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CLARE County Council has sought funding for the demolition of the Tradaree Court flats in Shannon and the project will be a priority for next year.

Town councillors were told last week the council is hopeful that the funding application, from the depart- ment, will be successful. Funding has also been sought for site suitabil- ity and feasibility studies.

Sinn Féin Councillor Cathy Mc- Cafferty raised the issue at a meet- ing of Shannon Town Council, where she called for the demolition of the flats to be discussed. “I don’t want

the same situation happening with the Tradaree flats as happened with Cluain Airne in the past,” she said.

“The front areas have overgrown to the extent they are tearing the legs off people passing. I don’t want to see the same going up again,’ she said.

Independent Councillor Gerry Flynn said some of the flats are “old and dilapidated”. He said there are more than 300 houses in that area and he would like to see a green field site there when the flats are demol- ished.

Independent Councillor Patricia McCarthy said, “I don’t know would we want that whole area a green area where we could have anti-social be-

haviour going on.”

Labour Councillor Tony McMa- hon said, “I’d be interested to know what’s the situation around these. I certainly wouldn’t like to see another structure of the same type and in the same place. I think it would be good to look at it and see could a differ- ent type of accommodation be pro- vided.”

“T believe if something gets fund- ing, it should be within an area or within the town,’ he said.

Fine Gael Councillor Mike Flem- ing said, “My biggest fear is the loca- tion where it would be removed to. The last thing I’d like to see going into an area like that would be apart-

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He said the option of building sin- gle houses, rather than apartments, should be considered.

The town manager Bernadette Kin- sella said that discussions on the fu- ture of that area were never brought to aconclusion, “but what is agreed is that they have to be demolished and that is one of our priority projects for next year”.

“What isn’t agreed is where any replacement dwellings would go. We need to carry out site feasibility and suitability studies. Any replacement development would require us to go through a consultation process,’ add- ed Ms Kinsella.

A JUDGE heard that a young wom- an who was found with a quantity of heroin in Killaloe was bringing it to her partner who is a paraplegic.

Annmarie Delahunty (22) of Hen- nessy Avenue in Killeely, Limerick, pleaded guilty to possession of €25 worth of heroin in Killaloe on April 23 of this year.

Her solicitor told Killaloe District Court that Ms Delahunty was “un-

der pressure from her former partner and the father of her child to get the drugs for him. Her partner unfortu- nately became paralysed from the waist down and by his own admis- sion 1s a heroin addict. She got this ‘fix’ and was giving it to him.”

The court heard that Delahunty has a number of previous convictions, in- cluding public order and road traffic offences. Judge Joseph Mangan or- dered that she do 100 hours commu- nity service if she proves suitable.

THE Labour Party in Clare has ex- perienced a resurgence, as those frustrated by the political incumbent flock to the left.

A new branch of the party has been set up in Ennistymon, with the Shan- non branch expanding by 15 new members. The Ennis branch has also seen its numbers multiply.

While Labour is usually associated with the more urban areas of Clare,

rural areas are now developing branches and joining the fold.

Talks are to begin in the com- ing weeks in Kilrush with a view to forming a Labour branch for the west.

In the last number of weeks the branch in Ennis has expanded, with new members joining the party from throughout the county and lapsed members returning to the fold.

Clare County Councillor Paschal FitzGerald attributes the growing

success of the party to its leader, Eamon Gilmore TD, who is consist- ently the most popular party leader HOMO semereleuN Ame

“We plan to make the party bigger in Clare again. It is great to see peo- ple taking the initiative. I am getting calls from people from all over the county, many are interested in join- ing and many more are just interest- ed in helping out,” he said.

Secretary of the Clare Labour Party, Seamus Ryan believes that the

move towards the Labour Party sig- nals disillusionment with society and politics among the general public.

‘People recognise that Fianna Fail has let them down and there is a lack of leadership from that party,’ he Sr ntGe

‘People now feel if ordinary peo- ple don’t come out and make a stand then this cycle is going to continue.”

Labour in Clare is now planning to capitalise on the unpopularity of the Government parties and re-launched its constituency organisation at a meeting in the West County Hotel last week.

Chaired by Limerick TD Jan O’Sullivan, members from through- out the county attended to hear the message that Labour has a his- toric opportunity to make electoral progress in the next general election.

Labour has branches in Ennis, Shannon, Ennistymon and Parteen and members say it is ready to con- test the next election in every district in Clare.

The last Clare Labour TD was Dr Moosajee Bhamjee. The outspoken consultant psychiatrist was elected to the Dail in 1992.

In the local elections last June, the Labour Party retained one county council seat, two seats on Shannon Town Council and secured a seat on Ennis Town Council.

A MAN who upturned a table in a garda station, damaging a computer monitor, was sentenced to ten weeks in jail for his outburst.

Gordon Collins of Cahercallamore, Ennis, appeared before the District Court in Killaloe after spending a week in jail for an outburst in the court the previous week.

Collins pleaded guilty to a number of charges including public order of- fences and criminal damage to the computer at Ennis Garda Station and public order charges.

Judge Joseph Mangan heard, gardai were called to Cahecalla Es- tate, where they found the accused “drunk, extremely abusive and threatening and arguing with neigh- bours”’.

Because of his condition, he was arrested and taken into custody but while in the garda station, he over- turned a table in the custody area causing ©200 worth of damage to the computer monitor.

His solicitor told the court that Mr Collins, who has a number of previ- ous convictions, including some for public order offences, had “been in

jail for the last six days and has seen what lies ahead of him if he doesn’t mend his ways’”’.

The solicitor said that Mr Collins has “considerable difficulties. He has been diagnosed with an anti-social behaviour disorder and was pre- scribed medication. Unfortunately he has developed an addiction to those drugs and he sometimes mixes them with alcohol.”

Judge Mangan sentenced him to jail for the criminal damage charge and set bail at his own bond of €600 with an independent surety of 600 in the event of an appeal.

THOUSANDS of Clare farmers are still unable to make any provisions for 2010 as the future of the REPS scheme remains in doubt.

The Department of Agriculture failed to release any information on the possible restructure of the scheme at last week’s Teagasc REPS conference prompting the IFA to ac- cuse the Government of dragging its feat on the scheme.

The Department of Agriculture has been involved in a consultation proc- ess on the future of the scheme with stakeholders for more than three Tae) el ete

“It is high time the Minister for Agriculture, Brendan Smith, in- structs his department to put in place a meaningful scheme for the 30,000 farmers who will be leaving REPS 3 over the next two years,” said IFA Rural Development Chairman, Tom shitelars

“The allocation of funding indi- cated, over the next four years of the scheme, is woefully inadequate and will translate into payment levels that will make the scheme unattrac- tive to farmers.”

Meanwhile, Minister Smith was talking up the importance of the Irish agri-food sector at last week’s

Ireland the Food Island Awards.

“The Irish food industry is deeply embedded in the Irish economy and is vital to our future. It draws on our natural resources and the expertise of key market players to produce nearly one third of the net export earnings from primary and manufacturing industry which are so vital to our economy,’ he said.

‘‘As a sector where huge investment has been made in high standards of food safety and quality, it is also well placed to continue to contribute to the food security of millions beyond WOT EsDOLem

“Developing strong business rela- tionships through the supply chain, leveraging the capability in food re- search now available in the country and considering strategic consolida- tion can contribute to holding current markets and positioning the industry for growth in the new markets, which will emerge in the upturn.”

Minister Smith said the shape of the CAP post 2013 will also impact on the future of the agri-food industry. Food security and climate change will represent key global challenges requiring a strategic and joined up approach. They will also influence the ongoing work on the 2020 strat- egy for the development of the Irish agri-food sector.

IT HAS been confirmed that US- based firm, Emerson Electric, is to buy out Avocent, which employs more than 100 people at its base in Shannon.

But it is understood that the $1.2 billion deal to buy the company is unlikely to harbour any major chang- es at the Shannon concern.

Under the deal, Emerson 1s paying €25 per share, a premium of 22 per cent over the price which was quoted for shares a few days before the deal

was agreed.

It is understood that the deal will be completed by the New Year.

There was no-one available today to comment on the Emerson buy-out but it is understood that employees were aware that the deal is going through.

The parent company, Avocent In- ternational, announced a restructur- ing programme in July of last year which involved the loss of 57 jobs at the Shannon operation as well as another seven in Dublin. The cuts affected research and development,

marketing and technical support functions as well as the transfer of its Asia operations from Shannon to its newly established operations in Sin- gapore.

The functions of Avocent’s Dublin office were also transferred to the US, resulting in seven redundancies.

Shannon remained the company’s support centre for Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

There was good news on the con- struction business front in Clare this week as a Clare company landed a €2 million contract. The Limerick Mar-

ket Trustees yesterday announced the appointment of Clare-based L&M Keating Ltd as the main contractor for the development project at Lim- erick’s Milk Market. This is a sig- nificant coup for the Kilmihil-based firm, with demand for construction work currently at an all-time low and intense competition for the limited work that is available.

L&M Keating Ltd won out over a to- tal of eight building contractors who submitted tenders for the project.

‘Key factors which led to Keatings’ success include their superb track

record in the building trade, expertise with heritage projects and the value for money they offered,’ said David O’Mahony, Chairman, Limerick Market Trustees Ltd.

Other projects completed by L&M Keating Ltd include the construction of the Doonbeg Hotel and Golf Club and restoration of the 18th-century Clifden House in Corofin.

Commenting on the appointment, Louis Keating, Managing Director, L&M Keating said they are “delight- ed to win such a high-profile project, especially in the current economic

THREE MEN from west Clare will travel to South Africa later this week, where they will help to build new houses for families living on the breadline.

Kevin Burke and Pat McMahon from Cooraclare and Kevin Whelan from Kilkee will join dozens of other volunteers from across the country in the Niall Mellon Township Trust Building Blitz. A total of 1,000 volun- teers will complete 100 new houses in Cape Town, which will replace shacks that the families currently occupy.

Mr Burke and Mr McMahon trav- elled with the Niall Mellon team

last year and were so moved by what they experienced that they both de- cided to undertake the trip again this year. Each of the three men had to raise €5,000 for the trip and they are indebted to the people of west Clare who generously helped them out.

Mr Burke, who currently lives in Killimer, is a part-time farmer and also drives machinery for Clare County Council. He explained how he got involved in this project.

“T was talking to a friend in Feakle and he said his brother was going. I said I’d like to do that some time. That was last year. We were accepted. We went last year and we said we would like to give it another shot,’ he said.

The group spent almost two weeks building houses, in intense heat, but they were pleased to be able to give something to those less well off than WNIT Aone

“It was a complete eye-opener. It was unreal. The living conditions were unreal. You would be crying coming out of it, but it was a great experience and well worth it. I can’t wait to go again,” he said.

Pat McMahon also said the experi- ence was amazing last year. “It was unreal. Those people are living in a totally different world to what we are living in. Most people haven’t got a clue what the recession is here com- pared to what they have out there. A

lot of them have no education,’ he said.

“When everyone is out there to- gether, it is easy to do the work, es- pecially knowing that the families are going to get proper homes out of it,’ said Mr McMahon, who is a wind turbine installation technician.

He paid tribute to those who helped him to raise the funds to take part in the challenge.

‘People have been very good, espe- cially with the recession. They came in their droves with money,’ he said.

The three men organised various fundraisers including a head shave, table quiz, bag pack and céili. All of the events were very well supported.

CHRISTMAS | shoppers will be making their way to Kinvara this December for the annual Christmas Fair, organised by the local farmers market.

After celebrating their first full year in operation last Friday, the Kinvara Farmers Market Committee announced details of their upcoming Christmas Fair which will take place on December 5 and 6 in the Kinvara SroysveleviA monies

The Christmas Fair will be very different from the weekly farmers market, with a much greater focus on crafts for Christmas presents rather than the usual supply of local fresh food.

“This event isn’t really a farmers market as such. There is a much big- ger emphasis on crafts. The farm- ers markets can only have a small amount of crafts where as the main focus of this event will be on the

crafts side of things,” said Rosaleen Tanham, secretary of the Kinvara Farmers Market.

“We are still confirming the stall- holders but already it looks like we will have lots of different crafts on Show and, as with the farmers mar- ket, as much as possible will be sourced from local producers.

“There will be a great atmosphere on the day, with lots of things for children to do and a great festival at- mosphere.”

The Kinvara Farmers Market has gone from strength to strength this year. So much so that they have al- ready confirmed their start date for 2010, with the first market due to take place on Friday, April 2.

“It’s been a fantastic first year. We were very lucky with the weather all summer long and always seemed to have a lovely sunny Friday for the market. The whole market was very well supported by the local people and it very much became a social

occasion for the local people. People come along and have a cup of coffee or tea, listen to the music and then have a look around at what is on offer to buy,” continued Rosaleen.

“At the height of the summer, we had about 25 stall-holders and it was very much a farmers market. What I mean by this is that the vast majority of what was on sale was food which

was produced in a 35-mile radius of the market. We did have a small amount of crafts and a few bits and pieces which we could not source locally but the majority of it was lo- cally-produced foods.

“The whole committee has worked so hard all year and we are all very pleased at how things have gone so ie

MIDFIELD on the stand side of Cusack Park and Fiach O’ Loughlin is locked in an embrace and goes on and on. It’s longer than the couple of minutes injury-time allowed by Rory Hickey at the end of this All Souls Day county final.

Given the day that was in it, he was surely thanking some higher power from the hurling heavens. Whatever, the streams were stream- ing now as the realisation at what Cratloe had achieved shine through the rain clouds.

“Tm stuck for words,’ he says after a few minutes. “I can’t really talk, give me a few more minutes”.

Meanwhile, Barry Duggan’s words flow as he addresses the Grecia elem ntl eCOeMOKeyeoMe)OmmONEAMBNOMENAL™ Ard Comhairle. “There’s a man who came in when we were down,” says Duggan. “He’s played for and captained Ireland, he’s captained Shannon to an All-Ireland League title and he picked us up after being beaten by Newmarket and made us believe what we could do. It’s Fiach O’Loughlin and I salute him.”

It’s the perfect cue for O’ Loughlin to explain his role in this romantic hurling story. The 125th year of the GAA’s founding. The 125th year to the day, to the afternoon. Cratloe. First time champions in their first ever senior hurling final.

“Belief,” he says. “It’s all about be- lief. That’s what this team is about. We had great faith in our guys all season and knew that we could win this title. It came down to belief at half-time. In the dressing room we said to the lads, ‘we believe in ye, we know ye believe in yourselves and it’s a matter of going out and winning it’.

‘They showed the belief they have as a team out there. The one thing I’ve said to the guys, whether it’s at half-time in games, the start of games, or 1n training 1s just “believe in yourselves because you are win- ners’. Anything we asked of them they did. They’re amateurs but they did it like a group of professional athletes. That’s the commitment they gave to the cause this year.

“We were never going to give up, whether we were one, two, three, four points down or whatever. The belief was there in the team that we knew we’d come good and win this championship. Never say die, that’s what did it for Cratloe today. We never said die and that’s why we got there in the end.”

At once you know this means as much as anything O’Loughlin has achieved on the rugby field.

And, why not. He’s Cratloe after all and this was with his own. The parish. The pump. The very rocks on which the GAA was built 125 years ago.

BEAMING and panting, Sean Chap- lin is coming to terms with the hour he has just logged and the trophy he has helped secure for Cratloe’s al- ready crowded cabinet.

‘This is beyond my wildest dreams,” he says. “As a young lad myself and the lads would go down and watch the Cratloe seniors. We were about ten or 12 and we would follow those guys every season. To us they were the next big thing when they won the intermediate and things died down for a while after that but it’s great to bring success to the club again.

“We had had so many years of los- ing but when you get that winning feeling it’s very hard to stop it be- cause that feeling 1s unreal.”

Sunday was the club’s 13th game in 14 weeks and the winning percent- age from that butcher’s dozen — in both codes — has been phenomenal.

“We have massive momentum in

this club. We had the football to build on and I’ve heard that some people have said football should be banned in Cratloe. I don’t believe that.

“We’re mad for football, we’re mad for hurling. These fellas are mad for action. I don’t care if we’re playing every week from here until Christ- mas. That’s what we want. We want to play and we want to train. That’s what we get the buzz from. That’s our life.”

From beginning to end, Chaplin was at the core of Cratloe’s win but for the midfielder, the final score of the game proved the sweetest mo- ment.

“The end was unbelievable, it was just a great way to win a county final and I didn’t know how long was left. It seemed like a fast second-half. I thought there would be more left in it because even after the goal it was backs to the wall time for us.

‘When the ball hit the net I was still cautious though because Clonlara

have some fantastic players and they had the ability to come back down and get another goal.”

A familiar refrain surrounded Cratloe both before and during the game.

“We had to work and work and be disciplined. That was the target we set. At half-time we said we had to be patient as well, that the breaks would come and that’s exactly what hap- pened. We were getting tired towards the end of the first-half because there was a lot of hard hitting but we kept going, we wouldn’t back down.

“Inside in the dressing room there were no mad speeches. We just de- cided we would stick with what had got us this far, stick with it. We knew were fit and we believed in ourselves. That counts for something.”