Tag Archives: Courts

A challenge against the granting of planning permission for a €10 million Barrack Obama Plaza-style motorway service station just outside of Ennis has been dismissed by the High Court. The court’s decision comes a decade after an Ennis plaza was first proposed by Supermac’s managing director Pat McDonagh and paves the way for construction to go ahead. This was the fourth planning application made by the fast food supremo for the development at Junction 12 of the M18 at Kilbreckan, Doora, with An Bord Pleanála in 2022 upholding a decision by Clare County Council to grant permission. However, the development was stalled when Kilfenora civil engineer, Michael Duffy, brought a judicial review proceedings before the High Court seeking to quash the An Bord Pleanála decision. Mr Justice David Holland dismissed the proceedings this week, rejecting Mr Duffy’s complaint that An Bord Pleanála “failed to have regard to or engage with his submissions”. In a statement to The Clare Champion Mr …

This week we discuss why Shannon Airport is still struggling years after Leo Varadkar’s plan for recovery, the impact of Brexit on Clare and the US military veterans before the courts. https://soundcloud.com/clarechampion/the-champion-report-episode-10

The judge who presides over the circuit criminal court in Clare has stated that the whole court system is going to come to a standstill due to the lack of judges and lack of court staff. On the final day of criminal sittings at Ennis Circuit Court in 2017, Judge Gerald Keys said that the failure of Government to appoint new judges is resulting in the mounting backlog of cases before the criminal circuit court in Clare. In court, Judge Keys was dealing with an 81 strong circuit court list and he said, “There is a lack of staff, a lack of judges and lack of everything and it is grinding to a halt – the whole system is going to come to a stand-still.” The circuit court sits four times a year in County Clare for a number of weeks each time to hear criminal cases while other days are listed for sentencing and the call over of cases. …

Clare Champion journalist Carol Byrne has again been acknowledged for her outstanding work in the field of legal reportage and features. At the annual Justice Media Awards event, held in Dublin on Thursday (June 22), Carol received her fifth Justice Media accolade for her story on how law researchers at the University of Limerick worked with the late Judge Michael Reilly, Ireland’s first inspector of prisons, on a report recommending the creation of a database to record deaths in Irish prisons. The judging panel awarded a certificate of merit in the regional print category to the Ennis resident for her article entitled ‘Breaking new ground in prison law: the late Judge Michael Reilly’. The graduates’ work with the late Judge Michael Reilly, was compiled in a report which was presented to Tánaiste and Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald last year. The Justice Media Awards recognise outstanding print and broadcast journalism that contributes to the public’s understanding of law and justice, the legal system, or specific …

THE Clare Camogie Board lost out on Leader funding worth €181,776.49 in 2013 after a fraudulent AIB bank statement, attached to the application, was submitted by a former chairperson of the board. Orla Considine, 37, from Dangan, Tulla appeared before Ennis District Court this week where she pleaded guilty to charges of making and using a false document. At the end of the hearing, Judge Patrick Durcan struck out the charges. The charges state that on or about June 7, 2013 she made and subsequently used a document purporting to be a genuine bank statement issued by AIB with the intention that it be used to induce a person to accept it as genuine. The application was made to secure funding for the development of Fr McNamara Park, on the site of the former Doora landfill, on the Quin Road, Ennis. After hearing evidence, Judge Durcan described Ms Considine as one of the “modern patriots” in her capacity as a …

Reverend Canon Bob Hanna has had a driving ban lifted against him, having appealed his conviction for speeding at Monday’s sitting of Ennis Circuit Court. The Church of Ireland cleric had received a six-month driving ban for speeding on the N18 at Bunratty, where he was travelling at 135km per hour in a 100km zone on April 17 last. He was convicted in his absence at an Ennis District Court sitting in December and received a six month driving ban and €500 fine. Canon Hanna appealed the conviction and at Ennis Circuit Court on Monday his appeal was heard.  It was outlined that the defendant was “abusive and aggressive” towards the garda who detected the speeding offence and a written apology was proferred to the court. Presiding Judge Tom O’Donnell ordered that the driving ban be lifted and he reduced the €500  fine to €250.

THE crises that have struck Russia in recent months are being put forward as the reasons that Shannon-based Transaero Engineering Ireland had to seek the protection of the courts this week. The aircraft maintenance company entered an examinership process on Monday with the aim of securing its future. It currently has 230 employees and around 40 contract workers. Examinership gives struggling companies breathing space as it gives them protection from creditors for 100 days, during which time the court-appointed examiner, in this case Michael McAteer of Grant Thornton, reports back to the court with recommendations. While the majority of businesses that enter examinership do continue to trade after successfully exiting, the examiner has to find there is a reasonable prospect of it becoming viable. Formerly Air Atlanta Aero Engineering, the company came under Russian ownership when it was purchased by Transaero Airlines almost three years ago. In a statement published on its website on Tuesday, TransAero Engineering Ireland (TEI) outlined …

A 24 year old West Clare man has appeared before a special sitting of Limerick District Court today charged in connection with the seizure of almost €700,000 worth of cannabis. Ronan Clohessy of Crossfields, Cree, is charged with the possession of €680,000 worth of cannabis herb at QuerrinKilkee in County Clare and having the drugs for sale or supply on December 19. At the hearing before Judge Aeneas McCarthy Garda Trevor Shannon outlined that at 2.32pm on Friday he arrested the defendant on suspicion of having drugs for sale or supply at an address in Querrin. He then gave evidence of charging the accused with the offences before the court. Garda Shannon said the defendant replied “sorry” to one of the charges and made no reply to the other. Free legal aid was granted to the defendant. Detective Inspector John Galvin told the court the State had no objection to bail, subject to conditions. These included that the defendant surrender his passport and undertake not to apply for any …