Category: News

A SPECIALISED drug and alcohol initiative aimed at helping those addicted to drugs and alcohol in the West Clare area is to be officially launched next month.

The multi-agency support service for people affected by substance misuse and their families was set up six months ago as a “trial”.

Since then it has helped 22 people, and the five agencies involved in the programme now plan to extend its reach.

Margaret Nash from Bushy Park, one of the organisations involved in the programme, said the majority of the people seeking help are dealing with polydrug use – an addiction to both drugs and alcohol.

As many families in West Clare are reaching out to the service as individuals with addictions, she explained, adding that the service is open to helping not just addicts but their loved ones.

Ms Nash who has years of experience working with people with addictions said it is impossible to say what it the most prevalent drug in the area.

“To say ‘drug of choice’ is very simplistic. They may have a favourite drug, but any drug will do,” she said.

The new service is a drop-in service at the Clarecare Offices, Toler Street, Kilrush, and is free of charge.

“It is a safe and confidential area in Kilrush to find help,” said Ms Nash.

She added that isolated areas of the West Clare needed this service to be brought closer.

“It is to cover the whole of the south west area.”

The drop-in service is free of charge and is open every Thursday from 12.30pm to 2pm.

As well as Bushy Park, the service is also supported by the Mid West Regional Drugs and Alcohol Task Force, the Community Substance Misuse Team, HSE and Anna Liffey Drug Project.

TWENTY two Clare families will be taken off the housing waiting list and placed in a new home following the announcement of funding to renovate long-term vacant local authority properties in the the county last week.

Just in excess of € 400,000 has been allocated to the renovation of the Clare properties with in excess of € 18,277 needed on average to bring the Clare properties back to the standard required standard.

The news comes as the local authority housing waiting list in Clare is understood to be in excess of 2,000 people with a long waits time being experienced by applicants. As result of consistent budget cuts over the last five years, Clare County Council has had very little finances made available to to for the construction or purchase of social housing.

This comes at a time when the economic recession is forcing more people than ever before into the so- cial housing system has brought the system to a virtual standstill.

“There is significant pressure on social housing supply and I am determined that no suitable homes will be left empty when there are families in need of housing,” said Minister for Housing and Planning, Jan O’Sullivan (Lab).

“Vacant local authority houses, many of which are boarded up, are intolerable. They should be providing a home for a family and rental income for the local authority.”

Meanwhile, 19 Clare schools which do not currently operate a book rental scheme, will receive € 235,900 in funding during 2014 and 2015.

The largest allocation will be for the CBS in Ennis who will receive € 64,600. Clonlara National School will receive € 34,000, Knockanean National School will receive € 27,800 while St Mary’s National School in Lahinch will get € 15,100.

Other schools to receive funding include Meelick National School € 14,800, Ruan National School € 11,100 and Kilkishen National School € 10,400.

GARDAÍ in Ennis are investigating the attempted mugging of a 58-yearold woman of her handbag in broad daylight.

The incident occurred across from Steele’s Terrace at around 11.55am on Monday last, when a brazen attempt was made to rob the handbag from the woman as she walked on the footpath almost beside Ennis Courthouse.

The woman was approached from behind by a man who knocked her to the ground and then attempted to steal her handbag.

The victim bravely fought off her attacker and managed to hold onto her bag.

The woman, who lives in the Ennis area, reported the incident to the gardaí and gave a full description of her attacker.

She did not suffer any serious injuries but it is said to have been left badly shaken by the ordeal.

SECURITY measures have been reviewed at Shannon after a drunk man scaled a perimeter fence and gained access to the airside area of the airport.

The alert was raised in the early hours of April 12 after a man was seen in a restricted area outside one of the airport buildings. The man, who had walked towards the airport in the drunken belief he was going towards Limerick, was apprehended and arrested by gardaí.

A senior garda said last week there was nothing sinister about the man’s reason for climbing over the airport fence.

When contacted last week, a spokesman for Shannon Airport said Shannon did not comment on security matters at the international airport.

Details of the incursion at Shannon were outlined at Ennis District Court on Wednesday where a 32-year-old Polish man pleaded guilty to trespassing on the airport in a manner that was likely to cause fear.

He also pleaded guilty to being intoxicated and scaling the airport perimeter fence contrary to airport byelaws under the Air and Transport Navigation Act.

Mr Zareba, with a former address at Cratloe Suites, Two Mile Inn, Ennis Road, Limerick, was celebrating his last day of work as a plane sprayer with a friend at the Shannon Knights, the court heard.

Inspector Tom Kennedy said the accused had drank a bottle of vodka by the time he left the pub and started walking towards Shannon Airport in the belief he was going to Limerick. Insp Kennedy said the man scaled the 3.5 metre palisade fence and was spotted by security staff at around 5am.

“It would appear in his stupor, he was unable to tell if he was inside or outside the fence and was still looking for Limerick,” added Insp Kennedy.

He told the court there was nothing sinister about the incident. However he said Mr Zareba’s incursion did create a “flurry of activity” at the time and led to a review of security arrangements at the airport. Mr Zareba has no previous convictions.

Solicitor Stiofán Fitzpatrick said his client, a married man who lived in Ireland for six years, was genuinely apologetic. “He had no intention of going to the airport. He wanted to go home. He was intoxicated.”

Judge Patrick Durcan said this was a “bizarre case”. Noting the accused’s good record, his guilty plea and the fact that gardaí accepted he had misdirected himself to the airport because he was drunk, Judge Durcan ordered Mr Zareba to pay € 500 to the court poor box meaning he will have no criminal record. The court heard Mr Zareba is to start a new job in the Czech Republic.

THE importance of mental and physical health will be discussed at Ireland’s first Men’s Shed Conference, which takes place in Ennis at the weekend.

‘No man is an island’ is the theme of the conference, which takes place at Treacys West County on April 25 and 26.

The Ennis Men’s Shed was established in Hermitage last year to “enhance or maintain the wellbeing of the participating men”.

Around 20 people regularly attend the shed, which is open three times a week. The shed contains a workshop and offers men a chance to openly discuss issues that maybe affecting them.

The conference will hear from a number of speakers including wellknown West Clare GP, Dr Billy O’Connell and Tom McEvoy, Clare Director of the suicide awareness organisation, Pieta House.

It is hoped the conference will show how the Men’s Shed movement can be used as a tool to enhance men’s mental and physical wellbeing.

Facilitator Frank McNamara explained, “The whole idea of the conference is to get the word out there that it’s okay to be not okay. It’s okay for men to be not okay. The whole ethos of the Men’s Shed movement is to get men to talk. What we’ve decided is to put it out there that it’s okay to be depressed. Its ok to feel wanted and feel needed. Its ok to have mental health issues.”

He continued, “We’re trying to put this stuff out on the table and say it’s okay to talk about it. The whole idea of the conference is men’s mental and physical health; that it’s okay to be not okay. We’re envisioning that guys will take from it what they want. They might not want to put up their hand and ask a question. They might want to ask a question privately or they may gain the information through the speakers. At least they have the information and they can do something with it.

“It’s a risky thing to do because you could actually turn a lot of men away from it. We were all told as kids, if you fell and hurt your knee or whatever, ‘get up be a man, stop crying, be a man’. We’re trying to put it out there that men have feelings too!” he said.

The conference will also see the launch of the Ennis Women’s Shed, which is the first of it’s kind in the Northern Hemisphere.

Folk singer Mary Coughlan will officially launch the Ennis Women’s Shed.

The Ennis Men’s Shed Conference takes place at the West County Hotel in Ennis on April 25 and 26. For further information contact Frank McNamara, facilitator at Ennis Men’s Shed on 085 2119118.

GARDAÍ in Ennis are investigating the attempted mugging of a 58-yearold woman of her handbag in broad daylight.

The incident occurred across from Steele’s Terrace at around 11.55am on Monday, April 13, when an attempt was made to rob a handbag from the woman as she walked on the footpath near Ennis Courthouse.

The woman was approached from behind by a man who knocked her to the ground and then attempted to steal her handbag. The victim bravely fought off her attacker and managed to hold onto her bag.

The incident only lasted for a few minutes with the man fleeing from the scene initially in the direction of the town centre.

The woman, who lives in the En- nis area, reported the incident to the gardaí and gave a full description of her attacker.

She did not suffer any serious injuries but it is said to have been left badly shaken by the ordeal. She told gardaí the man came up behind and attempted to grab her handbag.

Gardaí Ennis are investigating the incident and are studying CCTV of the area where the attempted robbery occurred.

A TEENAGER who offloaded a stolen guitar to a pawnshop in Limerick has been told keep his bib clean or face a lengthy prison sentence.

Judge Patrick Durcan issued the warning to Karl Haugh at Ennis District Court on Wednesday.

He told the 18 year old he was facing length prison spell if got into any more trouble before July.

Mr Haugh, with an address at Oakwood Drive, Watery Road, Ennis, pleaded guilty to handling a stolen Navarro electric guitar at Oakwood Drive, Ennis on November 16, 2013.

Inspector Tom Kennedy told the court the guitar valued at € 750 was stolen from a car parked outside a home in Oakwood Drive.

The court heard the guitar was tendered for € 120 by Mr Haugh at a Cash Express outlet in Limerick City.

The court heard Mr Haugh only received € 20 from the sale.

Insp Kennedy said Mr Haugh denied the theft of the guitar but admitted tendering it for cash.

He told the court the offence was committed while Mr Haugh was subject to a 12-month probation bond.

Defence solicitor John Casey said his client was part of a gang in Ennis. Mr Casey said gardaí accepted Mr Haugh was a “minor operative”.

Mr Casey told the court his client had nothing to do with stealing the guitar but was the “idiot” who walked in front of the Cash Express security cameras holding the stolen item.

He said Mr Haugh has since broken away from the group.

Mr Haugh told Judge Durcan he went into the shop because he was the only one in the group who had a passport.

He said he had written a letter of apology to the guitar owner. “I keep putting myself in bad situations”, he added.

The Judge said that given the offence was committed while Mr Haugh was on probation; it was his view the accused deserved a custodial sentence.

Mr Casey said his client’s behaviour may have been driven by an “element of fear of other parties”.

He told the court that if Mr Haugh goes to prison he would lose his place on a Youthreach education programme.

Judge Durcan adjourned the case for a brief period, saying he had a six-month prison sentence in mind.

When the case resumed, Mr Casey told Judge Durcan the adjournment had left Mr Haugh “sweaty”.

“He is very, very uncomfortable”, he added.

Judge Durcan said he was willing to adjourn sentencing to July 2 when Mr Haugh has completed the Youthreach programme.

He told the teenager if he committed any more offences, he would be off for a “lengthy spell”.

“You keep your bib clean sonny”, added Judge Durcan.

A DECISION on the construction of Clare’s first ever crematorium in Clarecastle could yet be months away, and will likely rest on the validity of a similar application made to construct a crematorium in Shannon in 2007.

Planners at Clare County Council have written to Fenloe Properties Ltd, the company behind the the proposed Clarecastle crematorium, looking for further information about 21 separate issues which have arisen on the back of their December 2013 planning application.

An Taisce have also made two separate representations to the planners regarding the crematorium – with both letters highlighting the need to clarify the validity of the 2007 planning application before permission for a second crematorium in the area can be granted.

This comes in the wake of a legal letter sent by Fenloe Properties Ltd to Clare County Council last October, regarding plans by the local authority to sell land in Shannon to an unnamed developer for the creation of a crematorium.

While the local authority had already approved an extension of planning for the Shannon crematorium, Fenloe objected to the proposed sale of the land itself.

It is as yet unclear if this development could yet go ahead – which raises the possibility of two crematoriums being built within 19 kilome- tres of each other.

The Clarecastle application has also prompted a number of objections from local residents – with four separate representation being made to Clare County Council.

Councillors Pat Daly (FF) and Tom McNamara (FF) have both applied to make representation in relation to the application.

In her representations, local Taisce officer Anny Wise, raised concerns about the prospect of rival Clare crematoriums.

“Foremost there should be certainty that the Shannon Crematorium has become out of date and is no longer relevant.

“There is a market for a crematorium in the area as we have several hundred Indian individuals living in this area.

“There would no be enough for two so the Shannon [proposal] must be confirmed as not viable before going ahead with this one,” she said in a letter to council planner earlier this month.

Senior planing staff officer with Clare County Council, Siobhan O’Reilly, wrote to Fenloe Properties Ltd earlier this month with a number of questions regarding the proposed development.

These questions included information about the type of furnace planned, the possibility of harmful emissions and other environmental issues.

A decision had been expected in February, but will now not likely be made before the end of the year.

A WEST Clare mechanic has received fines totaling € 1500 after pleading guilty to what a Judge described as “the worst and most dangerous case of dangerous driving” he has come across.

Judge Patrick Durcan made the comment as he disqualified Daniel Sexton (22) from holding a driver’s license for four years.

Mr Sexton, with an address at Finnuremore, Mullagh, pleaded guilty to one continuous incident of dangerous driving at Lifford Road, Ballymaley, Dulick Gort Road and Ballycorey near Ennis on January 23, 2014. He also admitted charges of ‘drug driving’ and failing to stop when requested to do so by a garda.

Details of the incident were heard at Ennis District Court on Wednesday. Inspector Tom Kennedy said Garda Brian O’Callaghan was operating a checkpoint at Sandfield, Ennis when Mr Sexton’s car approached. The court heard Mr Sexton performed a u-turn and raced out the Gort Road at a speed of 120 kilometres per hour in a 50 km zone.

Insp Kennedy said Mr Sexton started to overtake cars forcing vehicles traveling in the opposite direction to take evasive action

Mr Sexton’s car reached speeds of 150 km/h before he was eventually halted at the Ballymaley business park, four kilometres from the original checkpoint.

It was subsequently discovered Mr Sexton had cannabis in his system.

Defence solicitor Daragh Hassett told the court his client is a hard working man who had agreed to drive the car for a friend.

He said Mr Sexton smoked a joint at a party the night before and when he saw the gardaí, he panicked.

Mr Hassett said, “He cannot be proud of his behaviour, which was disgraceful”.

“He cannot excuse what he did. It was a moment of madness which he will regret for the rest of his life”, he added.

Mr Hassett asked Judge Durcan to consider a postponement of the disqualification for work related reasons.

Judge Durcan said that in his two years sitting on the bench on Clare this is “the worst and most dangerous case of dangerous driving I have come across”.

Of the accused’s driving on the night, Judge Durcan said, “He was absolutely as high as a kite. He probably thought he had wings instead of wheels”.

Judge Durcan ordered Mr Sexton to complete 120 hours of community service in lieu of three months in prison. He imposed fines totalling € 1500 and disqualified Mr Sexton from holding a driver’s license for four years.

A PROPOSAL to construct nine on-shore windfarms on a site just 2km from Doonbeg village has been overturned.

The plans, which were originally lodged by Clare Coastal Wind Power Limited on February 2 this year, were catapulted into the public spotlight three week later when billionaire American businessman, Donald Trump purchased the nearby Doonbeg Golf Course.

Trump, who has been involved in ongoing disputes with authorities in Scotland over windfarms being built close to his golfing interests, voiced his concerns against he proposed development.

According to Tony Lowes, Director of Friends of the Irish Environment, the billionaire host of The Apprentice television programme was “active” in opposing the development.

“Mr Trump was very active – he called me up and said they were opposed to the windfarm and noticed the work we had done,” said Mr Lowes.

Following the decision to deny planning for the development last week Mr Trump send a tweet to Scot- tish First Minister, Alex Salmond.

“Ireland just ended the bird killing wind farm near my great resort on the Atlantic Ocean. The reason, would hurt tourism!” he tweeted to Mr Salmond.

However, according to planning files associated with the planning permission, the project was halted on a technicality involving getting land owners’ signatures. According to a letter from planners at Clare County Council to Clare Coastal Wind Power, the planning permission was invalidated because the application contained a list of the local landowners whose land would be used for the development – but not each landowners signature, as required.

The Trump Organisation has stated its delight that the plans for the windfarm have been withdrawn.

“We are very pleased that the application has been withdrawn and alongside the local residents we will continue to monitor the situation and if necessary lodge a further objection,” said Executive Vice-president of Trump International, George Sorial.

It is not yet clear whether Clare Coastal Wind Power will re-submit their application in the future.