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AS hundreds of mourners crowded into St Senan’s Church in Kilrush for Ann Walsh’s funeral Mass on Monday morning, the young girl’s uncle appealed for people who may have seen any suspicious activity on the night of her death to come forward.

Martin Walsh – a brother of Ann’s father Stephen – told a tearful crowd how he remembered Ann talking, playing, drinking minerals and eating sweets as a little child grow- ing up in her native Kilrush.

“She loved life and was a lovely girl. It is a pity she was taken from us so tragically. You rear kids and think when they grow up that they could make their own way in life. It is a chilling fact that something like this could hap- pen just yards away from this church,” said her distraught uncle.

“People should look after one another and make sure nothing like this would happen in a small close-knit com- munity like this. I would appeal to anyone who knows anything that happened on the night in question to come forward,’ he added.

Ann’s only sister, Mary fought back the tears as she spoke briefly from the pulpit. She said she will never for-

get the 23-year-old.

“She was a great sister and daughter. She shouldn’t have been taken away from us like this. We love her. She was as good. She was an angel,” said Mary Walsh.

Kilrush parish priest, Fr Michael Sheedy, one of five priests concelebrating the Mass, prayed for the Donovan family, who he said may well take longer to “come to terms with the shock and devastation in their lives.”

“We regularly hear of tragic deaths of young persons but very rarely do we expect our own community to have to come to terms with such a tragic death. We all wonder why this had to happen. We have been asking questions over the past number of days but getting no answers,” said Fr Sheedy.

He said Ann’s sudden passing had turned the lives of her family and friends ‘upside down.’ “There is a huge empti- ness in their hearts because of Ann, who they brought up through life and who her parents had loved for the past 23 years. It is so cruel she was taken from them in this way. She was so full of life,” he added.

‘She was taken out in the prime of her life with so much other work yet to complete and so much to do in her life. Her family always had pride of place in her life. Ann had planned to go on holidays but it wasn’t to be,” said Fr Neel e ays

THERE was a time, up to about four years ago when Shannon property prices lagged behind other towns in the county, but this is no longer the case. The airport town has played serious ‘catch-up’ and starter homes are now on a price par with those in Ennis.

According to Fachtna O’Donovan of Sherry FitzGerald McMahon, “the price of property was artificially low, because Shannon Devel- opment housing stock was sold off cheaply throughout the town, keeping the price of town houses down. This in turn affected the price of property in the higher price brackets”.

He added, “town houses are now reaching their true value and this has had a knock-on af- fect, having increased the value of property in the higher brackets too. Shannon prices used to be, on average, 30% lower than Ennis, this has now narrowed to zero in some brackets, although in the more expensive detached cat- egory, similar properties will make more in Ennis”.

Rory Fitzpatrick of Fitzpatrick Auctioneers, Shannon, agrees that Shannon property prices have come of age. “In the second hand mar- ket, good quality semi-detached properties, in fairly new developments are on a price par with their counterparts in Ennis. Prices for the older terraced style housing are around €150,000 plus. We recently sold a mid-terrace house in good order in Aidan Park for €163,000. The detached property market is small in Shannon and you can expect to spend €260,000 upwards

for this type of property.”

As a yardstick for prices achieved on modern apartments, Fitzpatrick said, “we recently sold 800 sq ft two-bedroom apartments in Ballyca- sey for €168,000”.

Fitzpatrick continued, “We have a develop- ment called Cluain Alainn, in Hurler’s Cross, on our books. Phase One sold out really quick- ly. It’s a mixed development of 57 houses built by Martin Fitzgibbon. The semi-detached

houses appealed to first time buyers and inves- tors, while the detached houses attracted buyers trading up, from Shannon. The semi-detached properties started in price from €185,000 and the detached houses from €230,000. All of the houses in Phase One were sold off plans about 6—9months ago”.

With a very buoyant rental market, investors remain interested in property in the airporttown. A new ‘tax designated’ development called Bru

na Sionna, currently under construction is sure to appeal to investors and professionals alike, working in the airport town. Apartments in the visually striking, up-market development have been released for sale by Sherry FitzGer- ald McMahon. The scheme consists of 119 two and three bedroom apartments, penthouses and three bedroom townhouses. The units are laid out in five blocks ranging in height from two to six storeys. Each block differs in style and shape, with some having gardens around them and others have balconies and terraces.

All of the properties are tax designated un- der the Urban Renewal Scheme and qualify for Section 23-type relief of up to 92 per cent. The two bedroom apartments cost from €228,000, town houses are priced from €262,000, while prices for the penthouses have yet to be final- ised.

Fachtna O’Donovan believes that the rental market will continue to remain strong in Shan- non. Commenting on current trends, he said, “Shannon is proving very popular with work- ers from overseas and workers from other parts of Ireland, due to the jobs availability in the towns’ industrial estates and the airport”.

O’Donovan concluded, “having been in Shannon since the mid sixties, I can see the town finally maturing into what was envisaged by the planners back in the fifties. In fact many people who have moved to Shannon in recent years have said to me that they would prefer to live in Shannon rather than Ennis or Limerick due to the facilities, the safe feeling they get in the town and the sense of community”’.

NACMm ALS Pope’s recent address at World Youth Day, Bish- op Walsh said that the Pope delivered his mes- sage “in a gentle and humble way and not in the way predicted by many in the media. His message was a very tra- ditional one”’.

Thirty young people from the Diocese of Killaloe – accompa- nied by local priests, Fr Donogh O’Meara and Fr Tom Hogan – travelled to Cologne in Germany to partake in the first World Youth Day celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI.

The group were part of a one-million crowd that were told by Pope Benedict that “in vast

areas of the world, there is a forgetfulness of God, a sense of dis- satisfaction with every- Oy item TeeM aio mAneun ero

The Pope said that religion constructed on a ‘do-it-yourself’ basis “cannot ultimately help ae

Dr Walsh said _ that the Pope “was_ look- ing at our world where there is a serious need for all of us to consider the things that bring us happiness and there is strong evidence that material success or in- stant satisfaction does not bring happiness and people are looking for something deeper and not just new-age spirituality that tend to say to people how you feel about yourself. The Pope put these solid truths before the young people.”

Dr Walsh said that the new Pope “is very clear in his beliefs”. He said: ‘He comes across as a very humble and gentle person.”

MONTESSORI PRE-SCHOOL

ENNIS has been selected for one of the first five prestigious Regional Resource Centres, under the new €27m five year Development Programme of Comhaltas Ceoltoiri Eire- ann.

It will be hosted by Cois na hAbhna, Clare’s traditional music centre and will service counties Clare, Limerick, Galway and Kerry.

There will be an outreach centre in Kil- rush, where the Church of Ireland has do- nated the local church.

The first five Regional Resource Centres, which are at the hub of the Development Programme, will be Dundalk, Ennis, Dub- lin, Gurteen and Cashel.

The five year plan aims to make our cul- tural assets a part of everyday life, visible, accessible and fully realised in terms of the

benefits they bring to the economy.

Dr Charlie Lennon, the well-known tra- ditional musician and composer, introduced the first year’s progress report of the pro- gramme and said that Comhaltas were pleased to announce that it was “now well ahead of target.”

beginners class at 6.30pm Monday Sept 12th Ennis National School. Contact 087-2029066

A SUCCESSFUL weekend at the All-Ireland Fleadh in Donegal saw Clare musicians and dancers take home a total of nine All-Ireland titles and 158 medals.

The biggest wins went to young Alisa Mc- Mahon from Tradraighe CCE, who won two All-Ireland titles in the under-12 Rogha Gleas eM NeM wk-by oy

Corofin’s Eimear Arkin took one gold med- al, along with several silver and bronze, for her Comhra Gaeilge.

Cathal Mac An Ri agus Tara Breen won

the Ceol Beirte and Siobhan Hogan won the senior flute competition. ;

In the group competitions, Inis Og claimed the under 18 Banna Cheoil competition, while the under-15 Grupa Cheoil title was won by the Burren Group.

Mullagh won the under-18 set dancing com- petition and Craobh na Coradh took home the senior Grupa Cheoil title.

But there was disappointment for Turlough- more Ceili as they once again came second in the senior Banna Cheoil.

A prize winners evening will take place in Cois na hAbhna in Ennis on September 17.

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THE Garda Commissioner, Noel Conroy, has said that Garda resources to combat anti-social behaviour in Kilrush will be kept under review, but in the context of demands countrywide.

According to a letter from the Commissioner’s office to Clare’s Minister for La- bour Affairs, Tony Killeen “the needs of the Kilrush District will be fully con- sidered within the context of the overall needs of the Garda Districts throughout the country.”

Garda numbers in Kilrush have increased by 16.6 per cent in the last seven years. There were 35 members of the force, of all ranks, in GUT ar ote lameatomn one mmoymmed hy compared to 30 in January 1, 1998.

The letter also stated that four superintendents had been allocated to the West Clare district over the past eight years.

He outlined a number of initiatives implemented by the Clare Division over the last year.

“Operation Acid” was initiated to stop incidents of

intimidation and criminal damage in Kilrush in late 2004 and earlier this year.

“Operation Night watch” was implemented in each urban centre throughout the county on weekend nights, to ensure public order and anti-social behaviour was addressed.

“Strict enforcement of Liquor licensing laws and the inspection of licensed premises during opening hours for underage drinking coupled with an increase in foot patrol presence has helped reduce incidents of public disorder,’ he said.

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