Sligo, unless this Derry thing takes off and happens, which is now a real possibility. But Comhaltas could be split on the issue. There are elements who want to bring the Fleadh to the north and the good- will of the Queen of England’s visit to Ireland in last week could strengthen that view, with traditional music seen as another bridge between Ireland and Britain.

“However, there are elements of Comhaltas Ceoiltóirí Éireann in the north who don’t what the festival in Derry in 2013, principally because it’s the British City of Culture and principally because the Fleadh is an Irish festival,” the spokesperson added.

The Ennis bid to host the 2012 Fleadh, which would be worth an estimated € 30m to the county, was launched in April when the local committee that draws together the local branch of Clare Comhaltas, Clare County Council, Clare GAA, Ennis Town Council and Shannon Development met with Comhaltas Ceoiltóirí Éireann chiefs.

The Clare submission identified 25 venues in Ennis that would facilitate the 2012 event that would cater for up to 200,000 music lovers from across the world, with new Clare County Council headquarters on New Road designated as the hub of operations.

Ennis previously hosted Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann in 1956 and 1977.

THE founder of a local charity shop has started a new project aimed at giving disadvantaged children a chance to play music. Mary Moroney of the Somalia Shop is looking for donations of musical instruments.

Founded by Mary in 1992, the shop, which trades in second-hand goods, supports local and international aid organisations, including Clare Haven House, the Clare branch of Alzheimer’s Ireland, and others. Mary explained that while money has been raised for charities operating in Africa and Eastern Europe, the shop has also been strongly supportive of local causes and groups.

She said, “With the recession hitting hard down here, we are committed to helping our local causes. In fact, we’re trying to bring some joy to under-priviliged children by collecting and donating musical instruments. We hope to continue with this project for some time.”

Mary added that the shop are always looking for donations. She said that there are also plans to hold an auction at the shop in the coming weeks.

For more details on the music project or any of the work done by the Somalia Shop, contact Mary at 065 6824882.

RUAN musician Tara Breen is living the dream she never had – within the space of five days, she’s showcased her considerable talents as one of the hottest prodigies in traditional Irish music before two of the most recognisable figures in the world.

On Thursday, the 21-year-old played before the Queen of England in Dublin Castle, while on Monday she moved down the road to College Green to play for US President Barack Obama.

“I can’t believe it really,” she told The Clare People on Monday. “To get the opportunity to play before one of them was great, but to be one of the few people for both the Queen and President Obama is unbelievable.

“I feel very privileged to have been given the chance. To be honest, I’m still in shock over it and it probably won’t sink in for a couple of weeks that I got the chance to play for them. It’s certainly a great memory to have,” she added.

The invitation to perform before Queen Elizabeth came from legendary traditional and folk musician Dónal Lunny, whose 2010 TG4 talent show called Lorg Lunny first exposed Ms Breen’s talents to a nationwide audience.

The programme led to the formation of the Ciorrus, a traditional group that also includes Clareman Dermot Sheedy that launched its debut album at last year’s Ennis Trad Festival.

“We got the call for the Obama gig,” Breen told The Clare People . “We were just told to be there at 3.30pm to play on College Green at 5pm. Coming so soon after playing for the Queen, it’s great.

“It was absolutely brilliant to play before the Queen. I don’t usually get nervous before playing a gig, but was petrified beforehand. Once we started, the nerves went and I really enjoyed the performance. Afterwards we got to meet her and I found her very ordinary. We were introduced to her and shook her hand. She had the banter with us and said she loved the music and the dancers,” she added.