Category: News

WITH a reduction in council staff of almost 20 per cent in just over five years, councillors fought hard to retain what they could in their own areas at a hotly-contested meeting on Tuesday.

Suggestions from four members that a special workshop should be set up to decide where staff should be employed once the town councils are dissolved on June 1 was met with a firm rejection by the council’s most senior executive.

Sharp exchanges continued between the county manager Tom Coughlan and members, as Mr Coughlan pointed out that staffing issues were not the responsibility of the elected members.

“If that is the kind of system you want then you don’t need a county manager,” he said.

“I have to deal with staff and unions. Staff is not an issue for the council members and that is the law.”

Staff from Kilrush are to be moved to Ennis once the Kilrush and Kilkee Town Councils cease to exist, but 20 members are to remain in the Kilrush office to deal with local issues.

Shannon is to go through a similar process.

Concerned about the Ennistymon office, Cllr Richard Nagle (FF) argued that it would be humanly impossible to continue a service in the North Clare area if more staff were redeployed to Ennis.

Mr Coughlan said that the staffing levels should be sufficient in Ennistymon once some members are moved to Ennis to work in the Environment section. He said he would keep the situation under review.

He said he was already going “against the grain” by keeping two council offices open in the West Clare Area – one in Kilrush and one in Ennistymon.

Cllr Patricia McCarthy (Ind) said that this move was acceptable by the Government due to the huge geographical West Clare area, and was not against any policy.

And it was not just the county manager that came under fire at the meeting.

Cllr McCarthy said of Minister Phil Hogan – “This Minister should be shot”.

Minutes later on reflection the Shannon councillor said, “I would like to withdraw the action that should be taken against the minister and use the word sacked.”

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.

CONSTRUCTION work on a new € 6 million pier in Doolin will get underway in a matter of days and is expected to be completed by the middle of next year.

Kilmaley-based construction company, L&M Keating, will officially sign contracts with Clare County Council later today, April 22, with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin (Lab), set to turn the sod on the project at 2.30pm.

A new pier for Doolin has been in the pipelines for more than a decade but the development was subject to an extended planning process following objections by local surfers who felt the pier would damage local waves.

“I am delighted that construction of this vitally important piece of infrastructure will commence shortly following years of open debate and extensive consultation with users of the pier, as well as the local community,” said Clare County Manager Tom Coughlan.

“The local authority has invested considerable time and resources into ensuring that the Doolin Pier project is one that benefits all users of the existing pier. Once completed, this project will have significant, positive economic and social consequences for the people of North Clare and the wider region.

“For example, the construction phase of the project will create jobs as will the increase in business that will arise as a result of the Pier’s completion.”

The completed pier will be used mainly to facilitate ferry activity between North Clare and the Aran Islands and the Cliffs of Moher during the tourist season while the existing pier will be available to accommodate other activities, both leisure based and otherwise.

The new pier will also ensure that Doolin is accessible in all tidal conditions, which will be of particular benefit to Doolin Search and Rescue as well as the ferry operators.

Senior engineer and Doolin Pier Project Manager, Tom Tiernan paid tribute to the council’s consultants, led initially by Malachy Walsh and Partners, and to Punch Consulting.

“The next stage of the pier project is construction which will get underway almost immediately. We anticipate that the project will be completed around mid 2015,” he said.