The Clare People Archive

GARDAI in Ennis are advising peo- ple to remain vigilant as enquiries continue into an ATM scam in En- nis.

An estimated €54,000 was stolen from bank accounts after a Bank of Ireland pass machine in Ennis town centre was used to copy the details of ATM cards.

The scam involved the installation in the bank machine of a tiny piece of electronic equipment called a skim- ming device which reads the specifi-

cations of installed ATM cards.

A small camera like those used in mobile phones was secured to the top of the machine to record individual PIN numbers as they were being en- ousee

The information from the skim- ming device was then used to make copies of the card. Gardai believe the bogus cards were used to with- draw sums of money from different accounts from locations around the mid-west.

Part of a skimming device was found on a pass machine in Ennis a

fortnight ago and several people had money taken out of their accounts.

A Garda spokesperson said enquir- ies were continuing and urged people to remain vigilant when using ATM machines.

He said, “Enquiries are ongoing at the moment. Quite a substantial amount of money was taken from a number of different bank accounts. The money would have been drawn out at different locations, in Kerry, Clare and Limerick. The information for the cards was taken from a pass machine in Ennis.”

He added, “The most important thing we would say to people is that they exercise caution when they are using ATM machines. In this case, the PIN number was recorded with a camera overhead. When people are using the machine they should block the keypad with their hands.”

He said that if people have concerns or notice anything suspicious at pass machines, they should report it 1m- mediately to gardai.

Three people are due to appear in court next week in connection with a similar ATM scam in Shannon.

has found that three mem-

bers of Clare County Council tabled

no notices of motion whatsoever at

monthly meetings of the local au- thority last year.

Cllr Patrick Keane (FF) and Cllr

Tony O’Brien (FF) tabled no motions during the 11 meetings of 2007. IIl- ness for much of last year prevented Cllr John “Mashen’ McInerney (FG) playing a significant role at meet- iba

Cur Tommy Brennan (Ind) tabled no motions on his own but he did ta- ble one joint motion during 2007.

The survey found that Cllr PJ Kelly (FF), as part of his crusade to reform planning in Clare, tabled the highest amount lodging 22 motions for the 11 meetings of last year. Others to score highly include Cllr Michael Kelly FF (18), Cllr Martin Lafferty Ind (17), Cllr Pat McMahon FF (17) and Cllr Steam Grane ecmeue?

The survey established that four councillors tabled less than five mo- tions in the year. They were Cllr Sonny Scanlan (FG) and Cllr Paul Murphy (FG) who lodged one mo- tion each, Cllr Bill Chambers (FF) who lodged two and Cllr Pat Daly (FF) who lodged three.

BY HIS own reckoning, this must be the year Galway deliver or his time across the border will be regarded as a failure. That Galway had enough in the tank to see off Clare on Sunday won’t send any tremors across the country, but condisering Cork’s cur- rent status, the time couldn’t be bet- ter for an attack on the super powers ome nlenabberee

Ger Loughnane come out of the dressing room on Sunday gushing about the present atmosphere in his new hurling home.

“It’s brilliant,” he says. “It com- pares to anything I have ever been involved in before. They want to suc- ceed. These are really, really great Feels

But there’s a proviso.

“T still think we need something defensively, someone like Ollie Can- ning. I still think he could do a great job for Galway. But I am delighted to see Ger [Farragher] back. I said

to them all in the dressing room that he’s an example to all of us. He spent all of last year on the sideline and was up in the stand for the All-Ire- land quarter-final against Kilkenny and never came on. He could have walked away or he could have sulked. We spoke to him last October. We told him the talent he had and what he had to work on. He worked so hard over the winter and you see the results out there today.”

Like his old colleague Mike McNa- mara, Loughnane also had an opin- ion on refereeing.

“The problem is you can do any- thing you want with your body but any little tap with a hurley and you’re going to get a yellow card. And when you’ve got one, then it’s very easy to get the second. Referees are under fierce pressure. I thought Seamus [Roche] applied the rules as they are now. It’s not Seamus or any other referee that’s at fault. It 1s the peo- ple that are making these rules. They are going to destroy the game com-

pletely if they keep going like that. There will be no physical contact in it whatsoever.

“Seamus did nothing wrong. He is going by the rules. He has some guy up in the stand watching him and he has to try and not lose too many points. I understand he starts off with 100 points and then they are deduct- ed as he goes along.”

Galway’s poor end to the game and Clare’s late flourish also left him dis- appointed.

“People will go away and say Gal- way, Jesus, they gave away all their scores in the last few minutes. This is One monkey we’ve got to get rid of and we’ve got to get rid of it in the league. We have to face someone when it’s level with ten minutes left and we’ve got to fight out of that situ- ation and win the game. Unless we do that, you can’t really say that Gal- way have arrived.”

THE four-point losing margin cer- tainly flattered Clare, but Mike Mc- Namara gladly took it at the end of his debut league game in charge. An- yway, the result wasn’t of concern to Clare on this day, because winning isn’t everything in the earliest days of McNamara’s time at the wheel.

ed WaTompushiUN mm c-h0 Me mao orsl mm peel oe)me- 001 me McNamara told a posse of reporters after the game. “We were looking for character in players more than any- thing else today. We’re new and we’re on the road now and were looking for character and I think we found it.

“We went a little disjointed when we went down to 14 men. It was a new team, with new boys. An expe- rienced team would be able to cope with a loss like that. We haven’t that experience yet.

‘I would be extremely pleased with the manner of the performance and the character of the players. We’ll have to accept that it’s going to take a while to get a team game going. Individual performances all over the field were quite good, but you have to accept with Clare going forward that it’s going to take a while to put the team effort in place and play as a team, particularly this year when we have no ball-play done at all,” added McNamara.

Character then is going to be the template of McNamara’s steward- ship — his thesis being that only by throwing players in at the deep end will character emerge. Give me the boy and I’ll make the man could be- come a byword for McNamara’s first season in charge.

“We spoke during the week that if we all came through unscathed it

would be a miracle. If you put six or seven debutants on a team and five come through unscathed, you have a ereat day’s work done,’ McNamara revealed.

“We can take a lot of positives from it. don’t know what we scored but 3- 15 (3-17) or whatever, with five lads playing in the forwards who didn’t play league before. It’s going to take time to generate team play, team spirit and a team itself.

“We’re down the road now, we’re up and running and we can only look forward to getting better everyday. I’d be very surprised if the perform- ances don’t increase and the tempo doesn’t increase in Clare hurling and that players, individually and collec- tively, will increase their perform- ances,” he added.

Starting with Laois in Cusack Park this Sunday.

IT IS IMPOSSIBLE to judge this Clare team on Sunday’s perform- ance. Simply because of the early sending off of Clare’s David Barrett, the game was tainted as a real con- test and only came to life when Tony Og Regan was dismissed early in the second half to even up the numbers. Still, by that stage, Clare were al- ready 13 points in arrears so while the points were never in question, it was only a matter of how Clare would respond against the odds.

It was a pity really as the game promised to be a real test of both side’s progress to date and the fact that it was not a dirty game makes the three dismissals something of a joke. Unfortunately for the Banner, this was a missed opportunity that could have been beneficial going forward but with Laois next on the list, Clare might have to wait until the Limerick game in the Gaelic Grounds to truly evaluate their development.

That’s in no way designed to dis- miss Laois who have been an emerg- ing side over the past few years. However, if Clare are to be taken seriously this year, they will have to put up a big score against the strug-

gling midlanders.

Laois manager Damien Fox has transformed their fortunes since tak- ing over last year. They completed their initial aim by winning Division 2 last year but despite some good performances, they went out in a dif- ficult qualifier group. Only six points separated Clare and Laois in Portlao- ise last year in the qualifiers but you also have to consider that Clare had WM ACCP eK emant-lam cw eetvu ues! by the weather.

Nevertheless, since then Damien Fox’s good work is unravelling all around him with the news that three dual players are opting for football over hurling this year. Cahir Healy, one of last year’s biggest perform- ers along with John O’Loughlin and Darren Rooney are gone but there is still plenty of talented youth emerg- ing in the county. LIT’s Willie Hy- land and UL’s Matthew Whelan should be well known to Clare due to their Waterford Crystal and Fitz- gibbon involvement while forward James Young is always amongst the top scorers of the championship each year.

Clare need to iron out a few prob- lems of their own first and despite the numerical disadvantage, Mike McNamara would have gained some added knowledge on his player’s ability to respond under pressure. In that regard, the full back line leaked

plenty on Sunday and were unable to deal with Galway’s full forward line which scored 1-10 from play. They also leaked another goal with a first half penalty. Changes were eventual- ly made and they looked more secure in the latter stages but they can’t af- ford to give the Laois forwards sim1- lar freedom on Sunday.

Further injuries to Brendan Bugler and Conor McMahon didn’t help matters while David Barrett will be suspended this weekend. With an- other six possible starters (Gerry O’Grady, Alan Markham, Diarmuid McMahon, Derek Quinn, Tony Grif- fin and Bernard Gaffney) still miss- ing for various reasons, it will be a test of the squad’s depth for the Laois game.

Nothing less than a victory will do however as Clare need to get their league campaign underway in a posi- tive fashion. Expect Laois to throw everything at Clare for the first twenty minutes but if the Banner can get on top early, they should look to repeat Limerick’s dismantling of the midlands side last Sunday.

That is if the referee allows fifteen players to remain on the field.

ANY chance of making it out of Di- vision 4 rests on this game. Clare, simply, have to win and while the wider picture says that promotion isn’t a necessity this year, a positive result at the weekend is essential if interest levels are to be retained. An- ybody from a county outside of Clare may find it strange, but history has told us that Clare footballers leave a shaky football panel faster than rats SEN oare Sb ON Gb rears) oul Oy

But maybe that attitude is slowly evaporating and if so, then that’s more positive than any top two fin- ish in the league. Under Frank Do- herty, there has been application and dedication and while the results went right in the McGrath Cup, they haven’t followed suit in the league.

Clare were dealt two openers that tested their mettle. They failed both challenges. Should they go down against Antrim on Saturday, then the league is over and the backdoor TImsy ele

But Clare have already secured one advantage. Back in the bad old days of Clare football, the players felt al-

ienated by the board — and we’re not talking of a Cork breakdown here. Multiply that by ten. Simple things were overlooked. Player’s basic ex- penses were cast aside. They paid for their own boots. There was no water in the showers.

If the Cork boys were faced with those obstacles, they’d probably have followed the younger O’Halpins en masse to Australia long ago.

Anyway, the current crop don’t have those worries to occupy their heads. This week, the board made sure the Antrim game goes ahead on Saturday. Antrim made some moves to have it played on Sunday, giving their players the Saturday to make the journey. They don’t have that benefit now.

It might be a logistical advantage, but it’s an advantage all the same and Clare have to capitalise on that. Last week we said that Barry Grogan had to be curtailed if Clare were to stand a chance. He scored O-8 on Satur- day and cut Clare to ribbons. This week, we say Paddy Cunningham is the man to smother. He impressed when he came on against Wicklow in Aughrim and scored 1-3 in the sec- ond half — a game that Antrim won, signalling their potential — and he controlled the attack at the weekend when Kilkenny were hammered by

Antrim.

From a Clare perspective, the re- turned Ger Quinlan provides some needed physical presence in midfield but without the suspended Niall Con- sidine, the half-back line lacks some forward penetration.

Against Antrim, it mightn’t be such a bad thing. Clare will have to tight- en up defensively and for once, stand up and be counted.

IT IS true to say that football in Clare again finds itself in troubled waters – this only a couple of weeks after real hope was floating around big ball country that a new era could be at hand.

The mood of positivity that wrapped itself around the county’s footballers came on the back of the county’s first McGrath Cup success in six years. Suddenly, in the wake of two very disappointing league performances against Carlow and Tipperary, the time for a reality check is here and now.

It’s going to be a very long haul back up the ladder for Clare football, probably one that won’t be achieved by many of the current generation of inter-county players.

And, it will take infrastructural change as well. No new trainer/man- ager/management team can wave a magic wand and wish away Clare’s football ills. The structures have to change whereby footballers in Clare are getting more games.

Success won’t come in the short- term – it will be a longterm thing and players and management should realise that. Looking at their history books might even teach them a thing or two, give them some confidence even, as they face into the Antrim game and sterner challenges that lie ahead against Offaly and Wicklow.

When John Maughan came to Clare in 1990, his first league game in charge was against Tipperary and Clare went down just as badly as they did last Saturday. They lost their sec- ond game too.

“We set ourselves the target of win- ning a couple of games in the league and we did that in the latter stages of the competition. It was the road to success,’ recalled Maughan.

Clare have to believe, even in the darkness of defeat to Carlow and Tipperary that they can go down a similar road. If they don’t Clare foot- ball will consigned to Divsion 4 for a while yet.

It’s up to the players, because there’s only so much that management can do. Many players were highly critical of the Paidi O Sé regime last year, wrongly blaming bad management for bad performances.

There’s been good management since November, with training up to five nights a week. Bad performances can’t be blamed on bad management now. It’s up to the players now.

THERE was an air of gloom around Ardfinnan on Saturday afternoon for anyone in the Clare corner — some of those who made the journey were just standing around afterwards and talking in hushed tones.

You didn’t need to hear them, be- cause their body language said it all. They had started out the National League campaign with a pep in their step after the successful McGrath Cup campaign — they had hope for the future, but it was replaced by a feeling of hopelessness come 4pm on SY TAU KOE Ds

“Not now lads,’ was manager Frank Doherty’s stay-away sound- bite to the press as they closed in for a few words after the game. Instead, Doherty held in powder for the dress- ing room and his player’s ears only.

While there was anger welling

within Clare after the final whistle of the Carlow game, it was replaced here by something sombre. Manager, selectors and players just walked off the field resigned to the fact that they’re rooted to the bottom of foot- ball’s basement with London and OT ath

Captain Michael O’Shea, whose goal in the eighth minute should have teed Clare up victory was dumb- founded by it all. “After we scored 1- 2 without reply we seemed to change tactics. We seemed to fall apart,’ he PHO

‘The second half we just didn’t play at all. We won very little around the middle of the field and found it very hard up front and gave away a few handy frees. They kept popping them over and we just couldn’t haul them back for a finish.

“It’s not good enough to come any- where near the top of Division 4. We

started well and even for the 20 min- utes before half-time we had plenty of possession to pull away if we made it count on the scoreboard. We just didn’t seem to click up front.

“Eighty per cent of the breaks, we probably lost them and it cost us the game. If you don’t win around the middle of the field, you’re in serious trouble and we didn’t win around the middle. It’s hard to put a finger on it, whether it was lads not getting in there or just being unlucky. At the end of the day it’s up to every half- forward and half-back to get in there and get the breaks. We just didn’t do dake ne

They’ ll have to start doing it against Antrim or the losing streak will con- tinue next Saturday.

CLARE hurler and cancer fund- raiser Tony Griffin has been named the 2007 Clare People/Darren Hayes Sportstar of the Year. Griffin, from Ballyea, was awarded the top prize in recognition of his epic cycle across Canada last summer as part of his fundraising efforts to help in the fight against cancer.

Griffin edged out William Loughnane, Ciara Pender and Mar- cus Horan for the top prize, which includes the use of a Mitsubishi car for the year. A phenomenal number of votes were cast by the public and these were tallied alongside the vote of the Clare People sports team and sponsor Darren Hayes of Hayes En- nis in order to choose the overall BUONO Cede

Speaking from Canada on Monday, Griffin said he was delighted with the award.

“It’s an amazing honour,” he said. “TI looked at the eleven other names who were up for the Sportstar of the Year and there were some very de- serving athletes up there. I’m hum- bled to win it.”

At the moment, Griffin is nearing the end of his studies at Dalhouse University in Nova Scotia and once hie end of year exams are completed,

he will return to Clare on a full-time basis. A thesis concerning the af- fect mood has on pain — including daily laboratory tests involving will- ing participants and freezing water – takes up most of his waking hours but thoughts of hurling and Tony

Griffin Foundation plans are always in the background.

“Tl be finished my exams in April and the plan is to return home on April 17. I might take a short break but then it’s straight back into hurling mecpnepe tee

“It’s been snowing solidly here for the past while and I’ve been told that it’s the hardest snow for about two decades. It means that finding a place to hurl is a challenge. Last week, the snow began disappearing so myself and a guy from Gort went out onto

the soccer field for a few pucks, but soon enough it started to snow again. So the hurling has been curtailed for a while.”

He says he was heartened on hear- ing Clare’s result against Galway on Sunday.

‘““My mother phoned me a few min- utes after the full-time whistle blew and it was great to hear Clare scored so much. I think things are positive in the Clare hurling camp at the mo- ment. I was fortunate enough to have a look at the set-up when I was home in the winter and it’s fantastic. I’m looking forward to getting stuck into it again.”

To date, over €450,000 has been raised by Griffin with three major charities reaping the awards. All money raised is split equally be- tween the Ovarian Cancer Canada, the Lance Armstrong Foundation and the Irish Cancer Society.

“People in Clare were extremely responsive to the project from day one, but even after the publicity has died down, they’re still supporting the Tony Griffin Foundation and that’s great to see. I’d like to thank deloyen mre 0 0 ae

AGREEMENT on a site for the pro- posed new Doolin Search and Rescue Headquarters could soon be reached, according to Minister of State Tony Ono

Minister Killeen confirmed that a meeting between the Office of Pub- lic Works, Clare County Council and the Irish Coast Guard is scheduled to take place on Thursday, February 28.

“The provision of new accommo- dation for the Coast Guard Services in Doolin continues to be a top pri- ority for the Office of Public Works. The Department of Transport, mean- while, has also expressed its desire to see the project progressed,’ ex- plained Minister Killeen.

“The view of the OPW is that the

location of the new Coastguard facil- ities should tie in with Clare County Council’s preferred option for the development of a new pier and ticket office in Doolin. Following my in- tervention with Munister Eamon O’Cuiv last November, the €10mil- lion pier development is being pro- eressed.”

Minister Killeen said he was con- fident the construction of the new headquarters would follow quickly once a suitable site had been ac- quired.

“The OPW has repeatedly stressed that the construction process, includ- ing building design, planning per- mission application and tendering, will be proceeded with as quickly as possible. I am hopeful that the up- coming meeting will move the proc- ess forward,’ he said.