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THE Department of Agriculture is inviting Clare farmers’ markets to sign up to the Code of Good Practice for Farmers’ Markets. The closing date for applications is March 31 and all markets who take part will re- ceive a certificate and banner which they can display to inform the public that they are operating to a set degree of conditions.

These conditions include sourcing a substantial proportion, ideally 50 per cent of its produce locally, ac- commodating seasonal and _ local garden produce and complying with food safety and labelling rules and eloure

HUNDREDS of people joined the party last week for the official open- ing of the building that the Irish built.

Villagers rubbed shoulders with high government officials.

During Mass, Fr Martin Keane’s niece, Roisin, played traditional Irish airs on the flute.

After Mass – at which the chief celebrant was Bishop Willie Walsh – the pople of Migombani laid on en- tertainment with traditional dances and songs while children from the primary school and the school for the blind provided refreshments.

Among the VIP guests were the Archbishop of Mombassa, Boniface Nele and the Irish consul to Kenya, Joe O’Brien with his wife, Gay.

In his homily, Fr Martin Keane said that it was “‘a very emotional day. It’s the climax of what has been a great event and what is very important is the local workers and the Irish did it together. You spoke a common l|an- guage — not Swahili or English but the language of Meitheal.”

Bishop Walsh told the congrega- tion that “we should see our own strengths and if we take anything away from here it should be the sense of the depth of love which this has brought out in people.”

Volunteers sang the Irish national anthem as the plaque commemorat- ing the work was unveiled and Con- sul Joe O’Brein ceremonially planted Ea Keron

He said that in Ireland “so lit- tle is seen of the good work which the Irish do overseas. The work you have done here will go much further than you know. We are very short in Kenya of properly trained crafts- men. This morning I saw the best craftwork I have seen since I came to Mombassa.”

Shannon lures in the jet-set

The lack of a wheelchair-accessible public bus has also put added pres- sure on his mother, Mary. Ms King said she had to buy an expensive spe- cialist van so that she could ensure Shane got to his course in Limerick every week.

“Shane couldn’t do his course un- less I got the transport. This is a na- tional disgrace,” she said.

Ms King said there is a local trans- port service that is wheelchair acces- sible but it does not go to Ennis. While a Bus Eireann bus leaves Kilrush that would facilitate Shane’s travel to col- lege, it 1s not accessible to him or any other wheelchair users.

‘No one in a wheelchair can leave Kilrush. They are bound to stay here,” said Ms King. “This is not a

privilege Shane is looking for, it is a iu hae ee

Local Town Councillor Ian Lynch (FG) wrote to the Minister for Trans- port on behalf of Mr King and other wheelchair users in the town.

A letter from the minister’s office redirected him to Bus Eireann. A letter from Bus Eireann merely re- emphasised the fact that people in Wheelchairs cannot use the service from Kilrush.

The letter said that the company is

planning to roll out a coach service with a wheelchair lift but this would be on a route-by-route basis.

It says it also has a reservation system, where wheelchair users can book a place 24 hours in advance and a seat is taken out of the bus to accommodate them. Just one wheel- chair user at a time can use this serv- ice, however, and it is not available at all in Kilrush. “We do not have any booking system or accessible bus stop infrastructure to bring wheel-

chair passengers from Kilrush at present,” the letter said.

“Tf the issue was addressed, that is if a wheelchair accessible bus was to operate from Kilrush to Ennis, per- sons with disabilities could then take the train to further destinations,” said Cllr Lynch.

CALLS have been made for a garda drug unit to be set up in each garda district in Clare, in the wake of fig- ures showing the number of drug of- fences in the county increased by 10 per cent in 2008.

CSO figures published last week show that there were 394 controlled drug offences in 2008; an increase on 357 in the previous year. The de- tection rate for these type of offences was high, at 99.2 per cent in 2008, oyenlorTaere Malem roRon oo) mene TAL ONE Of the 394 offences, proceedings were taken in 282.

Reacting to the figures, Fine Gael Councillor Martin Conway said it showed that the drugs issue was prevalent in the county.

“We have seen the proliferation of head shops throughout Ireland, including Clare. It shows that abuse

is rampant from north Clare right through to west Clare. Drugs destroy the lives of young people,” he said. A divisional drugs unit is attached to Ennis Garda Station and a unit was set up at Shannon Garda Sta- tion last year. Cllr Conway believes that similar units should be set up in the districts of Ennistymon, Kilrush and Killaloe, in an effort to curb the growth in the use of illegal drugs. “Each district needs a dedicated drugs unit. The figures prove that drugs are widely and regularly avail- able in Clare and we need to address that urgently,” said Cllr Conway. Meanwhile, the figures show that detection rates in Clare were high for robbery and public order offences. However, they were lower in offences of arson, criminal damage, car thefts and burglaries. While the number of cases of arson increased in 2008 – from 44 to 78 – the detection rate

remained low. It stood at just 19.2 per cent in 2008, compared with 11.4 per cent during the previous year. Just 26.5 per cent of the 845 criminal damage cases were detected in 2008. Only 85 of those were followed by court proceedings.

The figures also reveal that the number of assaults in Clare jumped by 50 per cent in 2008; from 215 to 322. However, several of those cases do not end up in court, as proceed- ings were issued in just 99 cases. In relation to more serious assaults, the figure for 2008 was on a par with that of 2007. There were 68 in 2008 and 69 during the previous year. The vast majority were detected by gardai.

The number of harassment cases increased from 75 to 96. While 31 per cent were detected, just two made their way to court.

Disabled and stranded in Kilrush

THE number of break-ins to houses and business premises increased by 20 per cent in 2008, while just one- third were detected.

Figures published by the CSO show that just 36 per cent of burglaries in the county were detected, while just 89 of the 522 recorded cases in 2008 were brought to court. There were four cases of aggravated burglary, all of which were detected and two of which resulted in proceedings.

The number of cases of robbery dropped from 23 in 2007 to 13 in 2008. In this category, the detection rate increased significantly, from 56 per cent to 92 per cent.

Theft cases increased in 2008 – from 992 to 1,133. However, the de- tection rate slipped from 42 to 31 per cent. Just 219 of the 1,113 cases re- sulted in proceedings. 166 cars were stolen in 2008, but just 21 of those resulted in proceedings.

There were 21 cases of handling stolen property in 2008; which was an increase on 16 in the previous

year. There was a 100 per cent detec- tion rate in both years. Cases of fraud and deception increased from 76 to 108, but the detection rate dropped from 70 per cent to 53 per cent.

According to the CSO figures, the number of public order cases in Clare dropped slightly in 2008 – from 1,380 to 1,293. The detection rate was 98.5 per cent. 64 cases of trespass were recorded, but just eight of these re- sulted in court proceedings.

In 2008, there were no murder cases, compared with three in 2007. Two cases of threatening to kill were recorded in both 2007 and 2008. Seven cases of rape were detected in 2008; none of which resulted in pro- ceedings. This compared with eleven in 2007; four of which were brought to court. One case of defilement was recorded each year, while the number of sexual offences decreased in 2008 – from 20 to 13. Just eight of the 13 resulted in proceedings being issued.

While the burglary rates are alarm- ing, the trend does not appear to have changed. Several parts of Clare have

been subjected to a spate of burgla- ries in recent weeks, including Shan- non. The mayor of Shannon Coun- cillor Sean McLoughlin (Fine Gael) said yesterday, “There is a concern about burglaries and knife-related attacks in the town. I understand gardai have extra personnel and [| welcome that. Shannon traditionally has been associated with low crime rates and we want to get back to that. There is huge concern and worry in the community.

“Vd ask any member of the pub- lic who knows anything to contact the gardai. Without the public help- ing out the gardai can’t solve these crimes. It is not feasible to have a garda on every corner,” said Cllr McLoughlin.

MUNSTER Council secretary Pat Fitzgerald has hit out at the player power that has raised its head in Clare, Cork and Limerick hurling over the past year, saying that “the terms strike or picket” have no place in the association.

In his annual report to be delivered to the Munster Council Convention in Listowel this Friday night, Fit- zgerald, has stated that co-operation between players and officials is the only way forward.

“Last year I mentioned difficul- ties which arose in Cork on player issues. Sadly this issue surfaced in other counties this year with Clare and Limerick embroiled in conflict between players and officials.

‘This trend is a disturbing one and we would now hope that with the Na-

tional Agreement between the GAA and the GPA these issues will be- come less frequent if not a memory altogether.

“We must all be aware of the re- sponsibilities we have, mutual re- spect is a two-way street, no person

or group hold a monopoly on respect because of their position. Genuine grievances must be sorted out in a spirit of harmony with all sides will- ing to listen.

“However, I must make a few clear points which might seem controver- sial but they are not intended to be. It is merely as aGAA person that I’m stating my beliefs. I respect any play- er who wishes to remove themselves for whatever reason, from their 1n- ter-county panel, however, I believe the terms ‘strike’ or ‘picket’ have no place in the GAA vocabulary and never should have.

“We must be more proactive with our players at inter-county level, making sure we are always aware of issues before they become confronta- tional. The day of expecting players to play and shut their mouths are over and rightly so,” added Fitzgerald.

MICHEAL McDermott is the first to peel away from the biggest rolling maul that the home of rugby has ever seen — it starts underneath the Mick Mackey Stand and moves quickly in the direction of Thomond Park and Seller shee

Mackey wouldn’t have minded — he loved rugby so much he was a mem- ber of the Vigilante Committee so he could go to games. McDermott doesn’t mind either and doesn’t want to break away, but RTE’s cameras are calling, not to mind a posse of hacks who were giving chase — he’s not about to run away on his great- est day.

“Every player ran himself into a stick and that’s what the club is about,’ he says drawing breath. ‘“That’s what our mantra is about. It’s work ethic all the way. There’s tremendous honesty among the play- ers and everyone involved and that’s what wins out at the end of the day.

‘“There’s a hunger about these play- ers to keep winning, winning and

winning. They have such a belief among themselves — they believe that they’re the best in the country. SU cr TMcMmeetomAW: WAN O Olean ecROO PERO OT:IMCME NOLS way they play.

‘This week, the one thing I noticed as against the Munster final was that there was no fear of today. There was no fear or tension that you’d expect coming into an All-Ireland semi-fi- nal. I never saw a team as ready — I said it Tuesday night, I said it Thurs- day night, I said it yesterday. We were confident coming down that we were going to deliver.”

Confidence, adds McDermott, that was nurtured after their quarter-final win over Tir Chonaill Gaels. Yes, Kilmurry won ugly that day in Ruis- lip, but it was the game as much as the win that mattered.

“Nobody realises what an impact that game had on us. We had a fresh- ness coming into today that was vital. Portlaoise had a long lay-off since December 6. We watched the DVD of Kerry v Dublin in last year’s All-Ireland quarter-final and looked at what Kerry did to Dublin in the

first 23 minutes.

“We said we were going to try and do the same. Like Kerry, we were the fresher team and we took the game to our opponents like they did and that’s when this game was won.

‘And we won because of our dis- cipline too. Football is a game of discipline. We held our discipline; we held it all year long and in every game since coming out of Clare, our opponents have lost a player, some- times more than one.

“It’s sad to see the scenes at the end there when a referee who did a very good job. He made a call on what was a very very dangerous tackle — when that happens you have to walk Ke) as nd

As McDermott speaks, Declan Callinan passes by — the suspended left-half-back has given up to walk off the field and instead is being swept away shoulder high by the roll- ing maul that’s finally turning away from Cratloe Hill and heading back towards Mick Mackey.

‘He played a huge huge part,” says McDermott raising a fisted salute. “For a guy that was suspended he was around the team all the time this week. He didn’t train on Friday night, but yet he drove all the way down from Belfast, just to be part of it.

“That guy is what this club is all about. His life, his soul is Kilmurry Ibrickane. Every sinew that he gives is for the club. He spoke to the play- ers beforehand and broke down in tears, as did a lot of the players and a lot of the management. That’s what it means. Deep down there’s a tremen- dous bond between everyone of these EN uce

“This day is acredited to Declan Callinan. We won it for him because we want to give him a day out in Croke Park that he richly deserves after a long career.”

He’s just one of many who deserves that day in Croke Park.

IT IS unlikely that Shannon Airport will be the site of a Ryanair aircraft maintenance base, controversially proposed by Michael O’Leary for Hangar six in Dublin.

Last week the Government pro- posed to Ryanair that it could estab- lish the new aircraft maintenance base at Shannon Airport after it said there was no legal mechanism by which the Government or the Dublin Aviation Authority could secure the Hangar 6 facility from Aer Lingus for Ryanair.

Shannon Development offered to accommodate the no frills airline in IMCD GLI NDOTCMO) MBO CoA LAs ee-bavex- be

In correspondence with Ryanair the state company said it could offer the airline “grant support packages” and had a number of substantial green- field landbanks with airside access available, if it would consider basing its maintenance facility at Shannon Airport.

However, Ryanair rejected this pro- posal out of hand.

It said its one condition to create the 300 jobs through a maintenance base had just one condition – that it could secure Hangar six at Dublin Airport.

“Hangar 6 fits Ryanair’s require- ments, is not currently being utilised for the purpose for which it was built, and is in close proximity to a pool of highly skilled aviation engi-

neers who formally worked for SRT. Ryanair will not be considering any other proposals,” Ryanair said.

Last night (Monday) a spokesper- son for Shannon Development said it had no formal refusal yet from Mr O’Leary or Ryanair.

Meanwhile Clare TD Joe Carey (FG) is looking to other possible services at the airport for job crea- moyen

The Fine Gael TD questioned the Government on the issues that were holding up the development of a Lynx

Cargo facility at Shannon Airport.

Deputy Carey said he believed this facility could have enormous added benefit to the mid-west region and help create and sustain jobs.

“The Lynx Cargo Facility has been several years in the pipeline. I came across a press release recently from Shannon Development in 2004 high- lighting the advantages of such a fa- cility for Shannon and the mid-west. So for Government to now suddenly realise that EU competition or other such issues need to be addressed it a

bit rich.

“It goes back to a question of po- litical will. We know that the cargo facility could have enormous benefit for the region. The Mid West Task- force chairman has identified it as a key for the area.

He said the Taoiseach said in reply to his Dail question that the Govern- ment would assess how the current pre-clearance facilities operate and aCe O Coren Oley