Category: News

THE Bishop of Killaloe, Dr Kieran O’Reilly, has appealed to the Mi nister for Education to show more “flexibility” when it comes to the issue of small r ural primar y schools.

Dr O’Reilly said concer n over the future of small schools is an issue throughout his diocese.

Addressi ng an audience, that included Minister Ruai ri Quinn, at the opening of t he new Ennis Na – tional School on Friday, Dr O’Reilly urged t he Gover nment to be more sympat hetic to the concer ns of r ural schools.

“I have t he ver y happy task of perfor ming confirmation ceremonies around t he count r y. One of the things that has come to my attention ver y forcefully, and I said I was goi ng to bend the Minister’s ear when he was here. I wasn’t sure if I would do it public but I’m going to do it publicly,” said Dr O’Reilly.

He continued, “It’s the issue of the numbers in small schools. I know you are ver y much aware of it. My only appeal to you and to your depar tment officials would be to see if there is any level of flexibility, even in a small two or three numbers that could be applied. People have spoken here about beauti ful schools, classrooms with whiteboards that are now going to lose a teacher because of maybe one or two students. I know you are const rained and we read it all the time i n the media. But I think having heard it in our diocese, which goes from West Clare up to Offally and into a small bit of Laois, it is a ver y impor tant thing on t he ground and I’m sure your local representatives have said it to you.”

Speaking afterwards, Minister Quinn said he would be meeting with t he Irish National Teacher’s Organisation (INTO) to discuss the issue.

He said, “There are personnel issues, there are capacity issues and there are fal ling numbers in some par ts. But we are tr yi ng to get a sensible solution to it. When you use the pupil teacher ratio as the only measure, which is what I’ve inher ited and is t he only instr ument I have, you can’t have t he flexibility you requi re at a time when some schools are losing population and some are growing.”

Minister Quinn continued, “I’m quite prepared [to be flexible] i n isolated r ural areas where t he schools is essential for the health of the act ual community itself. That is quite different to a place where there is t hree schools in two kilomet res of each ot her. And yet they are both being treated the exact same.”

FINAL preparations are being made for the seventh annual Clare Burren Challenge Marathon with thousands of people expected to descend on Ballyvaughan for the event later this Saturday.

The marathon, which is organised each year by the Ballyvaughan Fanore Walking Club, has become a fixture on the Irish walking and running calendar – attracting participants from all over Ireland as well as a growing number of people travelling from abroad to take part.

The challenge, which will take place on May 24, is unique in Ireland – taking participants both on and offroad, across some of the most spectacular terrain and green roads in the Burren.

The marathon offers something for every level of participant with three different courses including the full marathon, half marathon and mini marathon.

The challenge is made possible as a result of excellent support from the local community, as well as the assistance of of Clare Sports Partnership alongside main sponsor Logues Lodge in Ballyvaughan, which is part of the Clare Coast Hotels Group.

The routes take in a number of private property, which is made available with the cooperation of local landowners. Event organisers are aware of the sensitivity of the Burren region and aim to leave no trace with zero waste and active safety policies in place.

All routes are clearly marked and course stewards provide water, fruit and chocolate bars at several points along the route.

Medical support is provided by Irish Cave Rescue Organisation as well as local doctors. For more information visit www.clareburrenmarathonchallenge.com.

A FATHER of eight has received a suspended prison sentence for his role in a row that took place outside a primary school in Ennis earlier this year.

At Ennis District Court on Wednesday, James Keenan (41) pleaded guilty to a public order offence that occurred on the grounds of Ennis National School on February 5, 2014.

Inspector Tom Kennedy told the court that Mr Keenan and Michael Delaney (26) traded insults and ver- bal abuse as parents arrived to collect their children.

The court heard Mr Delaney was collecting a child from school while Mr Keenan was dropping his children off for a tae-kwan-do class.

Insp Kennedy said no blows were struck but abusive language was exchanged between the pair.

Outlining the background to the incident, Insp Kennedy said, “There is no love lost between them. That’s putting it mildly”.

He said a number of young children were in the vicinity when the row took place.

Mr Keenan, with an address at Childer’s Road, Ennis has some previous convictions for public order and theft offences.

Defence solicitor William Cahir said his client had gone to drop his children to a martial arts class and had no intention of encountering the other family.

Mr Cahir said Mr Keenan comes from a family that has lived in Ennis for a number of years. He said Mr Keenan has never been involved in disputes with other families in En- nis.

However Mr Cahir said something seems to have sparked of a dispute between the Delaney and Keenan families in this instance.

Judge Patrick Durcan said this was a serious offence committed in the presence of children.

He imposed a two-month sentence, suspended for 18 months on condition Mr Keenan enter into a bond to be of a good behaviour.

Recognizance’s were fixed in the event Mr Keenan’s intends to appeal the decision.

DANGEROUS scenes unfolded in Shannon on Saturday night when local gardaí had to call for assistance as a stand-off developed between members of the force and soccer supporters from Moyross on a bus attempting to return to Limerick.

It is understood that the extra gardaí called to the scene, arrived in Shannon already in riot gear.

Following the stand-off, which lasted for more than 20 minutes, gardaí made an arrest and recovered items allegedly stolen from a group of local teenagers earlier that evening.

Locals watching the scenes in Shannon on Saturday night described the situation as fraught.

“It was frightening for a while. The gardaí weren’t wanted on that bus and they were slow to come off it. Thankfully the reinforcements arrived when they did, otherwise I don’t know what would have happened,” a man who did not wish to be identified told The Clare People .

Seven teenagers were in a wooded area in Drumgeely when they were approached at around 7.30pm by a group of three males. Two of the group were wearing hoodies. One of them produced a knife and demanded money from them. The suspects stole € 24 and a speaker for a mobile phone before making off in the direction of Corrib Park.

It transpired the gang had travelled to Shannon with the Moyross United soccer club from Limerick. The suspects were part of a group of supporters that travelled by bus to play local side Shannon Town.

Gardaí in Shannon were alerted and intercepted the bus before it left the area. The passengers were asked to disembark and one of the injured parties was able to identify an 18year-old man suspected of being involved in the robbery.

A LIMERICK man has pleaded guilty to handling stolen property in Magowna last May.

Darra Moore (23) admitted handling stolen property including four pairs of sunglasses, a harmonica, sunglasses and kodak digital camera on dates unknown between May 22 and May 23 in Magowna.

Mr Moore, with an address at Cosgrave Park, Moyross, Limerick, appeared before Ennis District Court on Wednesday.

Inspector Tom Kennedy told the court the property was stolen form an unlocked car outside a house between the dates in question.

A follow up investigation found that Mr Moore was in the area at the time.

The property was recovered and Mr Moore was charged with handling the stolen items.

The court heard Mr Moore has 76 previous convictions including for theft and handling offences.

Defence solicitor Daragh Hassett said his client fully cooperated with gardaí and took responsibility for all of the items recovered.

Mr Hassett said the offence was committed at a time when Mr Moore was taking drugs.

He said the accused is now dealing with his addictions and is genuinely remorseful for his actions.

The court heard Mr Moore is currently serving a prison sentence and is due for release in December.

Judge Patrick Durcan asked Insp Kennedy if anything could be gained by adding to Mr Moore’s prison sentence.

Insp Kennedy said the point had to be made that Mr Moore is a “serial offender” who shows no regard for other people’s property.

He said society could not tolerate persistent criminal behaviour such as this.

Judge Durcan imposed a three month prison sentence but told Mr Moore this would not extend his time in prison beyond December when he is due for release.

He said Mr Moore’s activities had hurt other people.

Judge Durcan concluded by encouraging him to avail of opportunities in prison.

ONE of the biggest primary schools in the county is set to go Gallic this week as it plays host to a group of students from the south of France as part of a ground-breaking exchange programme.

The students from the town of Bressuire, which is half-way between Nantes and Potiers at the lower end of the Loire Valley, will be spending a week at Ennis CBS primary school.

The project is being overseen by Ennis CBS teachers Anne Ó Béarra and Colm Daveron, with the relationship between the two schools having been fostered a number of years ago while she lived and worked in Bressuire.

“What happened was that when I was living in France the school there approached me to know if I could get my Irish school involved in the Caminus Project in June 2010,” she reveals.

“The Caminus is a project between six countries that concluded in June 2012, but afterwards we maintained contact with this school and as a result there are 28 students and four teachers coming over. They’re going to integrate into the classes during the week,” she adds.

The cultural exchange is the second one undertaken by Ennis CBS in recent years, while it is hoped that as part of this latest venture that students from the school will undertake a visit to Bressuire next year.

“The idea of it is to continue to foster the link between the two towns,” says Ms Ó Bearra.

“They students arrived in Ennis on Monday evening, are attending the school from this Tuesday and while they’re here they’ll be doing their bit for Clare tourism and are going to be brought on a walking tour around Ennis where the history of Ennis will be explained as well going to places like the Cliffs of Moher and the Ailwee Caves.

A LIMERICK man said he caused noise and disturbance in Ennis Courthouse yesterday because he only got potato wedges and chicken nuggets for lunch instead of a snack box.

Eddie O’Sullivan (25) was in custody awaiting sentence for stealing money and a bus pass from a disabled man in Ennis last August.

Shouting and banging could be heard from the cell area below the courtroom where Circuit Criminal Court sat on Monday.

When Mr O’Sullivan was called for arraignment a prison officer told Judge Carroll Moran that Mr O’Sullivan was naked. Judge Moran asked that the accused be brought into the courtroom to inform him how he intended to plead to the charge.

Mr O’Sullivan subsequently appeared wearing just boxer shorts and a pair of socks. “I know I’m not dressed appropriately, I’m sorry,” Mr O’Sullivan told Judge Moran.

Mr O’Sullivan, with addresses at Parkview Apartments, Limerick and, John Street Limerick, pleaded guilty to theft of wallet, cash, bank cards and bus pass from a 50-year-old partially paralysed man at Newbridge Road, Ennis, on August 31, 2013.

Mr O’Sullivan represented himself having dismissed his legal team last week. Judge Moran told Mr O’Sullivan his case would be dealt with later in the day.

“Put on some clothes Mr O’Sullivan, you’ll feel more comfortable,” he said.

Mr O’Sullivan reappeared in court some hours later wearing a white striped hoodie; black t-shirt, jeans and runners.

Garda Cyril Paige of Ennis Garda Station said the victim, who walks with the aid of a walking stick, had stopped to rest near the Club Bridge. He said Mr O’Sullivan approached the man, distracted him and stole the items.

A passing motorist witnessed the theft. Gardaí were alerted and Mr O’Sullivan was arrested at the nearby Ennis Swimming Pool.

The court heard the accused has 121 previous convictions. Prosecuting counsel Stephen Coughlan told the court Mr O’Sullivan was on bail when he committed the offence.

Mr O’Sullivan told Judge Moran he had suffered the loss of a number of family members including the recent death in Limerick of his aunt.

Asked by Judge Moran why he had made such a racket earlier in the day, Mr O’Sullivan said he had received wedges and three chicken nuggets while other people in custody got snack boxes. He pleaded with Judge Moran not to impose a consecutive prison sentence. Noting that the accused will spend the next 18 months in prison serving another sentence, Judge Moran adjourned the case to September for a probation and psychiatric report.

THE Lisdoonvarna Spa Well has been reopened for the first time in nearly four years, with members of the public now free to enter the historic premises and take some of its famous mineral waters.

The well, officially re-opened last week, will be staffed by paid employees from Monday to Friday with members of the newly reconstituted board of Lisdoonvarna Fáilte volunteers to staff the premises at the weekends.

The famous mineral water already helps to attract around 10,000 German tourists to the Spa town each year and it is hoped that the reopening of the Spa Well could increase that number dramatically.

A fund was also launched last week to begin raising the estimated € 1.3 million needed to redevelop and reopen the famous sulfur baths, which once made Lisdoonvarna one of Europe’s premier spa destinations.

These changes follow a change in the management structure of Lisdoonvarna Fáilte in January with a large number of new people taking up positions on the board of management.

A public meeting will take place in Lisdoonvarna this Wednesday, when members of pubic are invited to hear updates on the recent progress of Lisdoonvarna Fáilte and comment on the future direction of the company.

“The Victorian pump-house is reopened so people can go in and take the water. People come from all over the world to take the water and now people can come in for free and take the waters,” said Paddy Dunne of Lisdoonvarna Fáilte.

“The wells themselves is a longer term project. We launched the Spa Wells Restoration Fund on Monday and that went great. We raised € 1,500 in a few hours. We have a long way to go. Hopefully if we can raise a good amount the Government might be able to come in with matching funding.

A public meeting will take place this Wednesday, May 14, at the Pavillion Theatre from 8pm.

“The meeting is about updating members of the community about the developments and to share ideas about how things might proceed in the future,” continued Paddy.

“We want to keep this process as open and transparent as possible and to involve as many people as possible. We are still looking for people with a background in tourism or finances to get involved with the board of management.”

THE number of people signing on the live register in Clare fell to it lowest level in more than five years last month, with just 8,739 people signing-on across the county.

Indeed, if the current year-on-year trend remains the same, the number of people signing on in Clare will return to its all time lowest level, as seen at the height of the Celtic Tiger in 2007, in just six years.

The figure for April, which have just been released by the Central Statistic Office (CSO), represent a market decrease both on the figures for March of this year and when compared to April of 2013.

The revival seems to be concentrated on Ennis, with the rate of decrease in the county town outstripping all other areas of the county.

The CSO figures represent a yearon-year decrease of 8.3 per cent, from 9,533 in April of 2013 to 8,739 last month. Should this trend continue, the number of people signing on the live register will drop to levels similar to those recorded at the height of Celtic Tiger by April of 2020.

The current number of people signing on the live register is the lowest monthly figure since January of 2009, when 8,484 people were singing on.

The regional breakdown of these figures indicted that Ennis has been driving the recovery in recent month. Between January of 2009 and last month, Ennis is the only area to record a drop, of just 0.2 per cent.

When these two months are compared on a regional basis, Ennistymon shows an increase of 57 people or 4.2 per cent; Kilrush show an increase of 100 people or 8.5 per cent; and Tulla shows an increase of 110 people, or 9.9 per cent.

While it is still unclear how must of this reduction has been driven by job growth and how much has been driven by emigration and Government back-to-work schemes, it is though that a resurgence in tourism industry in Clare is helping to drive employment.

Figures released by Shannon Airport yesterday reveal a year-on-year 140 per cent increase in passenger numbers flying to Shannon from continental Europe. These figures represent the airports largest year-on-year increase in more than a decade.

A TEAM from Coláiste Muire secondary school in Ennis has been named the Young Social Innovators of the Year for 2014.

They scooped the top prize at the prestigious competition for their project – ‘Beware of IT’, which aims to educate young people about the increasing dangers associated with internet usage.

It was one of over 400 youth-led social innovation projects undertaken this year in over 200 second level schools and youth organisations throughout Ireland.

Sr Stanislaus Kennedy, Co-Founder, Young Social Innovators, and Anne O’Leary, CEO Vodafone Ireland, presented the winning team with their award at a special ceremony in Dublin following the 13th Young Social Innovators Annual Showcase, which was supported by the Vodafone Ireland Foundation.

The prize for the Coláiste Muire included € 1,500 to develop their project.

The Young Social Innovators Showcase and Awards were attended by over 4,500 young people. Congratulating the team from Coláiste Muire and all the participants in this year’s YSI Social Innovation Programme, Sr Stan said “Today we’ve witnessed thousands of young people who are completely engaged in society and prepared to play an active role in resolving some of our most pressing social issues. Social innovation champions youth led, experiential learning. It’s ‘hands on’ active citizenship. Civic engagement should always be a core part of youth development and education. It’s learning for life and work but fundamentally it is learning about how you connect to the people around you.”

Over 6,000 young people partici- pated in Young Social Innovators’ project-based Social Innovation Action programme this year undertaking projects aimed at finding and implementing solutions to the social issues that concern them.