Category: News

“THE traditional Irish pub as we know it will be extinct in the next few years.”

That was the fear expressed by the Clare representative on the Vintners Federation of Ireland, Charlie O’Meara as he explored the change in people’s attitudes, especially young people, to public houses.

“People get tired of hearing how difficult it is for the publican, but it is true. The rural pubs are suffering there is no doubt, but town pubs are struggling as well,” he said.

“The social scene has changed, so the next generation growing up has no allegiance to a pub,” he explained.

The Ennis publican said the new generation is drinking at home and then going straight to a late bar of nightclub.

The majority of pubs in Clare to- day are surviving by providing food also.

The operator of Moroney’s Bar in Ennis said most Irish pubs now have more in common with the traditional English pub.

He made the comments when asked about the number of licence holders in the county dropping again.

In 2005, there were 373 licensed premises in Clare according to official revenue figures.

Last year that figure had dropped to 306, a drop of just one in the last year.

Many of those licences accounted for however, refer to anyone who holds a seven day licence such as off licence, hotel or shop and do not reflect a full picture of the number of public houses forced to close due to lack of trade.

Many publicans that did call time for the last time transferred or sold their licences to businesses other than pubs.

A NEW Accident and Emergency Department for the region is at least two years away, despite construction being descried as “well underway on a new hospital shell block”.

Since the closure of the 24-hour service at Ennis and Nenagh hospitals, the only Emergency Department in the region is in Dooradoyle Limerick.

Just last week nurses again highlighted overcrowding issues in the A&E and the Medical Assessment Unit was closed for four days at the hospital at the beginning of the month to accommodate serious over crowding.

Work on the exterior building of the new wing of the University Hospital Limerick, which is to accommodate the new ED, is due to be completed by April 2014.

The unit will also include a new dialysis unit and a basement car park. “It is then proposed to progress the fit out of the basement to provide approximately 200 car parking spaces over the following six months. Separately, a tender process is being progressed for the fit out of the ground and first floors to provide the new ED and Dialysis Department,” a spokesperson for the hospital said.

“It is envisaged that the ED fit out works would commence in October 2014 with the new ED ready for opening in early 2016.”

“As an interim measure an extension has recently been completed to the existing ED in Dooradoyle,” he added.

The major development work currently underway follows the recent construction of the Critical Care block.

A YOUNG man who pleaded guilty to public order offences and holding a knife in the presence of gardaí was given a suspended sentence by a District Court Judge who believed him to be ultimately “a good lad”.

Judge Patrick Durcan sentenced Jonathan O’Brien of 10 St Patrick’s Terrace, Kilrush to three months in prison after he pleaded guilty to Section 9 (1) and (7) of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990, and placed him on a probation bond for six months for breach of the peace.

“I’m of the view you are a good lad but you need a bit of help,” the judge said as he suspended his prison sen- tence and placed him on a good behaviour bond for two years.

The court had been told that on the evening of October 11, 2013 Garda Sean Mullins of Lissycasey Garda Station was responding to reports of a drunken man on Henry Street, Kilrush when he found Mr O’Brien bare-chested and intoxicated on the footpath.

The garda gave evidence that the 20-year-old was not aggressive at the time, so the gardaí brought him home to his grandparents house in St Patrick’s Terrace.

Outside the house Mr O’Brien became aggressive towards the gardaí telling them;

“I’ll fucking get ye guards. I’ll knock your fucking teeth out.”

Mr O’Brien then went inside and gardaí heard the sound of a cutlery drawer being opened.

The defendant emerged with the blade of a kitchen knife visible from his trousers.

He took the knife out of his trousers and placed it on a hall table after gardaí spoke to him.

Solicitor for the defence Patrick Moylan said his client has mental health issues and acted stupidly on the night.

“He showed more bravado than intent,” he said adding that his client did not bandy the knife around but returned it to the hall table.

Mr O’Brien, who has a partner and a baby due in April, lives with his grandparents. His parents divorced when he was young and “he had nothing to do with his father and has some contact with his mother”.

Mr O’Brien apologised to the gardaí and the court describing his behaviour as “very foolish”.

He had 13 previous convictions.

In his summation Judge Durcan said;

“The first thing that strikes me is the abuse of alcohol and the consequences it can have; and second thing that strikes me is the possession of a knife and the consequences that can have.”

He praised Garda Mullins for his “policeman ship” and commended Mr O’Brien for allowing his sense of “righteousness” to overcome his impulses.

TWO KILRUSH pubic houses have been ordered to close and the publicans to pay fines for selling spirits on which no duty was paid.

Describing Michael Johnson of Johnson’s Bar, Henry Street, Kilrush as “the worst kind of publican” District Court Judge Patrick Durcan fined him € 4,000 and ordered him to close the pub for seven days from February 4.

“I do not accept he bought these bottles over the counter from someone he did not know and if he did he showed a level of irresponsibility,” he said at the hearing in Klirush on Tuesday.

Mr Johnson had pleaded guilty of having 14 litres of vodka on which appropriate rate of alcohol products tax had not been paid_ Contrary to Section 79 (2) &(7) of Finance Act 2003 as substituted by section 62 of the Finance Act 2005.

In evidence to the court Customs and Excise officer Chris Mulqueen outlined that he called to Johnson’s Bar, on June 20, 2013 and located the bottles of vodka for which no duty had been paid.

He took samples from a bottle of this vodka, tests confirmed that it was under strength and inconsistent with “Smirnoff vodka”. The sample recorded a 33.1 per cent volume as opposed to a 37 per cent volume.

The court heard that Michael Johnson had been running the bar and could not confirm where he got the vodka. He was asked for documents to confirm purchase but did not produce these documents.

Solicitor for the defence Patrick Moylan said his client had paid € 144 for 12 bottles of vodka.

He told the court that if Mr Johnson could identify the seller he would, and that it was not unusual for people to turn up and the pub to sell alcohol.

He said Mr Johnson told him the pub is due to close at the end of February.

Mr Moylan said his client was a good publican and had never been in court before.

Judge Durcan said, “Mr Johnson bought drink from someone he doesn’t know, the quality he knew nothing about and he shelled that out to his customers.”

“In my view, he is the worst kind of publican you can find and not someone who in my view should be authorised to hold a publican’s licence.

“Any publican not knowing the source of alcohol and then dishes it out to their customers – don’t tell the court that he has been a good publican,” he added.

The district court judge said he sympathized with the licensing trade as it was “under extreme pressure.”

He said it was important that customers had faith in their publican however, and it was important that other law-abiding publicans were not put at a disadvantage.

In a separate, but in the words of Michael Linnane, prosecuting for the revenue commissioners, “similar case” the judge fined David Bond of Sheananigans Public House, Frances Street, Kilrush € 2, 500.

He ordered that the public house be closed for two days.

Mr Bond pleaded guilty to not paying the appropriate duty on 10 Litres of spirits.

Customs officer John Grehan gave evidence of finding what he described as “counterfeit vodka” in Shenanigan’s Bar on May 31, 2013.

He said Mr Bond “made frank admissions. He told us where he got it and co-operated fully. He has no previous convictions.”

Solicitor for Mr Bond, said his client was “shocked when he discovered the alcohol was not genuine”.

Mr Linnane informed the court that the maximum fine in cases like these was a fine of € 5,000, which could be mitigated to no less than € 2,500. There is also a mandatory closure order in respect of this, which had to be a minimum of two days, but no more than seven days.

A KILKEE man was fined € 1,000 for hitting a garda with the wing mirror of his car when he drove off “ at speed”.

Eoin O’Shea, Miltown Road, Kilkee pledged guilty to assaulting Garda Adrian Cosgrove on June 6, 2011 Contrary to Section 2 of the Non Fatal Offences Against the Person Act 1997 at Kilrush District Court.

The court heard that the garda was out of work for two weeks due to resulting pain to his hip and leg.

Mr O’Shea was also accused of unlawfully impeding Gda Greg Gander in the course of his duty, when he wanted to search his car under Section 23 of the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977/84.

The court was told that the 28-yearold defendant was parked outside a hotel at Circular Road, Dough, Kilkee just after midnight when Garda Cosgrove asked him for his licence.

The window of the car would only go down a few inches and there was also a dog in the car “and anxieties rose” explained Joe Chambers, solicitor for the defence.

“He handed out the driving licence and NCT showing it had failed,” he added.

The gardaí then asked Mr O’Shea to get out of the car.

Mr Chambers said his client was embarrassed and he panicked.

He asked gardaí to meet him further up the road where they could search his car, but this may have got lost in the moment, according to the solicitor.

Fining the defendant € 1,000, Judge Patrick Durcan said, “ I dislike cases that come before the court that show disregard for the state.”

JAILED peace activist Margaretta D’Arcy may serve the remainder of her sentence in Mountjoy, a court has heard.

The 79-year-old writer was arrested and brought to Limerick women’s prison earlier this month after failing to sign a court bond forbidding her from entering areas of Shannon Airport unauthorised to the public.

Ms D’Arcy, of St Bridget’s Place, Woodquay, Galway and her co-accused Niall Farrell (60), of Ballynacloghy, Maree, Galway, were convicted last month of interfering with the proper use of Shannon Airport by going onto the main jet runway with- out permission.

The pair held a peaceful protest on the main jet runway of Shannon Airport on October 7, 2012.

They denied the charge but were convicted and each given a three month prison sentence. The term was suspended on condition both enter a bond to be of good behaviour and refrain from entering areas of Shannon Airport that are unauthorized to the public.

Ms D’Arcy’s refusal to sign the bond led to the activation of the sentence. Ms D’Arcy and Mr Farrell were before Ennis District Court again on Wednesday.

They are accused of interfering with the proper use of Shannon Airport by going on the runway without permission on September 1, 2013.

The alleged offence is contrary to the Air Navigation and Transport Act.

Both accused deny the charge. Their cases were before the court to fix a date for hearing.

Inspector Tom Kennedy sought to have amendments inserted in the charge sheets for both accused. In response to questions from Judge Patrick Durcan, Insp Kennedy said he had not served notice of his application to the accused.

Ms D’Arcy is representing herself. Mr Farrell told the court he had asked Insp Kennedy to send all disclosure to his solicitors in Belfast.

Insp Kennedy said he was aware Mr Farrell had instructed solicitors in the matter but had not received any correspondence from them. He said papers would be sent to Mr Farrell’s legal representatives.

Judge Durcan directed the State supply all discovery to the accused. He also ordered the State to serve notice of the application to amend the charge sheet to Ms D’Arcy He adjourned both cases to February 13 when preliminary matters will be dealt with.

Ms D’Arcy urged Judge Durcan to strike out the charge. “It would save a lot of time if you threw this case out”, she said.

Mr Farrell later told the court there is a “likelihood” his “fellow peace dissident” would be transferred to the women’s unit in Mountjoy prison.

ONE of Clare’s oldest traditional music festivals has been short listed for the prestigious IMRO Music Festival of the Year 2013 award.

The world famous Willie Clancy Summer School in Miltown Malbay is in a strong category that includes Electric Picnic, Other Voices, Music Trail, Body and Soul, Longitude, Life, Sea Sessions, Kilkenny Rhythm and Blues, Galway Arts Festival and the Temple Bar TradFest.

More than 8,500 members of IMRO (Irish Music Rights Organisation) nominated their favourite Irish venues and festivals for the awards.

The Best Live Music Festival of the Year will be announced at a special prize giving ceremony, which will take place on Tuesday, February 4.

There will also be a special Hot Press Readers Award presented at the event for Hot Press Best Live Music Venue, as voted by the general public, and by readers of Hot Press Magazine.

The award ceremony will take place at the IMRO HQ from 6.30pm to 9.00pm and will be presented by Paddy McKenna from RTÉ 2FM.

Live Performances on the night will include Kodaline, Gavin James and I Am The Cosmos.

The Willie Clancy Summer School said they are happy to be nominated in the category and are in “good company”.

The members are now just philosophically waiting “to see what happens”.

A NUMBER of local drivers in Crusheen have stopped using a section of the M18 because of fears about that safety on part of the M18, north of Crusheen.

That is according to Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) who has written to the National Roads Authority (NRA) requesting that they conduct a safety audit of the road and reduce speed limits to 100 kph in the area.

This following a recent spate of accidents in a section of the M-18 north of Crusheen over the Christmas period. For the last three week the NRA has displayed a sign warning motorists top exercise “extreme caution” on this section of road.

“There is a genuine concern amongst local people regarding this stretch. Most local are now reducing their speed when they come to this section of the road and I know of some people who are avoiding the road altogether,” said Cllr Hayes.

“The difficulty then comes for people who are not used to driving on the road; they don’t know of the particular dangers that seem to exist there. I think the fact that the NRA have put up this sign on the road shows there there is some sort of issue here.”

A spokesperson from the NRA yesterday confirmed that the NRA place the a sign, with what he described as “strong language” on the M18. The signs was put in place follow a request from the Gardaí in the wake of a number of recent accidents.

At the time of going to press the NRA spokesperson could not confirm if the roads organisations plans to conduct safety audit on a stretch of the M18, north of Crusheen.

It was also confirmed that this section of the M18, which was closed on two separate occasion on the same day following a series of traffic accident over the Christmas period, was gritted on three separate occasion on the day of the spate of accidents.

WHILE the local authority tackles one of the largest flood relief projects in the county town of Ennis, a new form of flooding has taken hold in other parts of the county.

During the last number of years, rural roads in Clare, which previously went unaffected by heavy rainfall, are now subjected to significant flooding.

The reason for the floods, according to the council, is blocked drains and ultimately a staff shortage, which has continued since a Government moratorium and a major early retirement scheme in the public service.

Tom Tiernan, Senior Engineer with Clare County Council, confirmed, “Blocked drains and subsequent flooding has increasingly become a problem around the county in recent years.

“Clare County Council is unable to carry out drainage clearing work as regularly as it would like to due to curtailed resources,” he said.

Frustrated local county councillors have been inundated with calls relating to the issue.

Cllr Tom McNamara said, the finances simply are not there to regularly undertake even the most basic of road maintenance works.

This has led to the deterioration of our roads, particularly in rural areas.

“For example, in recent weeks I have seen flooding occur on sections of the R474 between Ennis and Miltown Malbay as well as smaller regional and local roads where flooding has not occurred before, such as that experienced recently on the Bushypark Road. This flooding is the result of roadside drains not being maintained and becoming filled with debris. The blocked drains simply cannot cope with the volume of rainwater,” he said.

THERE was mixed feelings towards the € 13 million allocated for the upkeep, improvements and general works on Clare’s regional and local roads this year.

The Government approved fund to Clare County Council, Kilrush Town Council and Ennis Town Council was down by € 2 million on last year, which is ultimately bad news for rural roads impacted upon by the storms and heavy rain of recent months.

Clare County Council is to receive just under € 12 million with the Ennis authority to receive € 339,200 and Kilrush to be allocated € 115,000.

Members of Clare County Council have criticised the funding reduction claiming it has “drastically reduced” the council’s ability to carry out basic road maintenance work such as road surfacing, hedge cutting, and road drainage clearing.

Ennis West Councillor Tom McNamara (FF) said the council was fighting a losing battle. “Rather than being financed sufficiently to maintain local and regional roads they have to focus maintenance on the most travelled roads only,” he said.

It wasn’t all bad news from his point of view however with € 50,000 allocated to Connolly.

There was also some good news for motorists using the R474 between Ennis and Miltown Malbay and the much-publicised Kilkee to Loop Head Road.

The maintenance of the later is essential to the Wild Atlantic Way route to begin later this year.

Meanwhile in East Clare there was unease that a project that is not scheduled to begin for at least another decade was again awarded funding from the council coffers.

“It is very frustrating that the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport have again made a substantial fund allocation to the Limerick Northern Distributor Road (LNDR) project,” said Cllr Cathal Crowe.

“The € 140,000 allocated towards the advancement of the Limerick Northern Distributor Road is, in my view, a shameful waste of taxpayer’s money at a time when funding to our county’s existing roads network has been savagely cut.”

In 2013 € 300,000 was allocated from the fund to the project that is meeting with resistance locally.

“If precedence is followed the € 140,000 allocated last week will be channelled into the surveying of the route line and volumes of paperwork which, to date, the public have been denied access to,” said the local councillor.