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Gort nun recalls Haitian friends

A MAN who was involved in a hit and run accident near his home has loLerolsMEUNLecO MUO eCO) U0 am

Joseph White (53), of Ballagh- fadda, Clarecastle, pleaded guilty to careless driving at Kildysart Cross, Clarecastle, and also admitted four other charges in relation to the inci- elle

Inspector Michael Gallagher told Ennis District Court on Friday that a hit and run accident took place at the Kildysart Road, Clarecastle, on August 2, 2009.

He said a woman complained that a red Peugeot van had hit her vehicle and had failed to remain at the scene. He said it was claimed that the Peu- geot had crossed to the incorrect side of the road and this caused evasive action to be taken.

Judge Joseph Mangan asked would there be allegations of speed and was told there would not.

Defending solicitor John Casey said his client was fully insured and he said it was accepted that the accused had failed to remain at the scene, which, he said, was due to “onset of migraine.” He said that his client had been to visit his daughter, had felt unwell and set about driving home. ‘He has a vague recollection of the accident. He should have stopped,” he said.

White, who had no previous con- victions, was fined €500 for care- less driving and €100 on each of the other four summonses.

IT NOW lies in ruins on the streets of Port-au-Prince, a concrete grave for countless nameless souls, but three years ago it was a happy home for a group of Burren travellers on a mission from Ireland to Haiti.

In July of 2006, Sr De Lourdes Fahy and four students from Gort

Community School were the guests of Concern in Haiti. While there they made friends, and saw firsthand the work done in one of the poorest countries in the world.

They were joined in Port-au-Prince by a group of Haitian teenagers, or their “twins” as they were called. Since the earthquake, Sr Fahy has spent much of her time trying to

track down her lost Haitian friends.

“My own twin’s name was Cas- sandra, and all she wanted to be was a lawyer so she could help her poor people. I’d love to know where she is right now. We haven’t heard what has happened to any of the twins who became our friends when we visited over there. We don’t know if they were killed or not,’ she said.

‘‘T haven’t been able to contact any- one over there. I have been searching for information on the internet and I was able to get some information on some of the people that we knew.

“The students really enjoyed their time over there. They had great fun and slept on the roof of the hostel where we were staying. That hostel is now rubble.”

Even before the earthquake, most people in Haiti lived in poverty.

“The conditions that we saw over there were atrocious even then. There was terrible, terrible poverty. We vis- ited all of the poorest parts, especial- ly one area of Port-au-Prince which was called San Martin. The whole area was terribly poor but the people were So nice,’ continued Sr Fahy.

‘That whole area of the city was to- tally neglected. To me, it seemed that the government over there was very inept, useless really. It was also a dangerous place, gangs would roam the streets every night but most of the crime over there was fuelled by pov- erty, aS well as corruption and bad government.

“Concern have done excellent work over there. They set up a lot of water purification projects and run a clinic which looks after HIV patients and a school which they set up.” To donate to Haiti, visit www.concern.net.

A TEENAGER who threw a brick through his mother’s window has asked a judge to let her stand bail for him. The 16-year old was before Judge Joseph Mangan having plead- ed guilty to a number of charges, including criminal damage to his mother’s house.

A probation officer told the court that a psychological report would be advisable. “ADD is suspected” the boy’s solicitor, Tara Godfrey said.

The teenager was accompanied by his mother during the hearing and in setting bail for six months at an in- dependent surety of €200, the judge asked the accused if he wanted his mother or some other person to stand or DU Koy muDOOE

When he replied that he wanted his mother, the judge warned him, “If your mother feels you might breach your bail, she can come in here and withdraw her bond and then you will go to jail.”

The 16-year-old had pleaded guilty to criminal damage and breaching the peace in December at his moth- er’s home in Shannon.

He also admitted stealing a hat and gloves – valued at €4 – from Dunnes Stores, SkyCourt, on December 18.

Flannans students get into the fast lane

ANYONE interested in joining one of Ireland’s largest voluntary organi- sations is being urged to attend two upcoming Samaritans information evenings in Ennis.

The Ennis branch of the Samaritans are holding two information and se- lections evenings at the Old Ground Hotel on Thursday, January 28, and Monday, February 1, at 8pm.

The events will give potential vol- unteers an opportunity to learn about the service provided by the Samari- tans. The organisation is looking for

open-minded, non-judgmental peo- ple to get involved.

The Samaritans provide confiden- tial, non-judgmental emotional sup- port for members of the public who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including feelings that may lead to suicide. The service is provided by telephone and email, as well as through face-to-face con- tacts.

A Samaritans spokesperson said the branch are looking for people to commit a few hours a week to the Service.

“Our volunteers come from a wide

variety of age groups and _ back- grounds. What’s important is that people would be able to commit a few hours each week to help provide the service,” said the spokesperson.

All volunteers who join the Sa- maritans will take part in a compre- hensive training programme and are also shown how to develop listening skills.

A spokesperson explained, “It’s very important that volunteers would be able to give that commitment and that they would be able to listen to people without being judgemental. All those who do go on to join the

organisation will take part in a very comprehensive training programme which will equip them to offer emo- tional support to callers.”

The Samaritans vision is for a soci- ety where fewer people die by suicide and its core values include confiden- tiality and being non-judgemental. For further information on volunteer- ing please call 065 6829777 or come along to one of information/selection evenings.

In 2009, the Samaritans received more than 375,000 calls from the Republic of Ireland alone.

AN INTERNET posting that invites people to take a trip down memory lane has become a huge hit with 30 somethings from Ennis.

‘You’re a true 30-something from Ennis if you remembet…’ has so far attracted comments from 814 users of the social networking site Fa- cebook. Users are asked to submit their recollections of life growing up in Ennis. The thread, first posted in early January, catalogues the events, buildings and people that made up the social scene in the county capital throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s.

Many of the comments posted on- line refer to former shops, pubs and fast food outlets.

One user recalls “Buying a blank video tape in Hurdy Gurdy’s for £13, taping the Friday night movie on RTE, watching it the following day and wondering, in awe, if technology like this could ever be equalled…”

Another writes that “you’re a true 30-something from Ennis if you re- member when the Queen’s disco gave a dinner of roast chicken, chips and peas, and gravy, and all for a fiver”.

Discos at the Cloughleigh Commu- nity Centre, Chapel Lane are also re- called, as is the Little Theatre Café, which one Facebook user says had the “best ice-cream in the world with the sweets on top”.

Another comments that true En- nis 30-somethings will remember “Smyth’s on Carmody Street and Broderick’s and Arthur’s on Parnell Street where you could buy loose eye N | Rae

Knox’s supermarket, Crubeens and a chip shop in Chapel Lane, Layden’s Pub in the market and Denis Moran’s — “the only place where you could buy net curtains and a bra at the same time” – are among the other old

Ennis businesses recalled.

One post remembers, “When Cheers (pub) first opened and they had the Cheers Ennis logo on all the pint glasses and the ashtrays, everyone had one! Place was robbed of glasses and ashtrays every night haahah.”

The price of fast food is a popular topic, with one post wistfully recall- ing when a bag of chips in Enzo’s cost SOp and another noting that a bag of chips in Oodles, formerly located at

Drumbiggle, cost 30p.

The heyday of bands like Bitter Harvest who made up the local mu- sic scene in Ennis is also remem- bered with one user commenting that “You’re a true 30-something in En- nis if you remember The Big G (Gen- erator) on bank holiday Monday’s in Henry J’s.”

Another person recalls, “Taking that long dark road to the rugby club to hear Bush Plant… and then trying

to find your way back.”

School memories also figure prom- inently throughout the list with one person recalling former principal of Ennis National School “Gary Stack giving a free for stupidity against you on the hurling field in the “Nash.”

THERE’S a great thirst in Tulla for cups of tea, coffee and, later in the day, something a bit stronger.

Friends and neighbours will be drinking up on Friday, February 12 when local women, Kay Madden and Lavender Wright have their an- nual ‘open house’ serving cuppas in a good cause.

Kay and her friend and neighbour, Lavender, have been hosting a coffee day in Main Street for 12 years now in aid of the Clare 250 Cancer Cen- tre to raise funds to send patients to Lourdes.

Kay is modest about the amount raised last year because the pair don’t like anyone calling to feel un- der pressure to donate any specific amount.

‘“Let’s just say it was a significant amount and it sent a good number of people to Lourdes. We just put a box by the door and people can donate any amount they want. We just keep the tea and coffee coming. We want it to be another great community day,” said Kay.

Friends, neighbours and the wider community are all invited to call to number 23, between 10am and 10pm, for a hot cuppa, soup, lovely home baking and even an Irish coffee.

The two women are no strangers to the seriousness of cancer, having both walked that road ten years ago.

“I was nominated back then to go to Lourdes and I really believe that the strength I got from that trip and all the support and help I got were what turned me around,” said Kay.

Over the last twelve years, Kay and Lavender, with the support of neigh- bours and friends, have raised money every year through the coffee days, car boot sales and donations.

“T really want to thank my neigh- bours and friends. They have been SO supportive to us. They come along and help us set up in the morn- ing, they make the tea and coffee and Irish coffees and at ten at night they help me wrap up. They’re wonderful. They have me where I am today,” said Kay.

Both Kay and Lavender have had to confront dealing with the terrify- ing disease so they know how im- portant care, research and the moral and emotional support offered by the people who take part in the Clare 250 is. Apart from the good cause, the day is an occasion where neigh- bours and friends come to call, sit down and take time out.

“One of the highlights of the day is when the children get off school and they come in. It’s great for the younger people to be part of this

community day.

“We have everyone – older people coming after they’ve collected their pensions and children coming after school – it’s a real community day, a team effort and that’s why it’s so special,” explained Kay.

Clare hits the sweet spot in Lonely Planet guide

BEN Escorcio is going for all Ire- land glory, having already won West Clare’s Got Talent and numerous other competitions in his young life.

He will showcase his singing abil- ity this Sunday evening on the popu- lar RTE television competition, The All Ireland Talent Show.

The teen will not only represent Clare but the whole of Munster when he does battle for judge John Cree- don’s team.

The second-year student in St Flan- nan’s College, Ennis, has not revealed the song he will sing in an effort to

make it to the semi-final, but he is hoping the people of his new home in Milltown Malbay, Clare and Munster will like it.

Born in London, Ben moved to Australia with his parents Sandy and Leo, and his brothers when he was young. He went to school there- and was educated before the family moved to Ireland and settled in Mil- town Malbay.

Ben is no stranger to performing, competition or even television. Last year he won not only the local com- petition West Clare’s Got Talent, but also made it to the final of RTE 1’s ‘Jam the Musical’.

While living in Melbourne, he was part of the largest dramatic society in the city. As well as playing a main role in ‘Les Miserables’ and ‘Oliver’, he also had a part especially written into “The Pirates of Penzance’, and won the Guild of Victoria.

On moving to Clare, he continued to work on his singing. Just months in the county, he joined Clare’s famed Lismorahaun singers, and took up singing lessons with the choir’s founder, Archie Simpson.

Then a few short weeks ago, the talented teen auditioned for the All Ireland Talent Show in Cork. On the first day of auditions, John Creeden

put Ben through to his final 16.

“Tt was brilliant. When John said I was through, I could have run and shrieked with joy. Luckily I remem- bered I was on camera,” he laughed.

On day two of the auditions, the judges had to narrow down their se- lection to just eight acts and Ben was once again called up.

‘As soon as we got back home, we began brainstorming for song ideas, with only a few weeks to prepare,” he said.