The Clare People Archive

THE Minister for Agriculture, Fish- eries and Food, Mary Coughlan said now is the time to pursue reducing the administrative burden on farm- ers. The EU Commission published its communication on preparation for the Health Check of the Common Agricultural Policy this week. Following the publication Minister

Coughlan said, “I anticipate detailed and intensive negotiations on the Health Check over the next twelve months or so.”

The Health Check of the CAP aris- es from planned reviews of the milk quota regime and the operation of the Single Payment Scheme.

Minister Coughlan said this was an ideal opportunity to pursue her ob- jective of reducing the administrative

burden on farmers by simplifying in a genuine and practical manner the requirements of Single Payment. She also recalled that Commission- er Fischer Boel has frequently stated that the Health Check is not intended to fundamentally change the CAP. “I strongly agree with this point,” she said. “I firmly believe that farm- ers need a period of policy stability to adapt to the new decoupled pay-

ments regime.”

The Minister announced that she would establish a consultative com- mittee to advise her on the health check. This group will work in par- UOC M A 100MM eComOrOyeeULe-1O Romeo nelt1OMr-0 Ee ready announced on dairy quotas.

It will include all the main industry stakeholders with an interest in the issues encompassed by the Health Check.

THERE is a renewed confidence in the dairy sector following the Tea- gasc National Dairy Confidence.

The sector, which is entering a time of massive change, is welcoming an increase in market returns for dairy products.

The possibility of milk quotas in- creasing could create an opportunity for Irish dairy farmers to organically erow their milk production business for the first time since 1984.

Speaking at the conference at- tended by more than 1,000 farmers, Professor Gerry Boyle, Director of Teagasc, said, “This opportunity has been denied to a whole generation of milk producers who have been locked into a rigid quota system for most of their farming life. The pro- posed policy changes unveiled by the European Commission require care- ful evaluation and consideration.

“As director of Teagasc I am taking an active hands-on interest in this process, so that the best outcome is

achieved for the Irish industry. I be- lieve that there will be new oppor- tunities for young committed dairy farmers to develop profitable dairy businesses in the future, but we need to plan for that now.

“We must ensure that there are adequate numbers of high quality replacement heifers being produced, so that individually and collectively we are ready to grasp the opportuni- ties that may arise in the future,” he Sr nLG

“The technologies to optimise protf-

it are developed and the Teagasc ad- visory service has been realigned to transfer this technology onto farms to allow producers generate higher profits while safeguarding the envi- ce)eeetoale

“Better breeding coupled with higher production and better utilisa- tion of grass continue to be the cor- nerstones of profitable dairy produc- tion. Dairy farmers are increasing their income by thousands of euro by using the latest grass budgeting tech- niques,” Prof Boyle concluded.

A WEST Clare secondary school is leading the way in developing an international relationship with Italy.

Fourteen transition year students from St Joseph’s Secondary school in Spanish Point made their way to the north of the country as part of a stu- dent exchange, bringing with them samples of Irish culture.

The school reinstated its transition year this September after six years.

The list of programmes, modules and events outlined by the school for this year’s students is likely to ensure the class attracts a lot of interest dur- ing the next number of years.

The class began the term with an outdoor pursuits trip to Mayo and are now organising a trip to Paris.

In the interim the 14 young people, along with transition year co-ordi-

nation Deirdre Comber and deputy principal Harry Hughes, travelled with the class to Luino on the shores of Lake Maggiore.

Ms Comber struck up an alliance with the local ‘middle’ school during the Willie Clancy Weekend when one of its teachers Lorella Gallo and her husband Bruno attended the festival.

Armed with their musical instru- ments, the seven boys and seven girls from Spanish Point made the trip to link up with the “Scuolo Meda’ and were hosted by the local families and teachers. During their stay 1n the pic- turesque area of Italy the group vis- ited the city of Milan.

As well as a walking trip they also took to the lake for a day of sailing and visited the island owned by the Boromeo family.

While in the island’s palace, the

Irish group saw local historical treas- ures including Mussolini’s signature.

The Irish students played tradition- al music to more than 600 people in the local concert hall.

Iseult NiChoitir sang an_ Irish song, Sean O’Malley sang a Thin Lizzy song, Roisin Lillis and Aoife O’ Riordan played the fiddle and then Aoife joined Aisling O’Ryan for the brush dance, which almost brought the house down.

Anxious to forge links with west Clare, the Italians invited the teach- ers to a gala night where they were presented with gifts. A group of stu- dents from the school and some lo- cal dignitaries are now planning a return visit to Spanish Point in April. Ms Comber said that the school was proud of the pupils.

“They left a good impression of our

school and our area,” she said. “It was a very positive experience and we hope to make it an annual feature of transition year.”

The class is now really looking forward to a trip to France and a course studying local history. They will also take part in a 10-week driver education course.

Deputy principal Mr Hughes said the transition year can facilitate courses and study subjects that would not be possible during other years.

Italian is also back in the school as a subject for the first time since the 1970s, opening up another language and culture to the students.

A WEST Clare building contractor has secured yet another major public contract. Kilmihil contractors L & M Keating have been commissioned by Limerick County Council to develop a major new public park and amenity area at Castletroy.

Work will commence on the €2.2 million project in early December.

Pat Quinlivan, commercial director for L & M Keating Ltd said, “This is a prestigious contract for the compa- ny as it is one of the largest purpose- built public park and amenity areas in County Limerick. The challenge to complete the park to the highest standard within six months is one that we are looking forward to.”

L & M Keating Ltd, with an annual

turnover of €40 million, currently employs 105 permanent staff and is best known for constructing the five- star lodge and clubhouse at Doonbeg Golf Club.

The company, which recently won a national award for its refurbishment of St Senan’s Church in Kilrush, was also involved in the construction of the newly opened University of Lim- erick Living Bridge across the River SJerVeveceyee

The west Clare-based firm is currently constructing the breakwa- ters for a new marina at Knightstown Harbour in Kerry, harbour devel- opments on Inisboffin, car parking facilities at Milford Care Centre and a mixed development at Quay Mills in Kilrush comprising apartments and offices.

It was also awarded the contract to refurbish the Daniel O’Connell Memorial Church at Church Street, Cahirciveen.

The development of the 17-acre park in Limerick was designed by Nicholas de Jong Associates of Ur- ban Design in Limerick, following an extensive public consultation with the Castletroy community and local school children.

It is anticipated that construction work on the project will be completed by the middle of next year.

Castletroy Park will feature a fully equipped children’s playground, a skateboarding area, 1.2 kilometre of pedestrian pathways, a circular cycle route and a central perform- ance/exhibition area with covering Sea bCoLAe Ken

The development will also feature an array of natural habitats including a 4,300 square metre lake, wetlands, wildflower grass areas and wood- lands.

CONTRACTS for the €12.2 million sewerage scheme for Scariff are be- ing signed tomorrow (Wednesday).

Councillors for the area had it con- firmed last week that after years of campaigning for the scheme and much wrangling over funding, it is now certain to go ahead.

News that the contracts have finally been brought to the table broke at the opening of Clare County Council’s Scariff area offices last week, when Mayor of Clare, Patricia McCarthy, announced that she had a date for the signing.

At a later meeting of the elected

members for the area, senior execu- tive engineer, Sean Lenihan, con- firmed that the contract had been awarded to Mayo firm, G and D Ley- CaF

“It’s a twelve month contract and all three elements definitely have to be finshed in that time,” said Sean.

Once complete, the scheme will result in a major reduction in the amount of pollutants which are flow- ing into Lough Derg.

It will also open the doors for ex- pansion and development in Scarilff, Feakle, Tuamgraney and Whitegate.

The announcement that the scheme will now defintely go ahead was warmly welcomed by the elected

members for the Scariff area.

“I’m very pleased that the long road to making this scheme a reality 1s at an end. It’s been a long time com- ing but I’m delighted to hear that we are at last at the signing of contracts stage,’ Cllr Pat Hayes said.

Cllr Hayes also asked that the coun- cil should now look at issues such as working on the problems with water pressure in Juamgraney. “We were advised not to rock the boat while the process of getting funding was on-going but now, when we have the contractors on-site would be the time to tackle some of these issues,” he said.

Cllr Colm Wiley said there are

“houses out the Mountshannon road which should be included. I can’t un- derstand how we didn’t have them included in the first place”.

The council engineer agreed with members that it would “be a good time to look at some of the other needs, when the town is excavated for this project’, Sean Lenihan said.

He added that while talks could be had with the contractor on some 1s- sues, Others might come under the remit of funding for small schemes.

“Tm looking at alternative ways of funding and getting work done while we have the workers on site and I’ll do all I can on the issues that have been raised,” he told the meeting.

THE SAFETY of children and par- ents travelling to school in Shannon Banks is at risk from the huge vol- umes of traffic which now pass their homes and school gates, local coun- cillor Pascal Fitzgerald has warned.

He was speaking at a meeting of the Killaloe area councillors last week, having asked the director of services to provide safety railings across the bridge at Shannon Banks.

“This would go a long way towards ensuring the safety of residents and children in the area. It has been re- ported to me that there have been a number of potential accidents there in the last few weeks. Young kids just run out on to the road and there will be a tragedy if we don’t do some- thing,” the Labour councillor said.

Cllr Tony O’Brien seconded Cllr Fitzgerald’s motion to have railings erected.

“You have Scoil Ide National school

and St Munchins on that route and it is heavily used. I know we would have to have agreement with Limer- ick City Council but we need to move on this,” he said.

Senior Executive Engineer with Clare County Council, Sean Leni- han, told councillors that part of the area in question comes under the re- sponsibilty of Limerick City Coun- cil, as the bridge straddles the border betweent the two local authorities.

“IT have a meeting lined up with

city council staff for November 27. We have agreed to do this, it’s just a case of getting down and doing it in the new year. We’ve taken on board what the councillors have said and this is a high priority for us,” he told the meeting.

The senior engineer also told the meeting that there were a number of issues which Limerick City Council and Clare County Council needed to discuss and these would be on the ta- ble at the meeting later this week.

THERE are people in east Clare who will forever have cause to be grateful to Kevin Canny.

In the 41 years plus that Kevin has been delivering letters and parcels to his native Feakle and surround- ing areas, he’s brought a lot of good news.

And some bad. But for Kevin, who followed in his father’s footsteps as postman and whose daughter is now taking up the reins as he retires, it is, in his own words, “in the blood”’.

“IT remember 35 years ago, going to the house of a man who was known to be a good man to swear. He said to me ‘well Canny, I suppose that’s another feckin’ bill?’ I joked with him that it was a letter from the Prize

Bonds office. As I walked back to collect my bike he let a shout out of him for me to come back. He asked me how did I know what was in the letter — he’d won £100.”

Kevin took over as postman from his father, John Canny, who earned a princely £19/23 when he started out in 1929.

Kevin’s route took him on a daily 27 mile journey, delivering letters to more than 400 homes on a bike.

‘People used to wait to see you coming, to see were you bringing a letter they might be waiting for from a child or relative who had emigrated to England or America. The Amer1- can parcels that used come brought huge excitement. They were clothes of amazing colours and materials and money sometimes. I remember one

Christmas, when we’d just got our first post van, a Renault, we had four American parcels for one house. We packed the four boxes into the van and you wouldn’t have got a pound of butter in with them. You can imagine the excitement in that house.”

Some days were not so happy. “You’d bring telegrams and people would ask you to open them because they were so afraid of what was in there. Telegrams were very often bad ea AS

He describes the days of delivering the post as “the happiest days of my Th tome

While getting motorised transport made the job physically more com- fortable, Kevin says he missed the bicycle.

“When we got the van, we were

pressured for time. Before that you’d stop for a chat with people, sit up ona ditch or go in for a cup of tea.”

As the people of Feakle parish gathered last Friday, along with rep- resentatives of An Post to celebrate Kevin’s years of bringing the news to homes in east Clare, Kevin himself had a proud boast.

With his daughter, Martina, now working a route round Killaloe he can say “there has been a Canny de- livering the post in east Clare since 1929.”

UPTO 100 children from across Clare will gather in Ennis next Wednesday to share their school experiences and Opinions on the future development of play and recreational policies.

The meeting has been organised by the Clare County Development Board, as part of the Comhairle na nOg or ‘youth council’ initiative.

Clare Comhairle na nOg, which includes representatives of primary and secondary schools, is a local forum for young people where they can discuss local and national issues of relevance to them.

Since 2002, Clare Comhairle na nOg has seen a steady increase in

its membership, with up to 40 local schools now participating.

Speaking ahead of the upcoming meeting in the West County Hotel in Ennis, Clare Mayor, Councillor Pa- tricia McCarthy said, “The objective of the Comhairli is to give children and young people a voice at a com- munity level. In my address to dele- gates I will outline the importance of considering the opinions of younger members of the community when devising local or national policy.”

“IT am delighted to see that Com- hairle na nOg is increasingly being recognised by local, regional and national bodies. It has provided rep- resentation to a number of initiatives such as Dail na nOg. This proves

that the process is effective and does make a difference to the lives of young people,” added Ms McCarthy. The upcoming Comhairle na nOg meeting will consist of two separate workshops and feedback sessions, which will feed into the review of Clare Local Authorities Play Policy and the development of a new Strat- egy for Clare Sports Partnership. | Meanwhile, five Comhairle na nOg delegates will be selected to repre- sent County Clare at the annual Dail na nOg on February 15, 2008. The national Young Person’s Parliament, which comprises representatives of Combhairli in 34 local authority areas throughout the country, meets once a year and submits an annual report of

the outcome to the Cabinet Commit- tee on Children. ;

Ms Brid Kirby, Comhairle na nOg co-ordinator for Community and Enterprise in Clare County Coun- cil, said that the upcoming meeting would provide an invaluable oppor- tunity for young people under 18 years of age to have a say in issues that affect their lives.

“The opening ceremony will fea- ture speeches from two of last year’s delegates who represented Clare at Dail na nOg and made a presenta- tion to the September meeting of Clare County Council. It underlines Comhairle na nOg’s ability to have its collective voice heard at local and national level,’ said Ms Kirby.

A LEVEL playing pitch should be put in place for all water users, ac- cording to county councillors in the Shannon area.

In a joint motion at a meeting last week, Councillors Gerry Flynn (In- dependent) and John Crowe (FG) asked a number of questions relat- ing to the supply of water to bed and breakfasts and guesthouses in the Bunratty area.

They specifically asked how the

cost 1s calculated; are bed and break- fasts paying the same rate as guest- houses; and are families who use the bed and breakfasts as their family homes allowed a set discount.

In response, Senior Engineer Wal- ter Walsh said the flat rate charge and metered charge applies through- out the wider area of Bunratty and also throughout the county.

“Bed and breakfasts are paying by both systems, 1.e. some are me- tered and some are paying by fixed charge. This situation has arisen his-

torically and there is no explanation for the different charging systems to different customers. It is the policy that all new customers both domestic and non-domestic will have meters installed at the time of connection,” said Mr Walsh.

He pointed out that families who live in their own bed and breakfasts or guesthouses are given an allow- ance. All other water provided is charged at the current charge rate.

“At present, a complete survey of all known non-domestic water cus-

tomers is ongoing in the county. Fol- lowing on from the survey, meters are being installed where none exist at present or where existing meters are not properly functioning. It is expected that this contract will be finished in late spring 2008,’ added Mr Walsh.

Cllr Flynn said he raised the issue on foot of queries in Bunratty, while Cllr Crowe remarked, “All we are looking for is a level playing field. If one is paying for it, let everyone pay for it.”

PROJECTED growth in the number of people attending Sixmilebridge national school has prompted plans to be drawn up for a new school in STO BU UE RSXon

Currently, there are 329 pupils on the roll of St Finnachta’s National School and it is anticipated that this will grow to 600 within the next 10 years.

The Department of Education and Science has approved the building of new 24-classroom school to ac- commodate the future needs, on the current school site. The site itself has recently been enlarged through

the purchase of land adjacent to the original site. Based on current es- timates, the anticipated cost of the new project could reach €5 million and over the next few years and the fundraising committee hopes to raise €120,000 which will include the lo- cal contribution sum required for all such school development projects. Chairperson of the Parents Associ- ation Caitriona O’Reilly said growth in the village’s population is key to the development of the new school. “Sixmilebridge is very well located for Limerick and Ennis and Shannon and that is how it has grown so much. There has been a huge increase in the numbers of house built in the areas,”

she said.

While the funding has been sanc- tioned by the department, planning permission has yet to be sought and it should be four years before the school will be built.

The school’s teachers and pupils currently use the existing building, along with four prefabricated build- ings, on the same site. The space is not sufficient for the growing popu- lation of the school and given the anticipated increasing numbers, the new school will be a necessity.

“We really want a state-of-the-art school. It will be a challenge to raise the money,” said Ms O’Reilly.

“We are appealing to locals to help

out, particularly people coming into the area. A lot of young people are choosing Sixmilebridge to live in, given that houses are affordable and the location suits them,” she added. School principal Ray McInerney acknowledged “the early decision and foresight of the Department of Education and Science to invest in the new school here’. He thanked “the parents and supporters of the school, the Board of Management, the teachers and staff of the school and the sponsors of this important event”. He made special mention of “the organising committee who have dedicated time and energy to make this local fund raiser a big success”.