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WHEN Susanne Matejka came to west Clare for a holiday more than eight years ago, little did she think she would find love and a new life in the town she had intended to stay in for just a few weeks.

The German native came to Kil- rush in 2001 to see the dolphins.

“T went to the information office to look for accommodation and was told that there was the Grove Guest House, and | stayed there with a friend of mine. I got to know a man there, the son. So I came to see the dolphins, met a man and couldn’t get rid of him,” she laughed. “I love it here as well so I didn’t move just for eieervi eae

When she came to Kilrush, she worked as a secretary at the Garda station on a temporary basis, and then as a legal secretary before land- ing her ideal job, which merges her business accruement with her crea- LU AoMCS (6 Kos

The skills and knowledge Susan took from her native home bring an added dimension to her role as cen- tre manager of the Vandeleur Walled Gardens.

She has promoted the role of the café and the skills of the staff work- ing there. Keen for the employees to bake fresh breads, cakes and their famous scones every day, the centre manager has also shared her special recipes for German cakes, adding a new variety to the staple cake. Her interest, she maintains, comes from her great-uncle who was a pastry chef and baker in Berlin.

Having learnt set and céili dancing, Susanne is quick to share her love of belly dancing, giving classes locally and getting involved in local per- Ko) u sek: heleeny

Susanne is one of many European

people to embrace Irish culture and the way of life in west Clare.

Karoly Torok is from Hungary and moved to west Clare with his weaver wife Csilla five years ago.

Kilrush is now home for this young family as they bring an array of tal- ents and new skills to the area, and their work.

They were hoping to live some- where similar to Maine in the USA but closer to Hungary when Csilla moved to Ireland to see if it would suit their needs.

Once she had settled in, Karoly joined her in Kilrush and got a job

as head gardener in the Vandelleur Walled Garden and CE supervisor.

With a masters in agriculture, a horticulture degree and _ business management qualifications, he was well equipped for the job, but said it took him a while to get to grips with everything.

He knew a lot of plants by their Hungarian and Latin names but soon came to know the Irish names, while adding a lot of unusual plants to the garden, which usually grow in the southern hemisphere.

Getting used to the change in staff and the paperwork, which made up

part of the CE supervisor job, was also a challenge at first – now it is erere) 16M OE TREN Ren

Five years on and the couple have settled into the area with their chil- Choe

Karoly explained that it is impor- tant to mix with the Irish people and integrate with the local community, although a lot of their friends are Polish, German, Dutch and Swiss, all of whom share a common bond of beginning a new life in Kilrush.

IT had been 29 years since Corofin last won the Junior A championship and that hunger and determination to bridge that long gap certainly had a major bearing on Saturday’s result.

Put simply, Corofin wanted this ti- tle more and with that added drive, they certainly earned a bit of fortune along the way before finally claim- ing the title. The perfectly timed goals were the sucker-punches that decided the tie, with the two second- half efforts in particular of the ‘soft’ variety.

Inagh/Kilnamona can’t really ar- gue with the overall result as frus- tratingly, they never really reached the heights of previous performances in their bid to bounce straight back up to the intermediate grade.

Essentially, Corofin had numerous leaders in their side willing to take up the challenge while in contrast, Inagh/Kilnamona appeared appre- hensive for the majority, fumbling possession and giving away too many frees that Stephen Heagney was only too willing to punish.

The first significant blow came in the 23rd minute, with Corofin hold- ing a slender 0-6 to 0-4 advantage after a relatively evenly matched opening. An Inagh/Kilnamona puck- out was gathered by defensive anchor Eoin Malone whose clearance found David Daly. As the centre-forward attracted the Combo defence, he of- floaded to Fiachra Daly who was met by onrushing goalkeeper Stephen Toomey for a penalty.

Stephen Heagney, who had _ al- ready secured four of Corofin’s total, stepped up to accurately drive his ef- fort to the right corner of the net, an advantage they would hold until the break at 1-7 to 0-5.

A five point deficit was far from insurmountable but if Inagh/Kilna- mona had planned to hit the ground running in the second period, they were knocked back on their heels right from the throw-in as a Heag- ney free from half-way caused con-

sternation in the Inagh/Kilnamona full-back line and the ball broke to kindly for Fiachra Daly to pull to an empty net.

Inagh/Kilnamona took the blow on the chin and proceeded to pick off a brace of points through Dam- ien O’Shaughnessy and Joe Griffin to reduce the lead to six. However, they were once again floored only a minute later by a third hammer blow, this time an own goal. Goalkeeper Stephen Toomey batted a Michael

O’Dell delivery off the heel of his own player and could only watch in horror as the ball trickled over the line.

Credit the Combo for not panicking though as three successive Damien O’Shaughnessy frees cut the deficit to six by the turn of the final quarter. Sensing the backlash, Corofin went on the defensive, pulling midfielder Diarmuid Daly back as a sweeper behind the half-back line and using a two-man full-forward line as Heag-

ney secured two more frees.

That tactic frustrated Inagh/Kilna- mona even more and although Joe Griffin’s 60th minute goal put only four between the sides, Corofin had invested far too much in this game to let it slip at that stage.

There were some nervy moments though, particularly when Eugene Cullinan’s pull flashed just over the crossbar but Corofin held out. In- evitably it was Heagney who con- verted the injury-time point in the 63rd minute to sink the Combo and hand Corofin the coveted title that they have waited so long to get their hands on.

THE students of Scoil Mhuire in Ennistymon donned the saffron and blue last week as they welcomed back a number of past pupils along with a very special guest – the Mary Quinn Memorial Cup.

Newly crowned All-Ireland Inter- mediate Ladies Football champions, Liscannor sisters Carmel and Marie Considine, were joined at the school by Clare manager Deirdre Murphy. The trio were led into the school by first-year student Eva O’Dea, who played in the under-12 competition on All-Ireland day in Croke Park.

The group were welcomed to the school by school principal Seo- saimhin Ui Dhomhnallain who con- eratulated them on their wonderful achievement before presenting them with commemorative awards from the school.

She also paid tribute to Suzanne Murphy, another past pupil, who was on the panel along with Sinead Eus- tace – sister of Scoil Mhuire’s hugely successful coach Carmel Eustace.

Addressing the students, Clare man- ager Deirdre Murphy explained how the heartbreak of two semi-finals and last year’s All-Ireland defeat acted as a motivational mechanism to achieve eventual success.

The team started training last No- vember in the gym and then on the pitch from January, two nights a week. Social life went out the win- dow and the team showed great dedi- cation to bounce back from last year’s All-Ireland defeat to Tipperary.

Speaking about last year’s disap-

pointment, Marie Considine said that the team went about their business in a quiet fashion this year but with steely determination to claim glory.

Vice captain Carmel Considine praised Scoil Mhuire for inspiring young footballers to succeed and re- membered her own school days when she started playing for the county while still in fifth year at Scoil Mhu- ire.

She also pointed out that the school has made great strides in ladies foot- ball in a short time and praised its very high standards.

Scoil Mhuire holds a Munster title in football and many students pres- ently play under-14 and under-16 at a county level.

With such talent and dedicated coaching by Carmel Eustace, she concluded that the school will no

doubt yield further silverware in the years to come.

Students posed for photographs with the cup while many expressed their dreams of one day emulating their heroines in footballing success.

WITH the intense rivalry that Kil- maley and Newmarket-on-Fergus have built up at every level in recent seasons, it was always going to be a close run affair. However, it 1s un- likely that anyone could have fore- seen the dramatic circumstances of their latest meeting.

Clarecastle GAA has become a lucky hunting ground for Kilmaley over the last fortnight, but they had to utilise every ounce of that fortune on this occasion as a last gasp Aishling D’Arcy goal denied Newmarket their fifth Under 18A title.

In truth, it was extremely cruel on Newmarket who had led for the vast majority of this tie and appeared to have done enough to see off Kilma- ley’s spirited fightback. However, unable to close out the game at any stage and only holding a precarious minimum advantage entering injury- time, there was always the danger that Kilmaley could snatch some- thing out of this game.

And so it proved as deep into injury time, a Shonagh Enright crossfield

pass eventually found it’s way to hard-working midfielder D’Arcy at the far post to finish to the net and complete the dramatic turnaround.

The preamble to this tie was based on the several big name players on show. Kilmaley had the county expe- rience of Shonagh Enright, Eimear Considine, Katie Cahill, Niamh Cahill, Ailish Considine and Sarah Reidy while Newmarket predomi- nantly looked to Roisin McMahon, Carol Kaiser, Carol O’Leary and Niki Kaiser for inspiration.

It was Enright who set the tone af- ter only 17 seconds with a point but it was to prove a while before either side really settled into their stride. Newmarket’s reply was substantial though when Roisin McMahon’s 10th minute free from just inside the ‘45 went all the way to the net.

That goal was to prove the differ- ence for the remainder of the half as Shonagh Enright’s placed balls cancelled out efforts from Gemma McInerney, Niki Kaiser and Jenny Kelly as Newmarket held a 1-4 to 0- 4 lead at the break.

The problem for Kilmaley was that

aside from Enright, they never really posed an attacking threat, especially to Newmarket’s full-back line. They corrected that for the second period by switching Katie Cahill to her more natural position at full-forward.

It gave Kilmaley a target and more importantly a better balance to their side. With Eimear O’Connor and Aishling D’Arcy foraging well around the centre, Kilmaley improved as the game progressed. However, Newmar- ket also had an ace in the hole in Car- ol Kaiser, whose running game was better suited to centre-forward and it was her threat in particular that kept Kilmaley at bay in the early stages. The county player earned her side three frees in the opening five min- utes, two of which were converted by her sister Niki with only a Shonagh Enright free in reply to open up a 1-6 to 0-5 lead.

However, Kilmaley’s luck turned in the 39th minute when Aishling D’Arcy’s effort from distance went through a crowd of players, leaving goalkeeper Laura McMahon unsight- ed as the ball reached the net and now brimming with renewed confidence,

Kilmaley actually gained parity four minutes later when Shonagh Enright cut inside her marker and pointed.

Niki Kaiser and Katie Cahill traded points soon afterwards but Newmar- ket dug deep and found another gear to pull two points clear once more by the 53rd minute through a brace of Niki Kaiser frees.

Newmarket appeared destined to take the title when they kept out a Shonagh Enright penalty only two minutes later but crucially, Kilma- ley didn’t die and the Cahill-Enright combination cut the deficit to the bare minimum with only four min- utes remaining to set up a grandstand aU OF

GUE A daa omnis ane market in order to grab an equaliser but frustratingly saw a Shonagh En- right effort batted away by goalkeep- er McMahon before Katie Cahill’s rebound drifted wide. That appeared to be their last chance but Aishling D’Arcy had other ideas.

Although Zelica Brown produced a driving solo run at the heart of the Kilmaley defence in search of a win- ning goal, her effort was kept out by

goalkeeper Ailish Considine and it was enough to earn Kilmaley their third minor title in three years.

Element Six: ‘We can save jobs’

WITH senior status for 2010 at stake, a hard fought encounter was always a given. In that regard those in En- nistymon on Sunday for his high noon clash weren’t left disappointed.

It was a battle from throw-in to fin- ish. No surprise then that not all of this psyched-up aggression remained under control. Michael Rock was kept busy, flashing red twice and yel- low nine times in this fight for sur- vival in the top flight.

Ballyvaughan started this fight much the better — notching 1-1 inside five minutes that teed them up for a

1-4 to O-4 interval lead, but on the turnover it was St Joseph’s who re- ally came good on the back of Dav- id O’Brien’s 4lst minute goal that helped them turn a four-point deficit into a five-point victory.

Ballyvaughan’s dream start was the result of their renowned possession game — in almost rugby like fashion the Ballyvaughan players passed the ball across the field with John Mar- tyn finishing the move to the net when palming home from just out- side the square.

However, St Joseph’s did not lie down and responded excellently with three points in a row from Johnny

O’Brien (2) and David O’Brien to leave one between the sides after 15 minutes.

Ballyvaughan did regain control before half-time their own hat-trick of points, the pick of which was Ja- son McDonagh’s sideline effort, but it was St Joseph’s who really turned the screw in the second-half.

Cathal O’Sullivan’s point in the first minute had them on their way, while their vital score came ten minutes later. They stole the goal they desper- ately needed when David O’Brien’s shot crept under Damien McNamara in the Ballyvaughan goal.

Momentum had switched sides as

the Parish sneaked into the lead for the first time, but their good work looked to have been undermined when Keith Whelan received a red card for a striking offence, only for the game to be reduced to 14 aside five minutes later when Ray Casey got his marching orders.

The introduction of sub Colm Mul- len for Barefield was very effective as he totalled two points and created a number of other chances. This, in addition with fantastic free taking by O’Brien drove St Joseph’s to victory.

The five-point margin between the sides at the end may have been harsh but its intermediate football for Bal- lyvaughan for 2010 and another sur- vival act brought off by St Joseph’s.

ano profile some of the county’s leading agri-business success stories, start- ing with Brid and Roger Fahy of Lin- nalla Ice Cream.

Linnalla Ice Cream is hand-pro- duced on the Flaggy Shore of Fin- varra by Brid and Roger Fahy using whole milk and cream from their own shorthorn cows, native to the Burren, to create ice cream free from artificial flavours, colours or preserv- atives.

The farm has been a dairy yard since the 1800s, but by 2004 they knew that they needed to adapt to survive and build a viable future for their family, and give their children a chance to continue to farm the Bur- ren.

Linnalla ice cream started produc- tion in 2006 and the speciality ice- cream is now available in shops and

restaurants in the Clare and Galway areas.

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.

A number of information evenings will take place at Teagasc Offices around the county over the next few weeks. This evening, October 20, an information evening will take place in Kilrush at 7.30pm, while tomor- row (Wednesday, October 21) a simi-

lar event will take place in the En- nistymon office at 7.30pm.

Information evenings also take place Ennis and Scariff on October 27 and 28.

Those attending the evenings will find out how to fill in the short appli- cation form and will hear about the other great prizes on offer.

A number of Clare farmers who started their own businesses will also be there to tell of their experiences to date as entrepreneurs. The Clare Farm Idea Awards is an initiative of Clare Local Development Company (CLDC) to promote entrepreneur- ship amongst farming and fishing Leyeevenleusieley

The top prize of €3,000 is gener- ously sponsored by Clean Ireland Recycling Ltd in Cree, while other sponsors include Clare Marts, Kerry Agri-Business, Conor Engineering, Clare IFA, BIM and FBD.

For more information contact Ger- ry McDonagh 086 8544036 or Hilary Ci TNey MO com Pe Reh Tee

THE bigger the challenge, the more it seems that this Clonlara side thrive on the occasion as this latest battling performance will testify to. If last year’s county final was a fairytale ride of momentum and an unique team spirit, Sunday’s display cer- tainly surpassed that achievement and proved to their doubters that Clonlara are now a major force in Clare hurling.

Still, there were significant corre- lations to last year’s decider. Again, Clonlara’s big names all stepped up to the plate when it mattered most Whereas Newmarket’s were again conspicuous by their absense and that belly for the battle or indeed lack of was ultimately the difference, despite the south east Clare side being a man down for 35 minutes of this game af- ter John Barry’s first-half dismissal.

More than that though, Newmarket simply demonstrated that they had learned very little from last year. The first sign of fear came with their po- sitional choice of James McInerney to curb John Conlon on the wing, instead of at centre-back where he had been instrumental all year. In addition, the Blues never appeared settled, magnified by the fact that almost every outfield player was switched from his original position by the end of the hour. Their choice of free-takers at times looked un- planned while the use of the extra man was never utilised to the fullest, especially from puck-outs.

Instead, they continued to pum- mel high balls into their non-func- tioning half-forward line that Clon- lara’s huge performers Domhnall O’Donovan, Tomas O’Donovan and Nicky O’Connell lapped up with welcoming ease.

However, Newmarket’s §frailities should not deflect from an outstand- ing, gritty display from the defending champions in what was undoubtedly their most satisfying game to date. A motivated Newmarket came out with all guns blazing in an attempt to ruffle their feathers but Clonlara stood firm and weathered the early storm with little fuss through Cor- mac O’Donovan (2), John Conlon, Nicky O’Connell and Tommy Lynch to open up a O-5 to 0-1 advantage.

This was shaping up to be a fero- cious battle with neither side wilting in the tackle and while the hurling wasn’t of the highest standard early on, it was still utterly compelling SAUUee

Misfiring Newmarket took 27 minutes to add to Colin Ryan’s first minute free but they got a signifi- cant boost when John Barry received his second yellow for a wild pull on Enda Barrett and they soon added their first point from play through David Barrett in the 31st minute.

There was still more drama to come before the sides would retire for the interval as Darach Honan got his first real opportunity to take on the New- market defence but was taken down as he was about to unload for goal, only to eventually claim his first score right on the stroke of half-time

to leave the score 0-6 to O-3.

Having had time to regroup and plan how to effectively use the spare man (James McInerney moved to midfield while Eoin Hayes was the extra man behind the half-back line), Newmarket re-emerged with renewed vigour and in fact, dismantled Clon- lara’s advantage within 90 seconds through Gaffney, Shane O’Brien and Sean Arthur.

In what was their most assertive period of the game, Newmarket then cancelled out a Nicky O’Connell free through substitute Michael MclIn- erney and with only three minutes

gone and the advantage of an extra man, the momentum was now with the Blues.

However, Clonlara have proved throughout their three year succes- sion of highs that they are not ones to back down from a challenge. They duly replied like champions, grab- bing three points in as many minutes, two from substitute William Slattery to reopen a three point advantage.

The decisive score came five min- utes later. It was a goal worthy of winning any game as a quick free from Ger O’Connell picked out brother Nicky who produced a mo-

ment of magic to dummy Martin Murphy before launching a long clearance into Donal Madden who blasted to the net.

Clonlara were now firmly back on top and hit home that advan- tage through Madden (2), Nicky O’Connell and the inspirational Cor- mac O’Donovan to push them 1-14 to O-8 ahead by the 55th minute.

Newmarket’s total collapse was alarming but they simply had no reply to Clonlara’s drive. With the champions half-back line dominat- ing, led by ball magnet Domhnall O’Donovan, it was only a matter of

seeing out the remaining minutes.

Newmarket did produce a late rally, with a Colin Ryan free followed by a scrappy goal from substitute Enda Kelly, but instead of lying down, Clonlara almost secured a goal of their own. Successive shots from John Conlon and Donal Madden were somehow scrambled away by the Newmarket rearguard at the ex- pense of a red card for Padraig Kil- nerVM BOE

The crowd numbers may have not been the same but there was still sig- nificant celebrations from the Clon- lara contingent once the final whistle eventually blew. Not only had they seen off chief rivals Newmarket to reach their second successive senior final but the sheer character of the performance will now surely give them the plaudits they so richly de- serve. Nothing has been won yet of course but this was certainly the most significant day of the 2009 championship to date. A day that this young Clonlara side proved to everyone that they are still the side to beat in the championship and are not about to let their title go without an almighty battle.

THERE were two Clare winners among the 39 lucky Big Money Game TV gameshow winners who jetted off accompanied by their guests last week to New York City for a six day luxury break,

They won the prize on the Nation- al Lottery’s Big Money Game TV Gameshow, hosted by Derek Moon- ey during the summer months.

Derek accompanied the winners on their fun-filled trip of a life- time and was joined by 2FM’s Will Leahy Show who broadcast live from New York on Tuesday, 13 October. €2,500 spending money each was also thrown in as part of the win.

Mary Cusack from Newmarket-on- Fergus brought her sister Geraldine with her on the trip. It’s her first trip to the USA and she said she was

“very excited at the prospect of go- ing to such an exciting place”.

Mary Gillespie, from Corofin, lives eight miles outside Ennis. Married to Michael, she has three daughters and one son and she took her daughter Niamh with her on the trip.

“Since the children were small, if something was to be decided, their names were put in a saucepan and then the winner was selected. The same principle was applied for the trip to New York,” she said.

Mary works part-time in a jewel- lery and gift shop in Ennis, and has always dreamed of visiting New York. She had plans to visit Central Park, Fifth Avenue and Ellis Island. Niamh and her mum describe them- selves as “big shoppers”.

Once in New York, the group were transported by coach to the luxurious Sofitel Hotel in Midtown Manhattan,

just a short stroll from Times Square, the Empire State Building and Fifth aN etl len

On Saturday evening, the winners enjoyed a meal at the renowned River Café in Brooklyn with a breathtaking panoramic view of the Manhattan skyline by night and Lady Liberty in New York Harbour.

The group were Broadway-bound on Tuesday night, for the critically acclaimed theatrical phenomenon

ONE of Clare’s longest established hotels is taking the lead in the in- formation age by being the first in Munster to launch an online wed- ding service which will prove a ma- jor money saver for couples planning their wedding

The four star Armada Hotel is of- fering the award winning Moposa software to its clients free of charge. And it reckons that the service can save couples over €/00 from the outset – a welcome bonus in the cur- rent climate.

The Moposa softare helps couples share more of the experience with friends and family, simplify the wed- ding planning process and save time and money along the way.

‘“Moposa will be of huge benefit as a communication tool and we look forward to seeing the benefits for our wedding couples,” said Saurabh Jain, Wedding Co-ordinator for the Armada Hotel.

Moposa was developed by Irish technology company Eventovate Ltd which was founded by brothers Jonathan and Jason Ruane who have extensive experience in software and business development.

“The objective of Moposa is to re- lieve the stress of planning a wed- ding so couples can focus on enjoy- ing every moment of the experience. The online service assists with eve- rything from the invitation lists, gift lists, budget, schedules and the all important seating planner and also increases communication between the hotel, couple and guests,” said Saurabh Jain. “Guests can also regis- ter online and RSVP directly, book a room in the hotel as well as check out weather forecasts and even get auto- mated, personalised driving direc- tions to the ceremony and reception.

“Couples receive their own per- sonal *.com’ wedding website so that their friends and family can share the wedding experience before and after the wedding day.

“We all love photos and Moposa allows guests to upload their photos and videos after the wedding so that the couple can view the many differ- ent pics taken from early on the day to late in the night. Another fantastic tool is Guestxt where couples may send free text messages to any or all of the guests and can use this to plan and organise a hen party or just to thank everyone for their presents the CPA VAR MEO ACORN. (x6 (ODD NTCMMMNOY- LUD EA] Oo. plained.

The Moposa launch takes place at the Armada Hotel this Friday, Octo- ber 23, at 7pm and all future brides and grooms are welcome to attend. Event partner Fun Ireland will also be on hand to ensure that everyone enjoys a free fun casino evening. For further details, contact Saurabh on Uc Or Teer er