Category: News

ENNIS is set to reap a major economic benefit from the All-Ireland and International Irish Dancing Championships, which continue in the town this week.

Figures from organisers of An Comhdail show that in 2009, when the competition was last staged in Ennis, the benefit to the local economy was € 5.2 million.

The figure is based on the total level of direct and indirect expenditure that takes place in Ennis and the wider Shannon region during the duration of the event.

The championships, which run in the West County Hotel until Saturday, have also brought about a welcome boost to the hotel industry, organisers say. The total number of bed nights increased steadily between 2007 and 2009, with 12,123 bed nights being recorded when the championships came to Ennis two years ago.

The championship sees the highest standard of solo and team dancing for ages 10 up to senior level. It is an annual event, which runs every year during Holy Week.

Almost 3,000 solo competitors from all over Ireland, England, Scotland, the USA and Slovakia are expected to take part in the championships. Approximately 8,000 to 10,000 friends, relations, teachers and other Irish dancing enthusiasts will support the competitors during the weeklong event. The level of participation in the event has risen over the past number of years.

According to organisers, the economic benefit that the dancing cham- pionships will bring to Ennis and the Shannon region is enormous, with hotels, restaurants, retail outlets, travel agencies, transport companies and other leisure facilities all benefiting from the huge influx of visitors.

The region won the contract ahead of stiff competition from many other Irish regions, Northern Ireland, Scotland and England.

Events, conference and banqueting coordinator at the West County Hotel, Deborah Coughlan explained, “It is great to see the event coming to Ennis. The fact that the motorway is open and that you have the airport (Shannon) so close by was a really big thing. The airport was key.”

Ms Coughlan added, “It has had a very positive impact. I came through the town on Saturday and it was alive and buzzing.”

THINK of tourism in Clare and for many there’s that default setting which doesn’t allow them look much beyond flagship products like the Cliffs of Moher and Bunratty Castle, or the rugged beauty of the Burren or spots along the west coast of Clare from Loophead to Blackhead. But there’s much more – call them hidden tourism/heritage treasures in the eastern part of the county. Hidden because for many outside the east Clare catchment, places like Holy Island, Mountshannon and Killaloe go unnoticed and, to a large extent, untapped.

Maybe it’s precisely because of the fact that the tourism/heritage sector in East Clare doesn’t garner as much publicity as other parts of the county that the Clare VEC saw an opening and opportunity.

“There would be courses done on tourism around the county,” says course co-ordinator Rita McCarthy. “In West Clare and in Ennis, but this one was more specifically related to heritage. It was an introduction to heritage in the area – an introduction to the whole idea of eco-tourism and tourism. In East Clare, there is a lot of interest in the whole eco-tourism side of things. It was to try and work in with that and see where employment opportunities might be in the future. It was important to bring the course to the people.

“If you are unemployed and if you are on unemployment benefit, having to travel into a place like Ennis is very difficult. Travelling costs of € 30 or € 40 is a substantial amount of money. It’s to make it as easy as possible for people,” she says of the VEC Outreach programme.

The pilot project is now nearing its conclusion, with McCarthy attributing its success to the diversity in the participants – the different qualities they brought to the course as indi- viduals working towards their own individual goals, while always working in a team environment.

“The thing about a diverse group is that you get a good social mix,” she says. “You get people who wouldn’t normally meet each other. It brings together knowledge, talent, ability and all sorts of different things. There is the whole thing of networking and getting to know one another. When you go into local areas, you get more dispersed groups and you will get diversity.

“We were looking at this course in the hope that the results would see progression. We wouldn’t have seen it as a course that was going to start and finish. The plan was always to put on another course out there to take it to the next step.

“We tried to focus it around a particular subject – the goal would be that the people on the course would progress on to other types of education. I know one of them said very clearly that he wanted to learn more about computers and learn more about business studies and be much more focused in that area. When you hear that from people and you see the difference in them, that’s when you really know that it has been a success,” adds McCarthy.

MANAGEMENT at Ennis Golf Club have welcomed new traffic control measures in the area, saying they are “essential from a health an safety point of view”.

Speed ramps have been installed on a section of road near the golf club while work on a new pedestrian crossing is set to commence in the coming weeks.

The club has contributed € 10,000 to the project which is being carried out by Ennis Town Council. The decision to install speed ramps

was criticised by some local representatives at the April meeting of Clare County Council, with Cllr Tom McNamara (FF) claiming the works had caused inconvenience for motorists.

However, speaking yesterday, Ennis Golf Club honourary secretary, John Cullinane said the speed ramps and pedestrian crossing are needed to protect members who used the road to cross from one section of the course into the other.

He explained, “We have over 1,500 members.

“A few hundred of them would be older members and then we have about 300 juvenile and junior members. They are trying to cross the road and it is very dangerous.”

Mr Cullinane said the club had been looking for a pedestrian crossing for a number of years.

He said that traffic had increased in the area since the opening of the N85 western relief road. He added that drivers are often unaware that golfers use the road to cross into the course. Mr Cullinane added;

“It’s unsighted at both sides. You have to run across at your peril.”

A plan to develop a tunnel in the area was deemed unfeasible due to the height of the road while rumble strips had “had no effect” on reducing speed, Mr Cullinane explained.

He said that apart from carrying golf bags, older members often crossed the road in buggies. “We’re lucky there hasn’t been a serious accident on the road,” he added.

Mr Cullinane said members are “very grateful to the council” for installing a pedestrian crossing. “From a health and safety point of view, it’s essential,” he said.

Club member and local Fianna Fáil councillor, Pat Daly, also welcomed the measures, saying;

“It’s a fast stretch of road that motorists will come to understand is a serious health and safety issues to the over 1,000 members that use the golf course on a regular basis”. Cllr Daly said that crossing the road on certain days can be “life threatening”.

RITA McCarthy highlights one case study to showcase the potential that’s there for people who take the plunge back into the education system after many years away.

That first step, often times tentative and loaded with self-doubt, but loaded with promise and possibility at the same time. That first step that together with many others can lead to a whole new vista – it might sound clichéd to call it life-changing, but that’s just what it is.

“I always think of a course we ran in West Clare, and a farmer from Carrigaholt in his late 50s or early 60s who started an introductory course, but he has now ended up doing a third-level course,” says the adult education coordinator for Clare VEC.

“That’s the potential that’s there for people who return to education,” adds McCarthy. “And that potential is in everyone that starts out.”

With those first steps in mind, McCarthy surveys the journey started by the small group undertaking the Heritage and Tourism course in Scariff, a 30-week module at level three Fetac standard that represents a hugely significant step for many of the participants to turn to education once more.

“When people think about going back to education, they often have left education with a bad experience 20 or 30 years ago,” she says, “so it’s natural that you do get people who come into it very nervous, because they don’t know what to expect.

“Third-level education is not on the horizon but this group, and any group, can do it, if they want to. For this group and others interested, what we’d hope to do next is that in September we’d do a level-five post-Leav- ing Cert heritage course with tourism involved, marrying the two. We want to start that out in East Clare.

“It’s up to people themselves. They can go on to third level, or say this is the level they want to be at and get work in this area. People can do it. Third level might seem like a long way away, but it is a very achievable step. It’s step by step. You don’t think about the big goal at the end, but the steps in between,” she adds.

THERE was success for one budding Clare entrepreneur at the national final of the Student Enterprise of the Year awards in Dublin last week.

Emer Mooney, a student at St Anne’s Community College, Killaloe, was awarded third prize in the Junior Category of the awards in Croke Park. ‘Christmas Fair’ from Ennis Community College competed in the Intermediate Category and ‘Starling Records’ from St Anne’s Community College, Killaloe, competed in the Senior Category.

A total of 242 students from 76 different student enterprises from all over Ireland gathered in Croke Park to take part in the event.

Emer received the prize for her company, Natural Hampers, a range of Irish-made affordable gifts. Emer’s aim was to source quality Irishmade products, such as soaps, lotions and shampoos that were free of chemicals. She also donates 20 per cent of the profits to Trocaire.

“Sourcing products at a good price that are Irish and natural whilst fulfilling my aims of a little piece of luxury pampering with 20 per cent to Trocaire at a very reasonable price make my Natural Hampers unique. Altering them to be produced all year round makes the business more viable and innovative,” she said.

Emer is planning to develop her business further. She qualified after her company impressed judges at the Clare finals held in Ennis back in march.

Students from 16 Clare secondary schools together with Youthreach groups, representing 66 different businesses, attended the event that showed that the spirit of enterprise is alive and well in the Banner County.

Lucy Reidy, Clare County Enterprise Board, organiser of the Clare awards, praised the innovation displayed by Emer and her fellow finalists. “The overall standard at the national final was outstanding and it was a great achievement for Clare to be among the winners. It was very encouraging to see the innovation in the projects and to see so many young people are inspired to set up their own businesses. The experience of setting up a small business and the work put into the projects will, no doubt, stand to them when setting up their own business in the future.”

Since last September, an estimated 15,000 students from 400 schools have been researching and setting up their own businesses, through the Student Enterprise Awards, making it the biggest competition of its kind for secondary schools in the country.

The Minister for Small Business, John Perry TD, presented a total of 16 prizes.

“WE live in a beautiful part of the world with a huge range of natural heritage,” says Anne Rasehorn of what she labels the sleepy surroundings of Mountshannon.

On this day, she’s having an open house, with her fellow students sitting around a table and talking about the benefits of going back to education.

There’s camera flash around them as they go into the minutae of being of East Clare and using their surrounds in an educational context.

At the start of their 30-week course they might have been put off but not now, as they talk freely and under the spotlight of what it means to be back in education.

Tutor Shelagh Honan says, “One day, I came into class and brought a video camera with me. I asked them to make a presentation, talk to camera about a subject of their choice. Yes, some of them might have been intimidated by the prospect of doing it, but they did it and they all had something to say.”

With fellow tutors Catherine Bracken and Stephen McKeogh, Honan has overseen the course and is well placed to put its importance in context.

“Having courses like this for people out of work is very important and with increasing numbers of people out of work, the need for training and education becomes more important” she says,

“In times of economic recession, education and training is key. This is because giving people who are out of work the chance to re-train, up-skill and do a course that can cultivate a range of skills like starting your own business, embracing information technology and learning more about the heritage and history of your own area brings a lot of strands together.

“One student was blown away by what computer technology can do,” says Honan, before Eamon Nugent admits, “It amazed me that I could do it. Maybe I thought there was a barrier there and it was an impossibility, but I see now that there’s no barrier.

“It surprised me that you could see what you had written on a computer up in Flagmount on my own computer at home. Emails, I’m talking about. I thought that each thing was locked into its own computer,” Nugent adds.

“What Eamon says is important,” says Honan, “There’s no barrier. They’ve all proved that with their ability to do a range of subjects and bringing their knowledge of their own surroundings – Marie O’Leary talking in detail about Edna O’Brien; Kathleen Dowdall doing the same when talking about the stained glass windows of Harry Clarke and AE Child in St Cronan’s Church.

“The oral tradition on a tap was there and for them to be bouncing that knowledge off each other while learning at the same time was of great benefit,” she adds.

RENOWNED singer Paul Brady will take to the stage in Shannon this weekend, in what promises to be a concert with a difference.

That’s because the local gospel choir will provide support in what will be a source of immense pride for the choir members, at the Oakwood Arms Hotel on Saturday night.

The Shannon Gospel Choir was formed two years ago by local businessman Derek Barrett. Since its formation, the choir has played regularly at Masses in Shannon and has also performed in various churches across the county. The feedback has been hugely positive and the choir has gone from strength to strength since it was established.

Earlier this year, the group took part in a televised RTÉ Sunday Mass, which subsequently featured on YouTube. The choir has also supported Paddy Casey and the Harlem Gospel Choir and has performed at several weddings over the past two years.

Eighteen members of the choir, ranging from sopranos, tenors and altos, along with musicians, will perform with Paul Brady on Saturday.

Aoife Rice, who has been involved with the group since its formation, is thoroughly enjoying the experience.

Aoife, who is a piano teacher, was involved with the Quin choir for several years prior to joining the Shannon Gospel Choir.

“When it was starting, I felt that I would love to do something different. I am involved in music but this would be something different. I played the organ with the Quin church choir for 23 years, but I wanted a change. I wanted to get up and sing as opposed to always playing,” she said.

She is anticipating the Paul Brady gig at the weekend.

“It will be very different. We do Mass but this gig is a great opportunity for us. We haven’t even met Paul Brady yet. I am a little bit nervous,” she said.

Along with the enjoyment of taking part in gigs, the choir members are also forming great friendships. “You meet so many friends through it. There’s such a buzz,” she said.

The choir members range in age from 30 upwards. They rehearse in the Peach recording studios in Shannon town centre every week.

A FINE GAEL public representative has said the drink driving laws are threatening the “very fabric” of rural communities in taking his campaign to “save West Clare from extinction” directly to the Minister for the Environment, Phil Hogan.

West Clare Electoral Area councillor Garbriel Keating has cited the drink driving laws as he told The Clare People that “it’s up to Fine Gael in Government to tackle the problems being experienced in rural Ireland, because rural Ireland has been neglected for so long.

“The very fabric of our communities are under threat. In the last couple of years the introduction of drink driving laws have resulted in many of our pubs in rural areas closing and the large supermarkets in town have forced our rural shops out of existence. Something has to be done,” continued Cllr Keating.

The Loophead representative has said that “the simple measure” of in- troducing a refurbishment grant for many derelict houses in West Clare would “kick-start economic activity and create jobs”.

“The demise of the local village is a major concern for our rural population,” warned Cllr Keating, “and something has to be done about it. Some years ago we had a campaign to save our rural post offices and Garda stations, but appeals fell on deaf ears.

“At a time when our new government is trying to create new jobs, this scheme would boost our economy by giving work to people in the construction industry,” he added.

“The demise of the local village is a major concern for our rural population. This simple measure would help address this.

“Reconstructed houses in these villages would provide holiday homes, would provide our diaspora with the opportunity to purchase a home in a rural setting. It would bring life back to rural Ireland,” added Cllr Keating.

IRISH industries can play their part in beating the recession by actively going out into the marketplace and bringing foreign direct investment into the country.

This call for companies to become proactive and do work normally left to the Industrial Development Authority or Enterprise Ireland has been sounded out this week by Clare businessman Edmund Jennings, managing director of the Cregg Group that has secured 170 new jobs for Clare with Zagg’s decision to locate in the Shannon Free Zone.

Mr Jennings’ company took the lead for industry in the region by bringing Zagg to Ireland, a major boost to the mid-west economy that he says can be a business model for industry in the region going forward.

“We recruited Leonard Kiely and sent him over to America to see if he could recruit more business for us,” Mr Jennings told The Clare People this week. “He went into Best Buy and noticed that a portion of the shop had been allocated to this company called Zagg. We contacted Zagg and told them what we did. It so happened that they had a plan to establish a presence in Europe. They had been looking at either going to France, Germany or Holland, but decided to come to Ireland,” he added.

Now, Mr Jennings has urged other companies to follow the lead of the Cregg Group. “There is huge potential there, for companies who don’t want to set up a manufacturing company in their own right but who will go into partnership with a company in Ireland.

“The opportunity is there for companies to go out and try and source companies that might find themselves in the situation that Zagg were in – a company with some sales in Europe who want to expand.

“Irish companies should consider that rather than try and compete against fellow companies in Ireland for the small amount of logistics business that’s there. They should look overseas at the possibility of offering services to US companies and Asian companies who want to get product into Europe,” he added.

THE ESB has lodged an appeal against one element of Ennis Town Council’s decision to retain a 24-metre high communications mast at St Flannan’s Drive, Ennis.

Last month, the council granted permission to retain the freestanding monopole type communications structure, carrying antennae and communication dishes, within a 2.4m high palisade compound.

The council also granted permission to attach additional antennae and communication dishes to allow for future third party co-location at ESB’s existing Cahercalla 38kV substation, St Flannan’s Drive, Cahercalla More, Ennis.

An Bord Pleanála previously granted permission for the mast in 2006, which was the subject of intense opposition from local residents and a judicial review.

In granting permission to the ESB, the council imposed a number of conditions.

In their decision, the council state, “This permission shall be valid for a period of five years from the date of the final grant. On expiry of that period the mast shall be removed and the site reinstated unless its continued use or a revised structure is allowed by reason of a future planning permission.”

The council also says that “In the event of the proposed and antennae becoming obsolete and being de- commissioned, the developers shall at their own expense, remove the mast and antennae and return the site to its original condition.”

The decision was also granted on the basis that “The developer shall provide and make available, on reasonable terms, the proposed mast for the provision of mobile telecommunications antennae of third party licensed mobile telecommunications operators.”

In total the decision was granted subject to six conditions. The council adds that “Within two months of the final grant of retention permission the developer shall pay a contribution of € 6,293 to Ennis Town Council (Planning Authority) in respect of public infrastructure and facilities benefiting the development.”

An ESB spokesperson confirmed yesterday that ESB telecoms had lodged an appeal with An Bord Pleanála against “one condition attached to the grant”.

She added that the ESB was not appealing the “overall substance” of the council’s decision. A decision on the appeal is due in August.