The Clare People Archive

THIS year’s Fleadh Nua breaks new ground while at the same time ac- knowledges the architects of the fes- tival’s rich tradition.

History will be made with the first ever performance at the fleadh, by a band from the Ulster Scots tradition of music when Hounds of Ulster take the stage in Glor, on Saturday, May pz

They will be joined by uileann pip- er, Mickey Dunne and his daughter, Brid on the fiddle – proud standard bearers of the Dunne family who have made an enormous contribution to traditional music for years.

Also appearing on the night and making a first appearance at Fleadh Nua are Sliabh Notes. Matt Cran-

itch, Donal Murphy and Tommy O’Sullivan will no doubt fill the air with the slides and polkas beloved of the Sliabh Luachra tradition. Séamus Mac Mathuna will also be on hand to sing a song or two.

The festival launches in Cois na hAbhna on May 18 with a tribute to the legendary music teacher, Frank Custy.

Widely acknowledged for the key role he has played in shaping the modern history of Clare traditional music, Custy’s pupils include Sha- ron Shannon, Noel Hill, Tony Lin- nane, Siobhan Peoples and the Healy Brothers.

Custy was also a driving force be- hind the construction and devlop- ment of Cois na hAbhna in the late seventies and early eighties.

The Fleadh Nua runs until May 26, and, as always, a bumper programme is expected to draw huge crowds to sively

The passing of tradition from one generation to the next is celebrated on May 23 at the Aos Og Brog agus Bodhran concert in Glor.

Appearing on the night are Clare singer Eimear Arkins and All-Ire- land Fiddle Champion, Sorchadha Costelloe, who will be accompanied on stage by her brother, Padraig. Dancers featured include mem- bers of Scoil Rince Ui Ruairc, the Michael Ryan Dancing School and sets from the Helen Hehir School in Lissycasey.

Night owls will love the music at midnight session in the Auburn Lodge Hotel on May 24.

The event is hosted by rising band Cruinniu, recently described by broadcaster and ex-Stockton’s Wing member Kieran Hanrahan as a “great gathering of some of our finest young musicians and singers from various parts of the country who have a com- mon understanding of the tradition”.

The Fleadh Nua culminates on Sunday May 25 with a parade and céili mor in the heart of Ennis.

The programme is littered with cd launches, recitals, workshops and plenty of sessions, ensuring there will be something for everybody at Fleadh Nua 2008.

See full event details at www.flea- dhnua.com.

Fleadh Nua is organised by Com- haltas Ceolt6iri Eireann on a volun- tary not for profit basis.

ENNIS Comhairle Ceantair Fianna Fail has called for a speedy resolu- tion to the ongoing doubt over the proposed upgrading of facilities at Ennis General Hospital.

Chairman Tom Malone informed a meeting on Thursday night last, that officers of the comhairle ceantair had made contact with Fianna Fail leadership urging them to approve the €39 million package designated for Ennis General Hospital in the

HSE Capital Programme 2006-2011. Similar representations to party leadership have been made on behalf of Ennis No 1 Cumann, Fianna Fail, by its secretary, Garrett Greene.

The meeting heard that Clare Fi- anna Fail TDs past and present had lobbied for the proposed hospital funding to receive the greenlight. Delegates welcomed the work of elected representatives in this regard. As a member of the HSE West Fo- rum, Cllr Pat Daly declared himself ‘hopeful’ that tenders to carry out the

upgrade would be invited very soon.

Deputy Timmy Dooley also con- veyed his support for Ennis Com- hairle Ceantair’s efforts.

Minister Tony Killeen who at- tended the meeting applauded the delegates and all party members for their hard work on behalf of the party and thanked them for their ongoing support in relation to Ennis General Hospital and other issues.

Minister Killeen assured the meet- ing that every effort was being made to ensure that the Ennis General

Hospital project proceeds to tender at the earliest possible date.

Delegates pledged to campaign strongly for a “Yes” vote in the up- coming Lisbon Treaty Referendum and welcomed a recent public in- formation evening held in Ennis and addressed by Minister Willie O’Dea, Minister Tony Killeen, Deputy Doo- ley, former deputy Brendan Daly and local MEP Sean O’Neachtain.

A minute’s silence was observed at the meeting in memory of late Presi- dent Dr Patrick Hillery.

STAFF and students at St Clare’s School are counting on your vote in the AIB Better Ireland awards.

The school was shortlisted for the annual awards ceremony, which takes place in June.

The school is one of three groups from Ennis nominated. The Ennis branch of AIB Ireland will award €10,000 to the local project that tops the poll in a public text vote over a four-week period from May 6 to June oF

The local community can simply text ENNIS followed by C to 53099 to vote.

The award is part of AIB’s Better Ireland Programme which supports children with physical, sensory and

intellectual disabilities and also chil- dren affected by drug and alcohol abuse, homelessness or a lack of ac- cess to mainstream education due to poverty.

St Clare’s appearance on the short- list reflects the enormous contribu- tion the school has made to the com- munity in Ennis since it first opened its doors in 1967.

The school has operated from its present site on the Gort Road since 1986. Work on an extension to the original premises was completed in 2005.

St Clare’s caters for children with all disabilities, physical, sensory and intellectual.

There are currently 57 children en- rolled in the school supported by a highly dedicated staff. Last year was

one of the most significant in the his- tory of St Clare’s with the opening, by Dr Willie Walsh of a sensory gar- Clo

The garden is specially designed OMS AoMOOVECCUKcIIMMEDI COE IDONLOyI Kore mE:eeronts around the garden and allow them to discover something new at every nubaee

Children in electric wheelchairs are free to roam and to enjoy the beauty of the garden. The design is such that certain areas are specially planted to appeal to the sense of sound, while other areas appeal to the sense of touch.

If St Clare’s are successful in the awards then a large slice of the prize will be spent on adding to the sen- sory garden.

Deputy principal Clare McInerney

hesitates to say that work on the gar- den has been completed. Such has been the positive impact on school life; everyone at St Clare’s views the sensory garden as on ongoing project.

Clare said, “We are always looking to add to the garden because it’s been hugely positive for the students. A lot of our students spend a long time on the bus travelling to and from the school, so it’s good to have a place for activity”.

Students from St Clare’s have also participated in events for the Special Olympics.

A group representing St Clare’s also successfully took part at artistic and rhythmic gymnastic competi- tions which took place in Limerick and Cork.

THEY say that time waits for no-one. In Lisdoonvarna later this month however, time will gladly take a little rest and wait for a nice bite to eat.

After a gap of three years, the Bur- ren Slow Food Festival returns to north Clare from May 23 to 25. The three day festival will promote all that’s best about local produce and natural ingredients and all that is good about eating.

“Slow Food is all about local pro- duce. It’s about good food and pro- ducing food with heart that’s fresh and sourced locally. It’s about the way the chef puts all his heart into

producing something great for some- one else to eat. It’s about the way we eat it – about making time to sit down around the table and have a meal to- gether,” said festival organiser Bir- gitta Hedin-Curtin.

“Slow food is the total opposite of fast food. It started in Italy in 1986 when the first McDonald’s came into Rome.

“There was a movement to protect the traditional food culture and that has spread all over the world.

“We need to start educating chil- dren about what good food is. To look at what they have in their lunch- box and what they eat when they come home.”

The festival, sponsored by Shannon Development and Flo Gas, will be officially opened in the Lisdoonvar- na Town Hall before an evening of Slow Food will be hosted at local ea- teries including Sheedys, Cullinans, the Roadford House, Ballinalacken Castle and Gregan’s Castle.

Some highlights of Saturday in- clude a cookery demonstration from celebrity chefs Clodagh McKenna and Aidan McGrath of Doonbeg Golf Club, a presentation from John McKenna of the Bridgestone Guide, talks from local producers including Siobhan Garvey from St Tola’s goats cheese and a gala dinner in the new Cliffs of Moher Visitor Centre.

On Sunday local guides Shane Connoly and Mary Howard will lead a walk through the Burren. The walk will end up at Gregan’s Castle for a slow food lunch featuring dishes in- cluding local honey.

“It’s going to be very pack week- end,’ continued Birgitta.

“The festival will finish on Sunday night in the town hall with Supper Theatre. It’s a three act play – the au- dience will watch an act, then have some slow food, and then back to the theatre.”

For more details or to book tickets contact the Burren Smoke House at 065 7074432 or check out www. slowfoodireland.ie

WITH the arrival of Summer, the Burren is set to come alive this month with a host of flora and fauna coming into season.

To celebrate this re-awakening, the Annual Burren in Bloom Festi- val will take place throughout the month of May with a range of events designed to help people fully enjoy iW Ntomrs Baste

“The original festival was started about three years ago as a way of try- ing to increase tourism and try and keep people in the village of Bally- vaughan and make their stay more

pleasurable. The obvious option was to give people information about what is going on at a time of the year when it is really coming into bloom,” said organiser Jim McCarthy.

One if the central elements of the Burren in Bloom is a series of il- lustrated talks by leading botanists and environmentalists at the Burren College of Art. Contributors include George Sevastopulo, Paul Clements, Susan Sex, David Lyons, Tony Kirby, Mary Angela Keane, Bill McNamara and Brendan Dunford.

““Tt’s really to help show people what the Burren has to offer and the rich- ness of the Burren. It’s all about the

different walk and the different illus- trated talks – it’s about giving people a key to unlock the unique place that the Burren 1s,” said Pauline Burke of Burren in Bloom.

“Tt’s really an event for the locals and for the tourists. The communi- ty really comes together to make it work. All the lectures and talks are voluntary – there are a few things that we have to charge for, but we try to keep it down to a minimum where ever possible.”

Wilms clUomusemebOMs oy lole snmp Mme)ececTIN Kier! by the Ballyvaughan Development Group and has been growing solidly since it was first staged four years

ago. One of the highlights of the fes- tival each year has been the Dawn Chorus Walk led by Jim McCarthy.

“We all meet up here outside the supermarket at 5.l5am and have some coffee and fresh croissants be- fore we head off. We go from here out to Lough Rask, which is about a mile and a half outside the village. It’s a leisurely walk. The birds out there are fantastic. It takes about two hours in total and then we come back to the Hyland’s Hotel and have a champagne breakfast.”

For more on Burren in Bloom con- tact 065 7077464 or check out www. ballyvaughanireland.com

IT’S that time of the year again. No sooner has May had a chance to get settled in when talk in Ennistymon turns to the North West Clare Agri- HUNTED Dine) sCedyvA

One of Ireland’s earliest agricultur- al shows, the North West Clare Show has proved popular for competitors wishing to establish themselves as the people to beat this festival sea- rene

“We have more All-Ireland quali- fiers this year than we have ever had before. The total at the moment is 19 All-Ireland qualifiers at the show,

which is a great draw for competi- tors,” said Maurice Harvey of the Show Committee.

“Some qualifiers are more impor- tant than others – the qualifiers in the horse section are very highly sought after and have to be fought over. We have qualifiers in all the sections this year; in the horses, the Connemara ponies even the donkey section.

“The qualifiers are held to draw people here from all over the coun- try. This is one of the early shows, so people like to come here and estab- lish their credentials early on.”

The show will take place at the Falls Hotel and the Ennistymon Vo-

cational School on May 31 and June iF

“The children’s sections is proving to be very popular this year. All the schools in the north Clare area will be represented in one section or an- other,’ said show secretary Josephine Blackwell.

“There is the arts and crafts, the painting, drawing, photography – they have all grown in popularity in the last few years. This year we have a special cookery competition espe- cially for all the north Clare second- ary schools.

“There will also be a Clare home baking competition this year and we

have a few All-Ireland qualifiers in these sections. There is a lot there for children, it’s really is a family friendly day out with something for everyone.

“We really couldn’t put the show on if it wasn’t for the help of out spon- sors. It’s still only €5 to enter the events which is really very low com- pared to most shows. We try hard to keep the entry fee as low as we pos- sible can to try and attract as many people as we can.”

The closing date for entries is Thursday, May 22. To enter, or to find out more details, contact Jose- phine at 065 7071121.

TO celebrate National Biodiversity Week, Coole Park in Gort will next week host a number of events de- signed to promote the diverse ani- mal, plant and habitats that exist in the Burren area.

Events begin this Sunday, May 18, with the Coole Park Family Day. The day’s festivities, which will run from 2pm to 5pm, will include storytell- ing, nature based games and activi- ties for children and the chance to discover what lives and grows along the woodland in the Biodiversity sheik

The following Saturday, May 25 from 7.30 to 10.30pm, environmen-

talist and artist Gordon D’Arcy will be joined by the Galway Bat Group for the Evening Bird Chorus and Bat Walk.

On Sunday May 25 a guided Tree Walk at 3pm will offer people the chance to learn more about the story of the trees at Coole Park.

“Biodiversity includes all living things – everything from micro- organisms to whales, bugs, birds, plants, animals, people and _ their habitats,” said a spokesperson from Coole Park.

“It is vital that we protect and pre- serve as much of the delicate balance of nature as we can.

“The variety of living things 1s enormous, and we all depend on each

other for survival.”

Meanwhile, a number of other events will take place in Clare to cel- ebrate Biodiversity Week.

On Thursday May 22, Clare Bat Group will host a bat walk and talk at the Burren College of Art in Bal- lyvaughan.

CELT have also organised evening walks on May 20 and 22 with guide Andrew St Ledger of the Woodland League.

On Tuesday May 20, at 6.45pm, a walk will leave from Tuamgraney Heritage Centre.

It will take in the Raheen Ancient Oak Wood and the ‘Brian Boru Oak’ which is said to be more than 1000 years old.

Then on Thursday May 22, also at 6.45pm, a walk will leave from Flagmount shop before taking in the Cahermurphy Oak Wood Nature Reserve. Both walk are free to the public.

All activities at Coole Park are free of charge and organised by National Parks and Wildlife Service and Peo- ple and Nature – the Galway Biod1- versity Project.

Coole Park is managed by the Na- tional Parks and Wildlife Service of the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government.

For more information contact Coole Park at 091 631804, e-mail info@coolepark.ie or check out www.coolepark.ie

PLANS to build a pitch and putt fa- cility in Shannon have been mooted by members of the county pitch and putt association.

The aim is to have the centre open to the public and available to the town of Shannon.

Although the proposal is only in its initial phase hopes are high that it will get the go-ahead given that there is no such facility in the town

at present.

There were attempts to start up a pitch and putt course in Drumgeely several years ago but it never got off the ground.

The nearest pitch and putt facility is a private initiative in Sixmilebri- dge.

In a letter to Shannon Town Coun- cil last week, two members of the county pitch and putt club made sug- gestions regarding the establishment of a club.

The letter, signed by Niall Reynolds and Declan Sheedy along with local man Paddy Halton, said that market research has been carried out on the possibility of such an initiative.

Site design criteria and course op- erating costs have been examined, while a model on what a pitch and putt course in the town might look like has also been drawn up.

“We would like to appraise the town council of our work so far and seek the council’s support for the

project,” stated the letter.

The proposers have suggested that they make a presentation on the plans to Shannon Town Council next month.

“We believe the course will have widespread community appeal and add to the recreational and sporting fabric of the town,” added the letter.

The Mayor of Shannon, Councillor Sean McLoughlin (FG), said he will do all he can to bring the project to fruition.

EVERYBODY who has volunteered with special olympics athletes in Shannon over the years will be hon- oured at a civic reception in the town later this month.

The event is part of the celebrations to mark the 30th anniversary of spe- cial olympics in Ireland.

Shannon Town Council will host the civic reception on Friday, May 23, while a family fun day will take place two days later, on May 25, at the leisure centre.

A primary schools art competition is also being organised, involving the six primary schools in Shannon and two nearby schools, Clonmoney

and Stonehall.

Prizes will be presented to the win- ners of that competition, also at the civic reception.

The family fun day will also incor- porate a walk from the Wolfe Tones GAA club to the leisure centre. Eve- rybody who takes part in the walk will receive a scroll, which will be an exact replica of the overall win- ning art piece.

35 people who have volunteered with the Shannon Flyers Special Ol- ympics Club will be honoured at the reception. The club was set up four years ago and has gone from strength to strength since then.

A number of young athletes who are members of the club will speak

at the reception. They will thank the volunteers who have put in much work to ensure their progress has been continued.

Chairman of the club Frank Fitzger- ald said the world games highlighted the need for a club in the area.

“Previously the work was done through the various services. There came a time when there was a need for a club in the area and a group got together,” said Mr Fitzgerald.

“With special olympics, it is very intense on man power and we need a lot of volunteers to run the club,’ he added.

Councillor Greg Duff (Lab), who is a member of the organising com- mittee, said it was important that the

profile of the club continues to grow.

“We are trying to keep up a contin- ued interest in the club,” he said.

“It will be a nice event, a family event and will recognise the work of the special olympics in Shannon. A lot of good work has been done over the years,’ added Mr Duff.

Members of Shannon Town Coun- cil pledged their support to the in1- tiative, at its monthly meeting last week.

HASTING’S Cottage in Shannon should be considered if a cremato- rium is built in the town according to a local heritage group.

Duchas na Sionna has made a number of recommendations relating to the Hasting’s site.

A planning application to build a crematorium, covered walkways and remembrance garden in Tullyvarraga is pending.

In a letter circulated to members of

Shannon Town Council last week, Duchas na Sionna said it wished to point out that the remains of Hast- ing’s Cottage would be sandwiched between the new structures and the present graveyard at [llaunamanagh, should the plans get the green light.

‘“Hasting’s Cottage is a vital part of the heritage of Shannon town. It is shown on the 1840 ordnance survey map of the area and may indeed have been built considerably before that date,” stated the letter.

“The cottage was the setting in

a drama that unfolded during the War of Independence when a Brit- ish Army General was held captive there,’ added the letter.

“Given the location of the cottage in the immediate vicinity of the pro- posed development, we feel it is of the utmost importance that a bound- ary be erected before the commence- ment of building works to prevent any accidental damage to the cottage and garden boundaries during the course of construction. A fine set of concrete gate piers would be particu-

larly vulnerable as they are located very close to the edge of the site,” it added.

The letter stated that Duchas na Sionna feels that the remains at the cottage site present an “invaluable Opportunity to the people of Shan- non to learn about the history of their locality and hopes at some stage in the future to carry out a detailed survey and supervised excavation of the site of Hasting’s Cottage as part of a community heritage project,’ it added.