Category: News

A POLISH man charged following the alleged discovery of cannabis at Spancill Hill earlier this year has been sent forward for trial to the Circuit Criminal Court.

The charges relate to alleged offences at Kilvoydan, Spancill Hill, on January 21, 2014.

Krzyztof Sobolewski, with a former address at The Island, Kilvoydan Spancill Hill, is charged with unlawful possession of cannabis and possession of cannabis for sale or sup- ply.

It is alleged the accused had cannabis for sale or supply at a time when the market value of the controlled drugs amounted to € 13,000 or more.

Mr Sobolewski (37) is also charged with unlicensed cultivation of cannabis.

The book of evidence was served on the accused at Ennis District Court on Wednesday.

Inspector Tom Kennedy said the Director of Pubic Prosecutions (DPP) had consented to the accused being returned for trial to the next sittings of Ennis Circuit Criminal Court on April 29.

Defence solicitor John Casey told the court a Polish translator would be required in the Circuit Court. Mr Casey also applied for the book of evidence to be translated into Polish.

His application was granted by Judge William Early.

Judge Early also approved a legal aid application going forward for Mr Casey, junior counsel and senior counsel, in view of the seriousness of the charge. Judge Early delivered the alibi warning and made the order returning the accused for trial.

BRUCE Springsteen may has robbed the Banner county of a future political leader.

Kilrush local election candidate, Joe Coughlan (Ind), who famously presented The Boss with a giant sized Irish passport during his sold out Thomand Park concerts in July of 2013, has decided to call time on his election campaign, after meeting Springsteen once again in Nashville last week.

Mr Coughlan originally announced his decision to run for a seat on Clare County Council in February of this year. Launching his campaign he said that it was time for him to either “put up or shut up” and said that he was “tired of seeing people running again and again” for election.

However, after being offered the opportunity to meet The Boss in America last week, he has decided to pull the plug on his political career.

“I’ve been in Nashville for a couple of days and I met him [Springsteen] after I saw him in concert last Wednesday. It hit me after I met him over in Nashville, this is the kind of thing that I wouldn’t be able to do if I was elected,” he said yesterday.

“I didn’t ask him about it [the election], but to be honest I didn’t want to run for just for the sake of it. If I was going to be a politician then I wanted to be 100 per cent committed to it.”

Mr Coughlan famously presented Bruce Springsteen with an oversized Irish passport during his concert in Limerick in July of last year. Later that evening, he was invited to share a drink with The Boss in the Basement Bar of the Adare Manor Hotel.

“I think I’ve started to see the reali- ty of what running for election would look like. People here did encourage me to run and if I was a councillor I’d like to be able to make most of the people happy, but the way things are I don’t think I’d be able to do that,” he said. “I have a good life, I have my business. I think it [being a councillor] would have taken up too much of my time.” Mr Coughlan did not rule out the possibility of running for election in the future and said that if the amount of wages paid to county councillors were increased, and he could give up his day job, he would consider running for election in the future.

NEXT year’s INTO conference is to be held in Ennis, providing an economic boost to the county town.

Held during the Easter holidays every year the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO) attracts up to 2,000 people for the three-day conference.

This year West Clare man Sean McMahon will take over at the helm and inaugurated as president of the union, and next Easter the annual conference will be held at Treacys West County Hotel, Ennis.

Approximately 850 delegates representing 32,000 primary teachers in the Republic of Ireland and 6,000 teachers in the north will attend.

Spouses, partners and families often travel with the delegates, while more attend for the exhibitions that take place during theses events.

Welcoming the announcement that Ennis will be the location for the 2015 INTO conference, incoming president Mr McMahon said it will not only bring more visitors to Clare for the Easter holidays, but will also be a chance for teachers across the country to see what the county has to offer n terms of tourism.

“We would hope that when they see what is here they would come back with school tours too,” Mr McMahon said.

This year it will be Kilkenny under the microscope as the delegates attend the Lyrath Estate for the event.

A total of 20 delegates from Clare are attending the conference this week.

The conference opened yesterday afternoon Monday and was addressed by the current INTO president, Brendan O’Sullivan.

This morning’s session (Tuesday) will feature an address by the Minister for Education and Skills Ruairi Quinn TD and an address by the Minister for Education in Northern Ireland John O Dowd MLA.

This year’s INTO Congress will be dominated by educational and indus trial relations issues of concern to teachers.

These include pay and conditions of employment, fair taxation, the funding of schools, school leadership, small schools, promotion for teachers, special needs teaching, tackling disadvantage and school patronage.

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.