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IN keeping with the character of a ferociously tight group, Cratloe squeaked past Tubber to claim the runners up spot and thus a place in the quarter finals.

Injury time points from Martin ‘Ogie’ Murphy and Sean Chaplin sealed the win after Tubber had ral- lied to recover a three-point half time deficit and draw level through Barry O’Connor’s 55th minute point.

Sandwiched between Murphy and Chaplin’s strikes was a fierce goal bound drive from O’Connor that Cratloe goalkeeper Sean Hawes did well to force behind.

Cratloe survived, a feat of some significance in a group dubbed ‘the group of death’.

They join Newmarket in the knock- out stages while Tubber, who’s hopes of qualification rested on winning on Saturday to force a play-off, join heavyweights Clarecastle and Wolfe Tones on the list of early champion- ship casualties.

It wasn’t a classic by any stretch, but there was enough guile in the play of Cratloe pair Cathal McInerney and Conor McGrath and plenty of desire and overall quality about Tubber to make things interesting.

Three points in the opening seven minutes from Eamon Taaffe, Jack Neylon and Blaine Earley saw Tub- ber seize an early advantage.

Their confident start was capped in the 15th minute when Barry O’Connor tipped Patrick O’Connor’s lighted delivery to the net.

McInerney picked off Cratloe’s first point before two frees from Damien Browne, who was excellent from placed balls throughout, left Tubber leading 1-3 O-3.

A controversial decision then re- sulted in the moment that saw mo-

mentum tilt back in Cratloe’s favour.

Damien Browne appeared to bat the sliotar over the touchline only for Cratloe, to widespread disbelief on the Tubber bench, to be awarded a sideline cut.

Browne duly poured salt on the wounds by walloping the sliotar deep into ‘Tubber territory. McInerney picked up a loose break and nailed

a close range finish to the net in the 26th minute.

The goal inspired Cratloe to open up what would ultimately prove a de- cisive lead. Two frees from Browne, a point from Sean Chaplin and crack- ing strike from Liam Markham, ensured Cratloe led 1-8 1-5 at half mbealee

Barry O’Connor’s 36th minute

point drew Tubber to within a point. Eamon Taaffe scored his third point from play but a free from Browne and McInerney’s skillfully executed effort, kept Cratloe 1-11 1-9 ahead.

That lead should have been greater but Cratloe’s errant shooting saw them rack up six wides in the second halt.

As a consequence they were even-

tually caught.

Three Tubber points on the trot, in- cluding a superb sideline from Blaine Earley, levelled the game at 1-12 apiece in the 55th minute.

But Cratloe eventually found their range and in doing so secured quali- fication.

AN ODOUR circulating 1n the Shan- non area is annoying local residents, who want the matter to be investi- gated. The problem is caused by a blockage and Clare County Council is working on the issue.

At a meeting of Shannon area coun- cillors last week, Councillor Patricia McCarthy asked for a report to be presented, outlining the reasons why sewage odours are in existence, par- ticularly in the Ballycasey/Tullyvar- raga areas of the town.

In a written reply, from Clare

County Council, she was told that the main cause of the odour was a block- age in the inlet pipe leading to the pump station near Carraig Lia. This blockage has now been cleared. ‘However, there are large quanti- ties of solid materials coming to this pump station, which on occasion blocks both pumps, as well as the in- let line,’ stated Senior Executive En- gineer in Shannon, Eugene O’Shea. In order to alleviate the problem, works are underway at the pump station located near the Aidan Park traffic lights. This should reduce the loading on the pump station near

Carraig Lia. Mr O’Shea said that both pump houses will be cleaned out as part of the works, before the end of the month.

Cllr McCarthy said she was driving past Bunratty last weekend when she pale] B eee mete 0

“The whole town is stinked out of it,’ she said. She pointed out that checks should be carried out every week.

Independent Councillor Gerry Flynn said there was a smell in Shan- non last weekend and he has received several complaints about it. He asked why an upgrade of the water system

in the town had not been delivered. “The scheme in Shannon was to start in 2008 and that didn’t happen. We are into 2009. Quite a lot of in- frastructure has been loaded on to the system that we have,” he said. “Was it a funding problem that we didn’t start in 2008? With the current economic situation, when would you envisage it would start?” he asked. Engineer in water services Hugh McGrath said there have been a lot of delays in the planning process in Ennis, Shannon, Kilrush and Kilkee. He said there have been delays in get- ting approvals at the various stages.

IN many ways, the less said about this one the better. To say it was a dreadfully boring spectacle that failed to set the pulses racing is the understatement of the Clare football year thus far.

Any neutral who happened by Quilty’s sportsfield would have left long before half-time and found a better way to spend a Saturday after- noon — it was that bad as two very mediocre teams put in a very unin- spiring hour’s football.

Cooraclare’s form that swept them to Cusack Cup glory was again in abeyance, indeed this hour ham- mered home the reality that they haven’t been able to lift their game to those same standards since that shock win over Kilmurry Ibrickane in the league decider back in July.

Doonbeg, meanwhile, were no bet- ter but it won’t cost them a thought as they come into a semi-final under the radar. They could have been put away in this game, but Cooraclare’s failure to take a couple of goals chances was punished to the full as they scrambled over the line and into a penultimate round clash with Kil- murry Ibrickane.

The Magpies can thank Sean Maguire and Nigel Dillon for the fact that their goal remained intact for the hour — 1n the 23rd minute, three min- utes after pointing Cooraclare into a Q-2 to no score lead, Maguire had the chance that would have put his side on the high road to the semi-final.

Hughie Donnelly was the provider, but Maguire failed to connect deci- sively with his long delivery, punch- ing wide of Dillon’s post when the goal was at his mercy. From there

Doonbeg summoned the desire to get back into the game, putting a pletho- ra of wides behind them with points from a David Tubridy free in the 25th minute after a foul on Jamie Whelan and a 50 yard free from Frank O’Dea three minutes later.

It left the sides locked at 0-2 apiece at half-time, but more importantly that scoreline exposed for everyone present what a dire game this was. Cooraclare, who deployed Mark Tubridy as a third midfielder, which created space for the inside forwards did score their two points from play — the first coming from Michael Mc-

Mahon’s effort in the second minute and then Sean Maguire’s point 18 minutes later.

Still, that was as good as it got for them — all they could muster on the turnover was two more points, this time from Mark Tubridy frees. Instead, what dominated their half- hour was another missed goal chance in the 38th minute.

It fell Hughie Donnelly’s way when the sides were locked at O-3 apiece after Tubridy’s pointed free in the 31st minute was replied to by Shane Killeen who fisted over the bar five minutes later.

Donnelly raced through on goal, was one-on-one with Nigel Dillon, but it was the veteran netminder who kept alive his hopes of winning a sixth senior championship title, pull- ing off a brilliant save to keep his side on level terms.

It was a major turning point of the game, as eventually the Magpies turned it profit to take control with points from Brian Dillon and Brian Egan in the 46th and 50th minutes respectively put them O-5 to O-3 ahead.

Suddenly the Magpies — who his 13 wides to Cooraclare’s nine over

the hour — were maximising their chances, while their opponents were left to rue to poor wides from frees by Cathal Lillis in the 34th and 40th minutes.

Substitute Shane Ryan should have fisted over the bar in the 52nd minute to put his side three ahead, but once again like the Liscannor semi-final of last year went for glory instead of playing the percentages.

It gave Cooraclare a little window going into the closing minutes, but all they could muster was a point from a free in 58th minute from Mark Tubridy.

That brought an end to the scoring in this forgettable affair.

CELEBRATING ten years in the saddle, the East Clare Chernobyl Cycle has once again taken off for Belarus to raise money to help chil- CHU PO MONNuom Nucor

The cycle has taken place each Sep- tember and was first undertaken in 1999. This year, the route will take the intrepid riders on a 230 kilome- tre route over two and a half days, during which time they will see what has been done in the schools and orphanages with the money raised

through last year’s cycle.

Of the money raised last year, €20,000 went to provide a launder- ette for the orphanage at Gantsivi- chi and €8,000 was spent to buy 88 doors for a similar institution in An- topol.

In another orphanage, Malech, a lot of work had been done previously and this time they needed just €3,000 to buy gardening equipment.

The institutions, which the cycle helps, had little or nothing in the way of proper facilities before the east Clare riders became involved. In

many cases, there was no hot water or proper sanitary facilities.

Eighteen cyclists took off last week and will be viewing all of the projects which were started last year.

“We go to each project and see what has been done and get to meet the people there, to see how they’re getting on,’ said Pat O’Connor, one of the original cyclists and organis- ers of the trip. Each year, cyclists raise sponsorship to fund whichever projects are needed in the coming twelve months.

As this is the decade anniversary of

the trip, there will be a special cel- ebration and presentation at the Oak- wood Arms when the cyclists return at the end of the month.

“It’s hard to believe it’s been ten years,’ said Pat. “We’re going to be real celebrities this trip. The Belarus- sian Minister for Education is going to meet us this time and there will be a piece about the project on Belarus- sian TV and radio. And we’re going to be bringing a gift for the minis- ter from Clare County Council, so it will be a real international event,’ he told

SOME schools aiming for the Trans- port Green Schools flag take to their feet or make use of pedal power. But youngsters at Flagmount National School have shown they have real bottle and on Friday, launched a working raft, made from empty plas- tic milk cartons.

The pupils at the school made the raft last term under instruction from local couple, Sandra and Stephan Schwitilla who have been involved in similar projects in their native Germany before coming to settle in Currakyle.

The youngsters collected 840 two- litre milk cartons and recycled wood to build the handsome vessel, which can comfortably transport 28 chil- dren.

It was launched last Friday amid a festive atmosphere at Whitesands and, said school principal, Pat Mc- Namara, “It functions very well. It’s an amazing piece of work and we’re so delighted that Sandra and Stephen agreed to show us how to do it.”

Mr McNamara said it was “amaz- ing to see them all hammering, fix- ing and screwing it together. The children collected everything needed for the raft – it’s all recycled material. Bottles, wooden frame, nails – even the screws have been collected up from other things. They’re so totally involved with the work, it’s marvel- olin

The raft was made in four sections and test-runs carried out on each one before it was finally assembled for the launch.

Fully kitted out with life-vests, the young mariners took to the water amid shouts and cheers of encour- agement from teachers and parents gathered on the shore, or in their own

boats on the lake.

And the vessel sailed out on the water powered by youngsters using hurleys to row.

“They even managed to make the most use of those,’ the principal said.

After the rafts’ maiden voyage, there was a barbeque on shore to cel- ebrate the amazing achievement.

Now the next task 1s to find a safe place to store the vessel and the school is holding a competition to name the raft.

Parents themselves, the Schwitillas offered to help the school with their fourth green flag project, which in- volves looking at travel and how the carbon footprint of travel can be re- duced.

The school recently completed it’s third green flag award on the subject of water and water conservation.

THE Vandeleur Walled Garden has proved to be one of the success sto- ries of Kilrush Town Council and is a project its members are determined to keep alive.

So much so that its members have asked for a report outlining its suc- cess to be drawn up, amid fears funding for the tourist attraction will be cut in the next budget.

Kilrush Councillor Tom Prendev- ille (FF) said Clare County Council has always been benevolent when it came to the garden, but feared fund- ing for next year could suffer in the upcoming budget cuts.

CUlr Liam O’Looney (FF) added that every year there are fears among staff that jobs will be lost, but this year the fears are even stronger.

In a bid to make a strong case for the 2.158-acre garden, the members have now asked for the detailed re- port.

Kilrush Town Council first invested

in the development of the Vandeleur Walled Garden in 1997. The project was developed through the co-op- eration of the tourism industry and FAS.

Through hard work and dedication, a new strategic tourism product and community amenity for Kilrush was formed.

Restoration of the garden is now complete, with facilities in the cen- tre including a gift shop, coffee shop, conference suite and plant sales area.

The stunning garden is completely surrounded by stone walls and con- tains many unusual and tender plants that thrive in the area’s uniquely western latitude sheltered microcli- mate.

It is a valuable resource for the community, providing an ideal venue for exhibitions, book launches, Hal- loween, Christmas, Easter and other seasonal events.

The commencement of plant prop- agation and plant sales has proven to

be very successful. Plant propaga- tion is an ongoing yearly project in the garden.

Approximately 90 different species of plants – including shrubs, peren- nials, bedding plants, herbs and vegetables – have been successfully propagated.

A number of open days were held in 2008 and 2009, which gave the public free admission to the gardens

and reduced prices on plant sales.

A display of old farm machinery was also set up in the courtyard area and exotic plants were purchased for display in the glasshouse, which was fully reconstructed by the workers in the garden.

Developers defend retail park

CONCERNS about the welfare of animals on a farm in west Clare have been aired in court, by a veterinary inspector.

After a court heard that animals on the farm were thin and hungry and were confined by an electric fence, the farmer undertook to rectify the situation within two months.

Patrick Shannon (55), of Carrowna- calla South, Kilrush, pleaded guilty to four charges of cruelly ill-treating animals.

Veterinary inspector Vincent Lam- bert told Kilrush District Court that inspections were carried out on the defendant’s farm on a number of oc- casions late last year.

‘He has been visited on his farm since 2003 in relation to welfare of animals kept on the farm,” he said.

‘“T have observed a deterioration of

the situation,” he added.

He said that the animals were con- fined by an electric fence, while the animals were very thin and hungry.

“Over a period of time, we have served notices on Mr Shannon. He has failed to comply,’ he said. For instance, he said, Mr Shannon had been asked not to confine the ani- mals by an electric fence, while he had also been advised to reduce stock numbers on his farm.

During one visit, on September 23 last year, he said the animals were being strip grazed, confined by an electric fence. “The animals were empty looking. They were lowing for feed. We discussed the situation with Mr Shannon. He failed to appreci- ate the situation, that animals were suffering. We advised him to reduce numbers and clean out the sheds and prepare for winter storage,” he said.

He said he visited the farm again

on October 7, when the animals were on bare ground. “They were on their knees, in an attempt to reach grass outside the electric fence. They were in danger of shock from the electric fence,” he said.

Further visits took place on Novem- ber 12 and 19, but issues remained. The animals were still confined and were on their knees, trying to get ac- cess to grass.

Defence solicitor Michael Ryan said his client was sincere but mis- guided and Mr Lambert agreed with Wen Ke

“He had strongly held views. He might not have appreciated the se- riousness of the matter or the dete- rioration the animals had suffered,’ said Mr Ryan.

He said his client’s family had op- erated the farm, which was “a prime holding” of over 80 acres, for more than 100 years. “He had views which

we may not agree with, on the ecol- ogy of the farm. He hadn’t used fer- tiliser on the farm for 12 years. He didn’t agree with it,” he said.

He said his client had had a prob- lem with a neighbour and this had been on his mind a lot. He said the accused would undertake to cease strip grazing with immediate effect, indefinitely, while he would no long- er use an electric fence.

“He would go about tagging and testing of the animals, with a view to disposing of all 35 animals,” he CrHG

“The primary concern should be for the animals,’ said the solicitor.

He said the defendant would give an undertaking to rectify the situa- tion within two months.

Judge Joseph Mangan adjourned the case for two months and said, ‘He has a problem if everything isn’t done in two months’ time.”

THE developers of a retail park in Shannon have confirmed that their €60 million proposal will not have a negative economic impact on the town centre.

Earlier this year, the council stated that it would not be favourably dis- posed towards granting planning permission for the park.

In the latest tranche of information lodged with the council in support of the plan, Greenband Investment Ltd and Sean Halpin state that the retail park will generate €33 million a year in turnover.

The project plans to create 600 new jobs between construction and serv- ices when it becomes operational and includes a retail warehouse park for bulky household goods, discount

food store and neighbourhood centre to include a small convenience store, pharmacy, bookmakers and_hair- dressers.

The development will create 250 direct jobs, 200 indirect jobs and a further 180 jobs during the construc- tion phase.

The applicants have now lodged substantial information to allay the fears of the council.

Their application states that, over- all, Shannon is not performing for a town of its size and is not compara- ble to the other two major town cen- tres in the local retail hierachy.

“The shopping centre falls short in terms of the quantity and quality of retail floorspace and of its wider so- cial economic role than other town centres organically build up over time. The proposed development will serve the local need in south Clare for 1m- proved retail facilities and introduce competition into this particular area

“Regionally, it will help to strength- en retailing in Clare. It will provide a new form of retail in Shannon and will not have a negative impact on the town centre because there is suf- ficient growth in expenditure to ac- commodate the proposed retail park

“The proposed development would not have an adverse impact on the town centre and would actually represent a beneficial, quality, modern addition to comparison retailing in the town as a whole, which would support the wider strategy to maintain the town’s status as a regional centre.”

The council had stated that it has serious reservations about the pro- posed development having regard to the safety, nature and mix of retail uses having regard to its location; traffic safety and the provision of Services.

A JUDGE has been asked to dis- qualify himself from hearing a pub- lic order case, after reference was made to a defendant’s record, prior to the hearing of the case.

At Kilrush District Court, solicitor Eugene O’ Kelly applied for free legal aid for his client, who was charged with two offences under the Public Order Act.

Judge Joseph Mangan asked what the allegations were. Superintend- ent Michael Comyns, prosecuting, said it would be alleged that the ac- cused urinated against the door of a premises and was very intoxicated.

The judge then asked, “Are there any particular exceptional circum-

stances in the case that I should know about?”

Supt Comyns said there weren’t. The judge then asked was the de- fendant at risk (of going to prison). Supt Comyns replied, “He would be. He has a number of previous.”

Mr O’Kelly then said, “The court has been told this man has a number of previous convictions, before hear- ing of the case. I must ask the court to stand aside and another judge hear this case.”

Judge Mangan then granted free legal aid and adjourned the case for hearing at a later date.

Mr O’Kelly asked, “Are you dis- qualifying yourself from the case, Judge?” to which Judge Mangan re- plied, “Yes.”