The Clare Echo 25/02/21

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FEB 25 2021

‘PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING’

ALL-STAR AWARD A ‘PRIVILEGE’ FOR TONY KELLY

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW

Mental Health concerns as lockdown extended PÁRAIC MCMAHON paraic@clareecho.ie

S

USTAINED lockdowns are having a detrimental impact on the mental health of all age-demographics in Co Clare.

Confirmation from the Taoiseach Micheál Martin (FF) on Tuesday that the entire country would remain in Level 5 has done little to lift the spirits of an already weary nation as the battle with COVID-19 continues.

Quin based patient advocate, John Wall believed the announcement “gave very little hope, it offered people like me and many others like me absolutely nothing, it promised to

deliver but unfortunately it didn’t”.

Concerns on the impact to the public’s mental health have been commonplace. The situation was described by Niamh O’Callaghan of Love Shannon as “groundhog day” as she sought the creation of further mental health supports. “I’ve seen in this lockdown more people than ever are suffering, it is not any socioeconomic group or age demographic, it is from the cradle to the grave”.

Whitegate representative, Cllr Pat Burke (FG) revealed the stress levels of constituents were rising with some even fearing a stretch in the evenings. “People are under horrendous pressure and there is no light at the end of the tunnel”.

Mental health issues have been “exasperated” during the pandemic for those aged 18 to 24, Cllr Cillian Murphy (FF) cautioned. “A train is coming down the track and the consequences are not good”.

FOR MORE SEE Page 4

FULL STORY Page 25

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2 NEWS

THURSDAY, FEB 25 2021

Index NEWS

STILL PARTYING AT 100 YEARS YOUNG

2-12

ENTERTAINMENT

13

COLUMNISTS

14-16

SCULLY

18

COMMUNITY

19

BUSINESS

20-23

SPORT

24-27

36C Abbey Street, Ennis, County Clare Telephone: 065 671 9021

NEWSDESK

Email: editor@clareecho.ie paraic@clareecho.ie news@clareecho.ie

SALES

Email: ger.naughton@clareecho.ie or niall@clareecho.ie This publication supports the work of the Press Council of Ireland and Office of the Press Ombudsman, and our staff operate within the Press Council’s Code of Practice. You can obtain a copy of the Code, or contact the Press Council, at www.presscouncil.ie, Lo-call 1890 208 080 or email: info@presscouncil.ie

l CONGRATULATIONS: Margaret Frost celebrated her 100th birthday over the weekend, surrounded by staff and friends in Carrigoran House Nursing Home. Margaret will be a resident of Carrigoran House Nursing Home 30 years in May this year

Now go there and back by bus KILRUS

New anti-smoking campaign launched

O

by PÁRAIC McMAHON

H S ENNI

NBEG DO O HE LOOP

AD

TFI Local Link Limerick Clare are delighted to announce the introduction of new and expanded services in Co. Clare The launch of new Route 337 will provide regular public transport between Kilrush and Ennis with services running 3 times daily Monday – Saturday with a reduced service on Sundays.

Expanded services to Routes 335 and 339 will improve connectivity to Doonbeg and frequency to Loophead.

Pre - booking is required as bus services are currently operating at 25% capacity for essential journeys only.

For more information call 065 6719101 or visit locallinklc.ie Free Travel Pass accepted | Children under 5 travel free

Limerick Clare

RGANISATIONS across Clare have been encouraged to sign up for a new anti-smoking campaign, 'Not Around Us'.

Heralded as another step towards a tobacco and vape free Clare, 'Not Around Us' promotes environments where it is easier for those who smoke to quit and stay off cigarettes while also de-normalising smoking for the next generation.

It is a response to the Government's national target for less than five percent of the population to be smoking in Ireland by 2025. The campaign was launched last Wednesday in Clare as part of National No Smoking Day. Outdoor signage and window stickers will be available for different settings such as school gates and playgrounds. Interested organisations can sign up to the campaign on the Healthy Clare webpage on Clare County Council's website.

Chief Executive of Clare County Council, Pat Dowling stated, "It is paramount that the environments in which we live, grow, learn, work, and play in are protective of health and wellbeing. The Not Around Us campaign is a step towards ensuring healthy environments not only of our children here in County Clare, but also of our older citizens of the future".

Cllr Mary Howard (FG), Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council believed the local authority was leading the way with the initiative. "It is fantastic to see the collaborative effort involved all in the name of health for people and the environment. I encourage all organisations where children and young people are likely to frequent to sign up to this campaign, by doing so you are ensuring that the next generation of young people living in Clare spend their time in healthy, clean environments".

This strategy forms part of a wider vision for a healthier county, Karen Fennessy, Healthy Clare Co-Ordinator maintained. "A Tobacco Free Clare is not just about adults quitting smoking but about respecting open spaces particularly where children play thereby creating a culture of support, caring for oneself and those around you. Our vision is to make our beautiful County a healthier place to be for everyone".

NEWS 3

THURSDAY, FEB 25 2021

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4 NEWS

THURSDAY, FEB 25 2021

Lockdown extended until April PÁRAIC MCMAHON

L

paraic@clareecho.ie

EVEL five restrictions will remain throughout the Republic of Ireland until the 5th of April, at least, the Taoiseach has confirmed.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin (FF) outlined on Tuesday that the country would remain in Level 5 until the start of April with "three very important differences". This included the phased re-opening of schools, resumption of childcare services and a continued roll-out of the vaccine.

A review will be held prior to April 5th to determine if the measures will continue.

The return of construction work, outdoor gatherings and some form of sporting activity are among the items that may be permitted from this date along with an extension of the 5km limit.

In order for measures to be eased, the

Taoiseach said community transmission must be driven down in the month of March to bring down case numbers, hospital and ICU occupancy must fall while the vaccine programme must continue as planned, he said.

John Wall, patient advocate commented: “It was very disappointing, all the talk about prioritising those of us with an underlying condition, not a mention, we heard quite a bit about new variants and the damage it was doing. It gave very little hope, it offered people like me and many others like me absolutely nothing, it promised to deliver but unfortunately it didn’t. Maybe over the next few days, more will become apparent in terms of the detail”.

Cathal Crowe TD (FF) said: “An extended lockdown is the last thing that anyone wants but with a sped up vaccine rollout the hope is that we are facing the final battles of the war againt Covid, a horrible enemy that has taken lives, made people physically/ mentally unwell and ravaged our economy.

A finish line is in sight”.

GROUP WATER SCHEMES Annual Subsidy Funding Towards Operational Cost of Group Water Schemes Clare County Council is inviting and encouraging Group Water Schemes to apply for subsidy funding towards the operating costs (incurred in 2020) of providing domestic water to households supplied by the schemes.

The maximum subsidy available towards operational and management costs is: €115.00 for each house supplied from a public supply €231.00 for each house supplied from a private supply Application forms and subsidy conditions/details can be downloaded from the Councils website www.clarecoco.ie and are available at the offices of the Rural Water Programme, Clare County Council, Waterpark House, Drumbiggle Road, Ennis, Co. Clare.

Phone No: 065 6866115/6866119.

Email: ruralwater@clarecoco.ie.

Completed applications should be submitted no later than 30th June, 2021.

PLANNED RETURN TO SCHOOL 1st March 2021: • Special schools to resume at 100% capacity • Junior infants - Second class • Leaving Cert students 8th March 2021: • Resumption of the ECCE Programme • 15th March 2021 • 3rd - 6th class and 5th years

critical services to continue being delivered to vulnerable groups.

SUPPORTS EXTENDED UNTIL 30 JUNE • • • • • •

Pandemic Unemployment Payment Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme Covid-19 Enhanced Illness Benefit Covid Restrictions Support Scheme Suspension of redundancy provisions Commercial rates waiver

29th March 2021: • Resumption of all other early learning and childcare services 12th April onwards: • Reopening for 1st to 4th years at post-primary

OTHER MEASURES

An additional €10 million in funding will be made available to meet the increase for mental health services, and a further top-up of €10 million will be made available to enable

l ADDRESS: Taoiseach Micheál Martin

'People of all demographics are really struggling' with lockdown

by PÁRAIC McMAHON A "MASSIVE hangover" with regard to the public's mental health will be experienced unless sufficient supports are put in place.

Sustained lockdowns as part of the nation's response to the COVID-19 pandemic are impacting the mental health of all age-demographics in the county, representatives of Clare County Council's Rural Development SPC flagged.

Farming representative, Denis Tuohy stated "mental health is going to be a big thing" when discussing the consequence of the lockdown. He outlined that the farming community is ringing around to each other in a bid to maintain contact and referenced a 'ring your neighbour' campaign

by Macra na Feirme, "you'd normally have been 2-3 mins on the phone, now it is quarter of an hour".

Shannon's Niamh O'Callaghan commented, "I've seen in this lockdown more people than ever are suffering, it is not any socio-economic group or age demograph-

ic, it is from the cradle to the grave, it is people alone and people being with their kids going mad". The commercial representative said it was being referred to as "Groundhog Day". She warned, "Without putting in mental health supports now, we will be in massive trouble in days to come".

She continued, "You've the students trying to do school, they might have younger brothers and sisters running around, the mothers and fathers are trying to work from home and are going demented trying to keep a grip. There is no outlet for these people, when they put their children down they have to get to the housework".

Niamh said one individual with a special needs child was up 24 hours a day on occasions "because she can't get her work done during the day because she has to give all her efforts to her child. It is not just people on their own, people have been left completely overwhelmed, it is too much, you would have to superman and superwoman combined to work from home, run a house and mind children. There will be a massive hangover from this," the co-founder of Love Shannon predicted.

Chair of the SPC, Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) believed it was a learning experience. "People are suffering right across from students to older people. Anytime I meet people they want to talk. Some of the challenges will not go away when people get the vaccine".

He added, "We're all suffering from it a

l DISTANCE: Mental health is suffering

Photo by John Mangan

bit ourselves, we are not meeting as many people. We need to keep an eye on this".

Senior executive officer in the rural and community development unit of the Council, Bernie Haugh informed the virtual meeting that an updated Living with COVID document was due which will incorporate the KeepWell campaign. "It will be on our agenda for the foreseeable," she admitted.

Director of Service, Leonard Cleary detailed that every effort to obtain further funding to support initiatives to aid the mental health of the public will be pursued.

There is a wide range of people suffering from bachelor farmers to parents homeschooling, Cllr Pat Burke (FG). "People are under horrendous pressure and there is no light at the end of the tunnel". He noticed that "the humour isn't great with so many categories of people". Burke added, "I spoke to a man who is dreading the stretch in the evening, there's no hurling matches and so little going on, there is no mass, going to the Mart or going for a drink. We're lucky to be busy but by God there are people really stressed".

For mental health supports, please contact any of the following -Samaritans: Emotional support to anyone in distress or struggling to cope. Contact jo@samaritans.ie. Freephone 116 123 every day 24 hours a day Text 5080: A free 24/7 text service, providing everything from a calming chat to immediate support for people going through mental health or emotional crisis. Text HELLO to 50808, anytime day or night.

Aware: Information, support and peer groups for people experiencing anxiety, mild to moderate depression, bipolar disorder and mood-related conditions.

Support also for friends and family members. Contact supportmail@aware.ie. Freephone support line 1800 80 48 48 10am to 10pm every day.

NEWS 5

THURSDAY, FEB 25 2021

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6 NEWS

THURSDAY, FEB 25 2021

€2.2m in funding for Traveller accommodation not spent PÁRAIC MCMAHON

J

paraic@clareecho.ie

UST over half the funding allocated to Clare County Council for Traveller specific accommodation was drawn down over a ten year period with plans for five new builds in this time.

From 2010 to 2020, €2.2m in funding attributed to Clare County Council by the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government was sent back by the local authority. Of the combined allocation of €5,119,870, a total of €2,915,646 (56%) was drawn down.

Annual allocations "are not issued in the first quarter of the year.

The budget allocations are annual and for claims to be submitted the expenditure must be incurred with proof of expenditure required to support a claim for reimbursement," a Council spokesperson flagged.

Figures obtained by The Clare

Echo on the Council's Traveller Accommodation Capital Spend 2010 -2020 show that €1,900,000 was allocated in 2010 with less than half of this (€544,603) drawn down. The allocations for 2011 (€500,000), 2012 (€300,000) and 2013 (€343,450) were also not utilised fully with €481,387, €183,281 and €248,890 respectively accessed. A change was observed in 2014 with €181,976 allocated but €250,613 used by the Council.

Work on St John's Park in Deerpark resulted in a €37,000 allocation in 2015 but none of this was spent, a spokesperson for the local authority said the defects liability period had not lapsed so the final account could not be paid.

For the construction of five Traveller specific units in Ballaghboy on the Quin Rd, €200,000 was set aside by the Department in 2016 but the Council advised the Department of "a maximum spend of €30,000 during 2016".

A year later €100,000 was put towards the same five units on the Quin Rd but no expenditure was calculated with the project still ongoing. Though €40,000

was attributed for one house in St John's Park in Ennistymon, the Council explained that while it has incurred expenditure in excess of €30,000 it cannot claim for this until the works are complete. The full amount of €29,124 was met for the pumping station at St John's Park in Deerpark. €13,250 was spent on the provision of a mobile home in St Michael's Park, Ballymaley.

An allocation for the five units on the Quin Rd was diverted to the property purchase claim of €122,535 in 2018, €100,000 had been made available by the Department. €40,000 was sent down for the same house in St John's

Park, €17,210 of this was included as part of an upgrade to Traveller specific accommodation payment in 2019, the works remain uncompleted. The amount of €13,250 was recouped for the purchase of a mobile home St Helen's Park in Ballymurtagh. Between refurbishment and fire safety works, there was a combined allocation of €700,000, however the Council informed the Department that this money could not be drawn down in full during 2018 as allocation was only received in July, it was drawn down in full in 2019.

Upgrade works saw €635,000 dispensed in 2019, €669,389 was

lCAPITAL: Traveller accommodation on the Tulla Road

drawn down. The allocation was a duplication of the amount issued a year previous.

There was no allocation from the Department last year but €464,579 was drawn down by the Council which includes recouped expenditure in response to COVID-19.

In a decade noted for an ongoing housing crisis, just five new Traveller specific units were worked on in Clare. Between 2015 and 2019, the total expenditure on mobile homes and caravans was €158,400 with €26,500 recouped.

"Clare County Council undertook an extensive Traveller accommodation capital programme between 2002 and 2009 with 37 Traveller specific houses and 6 bays constructed over this period.

This was in addition to the existing stock of 11 houses, 2 apartments and 9 bays which existed in the county," a spokesperson explained in defence of the amount of units built. Currently, 15 of the 59 Traveller specific accommodation units are vacant "with little prospect of appointing tenants to the vacant units due to compatibility issues within the community".

New management structure for Cahercalla while COVID-19 outbreak causes concern

Construction of Parteen windmill catches community by surprise

by PÁRAIC McMAHON

by CIAN O'BROIN

A NEW management structure has been put in place at Cahercalla Community Hospital and Hospice while confirmation of three new COVID-19 cases has caused fresh concern at the facility.

On Monday, Mowlam Healthcare took charge of the clinical and managerial oversight at Cahercalla. Cahercalla's Board of Directors who work in a voluntary capacity, continue to have sole ownership and ultimate responsibility for its governance.

Cahercalla remains an independent voluntary residential care facility and maintains its charitable status. Employees will retain their existing contractual arrangements and remain on at the Ennis facility.

Issues regarding compliance to HIQA standards became apparent last month as 23 cases of COVID-19 emerged with four deaths occurring as a result of the outbreak.

Dr. Michael Harty, Chairman of the Cahercalla Board told The Clare Echo that governance and management structures became a concern during the pandemic, "we needed to act to address this".

Mowlam Healthcare were viewed as the best option to comply with standards and regulations.

He referenced the 1600 beds already under Mowlam's management structure as an example of their track record with HIQA. Family members should not be concerned by Mowlam's arrival, the Kilmihil GP stated. "I understand people's concerns but they shouldn't

have any concerns on the quality of care and compassion that will continue to be offered" and added that the levels would in fact improve.

There was surprise and disappointment in Cahercalla when three new cases of COVID-19 were diagnosed following the completion of its vaccination programme. The first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine was administered on the 18th and 19th of January for eligible residents and staff with the second dose received on February 15th and 16th.

Cases of two residents and one staff member became known two days after the second dose was administered as part of weekly swabbing at Cahercalla. "It was something that surprised us," Dr Harty admitted. He explained that this occurred "outside the window of maximum immunity" as those diagnosed had not yet sufficient levels of immunity but he flagged "no vaccine gives 100 percent immunity".

It broke a four week spell of no new positive cases which was "a disappointment" but "demonstrates how unpredictable the virus is". Dr Harty said it is not yet known how the virus re-entered Cahercalla.

Concern had been voiced to The Clare Echo by persons with loved ones in Cahercalla on the impact of having to be moved from their homes again as a result of the outbreak.

"We fully accept that it is a person's home, the decision to move somebody was not taken lightly and was done on the advice of public health. It is to protect other residents and ensure the virus doesn't spread".

LOCAL representatives and community members are aggrieved at the recent construction of a windmill at Knockballynameath, Parteen.

A planning file was submitted on 28 May, 2010 for a single 800kW wind turbine and ancillary road access. No local objections were lodged, and permission was granted by the Council.

On November 25, 2015 an extension to the previously approved planning permission was granted as no site works had begun. The extension gave a new expiry date of 10 January, 2021.

Local concerns have been raised by a lack of awareness around the 2015 application. A zoom meeting chaired

by Cathal Crowe TD (FF) noted that neither Cllr Michael Begley (IND) nor Crowe were made aware of the appli-

lUNEXPECTED: The windmill

cation at the time.

Crowe admitted he was "surprised and disappointed to see the windmill structure breaking the local skyline this week". He believed the 2010 application had lapsed.

An application seeking a 5-year time extension to a previously granted planning permission is not subjected to the same transparency requirements. These types of applications are not overly common and planning policy does not require that they be advertised in local newspapers or erection of a site notice. A time extension application doesn't allow for objections, the meeting outlined.

Complaints have also been made about set-back distances from homes in the area and also the River Shannon Special Protection Area (SPA004077). It also states that the closest neighbour is 350m from the turbine which means that it is within planning guidelines in relation to a requirement to fall under 40dB. Deputy Crowe has since filed a case with the Planning Enforcement unit of Clare County Council. Points have been made relating to the commencement date of the construction and also the set-back distance of the windmill structure from local residences. "These points will be thoroughly analysed and responded to by Council officials next week upon the conclusion of a site visit and inspection," he stated.

NEWS 7

THURSDAY, FEB 25 2021

An Post rule out reopening Broadford post office

A

by PÁRAIC McMAHON

N POST have ruled out the reopening of Broadford's post office.

On December 7th, the post office in Broadford closed on compassionate grounds, An Post have stated that it will not reopen this branch.

As a result, the village of Broadford will be without a post office for the first time since 1831.

In a statement, An Post has said it does not propose to advertise the vacant Broadford contract and the view of the company is that the case presented to them does not offset the original decision which is in line with the national post office consolidation plan.

Clare TD, Cathal Crowe (FF) described the announcement as "devastating for the community of Broadford; a community that has ambitions to grow and flourish over the coming years".

He referenced an ongoing campaign in the East Clare community to deliver a sewerage scheme in the village.

Broadford's closure has highlighted the need for a national discussion on the future of An Post, he stated as he cited estimates from Grant Thornton that €17m per annum is required "to plug losses in the network".

"I think the argument made by the community, supported by politicians, was compelling and it was based on facts and the reality that the withdrawal of this service pushes people to other communities which aren't as accessible to Broadford as An Post would contend.

Deputy Crowe added, "It's frustrating when one thinks that a white-water rafting facility in the heart of Dublin will cost €22m.

"I reiterate my point that there needs to be an urgent national discussion about why vanity projects like that have higher prioritisation over a critical piece of rural infrastructure. I'll continue to raise this through every channel possible to me and see if there is anything to be done to avert the closure of Broadford Post Office at the eleventh hour".

On Wednesday, a socially distanced protest was held by the local community in Broadford as part of a campaign to overturn the decision.

Crowe along with Senator Timmy Dooley (FF), Jackie Cahill TD (FF), Pádraig O'Sullivan TD (FF) and Joe Flaherty TD (FF) tabled a motion at Wednesday evening's Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting calling on the Government to introduce a public service obligation for the post office network.

Speaking to The Clare Echo, Deputy Crowe who drafted the proposal warned of further closures to the post office network if action was not taken.

"As a country, we need to do some soul searching and ask ourselves a simple question - do we place value on this service that's a backbone to rural life.

"Covid has reminded us that our dependency on our local services is as important as ever and for that reason it's an absolutely retrograde step and short-sighted move to allow post offices to shut their doors for good".

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8 NEWS

THURSDAY, FEB 25 2021

East Clare to benefit first from National Broadband Plan PÁRAIC MCMAHON

A

paraic@clareecho.ie

N EAST Clare councillor has urged National Broaband Ireland (NBI) to brush up on their geography after signs emerged in the county indicating that it was Limerick.

NBI "are very close" commencing the roll-out of the National Broadband Plan (NBP), Head of Information Systems Broadband and Digital with Clare County Council, Urban McMahon stated.

Details on the first locations are expected to be known in the coming days but are tipped to all be in East Clare.

McMahon commented, "We are still fielding a lot of queries from people looking for help with broadband and getting it extended but our success rate hasn't been great in that area, it seems to be a slow process to get any scores on the board".

Speaking at a meeting of the Rural Development SPC, Cllr Pat Burke (FG) expressed his shock at the pace of which the NBP was moving with the first house connected in recent weeks. He felt this movement contradicted a presentation councillors received in glór recently. The Whitegate councillor said he was getting fewer representations regarding broadband.

"They might be rolling it out in East Clare but it is SouthEast Clare," Cllr Pat Hayes

(FF) quipped. He said the NBI needed to be reminded "it is not in Limerick, there are signs in Broadford saying it is Limerick, they are proud Clare people living in Broadford".

Limerick is being used as the central core by NBI "that they build out from," McMahon explained. He said surveying is ongoing in Kilkishen and Parteen where the roads and existing structures are examined, "once they have them done they come back with a work plan". An immediate start is proposed once the townlands are known for East Clare, he stated.

"Limited success" has been noted with expanding for individual cases just outside the network of broadband providers.

l OOPS: NBI mistakenly placed Meelick in Co Limerick

Wifi zones to be developed in Clare

by PÁRAIC McMAHON WIFI zones are to be developed in each Municipal District in Co Clare. €60,000 in European funding for the roll-out of wifi has been obtained by Clare County Council. €15,000 has been secured each for the Ennis, Killaloe, Shannon and West Clare Municipal Districts under WiFi4EU. An initiative of the European Commission, WiFi4EU promotes free access to WiFi connectivity for citizens in public spaces including parks, squares, public build-

ings, libraries, health centres and museums in municipalities throughout Europe.

The vouchers are to be used to install Wi-Fi equipment in public spaces that are not already equipped with a free Wi-Fi hotspot.

Locations being considered by the local authority include Lees Rd in Ennis, the Market in Scariff, Shannon Town Park and both the square in Kilrush and Ennistymon.

Head of Information Systems with Clare County Council, Urban McMahon confirmed that they have a period of six months to complete the works.

"It will be wifi for people to log on who haven't it at home," he explained at a meeting of the Rural Development SPC. Following questioning by agriculture representative Denis Tuohy, McMahon confirmed that the funding was a one-off and could not be applied for annually.

Chair of the SPC, Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) stated, "The wifi zones in the towns can be hugely beneficial".

He suggested that both Tulla and Killaloe should also be in the thinking of local authority officials.

DigiClare to launch global campaign on digital hubs

by PÁRAIC McMAHON DIGICLARE are planning to launch an international marketing campaign as part of a bid to make Clare "the remote working capital of Ireland".

Currently DigiClare has seven digital hubs established across the county in Feakle, Kilrush, Ennistymon, Carron, Miltown Malbay, Corofin and Kilkee.

"We have substantial numbers of people working from all sections of the community from students to business people, relocated individuals and web developers," Urban McMahon Head of Information Systems Broadband and Digital with Clare County Council explained.

He outlined that there is an "ambitious programme" currently in the pipeline preparing for the opening of other digital hubs.

In Cross, the site which was formerly home of the national school will become a community hub incorporating a working and social element. Plans are advanced for the creation of digital hubs in Sixmilebridge, Newmarket-on-Fergus, Flagmount and Kilfenora, construction of the Ennis digital hub which will be located on the Quin Rd ceased during the lockdown.

McMahon outlined, "We should have 15 to 16 hubs of varying sizes".

He told February's meeting of the Rural Development SPC that many representations have been made for different locations.

"We are going down various routes with communities such as community or club buildings, it is difficult to find a suitable location to turn into a professionally looking hub without spending large sums of money".

Clare County Council's role is to build the hub and bring in the facilities to get it up and running but then the cleaning, opening and closing of the facility is the responsibility of the community, Urban stated. Bookings and payment are managed by the local authority with some of the funds returning to the community.

"It is €10 per day per member with reduced rates for students, it is not expensive but our experience is if we push it much higher we feel we would suffer a loss of customers".

A marketing campaign for DigiClare that will be international, national and local will be launched shortly, he advised.

Prior to the commencement of an international campaign Cllr Cillian Murphy (FF) highlighted the need for the local authority to get its ducks in a row.

"If we're going to go out to the world and tell them to come to Clare, we have to have the opportunity for them to come and live here and that means housing. Marketing without the product they can buy is not going to deliver a successful outcome".

On this topic, Cllr Murphy flagged that 15 properties are available in Kilkee, "eight of them are sites that you won't get planning permission on".

Similar issues exist in Shannon, commercial representative Niamh O'Callaghan noted.

"Shannon Commercial Properties are bringing in top tier companies but there is no housing for them to live in, there is a lot of high-paid employees but no housing for them in Shannon".

She criticised the cost of housing in the town as "a disgrace" and referenced the €1250 fee for a flat in Drumgeely "the first block of flats built in Shannon".

Continued work to promote relocation is needed, Cllr Joe Killeen (FF) maintained. He spoke of one user of the digital hub in Ennistymon who is architect for a Dublin company, "he loves water sport and has the benefit of being by the Atlantic, works in the hub and enjoys all the benefits of living in the west of Ireland".

"Non-stop use" of the digital hub has been experienced in Feakle, Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) detailed. Work of the Council staff involved in DigiClare was praised by Director of Service, Leonard Cleary who declared that the team "have endeavoured to make Clare the remote working capital of Ireland".

Following a query from Cllr Mary Howard (FG) regarding an opening date for the Ennis hub, McMahon responded that had the construction not been disrupted it would have been opening in March, "I don't want to commit to a date but we're talking the beginning or middle of May, it is a pity because I know we would have the demand for the facility now".

The Garden Guy 087-090-4185 087-697-9775

NEWS 9

THURSDAY, FEB 25 2021

Local Link aiming to continue bolstering rural bus routes CIAN O’BROIN

L

cian@clareecho.ie

OCAL Link Limerick Clare are adding new Rural Regular Services (RRS) as part of a continued effort to bolster rural transport routes within the county.

These are high frequency services that run more than once per day to an area and the first of its kind in county Clare, explains manager Anne Gaughan.

New RRS connections are now running between Ennis to Kilrush Monday to Friday, including one to Loop Head and another that will provide extra connectivity to Doonbeg.

As part of the July Stimulus package last year, Local Link would have worked with Bus Éireann to service rural areas that fell outside of their high frequency, which have now been absorbed into the new RRS connections.

"This gives higher connectivity between Kilrush and Ennis, running three times per day. Anyone on that leg that wouldn't have had public transport before will benefit. This is really positive," she stated.

Working from the bottom up, Anne stresses that Local Link are a community incentivised force that rely on liaising with local groups and individuals on new routes.

Once a query is put in, Local Link work in the background to connect unmet needs, subject to a research and approval process conducted by the National Transport Authority (NTA), she informed.

"It's these unmet needs from individuals, groups or businesses that may be on that line that forms the basis of what times we operate at.

“It really builds the picture for us. Every phone call counts," she added.

Lisdoonvarna is the next area where Local Link intends to broaden their services, having spoken with community groups there in

l CONNECTIVITY: Local Link are adding new routes to their service

February 2020 as part of a public consultation.

These services will be Low Floor Accessible vehicles which is the same model used for the majority of Clare services.COVID-19 brought many challenges due to a 25 per cent maximum seating capacity currently in place.

Anne is optimistic that the model of rural transport is changing for the better due to remote working capabilities and believes that the key is to build a sustainable network in Clare which can connect these new high frequency town to town RRS services with Demand Response Transport (DRT) which involves going door to door.

She also added that they will be working closely with local authorities in order to add services around the future West Clare Greenway, with the Newcastle West company already planning to provide extra services to support the Limerick Greenway which is due to open this coming summer.

“Funding is always relevant, but we will continue adding as many new routes and services as we can in Clare.

“I can’t stress enough, if there isn’t transport in your area, please ring us and let us know. The unmet needs really do count in building any route,” she concluded.

Ennis Brass Band say thank you for the music on 50th anniversary SO FAR 2021 has been tough on so many, a lot of us were expecting life may be back to normal by now. However 2021 brings a celebration for some in that Ennis Brass Band are celebrating their 50th anniversary.

Having reformed in 1971 the band has gone from strength to strength and reaching this milestone is quite the achievement. The celebrations will have to be much different to what the band had expected, however this momentous anniversary could not go by without the band making some acknowledgements.

Firstly to the people of Ennis and Clare, the support the band has received over the years has been amazing.

To the smiling faces on the street as the band marches in the St Patricks Day parade to the wonderful applause and warm reception received at our now annual Christmas concert. This is a particular favourite of the band members.

To the generous donations received on both our flag days and church gate collections. Without this support the band could not continue so from us, the most heartfelt thank you.

The band has had many performances over the years, too many to mention. We are very proud to have achieved many accolades over those years, competing in many competitions nationally and internationally. We would like to thank our conductors/musical

directors past and present for nurturing our love of music and bringing it to the forefront.

A heartfelt thank you to former members also. To the families of our band members, your support to each and every band member is so important and we are very grateful for this.

To Clare VEC and Ennis Community College for the support provided to the band in the continued supply of rehearsal space, Also to Clare County Council, St Francis Credit Union and the Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht for their continued support.

Finally the band would like to thank Bernard McAllister, band leader and President.

There are no words to accurately describe the work that Bernard has put into the band over the past 50 years.

His hard work and dedication is an inspiration to us all and he continues to inspire us daily. Bernard, the band would not be what it is without you so from all of us we love you and thank you. A special mention to Bernards wife Mary McAllister who has been our number 1 supporter from the start.

The band hope to later in the year be able to celebrate this wonderful occasion with some performances so watch this space!! In the meantime we keep engaged on our social media page on Facebook and look forward to the day when we can perform for the people of Ennis once more.

Thank you from Ennis Brass Band

10 NEWS

THURSDAY, FEB 25 2021

€10M SPENT BY COUNCIL ON CONSULTANTS IN TWO YEARS ENNIS MUNICIPAL DISTRICT Burial Grounds: N85 Kilnamona: Other: Roadworks Programme: Storm Damage & Flood Relief: Economic Development: Property Management: Ennis Public Realm & Mobility: Library Development: EMD Festival & Events:

2019: €981,000 (TOTAL) €10,000 €53,000 €12,000 €34,000 €166,000 €225,000 €89,000 €293,000 €70,000 €28,000

2020: €1,131,000 (TOTAL) €2,000 €0 €15,000 €3,000 €574,000 €130,000 €83,000 €231,000 €92,000 €1,000

ENNISTYMON ELECTORAL AREA Cliffs of Moher Capital Programme: Doolin Pier Visitor Services Centre: Ennistymon Inner Relief Road: Ennistymon Multi-Service Building: Other: Roadworks Programme: Storm Damage & Flood Relief: Burren Geopark: Lahinch Public Realm:

2019: €876,000 (TOTAL) €407,000 €106,000 €183,000 €42,000 €2,000 €20,000 €55,000 €39,000 €21,000

2020: €587,000 (TOTAL) €478,000 €0 €43,000 €4,000 €9,000 €0 €26,000 €26,000 €1,000

KILLALOE ELECTORAL AREA Holy Island: Other: Roadworks Programme: Shannon Bridge Crossing:

2019: €806,000 (TOTAL) €9,000 €1,000 €13,000 €783,000

2020: €493,000 (TOTAL) €38,000 €2,000 €0 €452,000

KILRUSH ELECTORAL AREA Cappa Enhancement Strategy: Fire Service Capital Projects: Kilrush Sports Complex: Maritime Strategy: Other: Storm Damage & Flood Relief: West Clare Railway Greenway: Maritime Strategy: Loophead Lighthouse RRDF: Carshare Pilot Project: Vandeleur Garden & Turret Lodge:

2019: €339,000 (TOTAL) €0 €9,000 €0 €71,000 €26,000 €18,800 €0 €58,000 €7,000 €125,000 €25,000

2020: €611,000 (TOTAL) €19,000 €0 €20,000 €107,000 €16,000 €144,000 €99,000 €17,000 €51,000 €0 €137,000

SHANNON ELECTORAL AREA Burial Grounds: Limerick Northern Distributor Road: N19 Airport Access Rd: Other: Roadworks Programme: Shannon Town Masterplan: Shannon Town Park: Storm Damage & Flood Relief: Active Travel Measures:

2019: €282,000 (TOTAL) €16,000 €69,000 €27,000 €10,000 €50,000 €0 €66,000 €30,000 €13,000

2020: €842,000 (TOTAL) €13,000 €63,000 €325,000 €0 €64,000 €148,000 €12,000 €198,000 €19,000

2019 HOUSING COUNTYWIDE Housing Construction & Remediation: €1,226,000

2020 €1,212,000

COUNTYWIDE PROJECTS Burial Grounds: Corporate Services: Development Plans: Fire Service Capital Projects: Other: Roadworks Programme: Water Services: Property Management: Taxation & Finance Consultancy: Tourism Development & Promotion: Rural Development: ICT Services: Heritage & Biodiversity: Coroner & Inquest Services: Library Development: Food Safety Authority Services:

2020: €613,000 (TOTAL) €2,000 €37,000 €41,000 €35,000 €81,000 €4,000 €4,000 €24,000 €34,000 €91,000 €6,000 €30,000 €65,000 €76,000 €2,000 €81,000

2019: €700,000 (TOTAL) €23,000 €82,000 €49,000 €74,000 €34,000 €0 €45,000 €13,000 €25,000 €175,000 €32,000 €20,000 €16,000 €93,000 €0 €18,000

GRAND TOTAL:

2019: €5,210,000 2020: €5,488,000

*Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand

lFEES: Consultancy fees for Burren Geopark cost €65,000 in total

Photo by Bob Singer

PÁRAIC MCMAHON

M

paraic@clareecho.ie

ORE than €10m has been spent by Clare County Council on consultants fees over the past two years.

Over the course of 2019, €5.2m was spent on consultants by the local authority and this increased to €5.4m last year.

Housing has led to the biggest cost incurred for expertise with €1.2m spent in each year on this sector.

Ennis Public Realm and Mobility Planning (€293,000) and Storm Damage & Flood Relief (€574,000) had the highest cost for consultants in the Ennis Municipal District for 2019 and 2020 respectively.

Within the Ennistymon electoral area, the Cliffs of Moher Capital Programme had the biggest financial impact in both years with an amassed tally of €885,000.

Similarly in the Killaloe Municipal District, the Shannon Bridge Costing led to the highest pay-out with a total of €1.2m paid to consultants for their input on this project in the last two years.

Now defunct as a result of COVID-19, the Carshare Pilot Project in Loop Head saw €125,000 given to consultants in 2019 but was surpassed in the Kilrush local electoral area by the Maritime Strategy (€129,000). Storm damage and flood relief (€144,000) topped the bill in the Kilrush area in 2020.

Roads led to the biggest consultancy fees in the Shannon Municipal District

for both 2019 Limerick Northern Distributor Road (€69,000) and 2020 N19 Airport Access Rd (€325,000).

Details were presented at the February meeting of Clare County Council after a request for the information by Cllr PJ Kelly (FF).

Director of Finance and Support Services, Noeleen Fitzgerald acknowledged that the 2020 figures were yet to be complete. “It is important to note that approximately 85% of the overall costs for both years relate to capital projects that are fully funded and primarily recouped from grant income as part of our capital works programme. These costs do not therefore form part of our Revenue operational budget”.

She advised that a quarter of the overall costs relate to the Social Housing Investment Programme “where we have a number of local authority housing construction projects in progress. In all areas, the narrative “other” reflects a combination of small project balances relevant to each electoral area”.

According to Cllr Kelly, “the expenditure is indicative of the activity going on”. He maintained that the skills existed within the Council on the areas that the local authority was approaching consultants on. “€5.2m per year is €100k per week or €20k per day, that would be the equivalent of 10 staff on €50k each. I know the costs are recoupable but it is a huge amount to be taken off the project which is going ahead”. The Lissycasey representative added, “I would ask the CEO to use the skills we have and if necessary to bring in staff to do the job”.

NEWS 11

THURSDAY, FEB 25 2021

Plans submitted for Inis Cealtra visitor centre PÁRAIC MCMAHON

A

paraic@clareecho.ie

NEW Inis Cealtra (Holy Island) visitor centre in the heart of Mountshannon village has taken a big leap forward with the submission of plans for the proposed new facility.

Having taken 41 acres on the island into public ownership in 2015, Clare County Council has this week submitted a Part 8 Planning Application for The Old Rectory building overlooking Mountshannon Harbour and Lough Derg to progress a mainland visitor centre, which will interpret the seventh century monastic site of Inis Cealtra and its surrounds.

Still used as a burial ground, the ruins and buildings on Holy Island date back as far as the seventh century when the monastic site was established by St. Caimin.

Buildings on the island include a 24-metre-high Round Tower, an Oratory, and several churches.

The Island lies close to the vil-

lage of Mountshannon and is on the UNESCO World Heritage site tentative list as an Early Medieval Monastic site.

The Inis Cealtra Visitor Experience project, which is being led by the Tourism Department of Clare County Council, will steer the tourism development and visitor management of what is locally referred to as the 'Jewel of Lough Derg'.

Ireland's Hidden Heartlands (Fáilte Ireland), Waterways Ireland, the Office of Public Works (OPW), National Monuments Service and National Parks and Wildlife Service are collaborating with the Council on the project.

Funding for the project is aided by the Department of Rural and Community Development's Rural Regeneration and Development Fund.

"At a time when the tourism sector faces unprecedented challenges, it is encouraging to see new and innovative tourism projects being progressed," stated Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council, Cllr. Mary Howard (FG). "Holy Island is one of the most important historical and ecclesiastical sites in Ireland, and has important links to Brian Ború,

the last High King of Ireland".

A wider audience will be introduced to an "iconic tourism attraction" as a result, Cllr. Pat Hayes (FF) maintained.

The Cathaoirleach of the Killaloe Municipal District added, "It will further raise the profile of East Clare as an attractive visitor destination at a time when the domestic tourism sector is preparing for the reopening of the wider economy, and it also will complement the success of the Lough Derg Blueway".

Holy Island was identified as a key heritage asset in both the Clare Rural Development Strategy 2026 and the newly developed Clare Tourism Strategy 2030, Pat Dowling, Chief Executive of Clare County Council noted.

"This project seeks to conserve Inis Cealtra as a significant historical, ecclesiastical, archaeological and cultural site; as well as expand its attractiveness as a sustainable tourism destination and, in so doing, address population decline and rural deprivation by providing social and economic benefits derived from tourism for East Clare and the wider Mid-West region," he explained.

West Clare casual workers struggling to pay their rent

by PÁRAIC McMAHON A "GROWING amount" of West Clare families are struggling to pay rent and HAP, a local councillor has flagged.

After it emerged that 375 families in the county are dealing with a food and fuel shortage as a result of the pandemic, Cllr Cillian Murphy (FF) warned that longer-term impacts are coming to the surface.

Speaking at a meeting of the Rural Development Strategic Policy Committee (SPC), the Kilkee representative highlighted that "a growing amount of people who would have been very reliant on weekend work or casual employment to make ends

meet" are now finding it increasingly difficult to pay their rent or Housing Assistance Payment (HAP).

"Something bigger is coming down the track on top of this, I know hands are tied as a Council as to what we can do but it is worth flagging up the chain," he commented.

Cllr Murphy was aware of two families "well behind" on both payments.

Senior executive officer with the rural and community development section of Clare County Council, Bernie Haugh stated that the issue has previously been raised among the COVID-19 community response forum.

"It is important that people that engage with the system until they got back on top of their bills".

Details of a confidential debt support system within operation by the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) were brought to the attention of SPC members by agriculture and farming representative, Denis Tuohy. lCOVID IMPACT: Towns like Kilkee usually offer multiple opportunities for weekend and casual work

lHISTORIC: Holy Island has been in use since the seventh century

4000 jobs target of Clare Rural Development Strategy must factor in remote working

by PÁRAIC McMAHON Targets of the Clare Rural Development Strategy need to be revised because of the global pandemic, a West Clare representative has stated.

Launched in September 2017, Clare became the first county in the country to produce a rural development strategy.

It included the objective of creating 4,000 jobs in the 10 year lifetime of the plan and was described by Clare County Council Chief Executive Pat Dowling as an aspiration of "what we want rural Clare to look like in 10 years. We want to positively discriminate in favour of rural Clare, its people, community and way of life by adopting a can-do attitude to shaping our shared future".

A review of the strategy is ongoing, Cllr Pat Hayes (FF) told the February meeting of the Rural Development SPC and that this update needs to focus on communities, broadband and housing.

Since the publication of the strategy, Cllr Cillian Murphy (FF) believed "The world has changed completely, COVID has flipped all the parameters we had taken for granted". He

recalled the 4,000 jobs target and suggested that remote working be factored into this thinking. "We are not just delivering jobs but also delivering population. Our targets need to be looked at again".

Director of Service, Leonard Cleary outlined that the current workings of the review are assessing the eight pillars of the strategy. "Remote working will be a strong aspect of the review and the type of tourism product we want," he added.

To cater for the housing demand of relocated remote workers, Cleary emphasised the necessity for adequate wastewater infrastructure, "there would need to be a concerted effort to

pilot wastewater infrastructure schemes that are currently not getting the funding to proceed".

He noted that the amount of funding for rural development has increased since the publication of the strategy.

Rural elected representatives will have to engage with the review and how it ties in with the County Development Plan, Cllr Pat Burke (FG) stated. "We can't be preaching everyday for rural development but at the same time dealing with a County Development Plan that may be dezoning places for infrastructure". Cllr Murphy interjected, "There is no 'may dezone', the directive is that we will have to dezone".

lHOMEWORK: Remote working has become the new normal

12 NEWS

THURSDAY, FEB 25 2021

Clare TDs call for appointment of Shannon Group Chair to be slowed down PÁRAIC MCMAHON

T

paraic@clareecho.ie

WO Clare TDs have said the process to appoint the new Chair of the Shannon Group needs to be slowed down.

In the space of six hours last Tuesday, former CEO of Aurivo Aaron Forde was appointed as Rose Hynes' successor in the role and then was vacated from the position when a series of old tweets emerged which criticised the Traveller community, social welfare recipients, the Green Party and called the Tanáiste Leo Varadkar (FG) a leak.

Chair of the all-party Shannon Airport Oireachtas Group, Joe Carey TD (FG) stated that the group is seeking the process of appointing a new Shannon Group chair to be paused.

They have sought further engagement with Minister for Transport, Eamon Ryan (GP) "ahead of a new recruitment process being entered into".

Established last May, the Shannon Airport Oireachtas Group consists of all 21 Oireachtas Members from the constituencies of Clare, Limerick City, Limerick County and Tipperary.

Deputy Carey in a letter to Minister Ryan stated that Shannon Airport "is the key driver of economic activity in the Mid-West and it's wellbeing is of immense importance to all of us".

He added, "the challenges in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic are stark and we all have a collective role and responsibility as elected representatives to

play to ensure that this vital asset for our industrial base, for business, tourism and hospitality is secured and promoted".

He described the appointment of the Chair as "key and critical not just for Shannon Airport but the entire region".

The Clarecastle native added, "We need an extremely capable person to take on the role of Chairperson of Shannon Group, somebody who understands that Shannon is much more than just an Airport, who can chart a course to recovery and develop plans to deliver on its potential adding more passengers, more routes and more destinations.

A new Chairperson of the Board must also have the

ability to bring stakeholders together in the interest of Shannon Airport and the region".

A review of the process used to select a chair must be carried out, South Clare based TD Cathal Crowe (FF) believed.

He noted that the selection of Aaron Forde took from August last year up until mid-February of 2021 and called for the process to be slowed down to find the right candidate.

"The bottom line is Shannon needs someone who understands the pivotal role that the airport has had right back to the 1960s but who also gets that it is a catalyst for economic activity and industry in the region.

"As our country navigates through Covid-19, Shannon will be central in the Midwest region to the economic recovery that we aspire to. I hope the new chair, whoever they will be, will be someone that understands aviation thoroughly and who has a positive track record of aggressively driv-

ing on business.

“So much rides on this new position and the staff who work in Shannon Airport, the manufacturing facilities and the airlines based there wait with bated breath for news on who it will be, but I think a slight slowing down at this stage would be good, in terms of selecting the absolute right candidate for the role," the Meelick native commented.

Their comments come as current Shannon Group board member Mike Quinn, a former CEO of both Ervia and Bord Na Mona was linked to the role while The Clare Echo understands ex owner of Aer Arann Pádraig Ó Céidigh has been suggested as a potential candidate for the vacancy.

lCANDIDATE: Aer Arann ex owner Pádraig Ó Céidigh has been mentioned as a possible contender for the role

More modern marketing style needed for airport

by PÁRAIC McMAHON

A MORE modern marketing campaign is needed to promote Shannon Airport for when the aviation sector begins picking up the pieces, Clare councillors have said, writes Páraic McMahon.

Shannon Airport currently has no scheduled operations with the aviation sector among the hardest hit because of COVID-19.

This reinforced the argument put forward by Cllr Pat McMahon (FF) for the local authority to "examine innovative methods to support the marketing of Shannon International Airport".

Speaking at the February meeting of the County Council, he stated that Shannon Group has "lacked modern smart marketing which could be of huge benefit. They need to market the Airport in a modern era, we have lost two CEOs who were aviation experts,

one whose contract was not renewed and another who got a new job".

Personalities such as Marty Morrissey, Paul O'Connell, Sharon Shannon, Anthony Daly and Davy Fitzgerald were suggested by the Newmarket-on-Fergus representative for inclusion in such a campaign. "More people live closer to Shannon but are flying to Dublin, they need to be attracted to Shannon," McMahon lamented.

Mayor of Ennis, Cllr Paul Murphy (FG) seconded the proposal, "Shannon Airport is never far from Cllr McMahon's mind and he should be commended".

He referenced a motion from January 2019 whereby he called for Shannon Airport to rebranded to utilise its connection to the Wild Atlantic Way, having been inspired by an editorial in The Clare Echo by Stuart Holly.

Munster Rugby and the partnership it has

with Shannon Airport since 2017 needs to be vocalised more, Cllr PJ Ryan (IND) maintained. "Shannon needs to be promoted in a modern fashion," he added.

Clare County Council's partnership with TG4 to produce a special programme on the Kilfenora Céilí Band was cited by Cllr Michael Begley (IND) as the example to follow, "we need to sell Shannon Airport to Ireland and to the people of Ireland to use it as a starter.

Big names will help in promoting Shannon Airport, Cllr Pat Daly (FF) agreed but he flagged the need to include individuals from Galway, Limerick and Tipperary as part of a wider focus. "Sadly a lot of Galway people are going to Dublin not Shannon". He reiterated the call for Council Chief Executive Pat Dowling to be added to the board of Shannon Group.

Absence of the Shannon Group to pro-

mote Shannon Airport during The Irish Open held in Lahinch in 2019 was called "astonishing" by Cllr Donna McGettigan (SF) as she said flying from Shannon needs a bigger push nationally.

lPULL: Shannon Airport sponsor the Munster rugby team Photo by Diarmuid Greene

TAKE AWAY COCKTAILS

Each Cocktail Bottle Serves 4

Arts & Entertainment 13

THURSDAY, FEB 25 2021

Noir thriller set in Lahinch to begin airing on RTÉ next week PÁRAIC MCMAHON

A

paraic@clareecho.ie

NOIR thriller set in Lahinch is to hit screens across the country next week.

Smother will begin airing on RTÉ ONE in the coveted 9:30pm Sunday slot from March 7th. Written by Cork's Kate O'Riordan who helped to pen Mr Selfridge, the thriller stars Dervla Kirwan and Seána Kerslake.

Kirwan plays family matriarch Val Ahern, a devoted mother who is determined to protect her family and particularly her three daughters Jenny, Anna, and Grace, at any cost. Jenny is a heavily pregnant single doctor, unsure of the choices she has made, played by Niamh Walsh (Good Omens, Jamestown).

Grace, played by Kerslake (Can't Cope, Won't Cope, The Hole in the Ground), is an

angry but fragile young woman struggling with mental health issues. Anna is a devoted stepmother to two teenage boys, whose birth mother has recently reappeared on the scene, played by Gemma-Leah Devereux (Judy, The Tudors).

When Val Ahern's husband Denis, played

by Stuart Graham (The Cure, Hunger), is found dead at a foot of a cliff close to their home the morning after a family party, Val begins to interrogate the events that unfolded the night before.

Val explores Denis's relationships with his children, stepchildren, and his siblings in order to find out who might have been responsible for his brutal, shocking death.

The deeper Val delves into her family's secrets, the more she realises how her late husband's controlling, manipulative behaviour had a deep effect on each member of the family.

The cast also includes Thomas Levin (Borgen), Hilary Rose (The Young Offenders) and Justine Mitchell (Cheat).

Trish’s Ballyalla farmhouse appears on Home of the Year

by PÁRAIC McMAHON RTÉ's Home of the Year will not be naming a Co Clare winner this year.

The show returned for a seventh series last week. The top 21 houses included a Clare representative which featured in the first episode but did not progress to the grand final.

Based in the vicinity of Ballyalla, the re-designing of an early 1900s farmhouse

by Trish O'Brien which is now her family home was praised by judges for its "effortless good design", open plan space and bright, modern style with a mix of textures.

An interior designer, Trish designed a modern extension with an architect that linked to the original farmhouse. They gutted the farmhouse back to its original state so they could keep the traditional exterior. The extension is very modern with open plan spaces downstairs and

has a glass link to the original house. The home has four bedrooms and was a big passion project for Trish.

Award-winning architect Amanda Bone remarked that the extension "almost looks like it's floating" while the two storey entrance grabbed the attention of founding partner of Douglas Wallace Consultants, Hugh Wallace.

Judges then gave their marks out of ten for each house featured. Amanda remarked that it was an example of "effortless good design", Hugh described it as an "inspired family home" while award winning interior designer Suzie Mc Adam said there was a "crisp clean architectural understanding of the farmhouse" but was unable to grasp the individuality of the home. They gave the property a combined score of 24 out of 30 which was below the marks awarded to David O'Brien's Cork countryside home that progressed to the final.

lHOMEY: Trish O’Brien pictured at her house in Ballyalla

Scariff Bay host play festival

lSMOTHER: Niamh Walsh as Jenny, Dervla Kirwan as Val, Seána Kerslake as Grace, and Gemma Leah Devereux as Anna

SCARIFF Bay Community Radio (SBCR) and The Clare Drama Festival (CDF) have curated the Inaugural Clare Drama Radio Play Festival for theatre lovers who are missing the live stage.

The festival will begin on the East Clare community radio station this Saturday 27th February with a special festival programme hosted by Eoin O’Hagan at 8pm. It will continue on Saturdays and Sundays, presented by Festival

PRO Tom Hanley, until the final night on Easter Sunday April 4th. SBCR have joined forces with CDF who are one of Ireland’s longest running amateur drama festivals having started in 1946.

“There has been a very excited reaction by drama groups to the announcement of a radio play festival, and we are thrilled that nearly 20 groups have decided to enter one act plays,” said a festival spokesperson.

Live professional adjudication of each performance will be by Paul Brennan of the Association of Drama Adjudicators.

Even though Scariff Bay Community Radio is a local radio station with a short transmission range in East Clare on 88.3 and 92.7FM, Drama Groups and their friends and family can tune in worldwide via the listen live button on their website www.scariffbayradio.com or via the Tune In Radio App.

14 COLUMNIST

THURSDAY, FEB 25 2021

SMASHING ALL-AMERICAN BURGER Kearney Cooks

W

HEN the pubs were open , one of my favourite things to do of a Saturday was pop in and get a burger and watch the football. I have been missing that lately so I decided to try and recreate the experience at home.

So last Saturday after work I popped into Morrisseys butchers in Shannon to pick up some good burger mince and I grabbed a few tinnies from the Knights as well. My plan was forming, I was gonna make some smash burgers and watch Everton trounce the pool.

Smash burgers are fantastic, easy to make pure beef patties, traditionally served with American cheese on a brioche or potato bun. You need good burger mince with a slightly higher fat content for making these burgers so make sure you tell your butcher what you’re up to and they will make sure you get the right stuff.

YOU WILL NEED: • 100g of burger mince per patty • Burger Buns of your choosing (I use brioche for this recipe) • 1 slice of American cheese per patty • 100ml of mayo • A dash of hot sauce • A dash of Worcestershire

• • •

sauce 20g capers 1 small dill pickle Salt and pepper for seasoning

should go all melted on top (cooking times will vary depending on how thin you have smashed the patty).

Step 1 Make your burger sauce in advance.

Mix your mayo, hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce together , chop your capers and dill pickles up finely and stir through your mayo mix . Set aside and we will use this to dress our buns later.

Step 5 Dress your bottom bun with your burger sauce and sit your smash burger on top. Add whatever toppings you like , I personally like pickles on mine but you can use whatever you want.

Onions , fried eggs , pineapple and bacon all work great on these burgers.

Then put more burger sauce on the top bun and cover over.

Step 2 Season your mince with salt and pepper and roll them into 100g balls.

Step 6 Serve with fries or chips and sit back and enjoy the footie.

Step 3 Put a good non stick pan on a medium high heat and let it get hot. Drop your mince balls onto the pan . You don’t need oil as burger mince is naturally higher in fat. Use a spatula and SMASH YOUR BALLS INTO A THIN FLAT PATTY SHAPE. Don’t worry if it looks rough or isn’t perfectly round, these burgers are supposed to be a little bit rough and ready.

These burgers are very quick to do as there isn’t that much faffing about with them. They are a real crowd pleaser as well and are popular with young and old in my house. Keep an eye to The Clare Echo social media channels during the week for the instructional video that goes with this recipe.

If you have any questions about this recipe or others, or indeed if you know of any local artisan producers or suppliers that might interest me please feel free to message me on insta, just search KearneyCooks or stevekearney37.

Enjoy

Step 4 Let your burger fry for three or four minutes and then flip it with a spatula .

Cover the burger with a slice of American cheese and let it continue cooking away for a few minutes. The cheese

Steve K

Paul turns to poetry to help him through lockdowns PÁRAIC MCMAHON

SCAN THE QR CODE TO CHECK OUT PAUL’S POETRY

lPOET: Paul Hickey from Smithstown Photo by Joe Buckley

A

paraic@clareecho.ie

RINEANNA man has taken up poetry during the lockdown and has credited the form of literature with helping to get through the restrictions.

To date, Paul Hickey has written two poems, 'Lockdown 2020' and 'Lockdown 2021' which chronicle the restrictions and their various impacts while adhering to an 'AA BB rhyming scheme' throughout.

A general operative with Clare County Council for the past fifteen years, the Newmarket-on-Fergus native said the turn to poetry during COVID-19 was "a spur of the moment thing". He admitted, "On the long cold dark evenings in the winter, it gave me something to do and passed away the time".

It was back in his schooldays that Paul last dabbled in poetry and he revealed that no poet has held a major influence on him.

"I'd do a couple of hours during the week, I wouldn't do any on the weekends, if you get a chance on the weekends you would be going out walking, the midweek was when I'd be doing the poetry".

Hickey's new hobby came at a time when he was unable to watch sport or travel to local club games. "There wasn't much on the television with very few live games, they're coming back a small bit, you can't go anywhere".

Focusing in on dominant news stories allowed Paul to intertwine the topics with the various restrictions including school closures, out of work musicians and under pressure healthcare workers.

"I got a small bit of a kick out of it when I read it out, it brought back all the bad headlines of what we went through

and are still going through. The headlines kicked me off, Brexit and what went on in the States with Trump were in the news around the time".

He is hopeful of penning a third poem later in the year when more vaccines are rolled out across the county.

Two friends of his have died as a result of the virus and Paul revealed that turning to poetry has helped in the grieving process as he was unable to attend their funerals due to the restrictions.

"It is sad for a lot of families, to lose mates, I've lost a few myself, it has affected everybody. Hopefully we will see the light at the end of the tunnel in the near future, the quicker the better".

"We couldn't go to the funerals to say goodbye, that is hard on a lot of people. The poetry helped in a way, it got me through it, I can't speak for anyone else, it helped me in the evenings to put it together," the Smithstown resident concluded.

COLUMNIST 15

THURSDAY, FEB 25 2021

R

My night-time routine

ebecca O’Neill

L

This week, Miss Clare Rebecca O’Neill shares her tips on how to wind down at the end of a long day

AST week I talked about my new and improved morning routine. I was mainly pointing out how starting your day can really influence how you finish it. This week I’m focusing on a night-time routine.

In the evenings it’s all about winding down for me. How I treat myself before I go to bed can distinguish my night’s sleep a lot. I always aim to do some self care in the evening time before bed. That includes skincare and meditation.

Taking time for yourself is essential at the end of every day. Step by step I’m going to talk about how I spend my evenings before bed. I want this to inspire you to put yourself first. Maybe if you’re struggling to sleep this might motivate you to tackle the issue.

STEP 1 First I always get into comfy clothing. Like a lot of people, getting into your pyjamas is such a nice feeling. I particularly love

silk pyjamas because personally I think they are so comfortable and make you feel that bit luxurious.

My body automatically feels better when I change.

STEP 2 Next I proceed with my skincare routine. I cannot go a night without cleansing my skin and applying my favourite creams. My skin feels amazing when I use the right products and I feel good knowing my skin is getting what it needs.

If you want to read my skincare routine, day and night, then you can read all about it on www.clareecho.ie. I go through step by step what I use in that order. After this I always spray my pillows with Elysium Sleep Well pillow spray in scent Lavender. You can purchase this in your local health shop.

STEP 3 Occasionally I would journal in the evening if I feel like I need to put pen to paper. If I really need to let something out psychologically I always try my best to journal.

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This is such a hard task for many in terms of keeping in touch with your feelings. But once you incorporate this into you everyday routine in some way, shape or form, this can really help you. Even writing two words is still something.

You will always feel better after doing so.

STEP 4 Afterwards I read a book for about 40 minutes to an hour. This

CHILL: Make time for yourself in the evening

always help me wind down and relaxes me. I personally believe reading is my therapy and it really helps me be imaginative.

The current book I’m reading is

by Cecelia Ahern ‘One Hundred Names’. I will be back with my review soon but I am really enjoying it so far. I bought it in my local Easons in Shannon.

STEP 5 Straight after reading I do some meditation. I would usually meditate for about 10 minutes at night depending on how tired I am. I find myself falling asleep quickly from this. It really helps me clear my head. I always listen to meditation music on Spotify.

I always try my best to stick to this routine so I can improve my sleeping pattern and mood.

I recommend you try a routine tailored to your needs and see how much this improves you as a person.

Let’s end this column with a very fitting quote “Invest in rest”.

Miss Clare winner and runner up pull out of Miss Ireland over ‘outdated’ rules

T

by PÁRAIC McMAHON

WO Clare contestants have withdrawn from Miss Ireland amid ongoing controversy surrounding the competition.

Former winners and contestants have criticised the rules of the competition that prohibited entrants who have had children or got married.

Nineteen year old Blue Scannell who was hoping to be named Miss Dublin was among the first to withdraw from the competition and cited the "outdated" restrictions for her decision to do so. She has since launched a petition seeking a change to the guidelines to make them inclusive of all women, it has amassed over 1,900 signatures.

Current Miss Ireland Chelsea Farrell has cut ties with their organisation over the controversy, while Miss Limerick Kyla McGowan, 19, had her title stripped after she backed the petition and criticised the rules.

On Monday, Miss Clare Rebecca O'Neill confirmed that she was pulling out of the Miss Ireland final. The Shannon native faces the possibility of having her title stripped off her as a result of taking this stance as she called the rules from the Miss World organisation "outdated". She said, "I feel better about standing up for what I believe in than staying quiet for the sake of my title".

"This decision has not been easy whatsoever. But for me, I never want to go into something I'm not comfortable with and my feelings cannot be ignored. Women supporting women is something that inspires me more than ever," Rebecca stated.

A columnist with The Clare Echo, Rebecca was hopeful her actions would make a

SUPPORT: Miss Clare Rebecca O’Neill

difference and lead to a reform of the criteria associated with the contest. "I want to show that standing up for what you believe in takes courage".

First runner-up of Miss Clare, Siobhán Fitzpatrick who had qualified for the semi-finals of Miss Ireland has also confirmed her decision to withdraw after she was offered the title won by O'Neill. "I cannot continue with something my heart isn't fully in and that I don't support. I'm standing up and showing my support for Rebecca O'Neill who has become a friend and supporter of mine throughout our journey". The Kilmaley student continued, "My Miss Clare journey was a very enjoyable one and provided me with an experience that I'll never forget".

Organiser of the Miss Limerick and Miss Clare heats, Patrick McLoughney has resigned from his role. He said he was instructed to strip McGowan of her title but refused to do so and instead announced his departure from the role. He appeared on RTÉ's Liveline with Joe Duffy to discuss the matter on Monday.

16 COLUMNIST

THURSDAY, FEB 25 2021

With

With With

Farmers need to become more cost conscious says Joe Melody in his latest column, which warns of the dangers on losing attention on new gimmicks

W

E’VE now passed peak calving season with almost 60 per cent of the herd now calved. This seems to be representative of what’s happening on many farms across the country. The work is relentless across farms currently due to this tighter calving spread.

There are many pros to compact calving but when things go wrong there’s a multiplier effect from this concentrated work load so fingers crossed the system works smoothly over this intense period.

With the advent of vaccines and a greater focus on dry cow mineral feeding, one would hope some of these problems would be averted due to good disease preventative plans.

Grazing has been intermittent at best since the start of the month. On the drier days cows are left grazing full time but once the cows get restless they are brought into the shed. On the wetter days we steal whatever few hours we can at grass for our milking herd.

Once the cows get accustomed to grazing after the winter, I find that all they want is grass. They

PLANNING AHEAD: Some farmers are selecting their team of bulls for breeding season 21 Photo: Twitter

need their fill of grass regardless of the inclemencies of the weather so we try and let them out to graze with an appetite. There is no feed to rival spring grass, its just the accessing of it can be the challenging part.

I notice a higher percentage of cows and first calvers showing signs of heat early in the season and seems to be the case on farms in general, hopefully this will set up cows well for the coming breeding season.

I’m already hearing talks of breeding season and we’re not long into calving season, bull brochures are out already and some are selecting their team of bulls for breeding season 21.

With a positive outlook for dairy markets this year, it’s disappointing to see that input prices are on the rise with nitrogen prices surging. This is being blamed on COVID-19, Brexit and insert whatever other relatively unconnected geo-political crisis here.

In our experience at home, the profit monitor is a useful tool in benchmark-

ing your own farms costs with similar farms and seeing where you’re performing well alongside where you might not be getting good value. We as farmers need to be much more cost conscious in a world of passing back cost increases to the primary producer i.e. the farmer.

Purchasing groups have become common place where a group of farmers band together to achieve scale when ordering their inputs, farmers have often saved several thousands of euros in the process.

Farming is a very capital intensive business and in a good year there will be many shiny toys dangled in front of farmers but these all have to be paid for.

The questions I would ask whether it be a product for animal health all the way to a machine is how will this product improve my quality of life? How will it increase the business’s net profit? In the case of an animal health supplement, what trials are there on its efficacy by a non biased entity? There are still plenty of snake oil salesmen out there ready to peddle their latest gimmick to part you and your hard earned money.

FEATURES 17

THURSDAY, FEB 25 2021

GREEN CLARE

‘I truly believe in’ Celtic Kombucha CIAN O’BROIN

C

cianobroin@clareecho.ie

HEF Patrick McGannon and his partner Michael Henry are helping fuse healthy habits with sustainability in Clare through the establishment of Celtic Kombucha, based in Quilty.

This new company incorporates Patrick’s three favourite B’s: the Burren, the Bay and the Bog. These locally sourced sustainable products included in an organic, artisan brand Kombucha drink are carrageen from the Bay, honey from the Burren and carrots from the Bog. Hailing from a dairy farm in Quilty, Patrick studied Culinary Arts in GMIT, which subsequently opened up opportunities to work in catering companies in New York City, Florida and Italy, where he describes their love of food as “phenomenal.” When travelling to Taiwan, Patrick encountered stomach problems, which led him to his first Kombucha, allowing his stomach to level off whilst also helping to boost his immune system.

“I found it was good for my stomach and made it more palatable for foods. It brings bacteria into the stomach that should be there. The problem with our diet here in Ireland now, is that we eat so much processed food. It’s not good for us.

“Kombucha has a similar effect as probiotic range yogurts have. It’s putting back in the

bacteria that should be there to begin with,” he stated.

Returning to Quilty as part of their life plans in 2019, Patrick began producing Kombucha for family and friends to try out. When COVID-19 caused the closure of a reputable restaurant in Lahinch where he had started working, Patrick decided to bring his dream to life and introduce the Clare community to the benefits of Kombucha.

“When I was young, my grandfather used to make a tonic. It was literally a seaweed syrup. If anyone had a cold, we would be given this with a little honey and sugar for flavour. That’s where the seaweed came into the products here at Celtic Kombucha. My source for the seaweed is a local guy who operates Wild Irish Seaweed. I use their product to keep it local,” he stated.

Patrick is of the view that the incorporation of even one Kombucha into your diet per week will make all the difference health wise, both mentally and physically. All balance in the body is linked back to mental health, he affirms. The two biggest grey areas which he recognised before setting up the business, was awareness and availability of the drink.

Sustainability is another key element in Patrick’s life and business model. Growing up on the farm, he learned to appreciate and take care of what he had (the land and the animals) and not to waste anything. Everything was recycled as almost everything was used.

Celtic Kombucha has decided to go fully sustainable through the use of glass amber

bottles as opposed to plastic, which are fully recyclable. “We wanted to be sustainable as possible,” he added.

Celtic Kombucha offers four flavours: Apple Pie and Burren Honey, Orange Berry and Burren Honey, Lemon-Lime and Wild Atlantic Carrageen inspired by his grandfather’s seaweed syrup as well as Bog Carrots and Ginger. Patrick alluded to the beauty of Bog Carrots and the difference in taste, heightened by our shared heritage associated with the bog and its sustenance in providing vegetables to the Irish people throughout history.

Celtic Kombucha are not selling directly to the consumer at the moment and instead are operating locally through local stores, health shops, farmers markets and neigh-

bourfoods.com local markets, with click and collect available in Ennis, Ennistymon and Limerick.

Products are now available at Market House, XL Ennistymon, O’ Dwyers XL, Quilty and Market House, Quilty (available starting March 3rd).

“People have been ringing us up since we started last week, saying we have been reading up, learning more about it and we would love to try it.

I really want to bring awareness to this product because I truly believe in it. I hadn’t experienced it in the West of Ireland before.

It’s been a year in developing the product, so it’s very new. There’s a great reaction to it. It’s going to be a really tight distribution that we can learn off in the first year,” he concluded.

18 FEATURES

Spring awakens

RONAN SCULLY

loved ones, Thyme for each other, Thyme for friends. This Spring and always, choose only the seeds that will produce a bountiful harvest of love, joy, health, kindness, care, prosperity, and peace. And may you give thanksgiving not only for the springtime around you, but to be living. The Earth radiates new also for the springtime within you. growth and we as its inhabitants Why don't you this Spring, clean are part of this magical paradigm out hate and replace it with love. but we need to be better carer's Clean out pride and replace it with of it! The start of spring is always humility. Clean out anger and reexciting. New life is all around, place it with self control. Clean out and there’s that faint promise of unbelief and replace it with faith. summer in the air and the real Clean out revenge, and replace hope of getting out of lockdown. it with forgiveness. Clean out Spring is here and it is a time of life complaining and replace it with reflections, change, birds singing praise. Clean out evil thoughts and brightly in the air, rebirth, renewal, replace them with pure thoughts. refocusing and growth.

Clean out gossip and replace it It is also an occasion to reflect with encouragement. Clean out into the oasis of one’s beautiful laziness and replace it with caring. soul, mind and heart, and carry out May the blessing of the God of a spiritual loving spring cleaning Hope, the Bringer of Springtime, with lots of self reflection. It is a the Brightener of Seasons, be upon time to energise one’s aspirations, me as I set forth today. Laughter hopes, goals and dreams, to fulfil of the running hours be mine, love one’s purpose, mission and vision be the circler of my soul, and with for one's life. Spring is a time of the the leave of lightness, may I come dawning of new light, new life, new home in joy. So Touch the earth spirit, new birth, new beginnings, with gentleness. Touch the earth new momentum and new hope. It with love. Touch her with a future, is a time of waiting, of expectation, by the way you live today. God a time of preparing new ground, has given us the power to create planting new plants, nurturing the world anew; If we touch the new seedlings, tending new shoots, earth together me and you. The protecting new buds. It is a time time is here, the time is now, we of dreaming new dreams, thinking can change things. Give Earth your new thoughts, making new plans, dream of harmony, she is waiting; growing new goals and welcoming Waiting for love, waiting for you, a new hope. waiting for me.

It is a time of holding tight the Show the Earth you care about fragile, embracing the vulnerable, her future. Melt the walls of hate nurturing the young, protecting and fear that keep us apart; Believe the old, saving those on the edges we can live together as friends of of our communities and a time to the Earth. So be the reason, be the recommit and begin again to the hope for others to believe; That real work of our lives that of caring Earth is meant for beauty, goodfor one another as we ourselves ness and peace. And that our God would like to be cared for and of love is God of the Earth’s one caring for our environment and family. nature all around us on our daily The cycle of life continues just as journey through life. the cycle of the seasons continue.

Through the good and the bad the Thought for the week flow of the river will remain. It’s As your thought for the week, all connected. So as we leap into I pray that as the signs and the spring, let’s move forward together magic of spring begin to show with a sense of gratitude for the themselves all around us and that world around us; let’s stop letting you will remember that each new the little things knock us down day is like a cleared field ready for and let’s begin to spread a little planting. Your thoughts, attitudes, bit more love! Let’s embrace the and actions are the seeds you plant. change of the season that is upon Plant three rows of peas: Peace of us and use it to help build us up, mind, Peace of heart, Peace of soul. not tear us down. It is through Plant four rows of squash: Squash our thoughts we control our own gossip, Squash indifference, Squash destiny. grumbling, Squash selfishness.

So this spring, let us take on the Plant four rows of lettuce: Lettuce challenge of spiritual spring cleanbe faithful, ing, so we can declutter our hearts No garden should be without and minds, and let the fresh air of turnips: Turnip for meetings, TurGod’s love in to nourish our soul. nip for service, Turnip to help one As we do so, we will not only be another. Water freely with patience helping ourselves, but also become and cultivate love. There is much an example for all around us. It fruit for your garden. Because you is an activity which will help us reap what you sow. To conclude all year round and for all times to our garden. We must have thyme: come. We all matter. Embrace life.

Thyme for God, Thyme for study, Enjoy the seasons. Enjoy Spring Thyme for prayer, Thyme for everyone!!

Thought for the week

I

T HAS been a long worrisome year since last Spring when we first went into lockdown because of the dreadful Coronavirus and where we faced so many challenges and heartbreakingly lost so many loved ones.

Yet, there is something about the hope of Spring that awake's a feeling of optimistic expectation.

Spring awakens and enlivens us in a way no other season can. We remember what new life looks like, we remember what possibilities can be just around the corner, and we remember that beauty is all around us if we only look and become aware.

At this time of year, we tend to want to clean our house and rid ourselves of anything that reminds us of the long, cold winter and this year especially anything that reminds us of the Coronavirus and lockdowns. We want to open our windows to let in the clean, fresh air. We want to toss out anything that clutters our house. We usually refer to this as spring cleaning. We want to get rid of anything that reminds us of the cold, dark months of winter and the many months of lockdowns so we can allow in the beauty of spring.

But just as we have spring cleaning, we can also use this time as one of spiritual spring cleaning. It is a time to clear out our spiritual house, so we become receptive to God’s love and bring joy and happiness into our lives. Our spiritual house is our body and mind in which our soul resides. We must free ourselves of the clutter of mind and matter so that God's Holy Spirit can flow in.

Creating Hope

I think God created Hope when he created Spring. Crocuses, daffodils, and tulips wait expectantly just under the surface of a thin blanket of soil and earth. The trees, stoic and bare, whisper of new life and greener more vibrant days.

Rebirth is patient, but ready to announce itself at any moment. No matter how used we have become to the dead of winter we may have found ourselves in, especially during this time of worry because of the Coronavirus, the alertness of spring does come.

Spring offers each of us the obvious opportunity to reflect on the renewal of life that is all around us.

Maybe this Spring we might reflect more on what is really important in life to us as the past year of the dreaded Coronavirus has made us all have a good look at ourselves and what life we would really like

THURSDAY, FEB 25 2021

Limerick woman attempting to track down man who bought family Shetland pony TADHG HOLLAND

L

news@clareecho.ie

IMERICK woman Carmel Lane Quirk is searching for a man by the name of Neatie Gallagher who purchased a Shetland pony from her late father Pad Lane in the early 1980s.

Carmel reached out to The Clare Echo in an attempt to locate Neatie. "We're just wondering what became of him" said Carmel "I'd just love to know like more about the details at the time, you know what prompted my dad to sell the pony".

Neatie bought the pony in Anglesborough also known as Anglesboro a small village in south east Limerick at the foot of the Galtee Mountains close to Mitchelstown in Cork. He purchased the pony approximately forty years ago from Carmel's dad who used to own and run a shop and post office in the village which remains in the family to this day.

Neatie was employed by the rural housing organisation later known as the rural resource organisation founded and run by well know priest and former Clare hurling manger Fr. Harry Bohan.

At the time Neatie was working in a new housing estate close to Carmel's home.

Speaking to The Clare Echo, Fr Bohan outlined, "I founded the rural housing group but I knew very few of the people that worked there". The rural housing organisation was quite a large project working in 120 towns and villages across Ireland.

Carmel describes Neatie as "a foxy haired young fella with curly red hair". She believes he was from somewhere in Clare possibly Sixmilebridge but Carmel also admits she "could be wrong about that".

She also gave a description of the Shetland pony saying it was a "black miniature pony" small enough that "young fellas could hop up on him". Carmel's family had been given the pony by her uncle Tommy Lane but the family had little land to keep him on and they sold it by the time Carmel was around 12 years old. She fondly recalled her and her sibling's affection for the pony remarking "we were young fellas and we loved him" Carmel hopes Neatie or someone who knew him will get in contact with The Clare Echo. "We never heard of him after he bought the pony.

We're just wondering what ever happened the Shetland pony or whatever happened the man" said Carmel.

If you have information that may be of benefit, please contact 065 671 9021 or news@ clareecho.ie.

A NICE SUR-PRIZE

lWINNER: Congratulations to Suzi Morris, the winner of

Ballynacally Development Association's first ever online raffle.

The big draw took place live on the Association's Facebook page. The Association wishes to thank everyone who purchased tickets and supported this very successful fundraising event.

Sincere thanks also to Cyril Eustace for organising and running the fundraiser and to Teresa Carmody O'Shea for helping with PR and social media.

COMMUNITY 19

THURSDAY, FEB 25 2021

Community

CONTACT

NEWSDESK 065 671 9021 news@clareecho.ie

COUNTYWIDE THRESHOLD

With Level 5 restrictions remaining in place, we are unable to provide face-to-face consultations at our outreach services in Clare.

Threshold would like to remind all renters, that if you are experiencing difficulties in renting your home, Threshold continues to provide free, independent, and confidential advice and support to individuals and families via our new webchat service available on our website - threshold.ie or our freephone helpline which is 1800 454 454.

If you have a query about rent increases, arrears, standards and repairs or ending a tenancy, contact Threshold for advice and support.

Threshold’s webchat operates Monday to Friday, 9:30am to 5pm via threshold.ie.

Threshold’s freephone helpline remains available Monday to Friday, 9am to 9pm at 1800 454 454.

CLOONEY COMMUNITY ENERGY PROJECT

lNATURE WALK: Anna and Kate O’Sullivan enjoying a walk in their local forestry in Connolly

Clooney Spancilhill Development Group is seeking local landowners interested in a Community Renewable Energy Project. If you have suitable land in the Clooney Spancilhill areas for potential lease please complete and return the Expression of Interest slip available on www.clooneyspancilhill.ie or email clooneyspancilhillcdg@gmail.com before March 12th. 25 acres of land approx is required. Landowners with neighbouring plots amounting to 25 acres can also be considered. The response to the energy survey has been excellent (74 returns to date). Due to the present restrictions the survey will remain open until the 12th March. The opportunity for a free audit will also remain open until this date.

ONLINE MICROGENERATION WEBINAR

lDEDICATED: Mary Reese takes part in the Run Clare virtual five mile race in the USA

lDONE AND DUSTED: Ashley Ryan and Isabela Tomaszewicz complete their Run Clare virtual five mile race at UL

The recently formed Clare Community Energy Agency is holding a webinar on Microgeneration for the general public next Thursday, Feb 25th at 8 p.m.

The goals of the webinar are: Explain how to generate your own electricity from a solar photovoltaic (PV) system for your home, the cost involved, the grants available, the local installers; Initiate a bulk-buy of PV systems to further reduce costs; Explain how to get paid for the electricity that you generate.

The three speakers will be: Pat Stephens, Limerick Clare Energy Agency; Alan Jackson, Tipperary Energy Agency; Colm Garvey, Clare Community Energy Agency.

The webinar will last 1 hour in total with 30 minutes of presentations and then 30 minutes of Q&A. Gloria Callinan, the SEC Community Mentor, will also be on the panel to take any questions. The webinar is being facilitated by the Clare Green Party.

This is the first event to be organised by the Clare Community Energy Agency, a social enterprise, whose objectives are: Work with community groups to create, support and manage energy projects (both energy-efficiency and renewable energy); Linking community groups to all existing funding sources to improve project success rate; Making the links between all relevant organisations and companies in the county.

To register for the webinar visit: https://www. clare-energy.ie

20 RECRUITMENT

THURSDAY, FEB 25 2021

'Make it happen' with this year's Local Enterprise Week STUART HOLLY

A

editor@clareecho.ie

N TÁNAISTE and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar T.D. has launched the full programme of events for Local Enterprise Week, which is taking place online from Monday, March 1st to Friday, March 5th. Local Enterprise Week was launched in Clare

by Mary Howard, Mayor of Clare.

More than 200 virtual events are planned by the Local Enterprise Offices around the country, including Local Enterprise Office Clare and these include training workshops, information webinars and masterclasses with entrepreneurs and experts, designed to help Ireland’s small businesses and those looking to start a new business in 2021.

Organised by Local Enterprise Office Clare and supported by Enterprise Ireland and Clare County Council, this year’s theme is ‘Making It Happen.’

Common topics across the week include starting a new business, resilience and recovery, the green economy, becoming ‘leaner’, exploring new markets, doing business online and the new trading relationship with the UK. For the first time, Local Enterprise Week also includes ten ‘Spotlight’ events

and these are open to every business across the country.

Highlights from Local Enterprise Week are expected to include: Marketing & Sales Essentials, S.M.A.R Tech Spotlight Event, The SME & Multinational Company Procurement Process with Shannon Chamber and Information Supports evening with CLDC

& Intreo.

An Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar T.D. is officially opening Local Enterprise Week at the first Spotlight event, the Green for Micro launch on March 1st. He said: “Local Enterprise Week will be entirely online this year, with over

200 events taking place. We’ve all had to do things a little differently because of the pandemic and I’ve no doubt that those participating will find this year’s week just as useful and interesting.

“I know many businesses have really relied on their Local Enterprise Office for advice, training and financial help during these difficult

l SPOLIGHT: Clare LEO's Padraic McElwee and Mayor of Clare Mary Howard launch Local Enterprise Week

few months.

"Local Enterprise Offices are the point of contact for many of the Government’s grants and training schemes, such as the new Green for Micro initiative, the Trading Online Voucher Scheme and the Lean programme. Local Enterprise Week is the perfect opportunity to have a look at what help is available and find what works best for your business.”

Padraic McElwee, Head of Enterprise with Local Enterprise Office Clare said: “Small businesses throughout Clare are being severely impacted by Covid-19 restrictions and many haven’t been able to trade fully since last year.

That’s why initiatives like Local Enterprise Week are more important than ever as they showcase all the supports that are available to small businesses and start-ups now.

"As well as the ten ‘Spotlight’ events, we are offering a full programme of events over the five days of Local Enterprise Week.

Our advice to all local businesses and to those with a business idea, is to have a look at the events taking place by visiting LocalEnterprise.ie/Clare and to book early.”

Details for events taking place for Local Enterprise Week, from March 1st to 5th, are available at LocalEnterprise.ie/Clare.

Local Enterprise Week is an annual initiative from the Local Enterprise Offices and supported by Enterprise Ireland, local authorities and the Government of Ireland.

Pathways into tech careers to be the focus of International Women's Day webinar Spanish Point, West Clare

Join our Crew!

Please contact hr@armadahotel.com for more info! www.armadahotel.com

A NEW joint initiative between Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board and the Mid-West Regional Skills Forum has just been launched. It seeks to provide a stepping stone for women into a career in the technology sector, where less than 25% of tech roles in Ireland are currently filled by women. An information webinar on the initiative, fittingly timed for International Women’s Day on Monday 8th March, will explore why women are under-represented in the tech sector and the misconceptions that exist around the skills it takes to become a good coder.

The pilot scheme, commencing in April, will offer 20 women a pathway into a career in the tech sector. It will combine a nine-month online Diploma in Software Development with a 3-month work-placement in the industry. Those for whom

online learning is a new concept will be reassured by the support package that learners will receive.

They will have access to live tutor support 24/7 plus weekends, a personal mentor to guide them through, a learner community and career services to help them identify and get a job in the sector. Backed by IDA Ireland Mid-West, the initiative is supported by regional employers including WP Engine, ActionPoint, Jaguar Land Rover, HR Locker, Transact Campus, Fiserv, BD, and General Motors, who will provide 3-month placements to give learners practical experience and industry insights.

The initiative is being underpinned by Limerick for IT, the skills partnership of industry and education providers, which acknowledges the importance both of a pipeline of local talent and

the drive to improve female representation in the sector. John Gleeson, General Manager of Transact Campus, says: “Limerick for IT is about building a growing pipeline of skilled talent in the region that will help both new and existing companies expand their workforce, in partnership with education providers. Attracting female ICT talent is a worldwide challenge. This pilot all-female software development course is innovative in that all learners will align with regional employers and receive mentoring during their learning and work placement upon completion.”

Previous education, experience or age are not barriers to learning to code. The jobs are there for people with these skills and the sector will expand significantly over the next decade - 44k new roles in the next 6 years.

Work-placement and men-

toring give learners practical experience of what they learn. Career support during and after the course will help graduates land a job where they will thrive.

The course will be delivered

by Limerick and Clare Education and Training Board in partnership with Code Institute who are specialists in training software developers and have excellent graduate employment rates, with 90% employed within 6 months of graduating. Applications are now open for the course which starts on 12th April 2021. The course is suitable for complete beginners and those wishing to upskill. Applicants take a short, fun coding challenge to test the water and see if it’s right for them.

To register for the information webinar on 8th March and find out more about the Diploma in Software Development visit https://learningandskills.ie/code.

BUSINESS 21

THURSDAY, FEB 25 2021

BUSINESS

CONTACT US WE’RE ON FACEBOOK, TWITTER AND INSTAGRAM #CE

Atlantic Aviation acquires former Flybe business responsible for RAF maintenance PÁRAIC MCMAHON

A

paraic@clareecho.ie

l GOING PLACES: Atlantic Aviation Chief Executive Shane O'Neill

SHANNON based aviation aircraft group has acquired a former Flybe business that maintains cargo planes for Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF).

Atlantic Aviation Group (AAG) has announced it has taken control of Flybe's former aviation maintenance services operations (FAS) at Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, England for an undisclosed sum.

The facility has a contract with the UK ministry of defence to maintain Airbus A400 cargo aircraft used by the RAF, some of which are currently deployed to transport Covid-19 vaccines.

Aviation training, maintenance, continuous airworthiness management, repair and overhaul aircraft modifications are among the services offered by AAG. Its base of customers include DHL, Ryanair, ASL Airlines, Star Air, TUI Group, Jet 2 and major aircraft lessors such as GECAS, Aer Cap, Bank of America, SMBC, BBAM, Seraph, Aergo and Avolon.

Acquired by Patrick Jordan in April 2015, AAG employs 317 staff and 24 trainees at its Shannon headquarters as it recorded an increase in staff numbers of almost 100 over the past five years.

The company was founded in 1962.

Chief Executive of AAG, Shane O'Neill said the acquisition "will further enhance our capabilities to service clients in the UK and Europe.

AAG Defence Services employs 112 highly-skilled engineers and management team".

Both O'Neill and Pfizer Senior HR Director Eileen O'Riordan have been appointed to AAG's board of directors.

O'Neill also praised the company's "unmatched reputation in training aviation mechanics".

Since 2015 more than 80 apprentices have participated in AAG's industry-leading four-year Aircraft Maintenance programme.

This year's class of 14 apprentices includes three females.

He said the apprenticeship programme further underlines the commitment of the company to grow its workforce and develop best-in-class skillsets that can underpin and future-proof its business development in what is a challenging time for the aviation sector.

HIRING Operations Manager

The Burren Perfumery manufactures and sells perfume and skincare products from its Centre in North Clare. It is a multi-disciplinary environment which includes a working factory, Visitor Centre and mail order fulfilment. We strive for high standards in every facet of the business: customer care, product quality, design and manufacturing.

The Burren Perfumery is a positive, varied and unique work environment.

The Operations Manager will be working as part of the management team, the successful candidate will have overall responsibility to ensure the smooth and efficient running of the Burren Perfumery Centre including retail, cafe, visitor facilities, grounds and visitor experience.

You will be professional, enthusiastic with exceptional attention to detail. Essential for this position is the ability to work on your own initiative and to lead and direct teams.

This is a varied role and one that is the vital link between the first-rate quality of The Burren Perfumery brand and the visitors’ experience. This is a new position and is an interesting, unique opportunity for the right candidate.

Please contact Voltedge on info@voltedge.ie for more information

22 NEWS

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THURSDAY, FEB 25 2021

NEWS 23

Sport Clare Echo THE

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‘Once in a lifetime opportunity’ - call for Clare GAA strategic plan unanimously endorsed PÁRAIC MCMAHON paraic@clareecho.ie

G

AA clubs across Co Clare and the County Board Executive have endorsed a proposal from Éire Óg seeking the development of a five year strategic plan for the Association.

Deferred from County Convention for further discussion, just shy of a dozen delegates spoke up in favour of the bid from the Ennis club for an independent five person grouping to be established with the goal of creating a five year strategic plan

for Clare GAA. When formed, the group will be tasked to issue recommendations in the space of six months for Clare GAA on finance, fundraising, optimisation of Caherlohan and key facilities, coaching, games development, governance, public relations, marketing and social media.

The proposal stemmed from an idea by Éire Óg’s Niall O’Connor and was pursued further by his club.

Speaking at his first County Board meeting since succeeding Joe Cooney as Chairman, Jack Chaplin began the discussion by revealing the entire County Executive were supporting the proposal as he encour-

aged delegates to back it.

He suggested that finalised details would be discussed at the March meeting on the membership and terms of reference of the group following consultation with Éire Óg and other clubs if interested. He stated, “It should ideally consist of six to eight members plus County Board members”. Éire Óg delegate Rory Hickey said the proposal was simply to set up a committee to begin a five year development plan. “This is an opportunity for Clare GAA clubs to make a real change, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to radically bring forward the entire structure of Clare GAA,” the retired referee

commented.

Dermot O’Donnell of Wolfe Tones called for no sub-committees to be established by Clare GAA until the review has concluded and to grab the opportunity of recruiting the seven men identified by Éire Óg.

Vice Chairman of Clare GAA, Kieran Keating rebuked O’Donnell’s remarks that no sub-committee be formed and stressed the need to have standing committees such as the CCC, Finance and Health and Safety which “are required to be in place”.

He backed the proposal.

“This is one of the most exciting things I’ve come across in years, it is no secret that a young man has pursued this himself with the backing of his club,” Tulla’s Brian Torpey remarked as he singled out the contribution of Niall O’Connor. He admitted there was positive animation within the club on the matter, “It will bring us back up as the Banner County leading the way”.

Flan Mullane of Clonlara queried if the proposal as initially worded as it only referred to five persons despite the Ennis club lining up seven members. “There has to be one person from the Board,” Chaplin responded to which Hickey voiced Éire Óg’s agreement and admitted the wording may have to be amended.

Kilmaley’s Niall Romer questioned if a call was made

by Clare GAA to strike a deal with Éire Óg on the motion to which the Chairman replied, “I don’t know anything about a call being made. It was not by me and I know of nobody ringing Éire Óg”.

Central Council delegate, Simon Moroney noted that

Éire Óg’s Niall O’Connor has been credited as the brains behind the proposal Photo by Martin Connolly

parameters will have to be adhered to such as the inclusion of a County Board representative on the group completing the review.

Secretary of Kilmurry Ibrickane, John Brew noted that Waterford GAA were in the process of setting up a similar grouping. “Tonight’s meeting you’re looking at where things should be discussed, not on social media, not on hearsay or behind no names. It is time that all this abuse by people with no names is put to bed”.

A meeting to discuss the proposal was held in Sixmilebridge on Monday evening, Christy Murray outlined. He maintained it was a brilliant motion and supported the presence of a County Board official in the working group.

Kieran Keating’s inclusion as the Board representative was first mentioned by Niall Tuohy of Clarecastle who admitted to being “very enthused” by Éire Óg’s motion which he commended for

being “very innovative”. Support was also voiced by Gerard O’Neill of Kilmihil.

“It is an opportunity to breath new life into Clare GAA, leave what happened in the past in the past,” said David Solan of Whitegate.

He felt the details of an inhouse committee painted the County Board in a poor light and felt Brian Lohan would have to be included on a hurling sub-committee.

Paddy Smyth, Éire Óg secretary thanked clubs for their support and revealed “certain regrettable things” associated with their efforts included social media activity, “we utterly condemn posts on social media, this is the forum to discuss this and that was always our intention”. An honest assessment of Clare GAA is required, he felt.

Concluding, the Chairman noted there was no opposition and informed clubs the Executive would determine who would represent them on the grouping.

2022 target for Caherlohan work IMPROVEMENTS for Clare GAA’s ‘Centre of Excellence’ are intended to be concluded next year according to the county secretary.

A sub-committee who will work on planned upgrades to Caherlohan until an independent review into Clare GAA has been completed was ratified on Tuesday.

Simon Moroney will head

the group and will be joined

by Gerry Lynch, John Fawl, Ann Hayes and John Jones.

Their approval was proposed

by Michael Curtin (O’Currys) and seconded by Ambrose Heagney (Corofin).

Kilmaley’s Niall Romer voiced his disagreement with the establishment of the sub-committee, “I feel some of these people have been

involved in the past and got nowhere.

“In 2011 we said we would have 7 grass pitches and an alley ball, that never happened,” the kitman with the Clare senior hurlers added.

A commitment was given by the secretary Pat Fitzgerald that improvements to Caherlohan would be finished in 2022.

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Tony Kelly privileged to join great All-Stars of past EOIN BRENNAN

C

LARE’S 53rd hurling All Star award was also arguably its most inevitable as Tony Kelly’s scintillating 2020 championship performances ensured his inclusion on the team of the year for the 50th anniversary of the prestigious PWC GAA/GPA All Stars.

Described as “a once-in-a-generation player” by Brian Lohan after a record 17 point haul against eventual All-Ireland champions Limerick in October, it was Kelly’s first All Star nod since sweeping the board in 2013 with an All Star, Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards following Clare’s All-Ireland success. A second gong saw the Ballyea talisman join his manager in an eminent band of only 15 Clare players to be honoured with multiple All Stars.

“It’s a privilege to be named alongside the great Clare hurlers that have won All-Stars of the past.” Kelly acknowledged exclusively to The Clare Echo this week. “And maybe it’s something that you can only truly reflect upon and appreciate after you’re finished playing when you can look back and say that you won one of those alongside the likes of Brian Lohan, Seanie McMahon, Colin Lynch, Jamesie O’Connor and all those greats.”

Firing an average of 12 points per game, Kelly was prolific throughout Clare’s nine match National League

and Championship run with a total of 1-104 including 1-53 in four championship outings that helped the Banner reach the last six along with contesting a first National Hurling League Final in four years.

“At the end of the year, it’s always pleasing to pick up an individual award if you haven’t managed to win the major honours of a Munster Championship or All-Ireland with the county. Look, it’s not something that you set your stall out at the start of the year to do but it’s a nice touch at the end of a year.”

Amidst an unprecedented, truncated season of adjustment and restrictions due to COVID-19, it was Kelly’s eagerness and insatiable appetite to get back on the field following the first lockdown that aided his most devastating trail of destruction on Clare’s series of opponents.

“With the lockdowns and restrictions for everyone, you went through a few months of training on your own. And not having a hurley in your hand as much, it was more so to try and keep fit over the first lockdown and then once you got back with the club and county, you definitely had that hunger to get back hurling. And personally, the first day out against Limerick, it kind of went very well for me and from that then, you get a bit of confidence every day you go out. It just kind of blossomed from there.”

With the All-Ireland Senior Championship switching to knockout, Kelly and Co’s survival instincts surged to the fore before being eventually halted by Waterford at the quarter-final stage, not helped by an early ankle injury for

TONY KELLY FACTFILE Age: 27 Club: Ballyea

INTER-COUNTY SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP RECORD Debut: v Dublin, All-Ireland Qualifier Round 2 (July 7, 2012) Appearances: 39 Minutes Played: 2,786

Scores: 5-181 (0-3 Pen, 2-63 Frees, 3’65’s, 1 s/l) INTER-COUNTY HONOURS: All-Ireland Senior Championship: 2013 All-Ireland Under 21 Championship: 2012, 2013, 2014 Munster Under 21 Championship: 2012, 2013, 2014

Munster Minor Championship: 2010, 2011 National League: 2016 Munster League: 2013, 2016, 2019 All Stars: 2013, 2020 National Hurler of the Year: 2013 National Young Hurler of the Year: 2013

Clare’s elusive top-scorer.

“It’s always frustrating to pick up any kind of injury and it hampered me a small bit but I wouldn’t put it down as the reason that Clare lost on the day. We had our chances and we probably didn’t perform to the level we had the week before against Wexford which was disappointing from a team point of view.

That’s just something we’re going to have to address around Mid-April hopefully and kick on because there were a lot of positives to take out of the year considering that we were down a few bodies and we blooded a good few new players.

“We can’t wait to get back hurling again. The break has given us the opportunity to clear up a few injuries, the likes of John [Conlon] is back fully fit and there’s a couple more fresh f a c e s around the squad as well with a few more

promising young

players coming i n to give the panel a boost.

Every year you go back with that eagerness to build on the year before and apply the learnings from it. It’s great to be able to wipe the slate clean and start back fresh again in 2021. And we’ll just have to see where the year takes us.”

Photo by Martin Connolly

CLARE HURLING’S 53 ALL STARS 4 - Jamesie O’Connor (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield - 1995, ’97, ’98, 2001); Brian Lohan (Wolfe Tones - 1995, ’96, ’97, 2002) 3 - Seamus Durack (Feakle 1977, ’78, ’81); Anthony Daly (Clarecastle - 1994, ’95, 98); Sean McMahon (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield - 1995, ’97, ’98); Davy Fitzgerald (Sixmilebridge - 1995, 2002, ’05) 2 - Ger Loughnane (Feakle 1974, ’77); John McMahon

(Newmarket-on-Fergus, 1976, ’77); John Callinan (Clarecastle - 1979, ’81); Liam Doyle (Bodyke - 1995, ’96); Ger O’Loughlin (Clarecastle - 1995, ’97); Ollie Baker (St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield - 1995, ’98); Colin Lynch (Lissycasey - 1997, 2002); Brendan Bugler (Whitegate - 2012, ’13); Tony Kelly (Ballyea - 2013, ’20) 1 - Michael Moroney (Crusheen - 1977); Noel Casey (Sixmilebridge - 1978); Colm Honan

(Clonlara - 1978); Sean Stack (Sixmilebridge - 1981); Niall Gilligan (Sixmilebridge - 1999); Frank Lohan (Wolfe Tones - 1999); Tony Griffin (Ballyea 2006); Padraic Collins (Cratloe - 2013); Patrick Donnellan (O’Callaghan’s Mills - 2013); Colm Galvin (Clonlara - 2013); Conor McGrath (Cratloe 2013); David McInerney (Tulla - 2013); Conor Ryan (Cratloe - 2013); John Conlon (Clonlara - 2018); Peter Duggan (Clooney-Quin - 2018)

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Adults rugby is cancelled as other sports bodies seek clarity SEAMUS HAYES

S

PORTING bodies across the county are awaiting further clarity on when competitions can resume while the adult rugby season will be cancelled, the Munster branch of the IRFU have informed clubs.

Most organisations have accepted at this stage that the best they will get in 2021 is a restricted season.

This includes the GAA which got to run off most of their adult championships last year. However, the various club leagues did not take place while, at underage level, just two competitions were played. The junior A and minor division 1 and 2 football competitions have yet to be concluded.

With level 5 restrictions set to be in place for at least another month, it’s unlikely that a league programme will be run off in 2021.

Clare GAA is awaiting an announcement from Croke Park on when competitions might be returning.

Soccer and rugby have been particularly badly hit.

As their seasons cover the winter months running from September to April, the soccer and rugby clubs in Clare have, effectively, lost an entire season.

“We have had nothing at all. We have lost an entire season. In fact the adult season has been cancelled, a decision taken by the Munster branch of the IRFU. There is still scope to play friendlies if restrictions are lifted but there is no appetite for that”, according to Ennis RFC president, Richard Murphy.

Murphy added, “There is hope for some underage competition but it depends on when restrictions are lifted. Normally the season would come to a conclusion around the end of March or early April. At best we might get a few games in April but it’s not looking great. We are banking on having all systems go come August/September”.

He is worried about keeping players in the 18 to 21 age group involved. “That’s the big worry as if players in this age group stop playing, it’s

THE CUTTING EDGE

Six on trot for Paddy

very hard to get them back.”

It’s a similar situation for Clare soccer. According to the chairman elect, Jason Ryan from Kilrush, “We are ready to go once we get the green light. We haven’t had a thing since we finished last season. There is nothing we can do at the moment. We are awaiting guidance from the FAI”.

Recently elected chairman of the Clare ladies football board, Seán Lenihan said “At club level we will run off as many competitions as we can when we get the green light. There were a couple of competitions not finished last year, the under 14 and minor in particular, and if we get a chance to complete them, we will. For now, however, we are awaiting the national directive”.

A meeting of Clare camogie board on Monday put provisional plans in place.

According to Clare camogie PRO, Brid MacNamara, “A plan for the season was ratified at Monday night’s meeting but, obviously, it is dependent on what the Goverment, the HSE and the camogie association decide.”

ENNIS boxer Paddy Donovan has recorded his sixth pro win, writes Páraic McMahon.

It took just four rounds for Donovan to put away Siar Ozgul, doing so in a manner that the tough Turk was previously unaccustomed to. After 12 minutes of punishment, Ozgul’s corner pulled him from the contest at the Bolton Whites Hotel.

Uppercuts and right hooks to the body from ‘Real Deal’ Donovan caused issues early on. The southpaw was undeterred when he received a pair of clipping hooks. A piercing right up-

percut two minutes into the fourth round buckled Ozgul’s knees temporarily and Donovan’s dominance continued with the closing moments leaving Ozgul on a weak footing in what turned out to be the final action of the bout.

Six from six is now the professional record for Paddy who turned 22 last month. He is hopeful to step up to an eight round contest in his next outing and declared “the sky is the limit”.

Speaking after his win, Donovan admitted, “It hasn’t been

‘Coaches must learn as much as players’

C

oaches do not always have to be correct or have the right answers says Clare GDM Micheál Duffy in this week’s coaching column.

When I started an MSc in Applied Sports Coaching in UL in September 2019 I thought (foolishly) I’d come out knowing more than I did going in. One of the strange things I’ve realized from my experiences with learning and education is the more you learn about something the more you actually realize how little about the topic you do know and how much more there is to figure out.

In first year before Covid kicked in, we had class every Monday and like most conversations between coaches we spoke about our past experiences and seeing how other

people might have dealt with them. Whenever there was a difference of opinions Phil Kearney our course director would be asked his opinion to which he nearly always responded “It depends”. At the start I always thought ‘why doesn’t he tell us the answer?’ but as the weeks and months went on, I started to realize there is nearly always multiple possible answers and it is always dependent on the situation or group you are dealing with.

With coaching there is this perception that the coach needs to be right all the time and needs to know all the answers. The truth is that nobody has all the answers and the sooner you realize that as a coach the better. The best way you get better at coaching is by doing, you can go to all the courses, watch all the

videos and read all the books but nothing substitutes you actually taking a session.

Paudie Butler the former National Director of Hurling preaches the “Plan-Do-Review-Do Again”. When taking a session, it’s critical you are organized and have it planned out beforehand, it makes life so much easier. You then do the session, and as I said already the best way coaches get better at coaching is by coaching. The next step is the most important one, reviewing what went well and what could have been better. The final step is then once you review and think what could have done better the next time your coaching try and work on that and over time those small improvements will result in a big improvement in your coaching.

Another thing with regards

learning and coaching that I believe is, if you aren’t learning more than the players are, you’re doing it wrong.

One of the reasons kids come to the field is to learn new skills. We expect kids to be learning something new at every session but what about us? After a session not only should we be reviewing our own performance but also the performance of the players.

What skills do we need to do more work on? Who needs extra help with which skill?

Both of those questions will help you plan your session for the next day and then you just repeat the process each week. In a world where everyone would like to be right most of the time just remember there is nearly always multiple solutions to different problems and the best way to find out what works is trial and error.

easy with this lockdown due to the restrictions going on, so I did a lot of training with my dad and wasn’t with Andy Lee much, but once these restrictions are lifted me and Andy will be back together”.

He has targeted four more wins by the end of this year. “The plan now is to just keep working hard and improving. I want to try and get to 10-0 by the end of the year and then challenge for a title”.

Andy Lee added, “The kid is a star as you can see and he is going to go places. This is only the beginning”.

WITH MICHEÁL DUFFY Micheál Duffy.

Photograph: Burren

Eye Photography

pg 27

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Clare Echo THE

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Virtual fundraising in Limerick

EVERY year millions of euro is raised for clubs, organisations, schools and charities at local Greyhound Stadia right across Ireland. While restaurants and public admissions remain closed at stadia, racing continues “behind closed doors” and the action is still the same exciting greyhound racing that clubs and charities across the country have enjoyed for many years.

With this in mind, the team at Limerick Greyhound Stadium have developed a pulsating fun-filled, simple and

safe fundraising night suitable for any community.

Their newly developed Virtual Fundraising concept ensures club members or friends can enjoy a great, safe night out, building an even stronger club spirit and will now bring an entire night’s live racing and entertainment directly into the home!

Hosted from their event partners studio with a live presenter and DJ, the night is a mix of live racing action, interactive games, phone-ins and entertainment tailored

specifically to each clubs’ requirements.

Philip Peake, Deputy Chief Executive commented, “The biggest draw of fundraising at any greyhound stadia nationwide has always been that it is suitable for all the family (no matter what age). Now with this Virtual Fundraising option fans can relax, enjoy the banter, cheer home a winner (hopefully) and enjoy a virtual catch-up with friends and team-mates.”

To find out more go to grireland.ie/fundraisinginlimerick

Promotion of greyhounds as pets

EARLIER this year, the Irish Retired Greyhound Trust put a call out the Irish greyhound community earlier this year to ask for their help to promote the organisation and greyhounds as pets to the general public.

Trainers and owners across the country have volunteered to have their vans branded with the IRGT logo and message. The result is a fleet of branded vans out and about each day, helping to spread the message of the organisation to the general public.

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“We already know that retired racing greyhounds make the best pets, and now the racing community are helping us to tell everyone else,” Joanne Murray of the Irish Retired Greyhound Trust stated.

She added, “the greyhound community are on the road every day for trials, racing, getting supplies, visiting the vet and much more and offer us a great opportunity to encourage households to consider adopting an ex-racing greyhound as their family pet".

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Boyhero flies to stunning 24th win THERE was a notable win for syndicate members Tommy Hegarty and Seanie McMahon in Limerick on Thursday last when their greyhound Boyhero notched an incredible 24th career success.

It’s certainly a rarity that a greyhound who is approaching his fifth birthday retains top-class but Boyhero is an exception to the rule.

Part owner and trainer is Tipperary handler Paraic Campion; Boyhero is a model of consistency who despite his years has beaten some of the best dogs right back to 2017.

In 2019 Boyhero produced some of his best performances, notching 10 wins for the year. Indeed, despite claiming victories at Clonmel, Kilkenny, Shelbourne Park and Limerick, it was at Thurles where this versatile performer was to show some of his best stuff. Aged at almost four and a half years, Boyhero again produced magic through the 2020 Centenary Agri Tipperary Cup to finish a fine runner-up to the much younger Riverside Leo. Clarecastle native Tommy Hegarty and Newmarket-on-Fergus’ Seanie McMahon, both well known in GAA circles, have had a number of dogs with Campion. Boyhero went to traps on Thursday night last for the 83rd time, breaking quickly from trap two to make all of the running and cross the line over two lengths clear in a time of 28.98.

According to Hegarty who now resides in Kilmaley, Boyhero is “a once in a lifetime dog” but one that will not be on the retirement trail anytime soon.

Seanie McMahon, Paraic Campion & Tommy Hegarty with Boyhero

Friday’s 12 race card in Galway saw the February Unraced 525 Yards Stake as the feature event.

Having twice met with interference on her debut, the Thomas Keane of Kilmihil owned Glynnscrossbunty made no mistake at the second attempt in the A7 graded contest as she eased away in the straight to score by three and a half lengths from Sports Glory in 29.58. The daughter of Droopys Jet & Glynnscrosstyler took command on the crown of the home bend before drawing clear.

Racing towards the opening bend in race six for this A4 graded contest Nivealass and Killerk Cool Sky raced stride for stride with the latter just getting the better of the argument as they rounded the opening bend. Racing down the back Kikkerk Cool Sky opened up a three length advantage over Nivealass as Three Counties began to close on the leading pair. Despite taking a wide route between the final top bends the Bridget and Shauna Nugent of Ballyea owned Killerk Cool Sky stayed on well to record her maiden success by two and three quarter lengths in 29.89.

Without a win in eight previous attempts the Noel Gavin of Ballyea owned Ballyea Sally (Vulturi-Burnpark Dolly) finally got off the mark in race 9 with a trouble free run as she proved four lengths too good for Holiday Dame at the line in 29.60.

Between the final two bends Ballyea Sally closed on the leader and striking the front off the home bend drew right away on the run home.

28

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PLANNING

THURSDAY, FEB 25 2021

PLANNING NOTICES Clare County Council Further Information/ Revised Plans Planning Ref: P20/869 Development Description: Planning Permission to build an extension to existing ground floor bedroom at the North Eastern side of existing dwelling house and for planning permission for change of design of the porch previously granted under planning permission P18/504 to the South Eastern side of existing dwelling house with all necessary ancillary works Location: Well Road, Marine Parade, West End, Kilkee, Co. Clare Take notice that Gerry & Audrey Cantrell has lodged significant further information in respect of planning application P20/869.

This information and planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the Planning Authority of Clare County Council, Planning Department, Aras Contae an Chlair, New Road, Ennis, Co. Clare during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the further information or revised plans may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee, not later than 2 weeks after the receipt of the

newspaper notice and site notice by the planning authority or in the case of a planning application accompanied by an EIS within 5 weeks of receipt of such notices by the planning authority.

Clare County Council Further Information / Revised Plans Planning Reference: P 20/533 Development Description: Planning permission to construct a new dwelling house, entrance, private garage and install a new wastewater treatment system along with all associated works at Teermaclane, Ennis, Co. Clare.

Location: Teermaclane, Ennis, Co. Clare.

Take notice that Tony Kelly & Naomi McMahon have lodged significant further information in respect of planning application P 20/533. This information and planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the offices of the Planning Authority of Clare County Council, Planning Department, Áras Chontae an Chláir, New Road, Ennis, Co. Clare during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the further information or revised plans may be made in writing to

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the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee, not later than 2 weeks after the receipt of the newspaper notice and site notice by the planning authority or in the case of a planning application accompanied by an EIS within 5 weeks of receipt of such notices by the planning authority.

Clare County Council FREAGHCASTLE, MILTOWN MALBAY, CO. CLARE Take notice that CLAIRE & BRENDAN MC GRATH intend to apply for PERMISSION TO RETAIN THE DWELLING HOUSE AS BUILT ON SITE & PERMISSION TO ALTER THE EXISTING FENESTRATION & EXTEND THE DWELLING HOUSE, UPGRADE THE EXISTING SEWERAGE SYSTEM & ALL ASSOCIATED SITE & ANCILLARY WORKS at the above address. The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority, during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the authority on payment of the prescribed fee of €20.00, within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.

Clare County Council BALLYALLA, KILSHANNY, CO CLARE.

Take notice that AIDEN HILLERY intends to apply for OUTLINE PERMISSION to EXTEND & RENOVATE THE DERELICT HOUSE, INSTALL A WASTE TREATMENT UNIT, create a new entrance onto the public road and all associated site and ancillary works at the above address. The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the planning authority, during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the authority on payment of the prescribed fee of €20.00, within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.

Clare County Council 53 Marian Avenue, Ennis, Co Clare Take notice that Mark Torpey intends to apply for Planning Permission to demolish an existing flat roof extension to the rear of the property and construct a new two storey extension to the rear of the existing property including all ancillary site services and works at the above address.

The planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the offices of the Planning Authority, Clare County Council, Aras Contae an Chlair, New Road, Ennis, Co. Clare during

its public opening hours.

A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the Planning Authority, in writing, on payment of a fee of €20.00 within five weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the Authority of the Planning Application Clare County Council.

East End, Kilkee, Co. Clare Further Information / Revised Plans Planning Ref: P20/752 Development Description: Planning permission to alter and extend the existing dwelling house along with all associated site works at the above address.

Location: East End, Kilkee, Co. Clare Take notice that Martin Leyden has lodged significant further information in respect of planning application P20/752.

This information and planning application may be inspected or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the Planning Authority of Clare County Council, Planning Department, Áras Contae an Chláir, New Road, Ennis, Co. Clare during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the further information or revised plans may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee, not later than 2 weeks after the receipt of the

PUBLIC NOTICES Advertisement for the use of school premises on a Licensed Basis for the provision of Childcare/pre-school Services.

The Board of Management of Ballynacally National School, Ennis, Co. Clare, subject to the agreement of the Patron and Trustees, intends making part of the school premises available for the provision of pre-school services by an independent, external, third party operator.

The successful applicant will be granted a licence to use a section of the school premises for days and times for a period of one school year and shall be responsible for the independent operation of the facility and the employment of all staff in the facility. The arrangement will be subject to a number of terms and conditions.

Interested parties should in the first instance submit a written expression of interest by email to nsballynacally@gmail.com.

The written expression of interest should be addressed to the Chairperson of the Board of Management and be submitted no later than 4 p.m. on 10-0321. Further information will issue to all parties that submit an expression of interest.

If any interested party has an objection to the proposal to make the school premises available to an independent, external, third party pre-school operator, such objections should be made in writing and sent by email to nsballynacally@gmail. com. The objection should be addressed to the Trustees of Ballynacally National School C/O Chairperson of the Board of Management and reach the school by 10-03-21. Any such submissions must be made on objective grounds.

29

newspaper notice and site notice by the planning authority or in the case of a planning application accompanied by an EIS within 5 weeks of receipt of such notices by the planning authority.

Clare County Council Tullaher, Kilrush, Co. Clare.

Take notice that Conor Downes and Deirdre Glynn are applying to Clare County Council for planning permission to construct a new dwelling house, regenerate an old shed on site as a private garage, install a new wastewater treatment system and construct a new entrance along with all associated works at the above address. This application will be accompanied by a Natura Impact Statement.

This Natura Impact Statement will be available for inspection or purchase, at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, during the public opening hours of the office of the relevant planning authority.

The planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy at the offices of Clare County Council during its public opening hours and a submission or observation in relation to the application may be made to the authority in writing on payment of the prescribed fee within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application.

THANKSGIVING IN THE MATTER OF AN APPLICATION FOR FIRST REGISTRATION IN THE PROPERTY REGISTRATION AUTHORITY Reference number D2016LR085986J Applicant Mairead Mahoney Property at Tullabrack, Kilrush, County Clare TAKE NOTICE That the above applicant has applied to the Property Registration Authority by way of application for first registration in respect of the lands described above. The map may be inspected at this Registry.

All persons having knowledge of the whereabouts of Celia O’Dea or her successors or Edward Percival John Westby or his successors or any person having an objection to such registration should contact the undersigned within one calendar month from the date of publication of this notice.

Ann Fetton Examiner of Titles, Property Registration Authority Cork Road Waterford.

THANKSGIVING. ST. JUDE.

Most Holy Apostle St. Jude faithful servant & friend of Jesus. The Church honours & invokes you universally as the patron of hopeless cases, of matters almost despaired of. Pray for me I am so helpless & alone.

Make use I implore you of that particular privilege given to you, to bring speedy help where help is almost despaired of.

Come to my assistance in this great need that I may receive the consolation & help of Heaven in all my necessities, tribulations & sufferings & that I may praise God with you & all the Elect forever. I promise O Blessed St. Jude to be ever mindful of this great favour to always honour you as my special & powerful patron & to gratefully encourage devotion to you. Amen.

This prayer must be said for 9 consecutive days & published immediately & in 3 days the favour will be granted.

+ 3 Months Deferred Payments 30 PUZZLEPAGE

THURSDAY, FEB 25 2021

THIS WEEKS PUZZLES FEB 25 Best Daily Word Search: 19 February 2021

WORD SEARCH Double Trouble

Dagger

Check Date Cross Dealing

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Solution

The Clare Echo Crossword 1

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ACROSS

1 Scented (8) 6 Tear (3)

Best Daily Word Search players also enjoy: 9 Spiral (5)

10 Disapprove strongly of

(7) 11 Cut short (7)

13 Astound (5)

https://puzzles.bestforpuzzles.com/games/best-daily-word-search14 Playground item (6)

15 Important person (4-2)

19 Storehouse (5) 21 Appalling (7)

22 Legacy (7)

23 By oneself (5)

24 Regret (3) 25 Toll road (8)

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CROSSWORD ANSWERS

2 Make bigger (7) 3 Mend (3) 4 Interfere (6) 5 Moral corruption (9) 6 Spanish wine (5) 7 Portion (5) 8 Young birds (6) 12 Flat (9) 16 Poisonous plant (7) 17 Covering for a curtain rod (6) 18 Roof beam (6) 19 Exclude (5) 20 Feeling of resentment (5) 23 Snake (3)

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QUIZ 31

THURSDAY, FEB 25 2021

The Clare Echo Quiz GORT QUIZ

What is the name of the popular . Kilmacduagh monastery near 1 .woods and park in Gort?

5 Gort is home to the tallest round tower in Ireland. True or False?

. The building where Claddagh 10 opticians in Gort is now was once the saddler’s shop of Edward

lQUESTION 4: W.B Yeats wrote a poem about Coole park in Gort called the

‘The Wild Swans at Coole’. In that poem how many swans does say are “Upon the brimming water among the stones”?

ANSWERS

Treston, the man who made the first standardized Sliothar. True or False

Quiz by Tadhg Holland

Can you spot the difference? Spot the 7 differences.

The answers will be revealed in next weeks edition.

6. St. Colman

Spot the Difference

1. Coole Park

11 27 59

1549 2994 4501

7. True

4

. W.B Yeats wrote a poem about Coole park in Gort called the ‘The Wild Swans at Coole’. In that poem how many swans does he are “Upon the brimming water among the stones”?

was the population of Gort 9 .asWhat of the last census?

8. Glynns Hotel (No longer trading)

1923 1925 1929

2. The Abbey Theatre

side Gort. During his time there he won his Nobel Prize in literature.

What year did he win that prize?

Sullivan’s Hotel Glynns Hotel (No longer trading) The lady Gregory Hotel

3. 1923

. For a time famed poet W.B 3 yeats lived in a tower house known as Thoor Ballylee just out-

Princess Grace of Monaco once 8 .stayed in which Gort hotel ?

9. 2994

Gaiety Theatre The Abbey Theatre Smock Alley Theatre

. The source of the Gort River is 7 in the Slieve Aughty mountains.

True or False?

10 True

above. What is the name of the wellknown theatre she co-founded in Dublin?

St. Ciarán St. Mary St. Colman

4. 59

. Lady Gregory is one of the most 2 famous historical Gort residents having lived at the park mentioned

Who founded Kilmacduagh 6 .monastery?

5. True

Cúl park Coole Park Cool Park

Last weeks Answers . i missing in electronics . Checque missing . Plant missing . Addidas logo missing

. Crest on purple hat missing . Crest on mans top mssing (left) . Light inside building missing

Fr Donal Dwyer. Photograph: John Mangan