Category: News

A 10-MONTH baby boy living in Shannon is recovering in hospital, having sustained serious injuries including a burn mark, two broken arms, a broken leg and multiple bruising.

The baby was taken to hospital a week ago and the circumstances surrounding the injuries is the subject of a major garda investigation.

The extent of the injuries sustained by the baby were revealed during a weekend court sitting, where a man was charged with assaulting the boy’s mother.

While nobody has been charged with assaulting the baby, the matter is being investigated by gardaí and the HSE.

Larry Connors (18), with an address at Town Court, Shannon, is facing three charges of assaulting his 18-year-old partner in Shannon on various dates in December. Two of the incidents are alleged to have happened at Tullyvarraga, Shannon; one on December 31 and the other between December 1 and 31.

The other incident is alleged to have taken place at the library in Tullyvarraga, Shannon, on December 2 last.

He was brought before a special sitting of Ennis District Court on Saturday, where bail was granted despite garda objections on the grounds that the alleged victim would be “terrorised” by the accused.

Garda David Laing told the court that Mr Connors was arrested in Shannon last Thursday evening. In reply to charge, he said: “I didn’t do it.”

Defence solicitor Caitriona Carmody was granted free legal aid for her client, who is unemployed.

She also applied for bail, pending the hearing of the matter.

However, Inspector Tom Kennedy said gardaí were opposing this for two reasons.

KILKEE woman Marina Keane has ruled herself out of the race for the Dáil, but hasn’t ruled out running in the future.

The 30-year-old solicitor is heavily involved in the Fianna Fáil party in Clare and was approached by party officials to run in the forthcoming election.

While she did consider contesting the election – in the aftermath of sitting TD Tony Killeen announcing his retirement from politics last week – she decided over the weekend that she would not run.

“I’ve ruled myself out. I’ve made the decision not to go. I did give it serious consideration after Tony Killeen stepped down. I did come under pressure last week and was asked to stand. There is an appetite there for a candidate from west Clare and I think people did want a west Clare name on the ticket, but you have to take personal circumstances and work circumstances into account,” she told The Clare People .

She has chosen to concentrate primarily on her career as a solicitor, in the short-term at least. She currently works as a solicitor with Michael Houlihan’s office in Ennis, having graduated from Blackhall Place four years ago.

“I’m still young enough and I am fairly early starting out in my legal career and I want to progress that. I also want to work on reform within the party. I’d like to work with the party on a national level. There has obviously been some damage done to the party over the past couple of years. We need to work on communications in the party,” she said.

Marina grew up in a Fianna Fáil house in Kilkee. Her father Pat has been a county councillor since 1991 and is a former mayor of Clare. She has been a key member of his election campaign team for several years. It’s not the first time that Marina’s name has been linked to the political stage. Her name was mentioned as a possible candidate in the 2007 General Election, but she similarly took the decision at that time not to stand.

She became a member of Ógra Fianna Fáil in Clare at the age of 19 and is currently a Kilrush Comhairle Ceantair representative to the Comhairle Dáil Ceantair.

She is highly regarded in Fianna Fáil circles in Clare and recently worked on the party’s county strategy, aimed at bringing about reform. She has also worked on various subcommittees in the county.

“That’s something I would like to continue to work on in the future; reform in the party,” she said.

“I would never rule anything out. However, my priorities are now on progressing my legal career and working in the Comhairle Ceantair,” she said.

“I’d never say never. It is something that might arise in the future. You can only assess things as they arise,” she said.

PLANS to introduce new charges at the Lees Road Sports and Amenity Park are an attempt to “stop a couple of cute hoors” from not paying for the use of facilities there, a meeting has heard.

The comments were made last week by councillor Brian Meaney (Green) as Ennis Town Council heard calls for and against the introduction of charges for use of the Lees Road cross-country track.

Draft byelaws containing the new charges have gone out for public consultation, as confusion exists over what area of the 29-acre woodland site the charges relate to.

While the cross-country track follows a path through the woods, Town Clerk Eddie Power explained that the track also encompasses a “green landscaped area” at the rear of astro turf pitch and synthetic running track.

Speaking at the January meeting of Ennis Town Council, Mr Power said that some clubs and individuals are using the lighted area to train but were not paying for it.

Clubs and individuals are currently charged for the use of the synthetic running track, playing pitches and astro turf facilities but not for the cross-country track. Mr Power said new charges are being considered in the interests of fairness and consistency.

“Organisations are using that area because it is free, deliberately. Clearly that’s unfair,” he said.

Cllr Michael Guilfoyle (Ind) said that given the availability of shower and dressing room facilities, the proposed € 2 charge for individuals is “not a whole lot to pay”. He added, “I may not be too popular asking people to pay € 2 for a facility we’ve never had before.”

Cllr Peter Considine (FF) said he supported no change in current system of charges but later added that he had “serious concerns” if lighting at Lees Road was facilitating night-time access to the cross-country track.

Cllr Frankie Neylon (Ind) proposed that the council consider introducing a new method of payment for use of facilities at Lees Road. He said there had to be a “charge of some description” for the cross-country track.

Cllr Meaney asked if the track in its current form could accurately be described as a cross-country running track.

“Until we correct the design deficiencies, I don’t think we could charge for it. Unless people wanted to give a voluntary charge,” he said. Cllr Meaney said the charges were an attempt by the council to stop “a couple of cute hoors” from not paying. He added, “We have to find a different way of dealing with it.”

AN INCIDENT in which a quilt was set on fire while a woman was lying on it was described yesterday by a judge as “unique”.

Judge Carroll Moran made the comment after hearing that were it not for gardaí who fought smoke and fumes, two people would have been killed in an apartment fire in Ennis. The woman lying on the quilt when it was set alight suffered what was described in court as “horrific” injuries.

Michael Keane (44), of Cappamore, Barefield, admitted setting alight a quilt, which created substantial risk of death or serious harm, at Childers Road, Ennis, on July 2, 2008. He also admitted causing harm to Josephine Moloney and pleaded guilty to arson, on the same date.

Sergeant Mark Murphy told Ennis Circuit Court that gardaí received a call indicating that people were trapped in a house fire. On arrival gardaí heard a male voice calling.

“Visibility was nil. Garda Derek Williams couldn’t see. He was using touch. Because of the smoke and heat, his only sense was touch. He went in at least three times. He had to come out to catch his breath,” said Sgt Murphy.

He said that the accused was living in the apartment and Ms Moloney was co-habiting with him. Both had been drinking and an argument took place in relation to a missing mobile phone.

He said that Ms Moloney lay on a quilt on the floor in the bedroom and the accused threatened to set fire to it, if he wasn’t given the phone. He then set fire to a thread of two inches on the corner of the quilt with a cigarette lighter.

“He stamped out the flame. He said he thought it was quenched. He then went in to the bathroom and read The Irish Times for 10 to 15 minutes,” said Sgt Murphy.

When he came out of the bathroom, Keane smelt smoke and saw that the living room was full of smoke. He called Ms Moloney and tried to get water from the bathroom to quench the fire, said Sgt Murphy, but “he didn’t make the bathroom. We assume he fell unconscious at that time”.

Keane and Ms Moloney were both rescued from the house and were tak- en to hospital with serious injuries.

Ms Moloney (41) sustained serious injuries. She suffered second degree burns to several parts of her body, including to her face, ear, neck, chest, arm, hand, abdomen and thigh.

Judge Moran said: “I have been sitting as a judge for over 13 years and have been doing crime (cases) for most of that time. I really haven’t come across a case like this before. It’s quite unique. I really don’t know how to approach this. I’ll sleep on it.”

He adjourned sentencing until March.

AN inability to effectively collect payment and perceived unfairness were the main arguments against increased charges at the Lees Road Sports and Amenity Ground, put forward at a meeting in Ennis last week.

Speaking at the January meeting of Ennis Town Council, Councillor Johnny Flynn (FG) described the facilities available at Lees Road as “first rate”.

However, he added that it would be unfair to introduce charges for the cross-country track at a time when many people are experiencing financial difficulties.

Cllr Flynn said he opposed the charges as the area to which they would apply was not fenced off. He claimed this would make it “virtually impossible to police”.

He said the fact that the charge doesn’t grant an individual or team “exclusive” use of the track was another reason for leaving the current system unchanged.

He said, “The cross country track has generally been available and has been free.”

Cllr Flynn, who submitted a motion calling on the council not to introduce new charges, said it was important the council do nothing to discourage people from taking up walking or running.

Outlining her opposition to the proposed charges, Cllr Mary Howard (FG) questioned how the area would be policed and how the charge would be implemented on a fair basis to all.

Clr Howard also expressed concern over how the council would distinguish between clubs and individuals when charging for the use of facilities.

She said she had discussed the proposal with Clare Sports Partnership and Marian Athletic Club and other users of Lees Road.

In a statement yesterday, John Sweeney, co-ordinator with Clare Sports Partnership, said he had “no comment to make regarding Lees Road at this point”.

Responding to comments from Cllr Michael Guilfoyle (Ind) that charges should exist given the availability of dressing rooms and showers, Cllr Howard said that most walkers and runners using the cross country running track go straight home afterwards anyway and “don’t use the showers”.

Cllr Paul O’Shea (Lab) told the meeting that he was also opposed to the charges.

A CLARECASTLE man who scored a multi-million euro windfall during the property boom has said he will run as a candidate in the forthcoming General Election.

73-year-old JJ McCabe told

RESIDENTS have echoed calls made by the mayor of Ennis for certain details of a lease agreement between Ennis Town Council and Clare Youth Service over a new youth and community building to be made public.

The centre, which is under construction at Cloughleigh Road, has been the subject of two public protests, while last year almost 90 people attended an unscheduled meeting at the Council Chamber in Waterpark House, presided over by then mayor of Ennis, Cllr Frankie Neylon (Ind).

Residents in the Cloughleigh area are opposed to the location of the building and were also disappointed by the council’s approach to the consultation process that led to the site being chosen.

While Ennis Town Council is the contracting authority for the € 531,581.70 construction project, it is intended to lease the building to the Clare Youth Service who will deliver a range of programmes to teenagers and young adults ranging from 13 to 21 years.

The lease agreement was raised at last week’s meeting of Ennis Town Council. According to the residents’ spokesperson, Geraldine Dinan, many people living in the area were surprised to learn the matter had come back before the council.

She said residents had met with the council on three occasions between September and December 2010, to discuss concerns over the “general running” of the building.

“We were surprised that it came up at the meeting. We would’ve hoped that we might’ve been informed about the lease,” she said.

Ms Dinan explained that residents did not have an issue with the length of the 10-year lease but added that many elderly residents are worried about the proposed opening hours of the building.

She said, “Most buildings like this are in the middle of a town or in the middle of the community, but this one is different. The concerns are not unreasonable. We would hope that they would be taken into account.”

Speaking at the January meeting of Ennis Town Council, mayor of Ennis Cllr Tommy Brennan (Ind) repeated his call for details of the building’s opening hours to be brought before the council before the lease is signed.

“We gave a commitment to residents in opening hours,” he said.

Cllr Brennan added, “I would insist that we see the lease. I was the one who insisted that the terms on conditions be brought before the council…We gave a commitment to people about the conditions and they are the people who elected us.”

A LOCAL councillor is advocating the importance of a healthy and active lifestyle after surviving a major health scare last year.

Pat Daly, a Fianna Fáil member of Clare County Council, suffered a stroke while at work in Ennis in September 2010.

Cllr Daly, who has worked for 18 years as a personal assistant to the outgoing Minister for Defence and Clare TD, Tony Killeen, was subsequently diagnosed as having an irregular heartbeat.

He recalled, “I was at work and coming up to lunch hour, I got a bit of dizziness and my voice slurred and I couldn’t speak straight. I put it down to a cold but I wasn’t 100 per cent sure. I went home, my wife was there, a few neighbours came in and medical people. My wife rang the ambulance. I was hospitalised and I was diagnosed with a stroke. I was out of work for almost three months.”

He said, “It was a desperate shock, traumatic. I didn’t expect it. The family were great. Brothers and sisters and their family and my own family, my wife, two sons and a daughter. They were great in the hospital and when I came home.”

The 56-year-old father of three was treated at Ennis General Hospital and is currently on a course of the blood-thinning agent, Warfarin.

The Ennis native admits he was fortunate to survive the incident. He said, “I was very lucky because I made a full recovery and a lot of people don’t.”

Cllr Daly explained that his lifestyle has changed since his recovery from illness.

He said, “There’s been a big change in my life. You have to watch the diet. I eat a lot of fish now. I go walking. It’s the best form of exercise, walking. I’m watching the diet and drinking plenty of water.”

Cllr Daly is now encouraging more people to stay healthy and active.

He explained, “I wasn’t a great man for walking. People in their late 40s, 50s, 60s, they don’t get enough exercise and they need to walk a couple of miles every day, which I do now. I played a game of golf on Sunday morning – that was all I did. I thought that by playing golf on a Sunday morning, I was fit. But you need to do more. You need to do a bit of walking.”

Cllr Daly, who topped the poll in the Ennis area when he was first elected to Clare County Council in 1999, receives regular treatment at the outpatient’s clinic at Ennis General Hospital. “It’s a fantastic facility, a great facility,” he said.

TOWN manager Ger Dollard has said he his happy that all “checks and balances” are in place with regards to the running of a new € 500,000 youth community and resource building in Cloughleigh, Ennis.

Some details of the lease agreement worked out between Ennis Town Council and Clare Youth Service were revealed at Ennis Town Council’s January meeting. The council is proposing to lease the property to Clare Youth Service for a period of 10 years at a consideration of € 10 per annum.

Speaking at the meeting, Cllr Michael Guilfoyle (Ind) expressed concern over the length of the lease and proposed that the € 10 yearly charge be increased to € 1,000.

Town manager Ger Dollard said he was quite satisfied that Clare Youth Service are prepared to “act responsibly” and will run the facility very well.

He told the meeting that a council- lor and a member of the council executive will sit on an advisory board.

“I am satisfied that all the checks and balances are in place and that we have a responsible operator,” he said.

Mr Dollard added that he did not agree with increasing the charge as the youth service is not a business or commercial orgaisation.

Cllr Johnny Flynn (FG) said the history of the building is well known. He said that in the initial consultation process, local residents “felt they were deceived and not listened to”.

He added, “A lot of good aims and objections were put at risk because the council didn’t listen to the concerns of the elderly”.

Cllr Flynn was then asked by Cllr Peter Considine (FF) to withdraw his remark about residents being deceived.

“I certainly never deceived anyone. I would like ‘deceived’ removed from the record,” he said.

Cllr Flynn agreed, and sought to clarify his comments, saying there was a lot of “anger and frustration” among residents who felt they were deceived by the process.

Cllr Brian Meaney (GP) said the Clare Youth Service had an excellent record over 52 years operating services and facilities in Clare. He said he had no problem with the lease and the charge. He said the youth service had “corrected an awful lot of lives that could have gone astray” and had been regularly highlighted as a model of best practice in reports by the Mid West Regional Drugs Task Force.

Cllr Paul O’Shea suggested that the charge be increased to € 500 and that the sum be used to fund a Young Person of the Year award.

Mr Dollard said he would discuss the charge with the youth service, a comment which drew a strong reaction from Cllr Frankie Neylon (Ind).

Cllr Neylon said the youth service was getting a “pretty good deal” from the council and that Mr Dollard should “tell them” and not “ask them” about the proposed increase.

HIS motto in life is ‘Give it a lash’ and that is exactly what Tony Mulcahy intends to do in his quest for a seat in Dáil Éireann.

As had been widely expected, the 51-year-old was added to the Fine Gael general election ticket in Clare at the weekend by the party’s headquarters.

This followed the party’s convention in December in which sitting TDs Pat Breen and Joe Carey were selected to run for the party in the forthcoming election.

Mr Mulcahy, a native of Newcastlewest in Limerick, received 3,408 votes when he ran in the general election in 2007. Speaking to The Clare People following his addition to the ticket at the weekend, he said he is confident that he can secure 6,000 votes this time around and win a seat.

The father-of-four, who runs his own catering business in Shannon, has been a member of Clare County Council since 1999 and Shannon Town Council since 1994. He has enjoyed spells as mayor of both the county and town councils.

While his intentions to contest the election were not formally announced until just days before Christmas, in reality there was always a possibility that he would allow his name to go forward.

He thoroughly enjoyed the campaign four years ago and although he has had some health difficulties since then, he has recovered and endeavours a good challenge.

Two years ago, he had a kidney rebuilt, while last year he had issues with blood pressure, but has now declared himself “fighting fit and mad for the road”.

Mr Mulcahy explained the situation, saying, “Just before Christmas, I was asked would I be interested in letting my name go forward by a very senior figure in the party’s management structure after the convention. At the convention I was there to support my two colleagues.”

After he was approached, he discussed it with his wife, Carmel, and “I decided I’d give it one lash. It was a long campaign the last time. I got tired in the end. This one will be shorter.”

Mulcahy will pick up a huge vote in the Shannon area, where he has lived for several years. In the last election, he secured more than 55 per cent of the vote in Shannon and won 33 per cent of votes in the Shannon Electoral Area, which takes in Newmarket-onFergus, Sixmilebridge and Kilmurry. “I believe I can and I believe I will win a seat for Fine Gael in Clare. It will take 6,000 votes,” he said.

Since his entry to politics, he has polled consistently well. His vote of 440 in his maiden election campaign for the county council in 1999 increased to 1,200 in 2004. He secured 1,350 votes in the 2009 local election and while these tallies were impressive, he is acutely aware that winning a seat in the Dáil is a totally different ball game.

Pat Breen is poised to focus on win- ning votes in north and west Clare, while Joe Carey will zone in on mid-Clare and Ennis. This means that Mr Mulcahy is likely to focus on the lion’s share of his campaigning in Shannon and south-east Clare. While the creation of geographical divisions leads to angst in some circles, he embraces it.

“We will have to look at a divide like we did the last time. We would be well placed. The key for people voting for Fine Gael is the balance vote,” he said.

Indeed, he believes that geographic reasons played a key role in him being added to the ticket ahead of Madeleine Taylor-Quinn and Martin Conway.

“No disrespect to Madeleine and Martin but they live in different areas. I ran the last time, I was the may- or since and I am living in the second biggest town in the county,” he said.

He also dismissed speculation that he was added to the ticket merely to help get Joe Carey cross the line. Both live on the same side of the county and votes would be expected to transfer between them.

“Joe Carey won’t need any help from me to get over the line. He wasn’t idle over the past three-anda-half years. Neither was Pat Breen. I’m there to get a third seat for Fine Gael,” he said.