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EVEN at knock down prices, Clare County Council is unable to sell its affordable housing stock as numbers on the housing list exceed 2,400. New figures provided by the coun- cil show numbers on the housing list have increased by 40 per cent from 1,716 to 2,408. However, that figure includes those on rent allowance, who in order to qualify for the allow- ance must go on the housing list. Excluding those who are on the list to secure rent allowances, there were 1,594 on the list on January | — an in- crease of 30 per cent on the 1,218 that were on the list at the start of 2009. Special Policy Committee Chair- woman, Cllr Patricia McCarthy (Ind) said the increased numbers were “extremely worrying and a cause of

concern’.

‘There are real people behind these statistics. There is no way that the council can keep up with the de- mand, but we are managing as best we can. The numbers on the list are high and will continue to get higher,” she said.

The council completed 87 social houses in 2009 and 91 in 2008. A further ten affordable houses were provided through agreement with de- velopers but with the collapse in the housing market, the number of af- fordable homes completed under this scheme dropped to just two.

The council expects to complete 16 affordable homes in 2010 in Shan- non, where there is a strong demand for affordable homes.

However, uncertainty surrounds the number of new house starts for

2010 as local authorities are await- ing a capital allocation for 2010 from the Department of the Environment in relation to the social housing con- struction programme’.

The council has also confirmed that it has 15 unsold affordable homes for sale dispersed over eight locations.

A council spokeswoman – said: ‘These have been for sale for an av- erage of one year. The council has responded to changing market cond1- tions by reducing the purchase price of affordable homes. The reduction in price varies but averages at 15 per cent to 20 per cent below the market price,’ she said.

HARD work and dedication are pushing one group of science enthu- siasts towards a place on the podium at the annual Fl in School’s competi- tion.

Team Firedragons are one of two entrants from St Flannan’s College, Ennis, who will take part in the re- gional finals of the competition in Cork on March 2.

This is the fifth year for the com- petition to run in Ireland under the guidance of the Irish Computer So- ciety (ICS) in partnership with Dis- cover Science & Engineering.

The Fl in Schools challenge is an international competition, which now attracts more than 90,000 stu- dents from across the world.

The competition 1s open to sec- ondary schools to design and manu- facture model racing cars. Student teams will compete against each other in a national championship to determine the best-engineered and fastest car in Ireland.

Team members Tim Janssan, Nor- bert Rosik, Eric Mullaly, Christo- pher Ogbonna and Jack O’Dea are hoping the months of hard work and preparation they have devoted to the project will pay off in Cork.

Team Manager, Norbert Rosik de- scribed the work the students have done to get to this stage in the com- petition. “The team has been very consistent and very committed to the project even with the increasing amount of school work due to three of the team members preparing for the Junior Certificate. The qualitfy- ing stage consisted of submitting a five-page plan on how the Firedrag- ons intended to create their project of a 25cm balsa wood Formula One car by showing their research, proposed

budgets, designs etc. In this compe- tition our team will be using com- pressed air canisters to power their model car to achieve scale speeds in excess of 350kmph.”

Artistic Manager, Christopher Og- bonna said the team decided to de- sign a logo in order to set their de- sign apart from competitors. “The Firedragons came up with this logo because it defines us from other

teams as we have a fiery passion for what we do. Apart from this our logo is very unique as it 1s extremely in- tricate.”

Norbert believes the team deserves to get through to the national finals and win because of the amount of ef- fort put in and the results so far ob- tained. He also thanked the group’s science teacher, Michael Horgan, who has encouraged both teams

from St Flannan’s throughout the de- sign process.

The Fl in Schools National Finals will be take place in April. Visit www. linschools.ie for details.

IF the names of Brid and Roger Fahy are familiar to you it’s probably be- cause youve heard them _ before. Located on the Flaggy Shore of Fin- varra, at the very northern tip of the Burren, the pair set up Linnalla Ice Cream back in 2006.

As we all know farming is a tough gig. Besides the hard work and unso- cial hours – dairy farmers also have to live with the prospect of selling milk to Co-Ops for less than it costs to produce it.

Brid and Roger may just have found a solution to this problem. There new idea, a milk vending machine, could soon allow farmers to sell their milk directly to the customers in a hygi- enic, safe and ultimately profitable EN

By cutting out the middlemen and constructing a machine which allows farmers to sell directly to consumers, the pair might just have cracked one of the biggest problems facing dairy farmers today.

Although largely unknown in Ire- land, the Latteria of milk dispenser has become popular in mainland Eu-

rope and in Italy, where it 1s made.

Besides providing consumers with the freshest possible product, the Latteria also gives farmers a chance of getting a fair price for their milk and cut down in transport costs and emissions and cuts down drastically on packaging.

The local shop owner would receive a “fair” price for hosting the Latteria but the overheads of unnecessary transport and other cost associated with the large Co-Op would be re- moved.

The Fahy’s have received €3,000, sponsored by Clare Ireland recycling, for taking first prize in the Clare Farm Idea Awards Competition and will now go forward to represent the county at the national competition.

Linnalla ice cream started produc- tion in 2006 and the specialty ice- cream is now available in shops and restaurants in the Clare and Galway eer he

In 2005 they met Pat Shannon from the Clare Enterprise Board who en- couraged them to develop their idea.

Over the next two years they had planning approved, secured LEAD- ER funds, worked with officials from the Department of Agriculture and soon were on the way to starting a new and innovative business.

FORTY-FIVE people last night reaped the rewards of their studies as they received FETAC awards at St Patrick’s Comprehensive School in Shannon.

The group took PLC (Post Leaving Certificate) courses in_ childcare, business studies and sports and rec- reation.

The childcare course included a focus on special needs; the business studies course also included secre- tarial and IT skills, while the sports and recreation course featured a wide-ranging programme.

“Tt will allow people to work in a gym, leisure centre or sports com- plex or in primary schools coaching young people. There is a swimming module and water safely and also IT. We feel they need it for running a leisure centre,’ said Bernie Ruane, who is the co-ordinator of the PLC programme at the school.

She explained the idea behind choosing those particular courses. ‘I do a bit of market research to see what people in the locality want and See what our students want,’ she said.

“Some students use these courses to progress to third-level courses. Some of the institutes of technology have reserved places for FETAC ap- plicants,” said Ms Ruane.

Those who take the courses range in age from 18 to 60 and they engage in their studies between September and May (daytime). “If you haven’t done the Leaving Certificate and are aged over 23, you can come into the course,’ she said.

There is a significant level of in- terest in the courses, which also give participants the opportunity to engage in work experience. “There seems to be huge demand for the childcare one since the Health Serv- ice Executive (HSE) got more in- volved in créches and pre-schools.

There is always the need in Shannon for the business course. They have very good data entry skills and very good typing skills,’ said Ms Ruane.

“The courses are very accessible for local people and also for people with families who want to get back into education,’ she said.

Such has been the demand for the courses that there are not always

enough spaces available. “We have had to refuse people. Last year there was a big long waiting list for the sport and leisure,’ she said.

The courses are government-fund- ed and the cost is just €100 for the year. Anyone interested in taking any of the courses for the coming year should phone St Patrick’s Com- prehensive School on 061 361428.

FOLLOWING last week’s revelation that almost 400 Clare farmers are yet to receive their payment for 2009 under the Rural Environmental Pro- tection Scheme (REPS), the Depart- ment of Agriculture has highlighted the €5 million which has been is- sued to 356 Clare farmers under the Farm Waste Management Scheme to date this year.

The scheme, which was set up to part fund farmers to construct the necessary infrastructure to comply with the EU directive on nitrates, has resulted in more than €45 million

being issued to Clare farmers in the last five years.

According to Clare TD and Junior Agriculture Minister, Tony Killeen (FF), a total of 2,092 Clare farm- ers have benefited under the scheme since 2006.

“The substantial payment of grant- aid under the scheme represents a vote of confidence in a vital indig- enous industry with a huge export presence,” he said.

“Successive Fianna Fail-led Gov- ernments have provided funding of over €1.2 billion to some 34,000 farmers nationwide, which is a clear indication of our commitment to Irish

agriculture and the rural economy.

“The scheme represents essential infrastructural investment in the Irish rural economy and ensures the protection of the single farm payment and other EU funding worth 1.6 bil- lion euro annually to Irish farmers.

‘Following the payment this month of €190 million in respect of the second tranche of grant payments of 40 per cent, over €1 billion has now been paid out since the scheme’s in- ception in 2006. This represents 90 per cent of the total funding of the scheme.

“When the final tranche of 20 per cent is paid out under the Farm

Waste Management Scheme in Jan- uary 2011, total expenditure will exceed €1.2 billion, all of which will have come from exchequer an etebnetcaue

Minister Killeen also reminded Clare farmers seeking payments un- der the Suckler Welfare Scheme to complete and return their applica- tions without delay.

Applicants for the scheme must continue to complete and return their forms as quickly as possible and within 12 months of the birth of the animals at the very latest. Farmers seeking clarification regarding this should ring 1890 252707.

A CHILDCARE facility in Sixmile- bridge is to benefit financially from a mammoth marathon challenge being undertaken by a local resident.

Tom Enright has set himself the task of running nine marathons this year in Ireland and the proceeds will go to Bridge Kidz. Bridge Kidz is a subsidiary of Sixmilebridge and Dis- trict Community Complex and pro- vides a childcare service for children in the area.

Tom (36) has seen the excellent service provided by Bridge Kidz as his youngest son Dylan (2) attends on a regular basis. He was so im- pressed with the facility that he de- cided to raise money for the group and hopes to accumulate €10,000 over the year.

He has set his sights on running marathons in Connemara (April), Limerick, Belfast Burren and Newry (May), Cork (June), Longford (Au- gust), Dingle (September), Dublin (October) and Sixmilebridge (De- cember).

It will be a tough challenge, not least running three marathons in May. Two of those will be run in as many days as the Limerick run on May 2 will be followed by the Bel- fast marathon just 24 hours later. The challenge will get off to a tricky start in Connemara as he has signed up to do the ultra marathon, which is 39 miles, on a tough course.

As part of the challenge, Tom is hoping to encourage 10 people to take part in the Cork marathon and he will provide training for those in- terested in this.

Tom, who 1s a native of Charleville, has ran 17 marathons over the past four years and last year took part in a Clare Crusaders cycle from Malin

Head to Mizen Head.

He explained his decision to run nine marathons this year.

“It started off as a new year’s reso- lution, but it has got a bit more seri- ous than that,’ he said.

He is hoping to encourage people to join him in running part of or all the Cork marathon in June either in- dividually or as part of a relay team. “We are hoping to get 10 people to

sing up and full support will be given to them. All that is required is a will- ingness to do it and a wish to raise some funds for Bridge Kidz,’ said ‘Tom.

It will be a tough challenge, but he is looking forward to it. “I enjoy it because I get a buzz out of it. | am doing something that I enjoy,” he PHO

His ultimate aim would be to raise

€10,000 over the year and is hopeful that he will get the support of the lo- cal community in Sixmilebridge and across the county. “It’s hard to call how much we will raise. It depends on how many people sign up for the marathon in Cork,’ he said.

DESPITE difficult trading condi- tions, one of the county’s best known hotels still managed to report an op- erating profit of €282,076 last year.

According to accounts recently re- turned to the companies’ office for the year to the end of June 2009, the Falls Hotel in Ennistymon recorded a pre-tax profit of €14,003.While this represents a 40 per cent drop on the €23,437 pre-tax profits recorded in 2008, the significant difference between operating and pre-tax profit was a €268,073 bank loan interest charge last year.

The hotel’s gross profit last year dropped by 3 per cent from €3.7m to €3.6m with its cost base dropping by 2 per cent from €3.4m to €3.3m The pre-tax profit recorded last year resulted in the company having ac- cumulated profits of €960,595.

The accounts show that the com- pany has fixed assets valued at €7.8 pebdeeLOee

The directors are listed as Daniel McCarthy and Eileen McCarthy and the accounts show that the company had a €5.2m loan from the Bank of Scotland.

The McCarthys purchased the busi- ness in 1986 when it comprised of a small 20 bedroom hotel. Now, after a significant expansion programme, the hotel has 150 bedrooms and nine duplex apartments; weddings and

banqueting facilities for up to 350 people; conference facilities for 350 people; an aqua and fitness club and a river spa which incorporates 12 treatment rooms and a thermal suite.

More recently, the Falls Hotel se- cured planning permission for a hy- dro scheme in a bid to reduce energy costs at the hotel.

The second generation of the Mc- Carthy’s are now working in The Falls Hotel. Eldest son Michael Mc- Carthy is the General Manager and his brother John is the Deputy Man-

ager.

The hotel has arich history. Towards to end of the 1930’s, it was leased for five years to the late Brendan O’Regan, who later pioneered cater- ing and sales services at Shannon International Airport. O’Regan ran the hotel during the years of World War Two, and one of his innovations was to supply hot meals in hayboxes to the golfers in Lahinch.

The next owner was a retired Welshman Gerard Henry Williams- Owen who operated the business

during the summer months only.

In 1955 John F. Wood and his wife Bridget acquired the hotel. They added the hydro-electric plant which for many years provided power to the building and the ‘plant’ can still be seen a short distance upstream, just below the cascades.

A FIFTEEN-year driving ban has been handed down to a driver whose jeep dragged a man along as it moved.

John Corry, a builder in his 50s, with an address at Tullycrine, Kilmi- hil, was convicted of dangerous driv- ing, arising out of an incident on Feb- ruary 4, 2009.

Oliver Haugh, a haulier, told Kul- rush District Court that he had done work for John Corry’s son Fergus and was owed €17,300. He said he could not contact Fergus and called to the home of John Corry. He said that John Corry pulled up with a jeep and trailer. He said Mr Corry had to move in off the road so that traffic could pass as the road was narrow. Mr Haugh said Mr Corry was in the jeep and his son Cyril was at the oy: 1e) rey as Lm

“I explained I had been trying to get in contact with Fergus. The next thing someone shouted *Go, Go’ and the jeep took off. I was between the jeep and the trailer. The jeep was moving. I grabbed on to the towbar of the trailer. My feet were being dragged on the ground,” he told the

oo) thae

He said that the jeep continued to move along the road and he was pulled along. He eventually managed to get off.

‘He slowed down. I was losing my erip. It was a combination of losing my grip and throwing myself off,” he said. He said he sustained “a few scratches and scrapes” to his leg, while his clothing was torn in the incident.

Under cross-examination by de- fending solicitor John Callinan, Mr Haugh said that he had done work for Fergus Corry a year prior to this incident. He had been owed €60,000 initially, but some of this had been paid and the balance was €17,300. The court heard that this was eventu- ally paid off.

Mr Callinan asked Mr Haugh did he feel he was getting the run around and he said he did. “I gave Fergus all the chances. It came out on the grapevine that he was doing a runner and going to Australia, that he was going to Australia with the money. He had a digger. He had a ‘05 Land Cruiser. There was more than me owed money,’ said Mr Haugh.

Mr Callinan put it to him, “It was

you who got nasty and it was you who started to misbehave, rather than John Corry.’ The witness denied this. Mr Callinan asked him, “Could it be that you jumped on to the trailer to stop them pulling away as they pulled away?” Mr Haugh denied this. He said, “All I could do was hold on as best I could and bang on the back cover and shout ‘Stop’.” However, Mr Callinan said to Mr Haugh, “It didn’t happen the way you describe it.”

Another witness, Kieran Kelly said he had also called to Mr Corry’s house that evening. “I was trying to collect money as well. I was owed a lot of money as well,” he said.

He said he saw Mr Haugh caught between the jeep and trailer and said he heard shouting.

John Corry told the court that his son Fergus had operated a civil eng1- neering business and had employed Mr Haugh for about three years prior to the incident before the court. On that evening, he said that Mr Haugh “went to go for Cyril, my son. We drove off.”

He said that when he pulled off, Mr Haugh was “well behind my trailer.”

‘I drove very, very slowly,’ he said. Asked had he dragged Mr Haugh, he

replied, “It never happened.”

Mr Callinan submitted that there was a “complete conflict of evidence. There is insufficient evidence of dan- gerous driving before the court.”

However, Judge Joseph Mangan convicted Mr Corry. The court was told he had three previous convic- tions, the most recent of which was for a motoring offence in 2008. Mr Callinan said his client is a self-em- ployed builder who had been in good circumstances a number of years ago but had been hit by the recession.

He said that a driving ban would have a huge impact on him. “I don’t know what he would do if he was disqualified from driving. It would have a massive impact on him and his family. Some of the previous con- victions are ancient,’ he said.

Judge Mangan imposed a Six- month jail term and disqualified Mr Corry from driving for 15 years. He fixed a bond in the event of an appeal — his own surety of €3,000; €1,000 of which was to be lodged and an in- dependent surety of €3,000; €1,000 of which was to be lodged.

ALL is quiet in the defending cham- pions camp at the moment. The pro- longed winter recess has seemingly done little to rebuild their confidence as this game ultimately proved. Put simply, this was the sort of game that last year Bunratty would have etched out a 1-O win. However, their current fragile state ensured that this was not the case on Sunday as from a po- tentially winning position, the home side were hit for three goals inside the last 20 minutes.

A lack of confidence is something that Bridge Utd are certainly not af- flicted with as they maintained their title challenge at the other end of the table. They won this game because realistically they just wanted it more and while the scoreline perhaps flat- tered them slightly, their hunger epitomised by the likes of Adrian Whyte, Jonathon Downes, Derek Fahy and Trevor Maxwell deservedly extended their current unbeaten run to seven games.

In saying that, they certainly had to ride their luck before finally get-

ting on top in this encounter. The first-half, while slow to start, was predominantly controlled by the home side but they were unable to convert that dominance into goals. It took 22 minutes for the first real opportunity of the game but when it arrived, it almost opened the flood- gates. Iwo slick one-two’s between Shane Purcell and Ryan Kelly down the right wing finished with a teasing cross from the winger that had to be dealt with by the Sixmilebridge de- fence and subsequent efforts from Pa Twomey and Daithi O’Connell were all somehow scrambled away.

Bridge United did have two glori- ous chances of their own late in the half through Jonathon Downes and Greg Deegan but in the main, it was Bunratty who looked the most likely to open the scoring, empitomised in the 40th minute when a Pat Twomey effort agonisingly went the wrong side of the post.

The holders did finally break the deadlock after the break but ironi- cally it came during Bridge United’s most productive period of the game. A free from the left wing broke to

Daithi O’Connell whose shot was parried by goalkeeper Paul Tuohy and Ryan Kelly was the first to react to slip the rebound to the net.

The tithe winning Bunratty would have used that advantage to tighten their grip on the game and secure the points but such an eventuality did not materialise this time around. Instead, once a momentary lapse of concentration allowed Greg Deegan to waltz through the centre of the defence and chip goalkeeper Enda McNamara in the 72nd minute, Bun- ratty switched to vulnerable mode and were subsequently punished for their fragility.

Only five minutes later, Mark Cul- bert slipped in Trevor Maxwell to flick over McNamara for the lead and the final blow came in the 8lst minute when Derek Fahy shrugged off a tackle before rifling to the top corner of the net from outside the box.

Those hammer blows sent shock- waves through the champions and it would only get worse for the home side when Terry Duggan was dis- missed for two yellow cards inside a

pep eeLbikon

In the space of nine minutes, Bun- ratty’s world had completely turned and as Avenue Utd continue to set the pace at the top, it is Bridge Unit- ed and not the defending champions who look the most likely to make a meaningful stab at halting the runa- way leaders on current form.

A MAN who repeatedly shouted across a courtroom has been jailed for seven days for contempt.

The ruling was made in the case of Derek Malone after he failed to de- sist from shouting at Ennis District Court on Friday.

Malone (46), of Millstream Court, Mill Road, Ennis, was charged with public order offences, but did not appear in the courtroom when his case was called. However, it was then brought to the attention of his solicitor Tara Godfrey that he was outside. He was then brought into the courtroom, where he was asked why he had not been present earlier. He said he was told, by a garda, that he was not due in court and was told to go home as his name was not on the court list.

‘He told me to go home,” he said repeatedly.

He was given the chance to apolo- gise to the court, which he did, but continued to shout aloud. When he was warned about his conduct, he said, “Send me to jail then because I’m homeless and I want to go to jail because I can sleep.

“Tm an alcoholic. From my heart I apologise,’ he said. The packed courtroom erupted in laughter at Malone’s comments and Judge Joseph Mangan told him, “You can entertain them all in Limerick.”

He jailed him for seven days for contempt.