Category: News

DOZENS of Clare people who were the victims of industrial abuse have contacted new state abuse agency Cara Nua during its first three weeks in operation.

Close to 100 people from the county are understood to have contacted the new agency – which has been set up to help connect victims of abuse with a selections of practical services.

The new agency cannot take on any candidates who have not been previously before the Residential Institutions Board or had a successful case before the courts. With the board now closed to new applications, some Clare people who have suffered abuse in an industrial setting may be excluded from the scheme.

Abuse victims can still choose to take a case through the courts, but only if their level of abuse they endured was severe enough to be considered and indictable offense. The statute of limitations for less serious offenses – such as assault (six years), personal injury (two years) and summary offenses (six month) – will have elapsed.

The group currently has a budget of € 74 million funded by the religious institutions but that could swell to € 100 million in the months ahead.

“We can only provide services to people who have actually received an award – either through the Resi- dential Institutions Board or through the courts. We are limited to those people and we can’t deal with people who have spent time in a residential institute but did not take a case or go through the courts,” Fiona Coyne of Cara Nua.

“That said we know of around 400 people who are currently going through redress and we will be able to help them once there cases have been completed. Unfortunately the redress board is closed to applications – they are currently hearing their last 400 cases.”

The scheme is mainly aimed at meeting the needs of the victims of industrial abuse as they enter old age.

“Our focus is on their quality of life now and promoting well being. We’re looking at the issues that they are faced with now, not their time in an institution. These people have already told their story [to the redress board] they don’t need to go into that side of things with us. We are just there to help,” continued Ms Coyne.

“We don’t provide services directly ourselves but if people do need counselling or any kind of physiological support we can put them in touch with people.

“We have a budget of € 74 million and out anticipation is that this money won’t last indefinitely, so we feel we many be able to fund this service for the next three years.”

Contact Cara Nua at 1800 212477.

IT APPEARS that Christianity and paganism coexisted in the Burren for hundreds of years – far longer than than had been previously thought.

Radiocarbondating of three bodies discovered at the Caherconnell Stone Fort in Carron has revealed that the woman and two infant children died somewhere between 535 AD and 649 AD.

The human remains, which were discovered underneath the fort last summer, have given archeologist a new perspective on the relationship between pagan and Christian peoples in the area.

The burial cist was discovered underneath the remains of a stone fort built in the area in the 10th or 11th century. The placing of the cists indicates that the fort was built on top of the ancient burial site, with part of the site actually visible inside the fort.

The current theory is that the people who built the fort were drawing on their connection to this pagan people buried their 500 years earlier to help legitimize their own rule in the area.

It has previously been determined that the fort belonged to a high status local, Christian clan.

“The fort was built on top of the burial site and it must have been done on purpose. By all accounts Christianity should have been fully in at this time, but it seems that the high status people who lived here were happy to keep one foot in each world,” said John Davoran of the Caherconnell Stone Fort.

Testing on the remain has shown that they belonged to a woman who was at least 45 years old, a baby aged between one and two and a very young baby, possibly a newborn or still born child.

The bodies were discovered during annual excavation led by Michelle Comber of NUI, Galway, last summer. There will be further excavation on the site this summer.

“I’d say we will be digging here for another 1,000 years. We have plenty left to discover,” continued Mr Davoran.

“We will be focusing on the fort again this year.

“We’d like to locate the original house of the people who built the fort. We feel that this could unlock a few more of the secrets of the fort.

“But we will be moving from the fort in the years to come.

“There is a large amount of interesting sites in the area and we are very keen to see what they contain.”

AN ATTENDANCE is excess of 10,000 is expected in Cusack Park this Sunday as Clare’s senior hurlers kick off their 2014 Division 1A National Hurling League campaign against Brian Cody’s Kilkenny.

The ground is expected to be able to host the fixture despite the inclement weather forecast for the week, with up to 12mms of rain possible on Friday. Clare come into the game on the back of a fourteen point loss to Tipperary in the Waterford Crystal Final under lights in the Gaelic Gounds on Friday night.

That game highlighted the gap between the All-Ireland champions and the other top hurling counties in terms of preparations according to Banner boss Davy Fitzgerald:

“We are way behind all the other teams in terms of work done. This time last year, going into the league we were eight weeks ahead of where we are this year.

“That’s the price of winning an AllIreland and we’re happy to pay it. It just means we might struggle in the early rounds of the league because we have an awful lot of work to do on catching up with the other teams. But we’ll knuckle down and we’ll get it done,” he told The Clare People this week.

Clare’s team won’t be finalised until closer to the weekend although it is expected to contain a couple of changes from the fifteen that started the All-Ireland final.

Cathal ‘Tots’ O’Connell and Seadna Morey are just two players expected to be pushing for starting places, while Peter Duggan, Shane Golden and Donal Tuohy are also in the reckoning.

Brian Cody is bringing a strong panel to Ennis, with Henry Shefflin expected to start the match. The Cats will be providing a guard of honour for Clare before the game starts.

CLARE farming is on the verge of a civil war, with farmers from the north and west of the county examining the possibility of picketing Clare Marts in Ennis later this week.

A group from the Ennistymon branch of the IFA met last night (Monday, February 10), to discuss a possible picket and boycott of the Ennis Mart. This follows plans announced to sell Ennistymon Mart to supermarket chain Aldi, which prompted more than 450 people to attend a protest meeting in Ennistymon last week.

Ennistymon IFA say they feel “incredibly let down” by members of the board of the Clare Marts, which includes many prominent IFA members. It is not yet clear if a sale has been agreed between Clare Marts and Aldi, with neither organisation willing to comment on the subject.

“We are being totally ignored and left in the dark, and that is adding to the frustration that we are feeling. There are a number of IFA members on the board of Clare Marts – a number of prominent members. We feel that they are selling out farmers in North Clare,” said Pat O’Donoghue from Ennistymon IFA.

“This company [Aldi] were selling sprouts for 9 cent just a month ago. How can something like that be proIrish farming? We feel incredibly let down on what they [the board of Clare Marts] are doing.

“The word had gone out before the meeting that the mart had already been sold and we thought that that might put people off from attending. But in the end we had more than 450 people there from right across the local community.

“We are looking for a meeting with them but we get no answer. We are having a gathering ourselves tonight [Monday, February 10] and the top of the agenda the possibility of picketing the mart.”

Speaking to The Clare People yesterday, Jackie Fitzpatrick of Super- valu in Ennistymon said that, while she recognised the need for competition, jobs would be lost locally if Aldi moves into Ennistymon.

Fitzpatricks currently employ 70 local people, paying out € 1.4 million in wages annually, last year, and spend more than € 400,000 with local suppliers.

“Obliviously I accept the need for competition but if a retail outlet like Aldi were to open a store in Ennistymon there would be consequences for local business. I would anticipate job losses both in my business and in other local business. ” The Clare People contacted Clare Marts yesterday who said they had nothing to say on the proposed sale.

A NIGERIAN born information technology consultant has confirmed his intention to run as a candidate in the 2104 local elections.

George Atijohn (47) intends to seek election in Ennis. The married father of two has lived with his family in the county capital for over 14 years. He has worked as a management and IT consultant. He currently volunteers as computer instructor in Ennis for the Clare/Limerick Education Training Board (ETB).

This is Mr Atijohn’s first time entering the political arena.

He says he wants to help achieve the “unprecedented transformation of County Clare through viable and sustainable economic structures”.

“Economic regeneration at the local level will ultimately improve the economy of the country,” he explained.

He wants to see Shannon Airport as a catalyst for job creation.

Mr Atijohn explained, “There is a new law in aviation (fifth freedom rights) which enables an airline to fly from its home country to a second country for example like Shannon in Ireland, picks up passengers there and fly to a third country for example New York in the USA. Most flights originating from West Africa pass through the European airspace enroute to the USA. Deals can be made with these airlines to make a stopover in Shannon for their passengers to undergo pre-clearance”.

Mr Atijohn said he wants to see greater focus on drugs awareness programmes in Ennis.

He also believes greater encouragement of multiculturalism can boost the local economy in Clare.

“Harnessing human capital resources of the other ethnic nationalities can improve the economic wellbeing of the town/county,” he added.

Mr Atijohn says he supports affordable housing initiatives through the Public Private Partnership approach. He hopes all candidates will be afforded the opportunity to discuss issues at a public debate.

A MAN accused of robbery in Ennis earlier this month as admitted breaching his bail conditions.

Mao Kimbadi (40), with an address at Laurel Lodge, Clare Road, Ennis, was granted bail subject to conditions at Ennis District Court earlier this month.

The accused, who is originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo, was ordered to reside at Laurel Lodge, observe a curfew between 10pm and 7am and sign on twice weekly at Ennis Garda Station. The State was granted liberty to re-enter the cases should any breaches arise.

Mr Kimbadi is charged with robbing a handbag and cash from a woman in the Causeway Link Road area of Ennis at around 11.30pm on January 18. He is further charged with possession of a knife at Clon Road, Ennis on January 19.

He appeared before Ennis District Court on Wednesday. Inspector Tom Kennedy said the State were seeking to have the accused’s bail revoked as conditions had not been abided by.

Detective Garda John Casey of Ennis Garda Station told Insp Kennedy he visited Laurel Lodge on January 26 and 27 within the hours of the accused’s curfew.

He said Mr Kimbadi was not present at the address, which provides temporary accommodation to homeless men. Detective Casey said after further enquiries, he was told Mr Kimbadi had not stayed at Laurel Lodge between January 22 and 31.

Detective Casey said the accused had abided by the signing on conditions.Defence solicitor John Casey said his client no longer resided at Laurel Lodge but lived with his sister in Dublin. He said his client was in Dublin when Detective Casey called to Laurel Lodge.

Mr Casey said it had been explained to Mr Kimbadi that he would have to apply to the court to have his bail conditions varied. He said Mr Kimbadi accepts he breached his bail conditions. Judge William Early ordered Mr Kimbadi to abide by bail conditions. He was remanded on continuing bail to appear again at Ennis District Court on March 26.

Mr Kimbadi’s co-accused Clara Chapman (19) is also alleged to have breached the terms of her bail.

Ms Chapman, with an address at Banner Lodge, Ennis, was not present in court when her case was heard on Wednesday. On Wednesday, Detective Casey said he visited Banner Lodge on January 26, 10pm. He said Ms Chapman was not present and he was told by the owner she had not resided there since January 18.

Defence solicitor Tara Godfrey said her client, an unemployed mother of one, had a number of appointments and may not have been unable to attend court. He remanded Ms Chapman on continuing bail to appear again at Ennis District Court on February 12.

FORMER mayor of Kilrush Ian Lynch has pitted himself against his Kilrush Town Council Fine Gael colleague Cllr Marian McMahon Jones, as he declared himself an Independent candidate this week.

The former Fine Gael man, who failed to make it through the party’s convention, said he felt compelled to run by his strong desire to serve the community.

Cllr Lynch was first elected as a public representative in 2009 when he was voted onto Kilrush Town Council.

Even then he considered running for the county council but as advised to build his profile and experience in the town council first.

“Looking back this may have been a mistake because since the local elections in 2009 Kilrush Town and the greater hinterland have been without representation at Clare County Council level, and there is no doubt that this has been to the detriment of our town. The voice of the people of Kilrush and surrounds is not been heard, this is evident in decisions where things like road signs placed by the NRA direct people away from our town, in a time when footfall is badly needed,” he said.

Kilrush Town Council will be dissolved at end of this council term, and Cllr Lynch has no option but to put his name forward to contest the Clare County Council Municipal Area of Kilrush if he is to remain a public representative.

The young councillor believes change is needed in the Clare County Council Chamber.

“Change is badly needed, people are sick of seeing the same old same old. It’s time for new blood, new spirit, fight and new passion, some one that is not restricted by what they can say or flight for, someone that has courage to stand up and be heard and has the capacity to get things done, this is what people want, this is what they deserve,” he said.

“Yes, it has been said to me to wait, my time will come, but this is not about Ian Lynch or my career in politics, this is about standing up for what I believe in.”

A SITE has been identified in Ennis for the establishment of a park to honour the memory of Clare people who died in conflicts around the world.

A green area between Glór and the Temple Gate Hotel will be the location for the Clare Peace Park. There are already plans to erect a sculpture to recognise the sacrifices of men and women who fought in conflicts such as the Vietnam War

The € 200,000 sculpture will be funded by the Vietnam Veteran’s Advocacy Group, whose members have been regular visitors to Ennis.

The memorial will include the following inscription:

“This memorial is dedicated to the Irish men and women who served in Allied military service in south East Asia during the period 1959-1975. Those who were lost are listed in the order in which they were taken.” A Mayo artist has secured the tender for the project.

A local group, the Clare Peace Park Initiative, are proposing to erect a memorial to the estimated 700 Clare soldiers who served in World War I.

The group was founded in December 2012 from a Remembrance Day Service Committee.

It is intended that the park would be a focal point for the existing commemoration ceremony that takes place on November 11 each year.

Dr Keir McNamara of the Clare Peace Park Initiative explained;

“We also intend to remember those who died from Clare in international conflicts since then.

A total of 45 Clare men died in the Second World War (1939-1945), two in The Spanish Civil war (1936-1939) and two in Korea (1950-1953).”

The group are asking anyone who may have information on Clare people who fought in World War I to contact them.

Further information is available on www. clarepeaceparki nt iat ive. com and the group’s Facebook page.

The group also intends to launch a fundraising initiative.

“In a few years you’re going to have the centenaries 1916/17 so if we don’t get things going we may lose momentum,” added Dr McNamara.

IT IS more than 60 years ago since Mother Nature last attacked the seaside town of Kilkee with such ferocity.

Having escaped the storms and flooding of early January, the St Bridget’s Day storm brought high tides and winds that left hundreds of thousands of euros of destruction in its wake.

Local businesses are now worried that the already struggling tourism industry will be damaged further if the repair work is not carried out immediately.

The most visible damage is at the bandstand and the strand line wall.

The wall has been breached and the prom along the strand is destroyed with debris.

The bandstand, which recently had a face life with some new flags and other works, is completely devastated.

While numerous roads were impassable due to flooding and debris brought from the sea with the force of the waves, a crack on the road to the pier, close to the former Thomond Hotel in an area known as Fisherman’s Corner is a real concern for local people.

“The last time we got something like this was in 1951. We had other storms in the ‘80s but not this bad,” said local businessman John Nolan.

He added that the main aim for the community was to have the tourist resort ready for the first set of visitors on St Patrick’s Day.

In Kilrush, the marina protected most of the town from the high waves, as the lock gates controlled the water levels.

Cappa however was not as fortunate as the waves breached the sea wall and damaged the local playground.

The breach of the sea wall close to the playground leaves families using the playground vulnerable to a 10foot drop to the sea below.

A popular walkway from Iveroo to Cappa has also been compromised, while work continues removing debris from other roads.

“We are not in the same situation as the people of Kilbaha or Carrigaholt, and we would not claim to be, but damage like this has never been done before in Kilrush,” said the town’s mayor Cllr Paul Moroney (Ind). TODAY We t a n d win d y a ft e rn o o n , h e avy sh o we rs a n d o ve r 7m m s o f ra in d u e , te m p s 7c .

A MAN charged in connection with the alleged discovery of drugs at a house in Spancill Hill is due to make his third court appearance tomorrow.

Krystof Sobolewski (37) is charged with an offence arising from the alleged discovery of cannabis at The Island, Kilvoydan, Spancill Hill on January 21.

It is alleged Mr Sobolewski was in possession of cannabis for purposes of selling it or otherwise supplying it.

Mr Sobolewski, with an address at The Island, Kilvoydan, Spancill Hill, first appeared in court earlier this month.

At the time Garda Dara McLoughlin of Scariff Garda Station gave evidence of arrest, charge and caution.

He said the accused made no reply to charge after caution.

Legal aid was granted to solicitor John Casey.

Mr Casey said he had no questions regarding the arrest, charge and caution of his client.

He told the court he would not be making any bail application on behalf of Mr Sobolewski.

Inspector Tom Kennedy sought to have the accused remanded in custody to appear again at Ennis District Court on January 28.

Mr Casey consented to the application.

Mr Sobolewski was brought before the Ennis court again on Tuesday last.

Inspector Tom Kennedy said the State were seeking to have the accused further remanded in custody to February 5.

He said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) had not yet issued directions as to how the case is to proceed.

“This is a very recent case”, he added.

Judge Aeneas McCarthy remanded the accused to appear again at Ennis District Court tomorrow (February 5). SEPA R AT ELY , a 34-year-old man charged with drugs offences is due before Ennis District Court tomorrow.

Vidas Jaskaukas, who listed an address at Main Street, Mullagh, is charged with possession of a controlled drug, to with, cannabis, for purposes of selling it or otherwise supplying it.

The charge relates to an alleged offence at Main Street, Mullagh on January 23.

Inspector Tom Kennedy told the court the State were seeking to have Mr Jaskauskas further remanded in custody to appear again at Ennis District Court on February 5.

The court heard the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has not yet issued directions on the case. Defence solicitor Siobhan McMahon consented to the adjournment.

Judge Aeneas McCarthy remanded the accused in custody to appear again in court tomorrow, (Tuesday February 4th).