The Clare People Archive

IT’S never too early to start taking exercise – that was proved this morn- TPOTSMMYS [HOUMA OCommO LO Ro1Ke0 cD O(OM Gone) Maoh sions being held at the Molua Centre pre-school summer camp.

But the lively youngsters needed little encouragement to stretch, tum- ble and leap about and were only too happy to go along with the class be- ing held by the Barnardos instructor.

The camp is a community initiative

under the auspices of Clarecare and one of the first in a series which will see organised fun for youngsters set free for the summer holidays.

Next week it’s the turn of the junior campers who will have two camps, one from July 7 to July 11 and the other from July 21 to 25.

Included in their fun-filled weeks are trips to Buttercup Pet Farm, bowI- ing, a puppet show, a fancy dress par- ty, arts, crafts, fun and games as well as sports and some more “Stretch

and Grow” sessions.

The seniors’ camp for older chil- dren is being held between July 14 and 18 and their outbound adventure trips will include laser quest and bowling in Galway and a trip to the Aquadome in Tralee.

Also on their agenda are sports, fun and games, arts, crafts and drama.

The summer camps are a commu- nity initiative and, as such, cost a lot less than their commercial alterna- tives but don’t lose out on the fun

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At costs of between €30 and €40, with reductions for second children in the same family, the camps are great value considering the cost of transporting the youngsters by bus alone.

‘The camps were in great demand this year. We have thirty children each week and all the places are fully booked, with a waiting list,” a spokeswoman for the Molua Centre ene e

PUPILS past and present, parents, teachers and friends of Mullagh Na- tional School were in celebratory mood last week as their new school was officially opened.

This was no small feat for the west Clare village, who supported the board of management and school principal to pull of the impossible — renovate the old school and add on a new State of the art extension with as little as €600,000 from the Gov- ernment.

Through the Department of Edu- cation’s devolved schools scheme, which allocates a budget to the board of management to carry out the plan- ning and construction phase of the project, the school received real val- ue for money for its project.

Supported by fund raising locally, the school now has two new class- rooms, a general purpose room, tol- lets, shower rooms, a computer room and a principal’s office.

The school, which was built as far back as the Great Famine, also under- went the total modernisation of the old building resulting in a fabulous new large infant classroom complete with wet area and play area, resource rooms and school library.

A car park was also developed.

School authorities that opt to par- ticipate in these schemes accept devolved responsibility, authority and funding for the delivery of the projects, with the guidance of doc- umentation developed by staff in the planning and building unit and through ongoing contact with a des- ignated staff member.

Chairperson of the board of man-

agement Tim Donnellan said, “The devolving of funding to local level allows schools to have ownership of their projects.”

It also leaves the board of manage- ment and school principal with a huge workload.

The refurbished Mullagh National School, which was first officially opened on May 22 1846, with a po- tential enrolment of 270 boys and 240

girls, was opened on Monday last by INTO president Declan Kelleher and blessed by the Bishop of Killaloe Dr AAU DSTO ENE OF

“As we progress into the third mil- lennium we, in Mullagh National School feel that a vibrant future lies ahead, a future which will be charac- terised by parental, pupil and teacher interaction in setting the curriculum and structures of our collective edu- cational future. In this context we see our new extension as vital for facilitating ongoing enthusiastic en- hancement of education,” said school principal Sean McMahon.

“Mullagh National School has a long history of being open to cur- ricular and cultural projects and in- novation. Over the past few years the school has established partnerships with a school in Denmark, a school in the north of Ireland and has had French language teachers from both France and Sweden. Such initiatives have helped broaden our students’ awareness of and appreciation for in- ternational education,” he said.

TWO national school pupils from Querrin National School have brought national success to west Ort

Young engineering boffins Michael Duffy and Ronan Allen from the national school near Kilkee, were crowned winners of the Engineers Ireland STEPS to Engineering K’NEX Challenge on Thursday.

The final took place in the Helix in Dublin City University.

Michael and Ronan competed with primary school children from across

Ireland for the prestigious title of Junior Engineer of Ireland 2008.

They won the competition with their creation of a marine turbine through the use of the construction toy K’NEX.

John Power, chartered engineer and Director General of Engineers Ireland, congratulated Michael and Ronan on winning this year’s com- exe elOee

“They should be very proud. By winning today they have effectively surpassed 22,000 other primary school students from across the country who entered the competition

originally,” he said.

‘At Engineers Ireland we want to demonstrate to students and their parents that engineering is a career option that encourages inventive- ness. The K’NEX Challenge gives the children a taste of the creative thinking and problem solving that is required day to day by engineers.”

This year’s K’NEX Challenge took place in 750 primary schools and in- volved 22,000 primary school pupils from across the country.

Each team of two children com- peted against the clock using their imagination, creativity and skill to

plan, design and construct an engi- neering model.

The pupils worked under the theme, “celebrating the past, creating the fu- ture’, with the educational construc- tion toy, K’NEX.

The All-Ireland final was officiated by judges from NUI Galway, Water- ford I’T and ESBI.

ST SENAN’S Church in Kilrush will host a spectacular concert involving some of the most famous and revered names in classical music.

Organised by Kilrush’s own world renowned classical singer, Edel O’Brien, the concert will showcase the work of well known mother and daughter duo Geraldine O’Doherty on harp and Moya O’Grady on vio- lin, as well as French violinist Se- bastien Petiet.

SMITE Seet I Reeeheeele)temevmm enlists are from the RTE Concert Orchestra. They have produced numerous CDs and many works in their own right.

“We shall be performing a lovely programme of light and popular mu- sic by Mozart, Rossini, Gershwin and several others,” said Edel.

“We have deliberately chosen a programme that will have popular appeal. People will recognise most

of the pieces once they hear them,” she said.

”T am chuffed with the whole thing and very excited about it. I would love all of west Clare to hear them,” she added.

Many of the pieces have been spe- cially arranged for the night to incor- porate the musical instruments and singing.

“We will introduce each piece and explain the context,” said Edel.

The Kilrush woman has_ been working hard to organise this special event for July 26, with all proceeds going towards the church renovation fund.

‘For me the church in Kilrush 1s one of the most handsome and beau- tiful buildings in the country. It has great character and acoustically it is great. It is absolutely worth preserv- ing and promoting and Id like to give something back to Kilrush in my own personal way. Id like to say

thank you,” she said.

Edel believes she will be slightly nervous on the night.

‘The nerves depend on the impor- tance of the occasion and how well prepared you are. I am always more nervous on local occasions,’ she Said.

The talented young woman has been singing for most of her life.

At the age of eight she won her first féis thanks to the dedication of her late teacher Carmel Houlihan.

In her teens she began receiving professional singing lessons and has never looked back.

After school she received her de- gree and masters in music from St Patrick’s College Maynooth.

From there she went to study in London and France.

At the age of nineteen, she won the Margaret Burke-Sheridan Cup at the Dublin Féis Ceoil. In London, she was awarded a scholarship to study

singing at Trinity College of Music where she won a “distinction” in her postgraduate diploma in vocal stud- ies. In addition, she won the vocal faculty award and the college gold medal.

The Kilrush woman’s talent re- ceived world recognition in 2002 when she was invited as one of only seven singers to be part of the young artists programme at the prestigious Centre de Formation Lyrique at the Opera Bastille, Opera National de Paris. While there she won the Prix Lyrique, which is awarded annually to one male and one female singer at the CFL. Edel has much experience in opera, oratorio and recital, having worked around Ireland, Britain and ecbeleen

Tickets for the concert cost €20 and €10 for concessions.

The concert begins at 8pm and tick- ets can be purchased from the parish OS E(CLomeyuRe) OMA elomobrcanlm

WITH a stated aim of ‘Bringing smiles to people’, the Ennis Street Festival gets underway this week- end and organisers plan to vanquish talk of recession, referendums and a downturn in the weather by provid- ing a unique blend of colour, enter- tainment and worldly culture to the town during it’s two day duration.

This is the third year of the festival and with an unprecedented number of artists and acts performing in various locations around the town on Saturday and Sunday, this celebra- tion of art and culture is an unrivaled family occasion in the county and festival director Ana Bella Alvarez is expecting a large crowd to con- gregate in the county’s capital this weekend.

“The people of Clare have really taken to the festival and this year we

are expecting bigger numbers than ever before as we have done a lot of promotional work, we have a big group of volunteers helping out and the majority of the acts are of a very high standard. Mr Toons is a well known international act, the Fantini Brothers who have performed in En- nis before and the Cork Circus is a unique theatrical act. We also have really good flamenco players in the Old Ground Hotel, good music in Brandons and an a really interesting open cabaret competition in the West County Hotel and they all combine to make the Ennis Festival so enter- taining this year.”

The nucleas for the festival emerged four years ago when Alvaraz applied to Clare County Council for planning permission to hold a Samba perform- ance for the anniversary of her dance business. The performance was greeted by unheralded praise and

after being continually asked to de- velop the concept, she drew upon all her experience and artistic contacts to plan the first Ennis Street Festival in 2006 which comprised of a four hour performance involving three acts. From little acorns, mighty oak trees grow and since then, the event has blossumed. Last year, the festival was a day long event and this year, a full two days is dedicated to the per- formers.

“Over the years, through the fes- tival we have learned what people like, need and want in a festival and it is only by this experience that the festival has grown. It has taken time to develop as we tried to get various communities in Ennis and County Clare involved but there are plenty of performers and talent in the county and I think this festival was needed to fuse everything together. A lot of the festivals in Clare are traditional

orientated festivals but we have have tried to bring entertainment to the streets like a carnival atmosphere. We try to develop this concept that Ennis is not only for working or shopping, it is also a place where people can come to the streets with their fami- lies and enjoy the entertainment. The artistic talent in county Clare has to be developed because there are a lot of artists but they needed a platform to display their talents and with this festival, it might take another year or two but hopefully with everybody’s help we can develop something re- ally special.” Rio beware.

For further information on this year’s festival, visit www.ennisstreet- festival.com

THE Clare Education Centre has teamed up with NUI, Galway to of- fer Clare people a range of diploma classes hosted from it’s Ennis Cam- pus. The diploma series is being of- fered by the universities Arts, Social Science and Celtic Studies depart- ments in conjunction with the it’s Adult and Continuing Education Of- neon

Programmes will be offered in French, German, the Irish language most interestingly in Irish Music SANG ene

The music course aims to provide insights from music, dance, poetry, television and film into the ways in

which Irish performers and writers have been actively involved in imag- ining and re-imagining Ireland over the last 250 years.

Crusheen musician, Tim Collins, is one of the course directors. “Musical ability is not a requirement for stu- dents entering this course as the pro- gramme is mainly centred around the debate and discussion of the identity of Irish traditional music,” he said.

‘Up to now our classes have includ- ed a diverse mix of students from doctors in Galway to musicians in Ennis so it really is a course that has broad appeal to a wide cross section of society.”

No previous knowledge of any of the subjects is required for the four

diplomas which have proven to be a popular choice among adult learners over a long tradition of part-time pro- grammes at NUI Galway.

“Previously some students found the diploma tough going and many dropped out but now we are offering three levels of diploma, catering to those non-Irish students interested in the language, right up to competent Irish speakers who wish to strength- en their written and grammar skills,” said Brid Seoige of Acadamh na hOllscolaiochta, which delivers the Diploma in Irish.

“We have had a lot of students who have taken up the diploma as a way of fulfilling the Irish requirement for primary school teaching,” said Brid.

“There has also been a lot of inter- est in the course in the aftermath of the comedian Des Bishop’s recent television series which has helped to enhance the Irish language’s reputa- tion especially among young adults.”

The French and German courses aim to give students the ability both to converse and comprehend a vari- ety of everyday topics and situations in the languages, both courses also equip students with an introduction to the civilisations, cultures and so- cieties of both countries.

For further information on the Ennis Diploma _ Series contact the Adult and Continuing Educa- tion Office at 091 492062 or email adulteducation @nuigalway.ie.

A STUNNING and colourful specta- cle is planned for Ennis this coming Saturday, when the town will echo to the tunes of world-class pipers.

The 63rd Annual All-Ireland Pipe Band Championships, which are held alternately North and South of the border every second year, are being held in the town in the Showgrounds, Drumbiggle.

Irish Pipe Band Association Vice- President Michael Egan, said, “This year we are indeed very proud to be hosting the All-Ireland in Ennis – the first time back in Munster in almost 30 years and the first time ever in

OE Tome

The competition, run by the Irish Pipe Band Association, 1s an inter- national competition; open world- BCG Com

This is the premier event in the IPBA calendar and more than 60 Pipe Bands will travel to Ennis from all over the island of Ireland, Scot- land, England, France, the USA and Canada for the weekend.

“Virtually all the 6 competition grades possess reigning or former world champions, therefore the standard will be extremely high. All competitions will be held in the open, in the main horse jumping are- na of the Showgrounds, so everyone

is invited to avail of this opportunity to see some of the best pipe bands in the world in action here in Ennis,” Michael said.

Starting at llam, competitions take place throughout the day in all grades. Spectators will enjoy per- formances from the reigning World Champions, FM Montgomery Me- morial Pipe Band from Lisburn. Also competing with be the reign- ing All-Ireland and 2008 Scottish Champions, St Laurence O’Toole’s Pipe Band from Dublin.

In a stunning finale, the festival will culminate in a march past of all competitors and Massed Bands Salute to the Chieftain at 5.30pm.

This display will see over 1,000 pip- ers playing “Let Erin Remember” in honour of the Chieftain, who on the day will be the Mayor of Ennis.

Immediately following the display there will be a Parade of Winning Bands through the streets of Ennis at about 6.30pm

“This competition is a major under- taking, which could not have been organised without a great effort at national and in particular local level.

“I would like to take this opportu- nity to wholeheartedly thank all our main sponsors, Ennis Town Council and Failte Ireland, without whose generosity it would not have been possible,’ Michael said.

GLOR is the busiest venue in Ireland in terms of the number of perform- ances it stages.

According to a internal study of activities at 45 venues from April to June, Glor has staged the most per- formances and have submitted this information to the Arts Council who, according to Acting Director David Collopy, were both interested and

surprised.

Glor Director, Katie Verling is cur- rently recovering from illness and Mr Collopy is due to step down in the autumn after a year in charge.

Mr Collopy said that the centre is aiming to increase its revenue streams by opening a retail centre, seeking more conference business and the holding of a farmers market every Tuesday.

‘The amount of subsidy it takes to

support Glor is an issue locally and there have been questions as to why Glor should receive any public mon- ey at all. The brief I understand it is to be a cultural, entertainment and community resource for the county with the traditional arts forming an important part.

“We have revisited our rental rates to make it as attractive as possible for community groups to come in here” he said.

THE acting director of Glor has Ne NwOlecO MO orem ON eloMGe IINRCMAUBDU Moa (ooOIAUC ally close down and become a ma- chinery warehouse if there is not a significant increase in local authority funding for the centre.

In a stark assessment of the cen- tre’s finances, David Collopy says that Glor requires at least another €100,000 a year from Ennis Town Council and Clare County Council

just to keep pace with inflation.

Confirming that the centre’s 2007 losses are in “six figures”, he said the councils’ annual contribution had not increased from the €317,000 first allocated in 2001 when the centre opened.

“If that was required in 2001, then by the same logic, there is going to be a gap in 2008 as the cost of every- thing has gone up.

“If the council can’t give anymore money, then Glor is going to change.

It has to. Otherwise it will be turn- ing in loss after loss after loss. Then the negativity starts and it eventually closes down and becomes a machin- ery warehouse”.

“Does Ennis want that? If the an- Swer is no, then how is it going to plan for its future?” he asked

Mr Collopy pointed out that the centre now employs 45 people, has more programming while wages and costs have also increased.

The heating bill over the winter

months amounted to €1,200 a week.

With inflation increasing by 33 per cent since 2001, an additional €100,000 is required each year just to keep pace with inflation.

“The question is not how much it should be getting, but what the coun- cil should be funding and link the fu- ture annual contribution into annual inflation increases?

“T gather from powers that be, that we were very fortunate to get our funding for this year because of the

budgetary issues they had.

“The future of the organisation 1s going to have to be more financially olan tleem

“Once the councils commit to funding the organisation, they have to revisit the benchmarking for that auusrenparce

In relation to box-office income, Mr Collopy said, “Beyond a certain price, people will not pay. We have a ceiling what you can charge at the box office”.

DETAILS of the last known move- ments of a north Clare man, who dis- appeared almost eight years ago and whose body was never found, have been recalled at an inquest in Ennis.

Frank Kilkenny (36), who was from north Clare and who lived in Caherdavin, Limerick, was last seen at the Cliffs of Moher on October 21, 2000.

Despite extensive searches, his body was never found and County

Coroner Isobel O’Dea received au- thority from the Minister for Justice to hold the inquest. Members of Mr Kilkenny’s family attended the Cor- oner’s Court last week.

Garda Andy Monahan told the in- quest that on November 2, 2000, he took a witness statement from JJ Mooney from Lisdoonvarna. He had picked up a man in his hackney at Whelan’s quarry, near Ennis, to go to the Cliffs of Moher.

‘He said he would pay £20. On the way, I had a conversation with this

man about sport and other things. He appeared fine. I was informed by the man that he was Frank Kilkenny from Lahinch. I knew his father,” Mr Mooney said, in his statement to eNO NB

“When we arrived in Ennistymon, he asked me if I would bring him to the Cliffs of Moher.

“When we arrived at the cliffs, he said he was to meet some friend. He got out of my car and walked towards the cliffs. I waited for him to return, but he did not. He told he that he was

meeting two friends from Kerry.

“T told him that he could pay me when he returned and I would bring his friend to Doolin,” said Mr Moon- Oe He said he waited for about three- quarters of an hour, but Mr Kilkenny did not return.

Garda Monahan also took a witness statement from Mary Mulqueeny from Doolin. She told him she had seen Mr Kilkenny in Ennis at around 6.20pm on October 21, 2000.

She said that she was driving from

Ennis to Doolin, when she spotted Mr Kilkenny near the Maid of Erin roundabout, on the Ennistymon road out of Ennis.

“I observed Frank Kilkenny stand- ing off the footpath and on the side of the road. His hand was raised up and it appeared he was thumbing a lift,” she told gardai.

A search of the coastline was car- ried out by Doolin Rescue Services, but this also proved negative.

Ms O’Dea recorded an open ver- ote