Category: News

A CLARE company is set for a € 50 million global expansion in 2014, which could lead to an increase in production and employment at its Shannon headquarters.

Mincon Ltd, which was founded in Clare by Patrick and Mary Purcell in 1977, was valued at almost € 200 million after a successful floatation on the Irish stock market last week.

This floatation, which brought in € 50 million through new shareholders, launched the company at € 180 million, with the value of shares reaching € 197 million at one point. A company spokesperson told The Clare People on December 3 that the planned international acquisition will bring extra job security and pos sibly extra employment for it Shannon headquarters. “The money raised has been earmarked for acquisitions outside of Ireland. What this will do is bring extra security to the manufacturing which is taking place in Shannon,” said the spokesperson. “Everything that is manufactured in Shannon is used for the operations around the world so there is certainly potential that we will be more busy in Shannon.”

The Purcell family owned almost 80 per cent of the company prior the floatation. They have retained 57.7 per cent stake through their Kingsbell Company investment vehicle, which enables them to maintain control of the future direction of Mincon.

The family of the company’s chief executive, Kevin Barry, owned just under 20 per cent of Mincon through a company called Ballybell prior to the sale.

Following the stockmarket entry, they now own 14.4 per cent of the company. Based on the new stock price, the Purcells’ stake is now valued in the region of € 110 million while the Barry family stake is worth more then € 28 million.

Mincon hit the headlines in 2010 when its drills played a crucial role in the successful rescue of 33 Chilean miners who became trapped nearly one kilometre underground.

A supplier of specialised drilling equipment, Mincon’s products have been used in some of the most remote regions of the world by firms engaged in mining, oil and gas exploration, as well as construction.

Before establishing Mincon, Patrick Purcell (77) worked as a fitter for the Air Corps and for De Beers [now Element Six], in Shannon.

AN ENNIS man has received a fivemonth prison sentence after admitting breaking into a family home in Drumcliffe earlier this year.

Stephen Moloney (34) used a rock to smash the back window of the house in Drehidngower on the outskirts of Ennis on May 22, 2013.

Mr Moloney stole € 200 from the house, Ennis District Court heard on Thursday.

Imposing a five-month sentence for burglary, shoplifting and criminal damage offences, Judge Durcan said he had to bear in mind the impact Mr Moloney’s actions had on his victims.

Judge Durcan said the confidence of the victims of the burglary at Drehidnagower “must be shattered”.

“The message must go out loudly and clearly that private living spaces are inviolable,” he added.

Detective Garda Mike Kelly of Ennis Garda Station told the court the house, which is owned by a 66year-old man and his wife, was unoccupied at the time of the burglary. He said Mr Moloney was arrested after CCTV footage of the area was viewed.

Det Kelly said the accused made full admissions but had not paid € 40 compensation to cover the cost of the broken window.

Mr Moloney, with an address at Oakwood Drive, Ennis, also pleaded guilty to theft of items including X Box games, dog food, bottles of wine and a toothbrush from Tesco, Lynch’s Centra and Boot’s Chemist between June 24 and June 29, 2013.

He also admitted throwing a rock through a window of Ennis Community College on June 27.

Insp Tom Kennedy said the accused has 69 previous convictions, with over half of those for theft.

Solicitor Tara Godfrey said her client, a father of one, says he was drunk when he broke into the house.

Of the incident at Ennis Community College, Ms Godfrey said her client was very drunk and went to the Garda station afterwards to tell them what he had done.

Judge Patrick Durcan said Mr Moloney had gone on a “complete rampage”.

Of the burglary offence, Judge Durcan said, “I don’t know this family but its not just the pane of glass that cost € 40 that would have affected them, their sense of confidence must be shattered.”

He imposed sentences totalling five months. Recognizances were fixed in the event of an appeal.

A MULTI-MILLIONAIRE bachelor farmer and former general election candidate was revealed as the mystery buyer of two Clare hotels.

JJ McCabe from Clarecastle confirmed to The Clare People that he paid a total of € 625,000 for the Ashford Court Hotel in Ennis and the Kilkee Bay Hotel.

The Ashford Court was sold at auction at the beginning of this month for € 305,000 – € 90,000 more than the reserve.

The Kilkee Bay Hotel remained unsold at the end of the same Allsop Space auction, with auctioneers stating it failed to make its reserve of € 315,000.

Mr McCabe, whose land sold for € 18.8 million in the biggest deal in Clare during the property boom, told The Clare People he was at the auction in the Shelburne Hotel in Dublin and regretted not purchasing the West Clare hotel when he returned home.

He later called the previous owners and purchased the 41-bedroom property with bar and function room facilities for € 5,000 over the reserve – € 320,000.

The colourful Clarecastle man, who also has property in France, said he had plans to have the Kilkee Hotel open for the busy summer season.*

“We are working feverishly and hope to have it up and running for the quickest possible time. We take it over in April and will begin work then. The interior décor is the main problem that we will deal with,” he explained.

The 74-year-old also had plans to hold discos and other entertainment in the hotel during the summer months.

“There is no recreation in Kilkee. People need recreation and entertainment,” he said.

He estimates there will be ten fulltime jobs at the hotel to begin with, which will expand with the business.

The need for more local employment was one of his platforms when he last ran for election in 2011, which he contested as an Independent candidate.

“I am fulfilling a promise made during my failed general election campaign,” he said.

Plans for the Ennis hotel were not as clear-cut.

“I will be opening it alright but in what capacity I don’t know yet – maybe as a bed and breakfast or hostel, something along those lines,” said the eccentric property owner and farmer. Mr McCabe said he is not a complete novice when it comes to the hotel business.

His first ever job was in the Regent Palace Hotel in Piccadilly, London.

“I worked from the kitchen up. It was the first job I ever did. I wasn’t management but I got to know different areas of the business from the kitchen to the rooms and so on,” he said. *Mr McCabe opened the Kilkee Bay Hotel during the Summer.

THERE were increased sightings in Ennis during August of a “rogue” fox blamed for killing three dogs in a housing estate in recent weeks.

Authorities issued a warning over the behaviour of the fox amid fears it could attack small children. County dog warden and Clare ISPCA officer Frank Coote said he has received numerous reports of sightings since highlighting the fox attacks last week.

The animal is believed to be moving through land in the Tobertascáin area of the town. Mr Coote said the fox was responsible for attacking and killing the dogs.

“To be honest I didn’t really believe it at first. It’s rare enough for something like this to happen. But I have the evidence of it, these dogs were half eaten. I interviewed the families. I took photos. These dogs were all attacked in properties,” explained Mr Coote.

Though instances of fox attacks against humans are rare, Mr Coote said there is evidence in England that it has happened before.

The long-serving animal welfare officer says this is the first time that he has encountered a “rogue fox” in the Ennis area.

“I’ve met a rogue badger before up in Lees Road when it opened. It was chasing people up and down the path but it had eaten a poison. I’ve seen one rogue fox in Tulla before but never around Ennis,” he said.

Mr Coote said he would be con- cerned that the fox could attack small children. A trap has been laid in the area where the fox is though to travel through. But so far it hasn’t been caught. Mr Coote is liaising with officers from the National Parks and Wildlife Services. He said efforts would continue to trap the fox.

“It has quite bad mange and I was talking to a vet who said he would probably die during the winter anyway. But this fox is a danger and I will stay out there to try and catch it”, Mr Coote added.

PEOPLE in Kilrush who have fallen prey to those operating an illegal money-lending racket in the town have been told not to bow to intimidation to pay up their debts at extortionist interest rates.

The call was sounded out in the run into Christmas by Gardaí in the wake of a swoop on those believed to be behind the moneylending operation in the town and wider West Clare.

Eleven people were arrested after local members of the Garda, assisted by Criminal Assets Bureau, Regional Support Unit, and Special Detec- tive Units from Galway, the National Criminal Intelligence Unit as well as officials from Revenue, Social Welfare and Clare County Council staged a series of raids on properties in Kilrush.

Anumber of premises were searched and a total of 11 people were arrested following the searches. Those arrested were later released without charge and a file is being prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions. The operation had commenced at 7am on the Tuesday, traditionally Children’s Allowance day in Kilrush.

According to locals in Kilrush, gardaí will find it very difficult to convince people to testify in any cases brought before the courts as a result of this operation.

“There is no doubt about it,” said The Clare People source in Kilrush, “but they won’t get anyone in Kilrush to testify against these people. Even the people who were beaten up and the person who got his hand broken by moneylenders won’t testify. It just won’t happen.”

The investigation, had been ongoing for several months, centres around complaints received from various individuals and is focused on those suspected of being engaged in unlicensed money lending. In June 2012 it was The Clare People that broke the story of the moneylending crisis in Kilrush, revealing that those in Kilrush who had fallen on hard times financially were living in the grip of fear as a number of moneylenders stalked the town, demanding repayments for loans that have been given out at extortionist interest rates. “Everybody knew that this was going on,” The Clare People source revealed this week, “that people were lending money and demanding huge interest rates – if you borrowed € 100, you had to pay € 10 back a week,” he added.

FUNDING has been approved for a major upgrade of a “vitally important” wastewater treatment plant in Ennis.

Clare County Council has received confirmation from the Department of Environment, Community and Local Government that it is committing the necessary capital funding to enable the local authority to award the contract for the upgrade of the Clonroadmore Wastewater Treatment Plant.

Reacting to the announcement, Mayor of Ennis Cllr Mary Coote Ryan stated, “The provision of the most modern wastewater treatment facilities is key in terms of the continued progressive development of the town of Ennis. I want to acknowl- edge the contribution and patience of the elected members of the town council who have been pursuing an upgrade of the town treatment facilities for a long number of years.”

Mayor of Clare Cllr Joe Arkins welcomed the news describing the project as “vitally important” and central to ongoing efforts to expand the quality and scale of the wastewater infrastructure in the county.

“The town of Ennis is our capital town and it is vitally important that the standard of services is what one would expect in a major urban centre. This is a contract of major significance for Ennis, Clarecastle and surrounding areas and will provide for a significant upgrade of Clonroadmore Wastewater Treatment Plant,” added Mayor Arkins.

Clare County Manager Tom Coughlan noted, “As we move towards the period when Irish Water assumes Clare County Council’s statutory role as a Water Services Authority, I think this announcement demonstrates the capability of the council to design, procure and progress major water services schemes.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the water services staff, present and past, for the significant contribution they have made to the provision and operation of the water services infrastructure. I also wish to acknowledge the role played by the elected members in devising policy and assigning the financial resources to build up the infrastructure to what it is today,” concluded Mr Coughlan.

Clare County Council confirmed it intends to complete the contract formalities with the successful tenderer so that the works can commence as soon as possible.

THE Health Services Executive came under fire in April amid mounting claims that there’s now a growing drink and drugs problem at the Acute Unit at the Mid-Western Regional Hospital in Ennis.

Controversy has erupted within the Clare health services after a patient and a nursing representative confirmed to The Clare People that drink and drugs represent an ongoing “problem” at the 38-bed unit that houses psychiatric patients. The Clare People has learned that patient and nursing fears about drink and drugs being smuggled into the unit by visitors has led to the gardaí being drafted in for illegal substance searches.

“There are people smoking cannabis in the Acute Unit in Ennis,” one patient from within the unit told The Clare People on Monday. “There is a garden adjacent to the unit and a number of patients were offering drugs to other patients.

“There was also alcohol being consumed – wine and cider that’s being offered to patients. The doors open from the garden into the ward and the smell of the cannabis comes in when the doors were opened. This has been reported to the nurses by two different patients,” the female patient added.

“Drugs have been an issue in the Acute Unit,” admitted Denis Meehan, a local representative of the Psychiatric Nurses Association. “The staff in the unit have done their absolute best to curtail this problem, but it’s very hard to do anything with it. Staff have called gardaí on occasion and patients have been searched. “In every prison in Ireland there are drugs, so you would expect them to be in the Acute Unit in Ennis. If this is reported to us, all we can do is search people and that’s what we have done,” he added.

CASH strapped parents facing back to school bills of more than € 700 per child were being forced to turn to moneylenders and charities such as St Vincent de Paul in desperation.

The Clare Citizen Information Service surveyed stressed parents who sought their advice and assistance and discovered the cost of one second level student starting school in Clare had reached € 800.

“The € 200 Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance was not taking the pressure off,” warned Clare Citizen’s Information Development Manager Paul Woulfe.

He raised concerns that the financial pressure is forcing people to turn to “legal and illegal moneylenders in desperation”, who charge exorbitant interest rates and in the case of illegal moneylenders can resort to threatening and abusive behaviour when collecting debt.

Parents were also finding some solace in organisations like St Vincent de Paul.

“It is easy to see how the costs add up. Shoes cost about € 250 because you need runners too, € 200 for school uniforms and tracksuit, books cost anything between € 200 and € 250 with miscellaneous classroom costs at least € 50.

“The volountary contribution to schools is usually between € 100 to € 125,” explained Mr Woulfe.

The Citizen Information development manager said many parents find themselves in debt at the start of the school year, especially the Back to School Footwear and Clothing Allowance and children’s allowance is reduced as costs increase. The cost of school tours and extra curricular activities or tuition can also be very high.

“Though not compulsory, such activities are often essential with re- gard to social an educational inclusion,” said Mr Woulfe.

He continued, “Children from lower income families are likely to benefit most and yet be most at risk of exclusion from costly extra curricular activities and supports. Additionally a child who has to opt out of school tours or outings is likely to experience social stigma.

“Evidence from MABS suggests that parents may opt to ensure that their children do continue to par- ticipate in extra curricular activities, school tours etc, but that this brings with it the risk of deepening household poverty, which carries with it not only health risks associated with food and fuel poverty but also the stress of household indebtedness and social exclusion of the parents and family within the broader community or socio-economic context.

“They have so many costs it is crippling and they face a great burden,” said Mr Woulfe.

A MAJOR employment boost could be on the way for North Clare in the months ahead as Ennistymon based sign company Data Display are on the verge of signing a landmark contract with the New York City Department of Transport.

The company, which has been one of Clare landmark industries over the last 30 years, has developed a unique solar-powered signage system that can display the length of time until the next bus arrives at a bus stop.

The system, which is currently on trial in the Staten Island area of New York City, could be spread city wide as part of a major upgrade of the entire public transport system due to take place in 2014.

While the tender process for this redevelopment has yet to be undertaken, Data Display are understood to be in pole position to win the lucrative signage contract.

The new solar-powered signs allows busses to contact directly with signs to give real-time information about how far away their bus actually is.

“In many respects public transport in the US, both in terms of quality and usage, has lagged behind its Eu- ropean counterpart for many years, but they are now looking to leapfrog ahead with live signs and apps,” said Paul Horan of Data Display.

“One of the key aspects is the low power usage.

“This low power system which can be powered by solar panels means that they don’t need any wires,” he said.

Data Displays, which already employs hundreds of people in its Ennistymon factory, gain a foothold in New York after electronics giant Siemens brought it in as a sub-contractor to install signs in the city’s subway system in 2005.

“Data Display has always had an international focus, managing to provide electronic displays from Seattle to New York, from Dublin to New Zealand,” continued Mr Honan.

“Customisation is a very important part of what we do, with customers not only desiring a finish that fits with their own specific environments, but also having different background systems with which we must interface.”

While no details of the 2014 citywide contract for New York City have yet been released, it is understood to include thousands of sign and will be worth millions of dollars to whatever company is successful.

BUNRATTY was the place to be in April as a small school of dolphins took up residence under the famous bridge. The dolphins drew large crowds for weeks – and prompted much concern over their safety before if became clear that they were there by choice and had not become trapped.

An attempt to rescue the bottle nose dolphins was planned early in April but never went ahead. Speak- ing ahead of the proposed rescue missing, the Clare based Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG), said the dolphins appeared “relatively healthy”.

“In my opinion something will have to be tried this week. They are healthy at the moment but with the low tide coming on Wednesday, something will probably have to be tried,” said Simon Berrow of the IWDG in early April.

“The longer this goes on the more stressed the animals will get. They are in fresh water and that is damaging their kidneys right now and it will also start to damage their skin as well.

“We have also heard reports of kids throwing stones at them when they get close to the shore and we would appeal to anyone who comes to visit the dolphins, not to engage in this sort of behavior.”

The dolphins were discovered on March 31, in murky water close to the old bridge over Bunratty River, close to Durty Nelly’s Pub. The last time that dolphins became stranded in this area was in 1995, when Clare recorded one of its finest summers in recent memory.

Some locals are hopeful that the return of the dolphins are a sign of a good summer ahead. Hurling fans are also hopeful that the return of the dolphins to Bunratty may also be on omen suggesting a hurling season similar to what took place in 1995.