Tag Archives: Dermot Hayes

THE memoir of well-known activist and Corofin native, Dermot Hayes, is set for publication shortly after a huge response to an online funding campaign organised by his friends. ‘The Road That Rises – Memoir of Boy from Kells’ will lift the lid on a life of campaigning and community action that has challenged establishment thinking over seven decades. The book explores and documents Dermot’s life as a child growing up in Kells, Corofin and his life as an activist and campaigner in youth and community work, trade unionism, worker co-operatives, environmental causes, disability rights and the Independent Living Movement in Ireland. Taking on the establishment is a key theme and there is widespread anticipation of this memoir from a key figure behind the campaigns for disability rights in Clare, against the state’s plans for Mullaghmore and at the forefront of the push for equality legislation. Over the years, he has founded, co-founded and headed organisations to represent, campaign and progress rights …

DISABLED parking spaces are regularly being “abused” according to Ennis community activist and member of the Clare Leader Forum Dermot Hayes. He was speaking as concerns were raised about a “shortage in availability” of disabled parking in Ennis at a recent meeting of councillors by Councillor Paul Murphy. There are a total of 78 disabled car parking spaces in the Ennis Municipal District urban area including four spaces due to be constructed later this year at Lower Market Street and the Friary Car Park the local authority has confirmed. Mr Hayes believes that greater enforcement is needed against those who misuse disabled parking, while also calling for more parking to be put in place suitable for the needs of people with disabilities. “People are abusing car parking for people with disabilities, it’s a regular occurrence all over the county and all over Ireland. “We fought hard and campaigned a long time for disability parking and the excuses of ‘I’m just …

THE extraordinary story of the O’Higgins brothers will be told this Friday night at the Festival of Finn in Corofin. Cumann Staire is Dúchais Chora Finne will present the story of the four brothers of North Clare, all of whom participated as soldiers in the First World War. The story will be presented by Dermot Hayes, who conducted the research interviews connected with this historical narrative for a Radio Corca Baiscinn documentary, which subsequently won a national gold community achievement award for the station. Dermot worked closely on the project with retired army captain Fionnán Ó hUigínn and his sister Máiréad both of whom will join Dermot in Corofin on Friday night. The story tells how Liscannor natives Richard and Thomas O’Higgins emigrated to Argentina to set up a new life there . However both were subsequently to return to Ireland in order to enlist in the army when World War 1 broke out in Europe in 1914. Both joined …

A 40-year-old Lisdoonvarna wheelchair user has made a desperate last ditch appeal for emergency accommodation to avoid being forced to live on the streets this weekend, writes Dan Danaher. In and out of hospital over the last nine weeks, Brendan Clohessy booked into an Ennis hotel recently but is now running out of money to pay for this temporary accommodation. An intensely private person, Mr Clohessy stressed he has reluctantly taken the decision to highlight his plight publicly as a last resort, having exhausted all other available avenues. “On Saturday when my money runs out, I have a choice between returning to hospital or staying on the streets where I wouldn’t cope in a wheelchair.” In November 2018, Mr Clohessy had to move out of his accommodation and has effectively been without any permanent dwelling house since then. The qualified computer technician, who spent the first seven years of his youth in Cooraclare and most of the remainder of his …

Clare patient had to have dialysis on trolley ENNIS kidney patient, Dermot Hayes, who spent 22 hours on a trolley, has claimed regular overcrowding in University Hospital Limerick’s “war zone” is increasing the risk of Covid-19 spreading from asymptomatic patients on trolleys to other patients. His claim comes in a week when a national heath watchdog warned this persistent overcrowding contributes to the difficulty in managing healthcare associated infections, and has been previously highlighted as a problem by the authority through prior monitoring work. Following an unannounced inspection of UHL on October 29, 2020, the Health Information and Equality Authority (HIQA) stated: “Overcrowding in hospitals has been shown to increase the risk of spreading infection and is of particular concern in the context of possible future additional demands posed by the pandemic at the hospital over the coming winter months.” The number of patients on trolleys in UHL increased from 36 on Thursday to 44 on Tuesday, according to figures …

AN emergency housing unit for homeless people is set to be established in Ennis. Clare County Council is searching for a property in the town for the unit, director of service Liam Conneally has confirmed. At a meeting of the Strategic Policy Committee (SPC), Mr Conneally said a bid was made for a property last year but it proved unsuccessful. A second option was considered but the cost of the fit-out was higher than anticipated. The council has now increased its bid for the first property. SPC member Dermot Hayes said, “Homelessness has more than quadrupled and it’s tragic to see so many houses lying idle.” Mr Conneally acknowledged that the acquisition of a property “has taken a lot longer” than anticipated but he said it would be operating as soon as possible. In terms of location, he said the unit “has to be central”. Trade union representative Tom Guilfoyle urged the council to borrow money to allow more houses …

FRUSTRATION has continued to build amongst people with disabilities due to the lack of action on firm commitments made by Government across all parties, according to Clare Leader Forum chairman Dermot Hayes. As a result, M Hayes said, “Due to the level of apathy shown by TDs, the Clare Leader Forum has taken the difficult decision to picket the offices of all Clare- based TDs from this Thursday afterenoon.” Continuing, Mr Hayes said, “The reality is that thousands of people with disabilities are living in poverty. Research has continually laid bare this fact including the ERSI report, Nevin Economic Institute, and research by the Government’s own National Disability Authority, of which one of the Clare Leader Forum participants is a sub-committee member.” Mr Hayes said the decision to commence this action has not been taken lightly. However the Clare Leader Forum believe that people with disabilities have been left with little option, given the decision by Government to continue to …

AN Iranian author whose family fled from persecution before settling in Ennis seven years ago, will be giving away ‘Je Suis Charlie’ t-shirts near the O’Connell Monument from 12 to 1pm this Saturday. The move is in response to the heinous murders of the staff of Charlie Hebdo magazine and their police protectors in Paris on January 7. Friends Hassan Faramarz and Kevin Quinlan, who are passionate in their desire to protect freedom of speech, which they believe is under threat, had hoped to sell the t-shirts cheaply to recover their costs but, without a licence, they have decided to give them away and to hope for donations. The friends will, “make a little bit of noise, hang around and make fools of ourselves”, while waving a larger than life pen inscribed with the words, ‘Ink not Blood’, said Kevin. For both men though, this is a deadly serious matter. “I come from Iran and I have already lost a …