27th September, 2001
Notice
Board
CLLR.
DEIRDRE FORDE WRITES ...
Disabled Persons
Grant
Readers I get quite a few phone calls in relation to the above,
and recently a friend of mine called Meredie urged me to inform
more people about this grant so here is the info:
This special grant may be paid by Cork County Council towards the
cost of providing works of an essential nature, for the proper
accommodation of a physically or mentally disabled person in an
existing house. In many cases, this would include such structural
adjustments as the provision of ramps, widening of door openings,
lowering of door handles, light switches, stair lifts,
alterations to existing bathroom (i.e. bath to shower) and such
like. The work should be specific to the disability and necessary.
The Grant, up to 90% of the certified cost of the work, may be
paid subject to a maximum of 16,000 pounds and the grant may be
supplemented in any case by assistance from philanthropic bodies.
I believe that most of the applications fall under this sum but
there are a number who would exceed and I will be tabling a
motion to Southern Housing & Sanitary Committee to consider
increasing the maximum where necessary.
Council gets a lot of queries as to whether this grant covers a
‘granny flat’ conversion. For instance if existing
accommodation were deemed suitable for the person with disability
a grant would not be paid. However, if a persons disability
necessitated they have their own space or private living area but
needed to be under family supervision these circumstances would
be considered.
The parent must sign an application on behalf of a disabled child
and a completed application form must be accompanied by-
1. Report from Occupational Therapist outlining the unsuitability
of the present accommodation and subsequent needs of the disabled
person.
2. Doctor’s Report from Disabled Person’s GP.
3. Detailed estimated cost of work (work must be clearly
itemized, individually priced, and any special aids or appliances
for use by disabled persons must be itemized separately and
exclusive of VAT.
4. A sketch plan of the proposed works.
5. Planning Permission/Certificate of Exemption from planning
permission.
The work must comply with Building Regulations and Details of
Builder’s C2 and expiry date of Tax Clearance Certificate
must be submitted. Any VAT charged on aids and appliances will be
refunded by the Revenue Commissioners when receipts are furnished.
I hope this information is of use to readers and if I can be of
assistance to any intending applicant please contact me at the
usual number. Cheerio until next week. Cllr. Deirdre Forde Ph:
4363318
MIKE JAMMER - Private Eye (You've been Framed)
It was typical wet Tuesday night. I was standing in the shadows
of a shop doorway, drops of rain overflowing from the brim of my
trilby. My cellphone rings, it was Velda back at the office
confirming my meeting as a dark sedan pulls up on the corner
splashing the sidewalk. I slide in, across the creaking leather
upholstery of the back seat, weapon concealed as I am taken
downtown.
I entered the building knowing the stakes were high and the
situation fraught with danger, but this didn’t deter me as I
pushed through the double doors of the dimly lit room, a room
full of atmosphere though quiet, a room which had seen much
action. As I scanned all corners for my contact, out of the
darkness come the stares of my protagonists discernable only by
the whites of their eyes and the glow of a burning cigarette. I
approach the table. From the darkness I can hear the sounds of
the objects of the situation I am about to embark on, thud and
clatter on the table before me.
Tactics were something I had worked out before arranging to meet
my contact. Beads of sweat ran down my spine as the spotlights
lit up the table, all the components were there while my
adversary already had his weapon drawn and ready for action.
The silence was broken with the words “rack ‘em, best
of five and loser pays the lights” as we got down to
business on the green baize for another night of snooker.
DOUGLAS TIDY TOWNS
Dear Michael.
Douglas Tidy Towns committee received the detailed marks awarded
under a number of headings with some suggestions as to what maybe
considered next year. This detail gives the adjudicators comment
on the areas visited in June 2001. This information will now be
incorporated for next year with our 3 to 5 year plans.
We would welcome new members and your suggestions in the weeks
ahead as it is proposed to hold a public meeting to discuss phase
2 of the Tidy Towns competition soon.
I would like to thank all those who have sent letters of
congratulations and wish us well.
Thanks to all who helped and supported us financially in recent
months.
Remember the street sweep continues on Saturday next (10.30 am to
12.30pm)
Is mise le meas
Sean O’Riordan , Chairman,
Douglas Tidy Towns Committee
The History of Douglas by Con Foley
Part 57 - Education on the Move - continued
THE CHANGING FACE
When a child's name is entered on the school register, it is
standard practice to record the father's occupation. To examine
the school register of the Douglas of over one hundred years ago
(1865) and upwards is an interesting experience. Where now are
the families that, to Southern ears, had such strange sounding
names? The Bolgers and Dechans, Furphys and Hemlocks, the Lohans
and Mac Clafertys - what brought them to Douglas and why did they
leave? To answer the first question is sometimes possible with
the aid of the school registers, the second, no. And the
occupations of the fathers - that made more interesting reading,
for it revealed a way of life that has largely gone. The
gardener, the groom, the coachman, so reminiscent of the days of
the 'Big House,' were reminders of a vanishing era. The flaxman,
the ropemaker, the flaxdresser speak of the earlier days of the
mill industry. A few farmers, the odd tradesman, and a huge
preponderance of farm labourers, many of them migratory.
A spot check of 430 names revealed 259 classified as labourers,
some from such places as Dunmanway, Kilbonane, Fermoy and Bansha.
The bearers of such names as MackIm, McAllen, M&laferty were
obviously brought south to work in a skilled capacity in the
mills.
Here is a list of the more unusual names, taken from the register:
Armstead(tuner) / Peed(coachman) / Arnotte (groom) / Pollock /
Bolger(spinner) / Pearson Beggane(Fitter) / Pike(gardener) /
Dechan(Tucker) / Rose(coachman) / Dunvert(coachman) / Reany /
Dunscombe (Labourer) / Roberts / Furphy (F'axman) Robinson(lahourer)
/ Fox(Flaxman) / Smyth(Flaxman) / Hemlock(coachman) / Scamaton(pensioner)
/ Mackim (Turner) / Teer / Murlev(Coachman) McAllen(Flaxman) /
McClaferty (Flaxman) / McKenlay (labourer) / McCarity(Labourer )
McEntyre(Labourer) / McConvjlle (Flaxman)
Next week The Vital Necessities
CORK COOUNCILLOR VOTE
TO CLOSE DUMP AGAIN
A Statement from Kinsale Road Dump Action Group
Cork City Management had plans to sell a site at the Kinsale Road
Dump, to a private contractor, with a view to building a huge
Rubbish Sorting Plant (MRF) there. Sale of publicly owned land is
a reserved function of the elected Councillors in the Corporation.
On Monday Sept 24 the Councillors voted 22 to 2 against the sale
of land. They were reluctant to go directly against Management
due to the spirit of co-operation, which normally prevails in
City Hall. They were forced into this position, by Management's
continuous ignoring of the six previous votes to close the dump,
during the last decade. There is no evidence of any Management
attempt to find another site for a new Landfill or MRF, ever. It
is imperative that Management now seeks a new site, or sites, for
MRFs, preferably distributed throughout the county, the largest
in Ireland.
KRDAG wishes to thank the Councillors for respecting their own
and their predecessors' promises of dump closure. It is now up to
Management to make this closure actually happen, really, and as
promised. A widely distributed Corporation leaflet of 1998 states:
- " At present filling rates the K R Landfill will have
reached it's nominated capacity in the next 3 to 3.5 years. The
exact date will depending on rate of fill, but is not expected to
vary greatly from the prediction"
The prediction and subsequent Corporation statements put Dump
Closure at the latest Dec 2002. In recent years the fill rate has
multiplied, so the capacity will be reached well before that date.
This is now a crisis, entirely caused by City Management's
reluctance to locate a new site over
the last three decades. The City Manager intends restricting
commercial waste from next month in order to extend the life span
to "March 2003" He is applying to the EPA for a new
licence to operate the Dump till 2005. This must not be allowed
to happen. We demand that the Dump be closed by the Corporation's
published date of Dec 2002.
Dan Fitzgerald, PR Sub Committee
Kinsale Road Dump Action Group. 021-4896250 / 087-9034498
NOTICE BOARD
Douglas Library
AN CIORCAL COMHRA
Ar Ais aris – yes folks it’s that time of year again.
The first meeting of the new season’s Ciorcal Comhra will be
held in Douglas Library ar an AOINE an 28u MEAN FOMHAIR ag 11 a
chlog.
You don’t have to be fluent, the cupla focal will do.
For those who were there before, Failte Ar Ais.
For newcomers, Failte Isteach.
A little bit of Gaeilge, a nice cup of tea and good company, what
could be sweeter?
Charity Auction
In aid of Cork Deaf Enterprises at Rochestown Park Hotel on
Sunday Sunday 30th September at 2PM. Items include vouchers for
weekend breaks - golf leisure centre - meals - cinema - clothes -
jewellery - toys - footwear - tools -drinks - hampers etc.
Admission Free.
MUSIC REVIEW and NEWS
Tralee's Two Jewels - the Rose Festival and
Siamsa Tire
Monday evening, August 27
I was new to caravaning. I
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED by Aoife Barry
MACY GRAY – THE ID
“ Id (id) n the part of the psyche that is the source of
instinctual impulses and demands for satisfaction”
What you do before you think. The real you……unedited
When someone, (soul diva extraordinaire, big haired, big-voiced
and sharp tongued) plants this on the sleeve of their album, you
know they mean business. And business is precisely what Ms. Macy
Gray, owner of the gravelly-est voice in pop, means, but not
business of the Ftse or Isec Index variety. Oh no. You are left
in no doubt, after a listen to this, her second album, but that
Macy won’t settle for anything but the best when it comes to
her music, and expects nothing but positive results, which she
inevitably gets.
Album opener, ‘Relating To A Psychopath’ is a funky,
upbeat creation, perhaps the musical equivalent of Macy herself
– all funked up and ready to go, with big noise and big, big
love meeting in a fusion of soul sounds and Motown beats. ‘Sexual
Revolution’ captures the crazily-coiffured diva at her hand
clapping, toe-tapping best, with it’s 70’s soul vibe
that starts off sounding like Fiddler On The Roof but which
quickly goes down the same ‘soul’ road as ‘…psychopath’.
While ‘Sexual Revolution’ urges everybody to get up,
get out and embrace the human sexuality, ‘Hey Young World
part 2’ is the obligatory Michael Jackson-esque
philosophical ‘love the earth’ song, uplifting and
positive, if a tad twee in parts, mainly due to the over-used
chorus of young children singing.
Current single ‘Sweet Baby’ captures what Macy Gray, as
kooky as she is, is all about – crafting catchy tunes with
honest lyrics and well-structured melodies, as simple as the lady
herself is complex. Collaborations are the name of the game with
this album, with inputs from the Chili Pepper’s John
Frusciante, Angie Stone, Mos Def and Erykah Badu, while her
current young protégéé Sunshine Anderson in particular lends a
vocally sweet undercurrent to balance Macys bass-like tones on
‘Don’t Come Around’. Intriguingly, all these
collaborators - or conspirators as Macy may prefer to call them!
– are relegated to background status, not a move one makes
unconsciously, may I add. Ms. Gray has obviously honed in on the
fact that a good support vocalist, who can reach all the notes
she cannot, is an asset when it comes to being popular with the
music-buying public, and who can blame her for using this
knowledge when it so obviously benefits her career!?
Ultimately, what shines through most in this album is the power
that Macy has, from musical power, to lyrical power (‘Boo’),
sexual power (‘Freak Like Me’), and, ultimately, good
old fashioned aggressive power, as ‘Gimme All Your Lovin Or
I Will Kill You’ ably demonstrates! Not bad for a gal who
was laughed at because of her squeaky voice. Today that same
voice is making millions, and guess who’s laughing now?!
8/10 – Buy It!
MUSIC NEWS
System of a Down has a new album out, ‘Toxicity’, and
word on the street is that it could be their best yet. Not too
bad for a group of guys from Armenia!…….Ash are playing
the Olympia in December, more news on that when I get it……….Poor
Victoria Beckham. The tiny popstrel has to contend with the fact
that Kylie has sold thousands more records than her and is No.1,
even after Posh’s valiant attempts at wooing the public with
a million and one public appearances and even resulting on the
Late Late Show. Sorry Vicks, but maybe it was just down to the
fact that Kylie’s song was the better one? Surely Mrs.
Beckham should have learned her lesson by now, and maybe she’ll
decide to leave the pop world altogether..Aah, if only dreams
came true!……………..Britney Spears’ (last
seen cavorting with a six-foot snake around her neck) new song is
‘Slave 4 U’ – ridiculous name, good tune,
interesting performance at the MVA’s……..Now onto
Limp Bizkit – I’ve just seen the new video for their
next single, and it’s really scary. If you’re five.
Nice one, Durst……..finally, I should be reviewing
Slipknot next week. Lock up your children!
KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
Question I understand there is a new Farm
Retirement Scheme operated by the Department of Agriculture. Food
and Rural Development. Will the Farm Retirement Pension be
affected by a social welfare payment under the new scheme?
Answer Under the new scheme called Early Retirement 2000, which
came into effect in November 2000. the Farm Retirement Pension is
affected by pensions paid by the Department of Social. Community
and Family Affairs.
The Farm Retirement Scheme encourages farmers aged between 55 and
66 to retire from farming and transfer their land to a younger
farmer. Farmers who retire and meet the conditions of the scheme
qualify for a Farm Retirement. Pension.
Previously. your pension was not affected by your social welfare
pension until you had reached age 66. Under the new scheme, as
soon as you become eligible for one of the following pensions
your Farm Retirement Pension will be reduced by the full social
welfare payment you receive, which may include qualified adult,
child dependent and living alone allowances.
Old Age (Contributory or Non-Contributory) Pension
Blind Person's Pension
Retirement Pension
Widow's or Widower 5 (Contributory or Non-Contributory) Pension
Invalidity Pension
The Farm Retirement Pension is not taken into account in the
means test for all non-contributory pensions. Therefore you may
receive your full social welfare pension but your Farm Retirement
Pension will be reduced by the amount you receive.
Further information is available from Cobh Citizens Information
Centre, The Parish Centre Cobh, tel. 4814422.
SISTER ACT by Aoife Barry
When Kay McGrath was diagnosed with breast cancer
over three years ago, her friends and family rallied around her
to provide constant support. While she underwent a gruelling
treatment programme at Cork University hospital, Kay also
received great help from the volunteer workers working for A.C.T
(Aid Cancer Treatment), whose valiant effort aids thousands of
people and their families coping with the various aspects of
contracting such a common and often debilitating illness.
When Kay and her seven sisters were much younger, they spent many
a day whiling their time singing along to the latest songs and
old favourite tunes, to both the delight and simultaneous
annoyance of their parents – seven children, after all, do
make a lot of noise! Their father even tried to form a ‘miming
band’ in an effort to try and quieten the rambunctious
children for a while! Realising that the eight women have very
unique vocal talents that would otherwise be left abandoned, Kay
decided to reunite the octet’s voices in order to raise
funds for the hard-working, voluntary staff of A.C.T.
The sisters recorded four songs for a special c.d. entitled
‘Sisters For A.C.T’, which is currently on sale at
branches of Super Value countywide, and encourage everyone to buy
a c.d. to help raise urgently needed funds for a worthy cause. 2,000
people will contract cancer this year in Munster – A.C.T
will be there to help. So reach into your pockets, dig deep and
help out a worthy cause, no matter what your taste in music.
Cancer has the power to weaken, depress and upset - music has the
power to uplift, awaken and revive. Make the connection –
buy the music and help lift the depression, heal the hurt and
donate generously to A.C.T. They need your help.
Munster
Antiques and Collectibles Fair
At the Silver Springs Hotel
There are over 50 stands and over £2.5million of
antiques at the Munster Antique Fair.
The success of the Munster Antiques and Collectibles Fair is now
well known. This twice-yearly event goes ahead at its regular
venue the Silver Springs Hotel on Sunday next the 30th of
September. It will be Open to the public from 11.00 P.m. to 7.OO
PM and is a great opportunity for all the family to enjoy this
high quality event.
"Picture the conference-centre filled with antiques valued
at over £2.5 million all exhibited for sale and you will see why
this is such a popular event. The quality is always excellent and
over 60 Antique Dealers will attend". explained Hugh
O'Donnell, a Markcting Consultant who organises the Fair with his
brother Robin; the well known antique Dealer.
"There is huge interest in this event, by far the biggest
event of its type In Ireland, and the area is well known as one
of Ireland's leading centres for antiques. It attracts a broad
range of' interest; people looking for something different can
start or enlarge their collections and prices start from just a
few pounds". said Hugh.
"It is amazing the interest in the area and those attending
will be guaranteed a wide variety in the thousands of different
high quality items exhibited for sale. Items on sale will include
a huge range of furniture, jewellery, porcelain and china,
silver, pictures and prints, coins and notes, glass, clocks
curios, phone cards to. " added Hugh.
"The Fair will be an enjoyable day out for all the family
and will bit well worth a visit. Everybody will be more than
welcome on the day". Concluded Robin
Nora Herlihy - Patron Saint of the Credit Union?
by George Thompson - Part 6
It is often argued as to whether Donore Avenue or
Dun Laoghaire is the oldest Credit Union. While Dun Laoghaire was
registered as a credit union in 1958 so was Donore although as a
“Friendly Society”, Nora commented, “I keep
telling them their twins.”
The birth of these two units of the movement were a source of
great joy and encouragement for Nora and all those who prepared
the ground work. It also gave them the confidence to press ahead
with the all important promotional work and reach out to a wider
audience. In late 1957, Nora was in was invited by minister Sean
Lemass to be a member of a Dail Committee to look into
legislation on co-operative societies, showing the governments
recognition for self and co-operation at the time.
Conscious of the need to get message across outside of Dublin,
the pioneers of the movement availed themselves of every audience
and opportunity that presented itself. By the end of 1959 Nora
and Sean McEoin had been invited to speak at various venues from
Enniscrone (Sligo) to Tullow (Carlow) aswell as Castleblaney (Monaghan),
Windgap (Kilkenny), Boherbue (Cork) , all were covered by local
press and some national publications.
It was in !959 after a meeting in Clones (Monaghan) and the
publication of a booklet on the movement that led to the founding
of the first credit union outside Dublin in Clones. Ballyphehane
a newly developed housing estate in Cork City, was the next group
to take up the challenge of studying the principles and structure
of the movement, a move encouraged by Bishop Lucey who had
recently returned from a trip to the U.S. where he had seen
parish credit unions in operation. Ballyphehane Credit Union
opened to the public on July 1st 1960 in the basement of the
parish church. Ballyphehane went on to set up study groups in
DunLaoi, Farranree, Blackpool, Coras Iompar Eireann, St. Michaels
and Gurrannabraher in 1961 and 1962. Around this time
Ballyphehane also received working groups from Limerick,
Waterford, Tipperary, Kanturk, Mallow and Fermoy.
In the Spring of 1963 came the news that Ireland had won the
international ‘Organisational Award’ for having
organised the most new credit unions (19) in 1962, in its class.
The overall ‘Grand Award’ also went to Ireland for the
greatest percentage increase in new foundations.
The dail committee which was set up to study legislation on co-operative
societies completed it work by 1965, the ‘Credit Union Act’
was passed and signed by Eamonn DeValera in1966 and came into
effect on March 1st 1967.
DEIRDRE CLUNE, TD, WRITES ...
DOUGLAS SWIMMING POOL
A delegation of Public Representatives is due to meet the
Minister for Tourism and Sport in Dublin on the 3rd October to
present our case that funding be provided by the Department
towards refurbishing and upgrading Douglas Swimming Pool.
Douglas Pool has been neglected over the years. It is badly in
need of upgrading and refurbishment if it is to attract larger
public usage. We envisage a positive response from the Minister
that he will be in a position to provide funding under The
Swimming Pool programme.
Schools and school groups currently use the pools to fulfil their
physical education curriculum requirements. Currently 24 schools
use the Douglas Pool. Swimming Clubs and members of the public
also avail of the facility.
Cork Corporation currently operates pools in Douglas, Churchfteld
and owns a pool in Leisureworid which is operated by a Management
Company on its behalf. The Corporation also make an annual
contribution to the running of Mayfield Swimming Pool.
Leisureworld is at present operating at no cost to the
Corporation, both Churchfield and Douglas pools have been
operating at a deficit for the past number of years. In the
current year the level of subsidy is of the order of £800,000.
Councillors are anxious to ensure that the swimming pool services
remain on, as they believe it is essential that adequate
recreational facilities be provided for all. Swimming is one of
the few sports that everyone from young to old can participate in.
At a time when we need to provide more facilities for young
people it is important that such a valuable facility be retained.
Deirdre Clune T.D.
DIGSY'S CHAMPIONSHIP REVIEW
How utterly things change with the passing of the
seasons; how the inexorable tramp of time lays waste to empires,
destroys worlds and rises the dispossessed, damning and
liberating in the one mighty breath. Whew! Bet you didn’t
expect something like that in a sports column, now did ya? But
like a champion diver, I always try to make a big splash with my
entrance, and anyway, that particular piece of poetic and
powerful prose is somewhat apposite in summarising this year’s
GAA championships. Who could have predicted, for example, that
hurling would be completely overshadowed by football this summer?
Granted, last year’s competition was fairly poor, Kilkenny’s
regal procession to the title making the whole thing tediously
predictable, but prior to that we had enjoyed probably the five
greatest seasons in hurling’s history. Football, meanwhile,
was stumbling along as it had always done, enlivened only by
Galway and Kildare’s reappearance at the top level and the
slim hope that some of the weaker teams could spring a shock.
It was widely assumed that this year would follow convention -
hurling thrilling, football mediocre. For such it has always
been, and such it will remain. The reason things didn’t turn
out as expected was equally simple and brilliant: the
introduction of the back door to the football championship. It’s
amazing, in retrospect, how many GAA apparatchiks strongly
opposed the innovation, claiming it would denude the championship
of its keen edge and “sudden death” excitement.
Tch - how wrong can someone be? 2001 was the greatest
championship in Gaelic football history, a year when Westmeath
lit up the sporting landscape and escaped their past with
sparkling forward play, when Meath absolutely annihilated the
reigning All-Ireland champs, when Dublin and Sligo met for the
first time in 114 years of championship football and, of course,
when Galway became the first team to ever lose a match and still
lift the Sam Maguire. It was great to see the Tribesmen lift the
cup for a number of reasons, including the fact that it made up
for last year, it compensated for the hurlers’ defeat to
Tipperary, and it’s always nice to see Meath getting theirs.
But primarily, Galway are most welcome All-Ireland champs ‘coz
they play the game in the right spirit, treating the ball like a
friend instead of a pipe bomb that’s about to go off, and
are inventive and imaginative and skilful and witty and all those
other attributes we thought had disappeared from the game forever.
While Galway took home the booty, many teams enjoyed wonderful
summers, including Westmeath, Sligo, Derry and Tyrone, which is
approximately the same as the number of hurling teams which will
remember their year with any fondness. Tipperary wrested back the
Liam McCarthy after an unbearable absence of ten years, and added
the national league, Munster minor and senior titles and camogie
All-Ireland for good measure. Woo-yeah!! Nicky’s boys went
the whole season undefeated in seventeen matches, which must
be some sort of record - I personally can’t remember the
last time that was achieved - and completed the first league-championship
double in 14 years. So big up to Tipp - all partisan affiliations
aside, they were incontestably the superior force this year, and
well deserving of the plaudits. Now all I ask for is a four-in-a-row,
and we’ll take a little break after that. The other teams
whose standing was ratcheted up a notch in 2001 were Limerick and
Galway. The westerners, obviously, because they qualified for the
final, defeating the reddest of red-hot favourites along the way,
although one swallow doesn’t make a summer and one good
performance, as Galway have painfully found out yet again, doesn’t
win you the All-Ireland.
Limerick, on the other hand, had their longest and most eventful
campaign in five seasons, and although ultimately fruitless, one
on which they can build with confidence for next year. And how
much of a swizz was that Wexford victory over the Shannonsiders
in the quarter-final? The goalie scored two goals, for crap’s
sake!
All the rest will try to forget 2001 as soon as possible,
including, one would imagine, Wexford. A little revisionism
abounded in the press after the Yellow-bellies Houdini act in the
quarter-final, over-rating their abilities and the standard of
Leinster hurling in general, neglecting the fact that Wexford had
performed well for the first 20 minutes against Limerick and the
last 20 against Tipp.
There is definite promise for the future, but this year was a
wash-out. Speaking of which, I’m off now to “wash out”
a new colour I’ve just put in my hair (boom boom!), so I’ll
bid you adieu with these words: “It ain’t what you do
but the way that you do it”. Tipp and Galway did it better
than most, but most did it better than usual. Thanks for the
memories, boys: see you next year.
