Category: Uncategorized

that he’s hopeful that some arrangement can be brokered in the coming days so as to give Kilmurry every advantage ahead of the most important day in Clare club football

Keay

“We would hope that something could be done,’ McDermott said on Monday night. “I know there are rules and regulations there and that if a game is called off it has to be played within seven days, but the fact that we’re in an All-Ireland Final we’d hope that there’d be some ma- noeuvre.

“It’s not that we’re looking for spe- cial treatment, but the fact that there’s a six week break in the Cusack Cup after this weekend, there’d be plenty of time to re-fix the Doonbeg game.

“This week is important for us be- cause it’s all about recovery from Sunday before we started building it up again for the final on March 17. If the county board are determined that the fixture goes ahead, we’ ll fulfill it, but we’d have to put out a weakened team.”

After Sunday’s victory, McDermott told

A CONTRACTOR has been ap- pointed to carry out works to improve pedestrian facilities at an “extremely dangerous bridge” on the Quin Road, Syne

The development was confirmed by senior engineer with Clare County Council, Tom Tiernan who also said that long-awaited improvement work at the Quin Road bridge is due to commence in the “coming months”.

In response to a letter from Depu- ty Joe Carey TD (FG), Mr Tiernan States that “significant progress” has been made on the project.

“Significant progress has been made with regards achievement of the de- sired objective in relation to this mat- ter. CIE has agreed in principle to facilitate development of a pedestrian bridge within its property.

“The bridge, complete with access ramps, is to be located in the property associated with the Ennis railway sta- tion and will be adjacent to the south side of the existing traffic bridge on the Quin Road,” states Mr Tiernan.

Mr Tiernan indicates that work on the project may not be completed un- til the latter half of the year.

“A part VIII planning approval has been secured for the development

and at present a contractor is be- ing appointed with a view to having the project proceed over the coming months. Once construction gets un- derway it is envisaged that the project will be completed within a three month timeframe,’ he states.

Commenting on the development, Deputy Carey said, “The absence of pedestrian facilities at the Quin Road railway bridge is a matter of huge concern to residents, people using the Quin Road as a walking route and lo- OPT Mees leshionmae

He added, “It’s an extremely dan- gerous bridge. Pedestrians have lim- ited visibility and little room to ma-

noeuvre. It is an accident waiting to happen. It’s especially dangerous to negotiate the bridge with a buggy or pram.”

Deputy Carey said that along with a housing estate, there are a large number of business and commer- cial enterprises located on the Quin Road.

“IT welcome the fact that contractors are presently being appointed and look forward to the project moving to construction phase in the coming months. The provision of a proper pedestrian facility at Quin Road will dramatically improve road safety on this busy route,” he said.

Wb Ke Coy edhe B NLOks that plans for the new rescue centre have been approved by the Office of Public Works (OPW) and the local coastguard members and will now go forward for planning permis- sion.

OPW officials travelled to Doolin

to present the plans for the centre to coastguard members on January 12 last and it is now believed that a final plan for the centre has been agreed.

Despite this progress it 1s unclear when work may commence on the rescue centre following revelations that money, which had been ring- fenced for the project, no longer ex- TSA

“We have received commitments before in relation to the provision of a permanent home for the coastguard in Doolin and we have been disap- pointed. I hope that this latest news

means that we will finally see the end of years of waiting for the progres- sion of this most necessary project in north Clare,” said Clare TD, Pat SIKU meee

“When fears arose, last month, about the €1.5 million which Minis- ter Dempsey had promised was ring fenced for the project, I raised this matter with him in the Dail and he told me that an application would be lodged shortly for the project.

‘The volunteer coastguards in Doo- lin put their lives on the line every day to save others and the very least

they deserve is to have a permanent facility constructed to cater for their needs. Providing that the application secures the necessary planning per- mission, I hope that no further delays will hold up the construction of his facility.”

Any delay in the progress of the centre could throw plans for the en- tire development into turmoil.

THE latest progressive chapter in the St Joseph’s Education Centre, Gort Road, story has been written with news that a number of new courses have been introduced, in- cluding a third Leaving Certificate group, a cookery programme (in conjunction with the HSE) and a six-month ‘Fresh Start Programme.

There are now three groups of Leaving Certificate students en- rolled in St Joseph’s Education Cen- ken

Two groups are in their second year and will be sitting their exams in June. A new group started this year and are busy with their tasks at present.

According to Mary Fitzgerald of the centre, the cookery programme, which has been offered to the men for the first time at the centre, has gone from strength to strength.

‘There has been great interest in the course, with the men really en- joying being part of it,” she said.

“The ‘Cook it Programme’ is a cookery and nutrition programme taught at the centre in partnership with the local community dieti- cian. In the centre, re-skilling and up-skilling are also seen as the way forward.

“A new six-month pilot program has been developed to help give people an opportunity for new be- ginning,’ she added.

“It gives people the chance to ex- plore vocational opportunities in or- der to progress to further education or employment.”

Modules involved in the pro- gramme include career planning, personal development, computer

skills, healty lifestlyes, CV prepara- tion and job seekers skills.

“There is a change management emphasis being adopted in the course, focusing on life manage- ment skills looking to get people take ownership of their decision making and future possibilities,” Ms Fitzgerald said.

‘The centre is working towards an integration of its services and looks forward to remaining in a position to provide a quality educational

service to the community of Clare into the future.”

St Joseph’s Education Centre is a Centre of Education and Training for Travellers and settled people aged 18 and over in the Clare area. It is based in the Gort Road Busi- ness Park, in Ennis.

The Ennis Traveller’s Training Centre was the first in the country. It started as part of a Combat Poverty Programme in 1974.

At that time, it was located in the

erounds of the Holy Family School, Ennis. In 1982 the centre moved to new building at the Gort road indus- WUD motel Kos

Clare to host speech therapy workshops

CLARE County Council is to take over the Cluain Donn housing de- velopment in Shannon, but does not have plans to take over responsibility for the Cluain Aoibheann estate at the moment.

Independent Councillor Gerry Flynn called on the council to take over responsibility for both estates, which, he said, have been occupied for a number of years. He said that the council needs to assess what works need to be done to have them taken in charge.

In response, he was told that the council proposed to take in charge the Cluain Donn development, once the remedial works to the road sur- face are completed.

“The vesting process is underway and the statutory process will com- mence once the areas requiring at- tention are dealt with,’ stated senior executive officer Monica Meehan, in

response.

However, a different situation ex- ists in relation to the Cluain Aoib- heann estate. Ms Meehan stated that enforcement proceedings were initi- ated against the developer, Mulling- brook Holdings Ltd, in 2008.

A warning letter was served in De- cember 2008 and this was returned. The warning letter was re-served on the site manager in March 2009. An on-site meeting took place between the enforcement officer and the site manager in May 2009.

A submission on the warning letter was received in July 2009. A further site inspection was carried out in August and found that the warning letter was not complied with.

The council says that further dis- cussions were initiated with the site manager with a view to completing the works, but the works were not Ub A (ou RAN. Cone

An enforcement notice issued in September and was returned and was

hand delivered in November.

The council says that this has not yielded a response and it is endeav- ouring to liaise with the site manager with a view to completing the works. The requirements of the enforcement relate to road works, the implemen- tation of a planting schedule and the installation of a name plate for the estate.

“It should be noted that the coun- cil has not received a valid taking in charge application in respect of this development and therefore no assessment of a cctv survey or as- constructed drawings has been un- dertaken.

“It is not proposed to take this de- velopment in charge at this time,” added the council’s response.

A MAN WHO imported ‘cowboy guns’ with a view to framing them and putting them over his mantle- piece found himself before a court after he was stopped by customs at Shannon Airport.

Frank Brennan (46), of O’Malley Park, Limerick, pleaded guilty to im- porting two firearms – a 9mm blank calibre Magnum 38 and a 6mm blank calibre Kimar – without a licence and ammunition at Shannon Airport on May 16, 2009.

Inspector Tom Kennedy told Shan- non District Court on Thursday that the accused was stopped by customs, having returned from a holiday in Majorca.

He said that two revolvers and some ammunition were discovered. The defendant claimed they were for use aS ornaments and he intended on putting them up on the wall. The matter was investigated and the con- clusion was made that there was no ulterior motive.

Defending solicitor Jenny Fitzgib- bon told the court that her client had been returning from a family holl- day.

“There was no effort to conceal what he called ‘cowboy guns’. They were in a duffle bag. He didn’t make any excuses that they were in his pos- session.

‘He had bought them merely as ornamentation. He had intended to frame them and put them over the mantlepiece. He was quite shocked

there was such an incident,’ she Said.

She said her client had not meant any harm by his actions and “merely wanted to bring them back as a sou-

ot baa He also fined Brennan €500.

Judge Joseph Mangan imposed a three-month jail term, suspended on condition that the accused enter a

bond to keep the peace for two years.

PANCAKE madness was in the air at Clonmoney National School on Tuesday last as the 125 students geared up to make their way through as many pancakes as they could pos- sibly eat.

Ann Cawley, parent of Gregory Murphy who is making his first Holy Communion this year, organised to sell pancakes in her son’s national school in aid of the Haiti earthquake CK itoe

Ann, owner of The Peaberry Green

café in Quin, baked over 150 pan- cakes in her café, sprinkled with de- licious chocolate spread, mouth wa- tering maple syrup and castor sugar.

The pancakes were on sale in a classroom at the school and sold quickly, with all donations going to a Haiti fund to help save lives and pay for food for the victims of the earth- quake.

Yvonne Enright, secretary of Clon- money school, said, “People were able to make any donation at all for the pancakes, it could have been €1 0) )'(5) 0 ee Oe

The principal, Benedicta Mclvoy, and the students of Clonmoney are not shy in helping people in need. The school previously held a cake sale to raise funds for The Apostolic Soci- ety and raised a significant amount of money for the organisation.

Prior to the big day, the children were busy making pictures and post- ers promoting the pancake day to help injured and sick people who suffered in the Haiti earthquake.

“The children were really looking forward to the pancake day. They were really excited,” said Ms Enright.

The amount raised has yet to be to- taled but undoubtedly the proceeds of the pancakes sold will make some difference to the lives of the victims of the Haiti earthquake.

Ann Cawley and Clonmoney Na- tional School would like to acknowl- edge all parents, teachers, staff and students involved for their help in raising funds for the victims of the Haiti earthquake.

A YOUNG man who had taken a concoction of 10 valium tablets and seven cans of beer broke into a 61- year-old man’s home and attacked him, a court heard yesterday.

Dominic Hayes (19), of Inis Ealga, Shannon, and Philip Ryan (20), of R1- neanna View, Shannon, pleaded guilty to aggravated burglary at a house in Shannon on December 18, 2008.

Hayes was jailed for three years, while the case of Ryan was adjourned for compensation to be paid.

Garda David Laing told Ennis Cir- cuit Court that when gardai got to the house at around 1.40am, the owner was lying on the bedroom floor, cov- ered in blood. There was a wooden stick and frame of a child’s bike on the ground beside him. He said the bedroom window had been broken with the frame of a child’s bike.

The man told gardai that he saw the two defendants outside his bedroom window. Hayes broke the window with the bike frame and beat the man with a wooden stick and bedside radio. 400 in cash was also taken from the man’s bedroom. Damage, to the tune of almost €4,000, was caused to the victim’s property that night.

The two defendants were identified as suspects and were arrested a short time later in a nearby estate. Gda La- ing said they had to be given a rest pe- riod to sober up from the alcohol and drugs they had consumed that night.

The court heard that Ryan had told Hayes to leave the man alone, as he had a medical condition.

Both men were described as com- ing from dysfunctional families and both have abused drugs and alcohol. Hayes had 18 previous convictions, while Ryan did not have any.

Hayes’ barrister Lorcan Connolly (pictured below) said his client had consumed 10 valium tablets and seven cans of beer that evening. He described his client as a ‘Jekyl and Hyde’ type of character, who changed dramatically while under the influ- ence. He asked for light at the end of the tunnel for his client.

Ryan’s barrister Elaine Houlihan said this incident was very much out of character for her client and said it was not professionally planned. She said he was easily led. ““There was an element of regrettable opportunism to the crime,” she said. Ms Houlihan said her chent could offer €1,300 in com- pensation. His case was adjourned for further money to be paid over.

Referring to Hayes, Judge Carroll Moran said the evidence was he was the most culpable and said the attack was “gratuitous, unprovoked, out of the blue”.

THREE north Clare community groups are battling it out to see who will claim the lion’s share of €10,000 in local funding as part of the AIB Better Ireland Programme.

The Ennistymon After School Club, Liscannor Child Care Services and the Ennistymon Vocational School’s Young Men’s Group are each look- ing for local people to vote for their chosen charity.

The Ennistymon branch of the AIB will share out €10,000 between the three shortlisted projects, with first place receiving €5,000, second place €3,000 and third place €2,000.

Local people now have the chance to vote on who should get the major- ity of the funding. Between now and March 15, north Clare people can text their vote or vote online and help de- cide which project will finish on top.

The Ennistymon After School Club has been organised by Scoil Mhainchin, to provide children from disadvantaged areas with fun, edu- cational after-school care. Approxi- mately 15 children are benefitting each week from being involved in the After School Club.

The project’s aim is to give children aged between eight and 13 something to do from 2.40pm until 6pm each day that promotes learning, physi- cal activity and well-being and keeps them off the streets and in school.To vote for the Ennistymon After School Club, just text ENNISTY A to 51303.

Liscannor Childcare Services 1s a not-for-profit organisation set up more than 13 years ago to supply affordable childcare for local peo- ple. The centre currently has 15 pre- school children and 12 after-school students on its books and will use any money it receives to purchase

essential office equipment and plant flowers in their garden for the chil- dren to enjoy. To vote for the Liscan- nor Childcare Service, just text EN- NISTY B to 51303.

Finally, the Ennistymon Vocational School’s Young Men’s Group was established in September of 2009

to support local young men in mak- ing all the decisions that they face in life. It is a supportive peer group that meets on a weekly basis and the group is facilitated by two members of staff from the school. To vote for the group, you can simply text EN- NISTY C to 51303.