The Kilganey Khronicle

Caught Between A Rock And A Car Space

2009-04-15T15:34:00.000-07:00

By John Williams

A South Tipperary Local Authority made €100,000 in a year from parking at a well known tourist location where parking charges were not notified before entry.

Cashel Town Council took in 100,000 at the Rock Car park at Bru Boru during 2008. When this writer was there recently there was no signage announcing the €3 exit charge until one entered.

I asked the Council how many times a refund has been requested, if there any plans to make this charge known to visitors before they enter the car park, how long the car park is open and how much was taken in in parking charges by the Council while this situation prevailed.

The Council said the car park has been in use since 2007 and the income for 2008 from this car park was €100,000. No one who paid had asked for a refund . However, I understand several visitors to Bru Boru had commented about the fact that this charge was not made known to them until they had entered the car park.

The Council also said they would install ‘appropriate signage ‘ on the approach to the car park.

UPDATE: The Council now confirm the new signage has been erected on the approach to the carpark. They also say that the income from 2007 was €73,000 euro and point out the car park barrier was not in operation during some months of 2007 due to malfunction of equipment.

Political flyers

2009-01-13T15:55:00.000-08:00

We refer to the above,especially with regard to a certain person who we understand is a politician.

Despite telling this person on several occasions we do not want any contact with her her literature continues to soil our letterbox. We have now informed her that if she allows her staff to approach our door again she will be reported to the relevant authorities.

The person is making two assumptions when putting their drivel through our door. First they seem to think we are interested in their updates and secondly they appear under the impresion we would, if we needed to raise an issue, approach them. Wrong both times.

No Holo

2008-03-22T14:37:00.000-07:00

We bought some Polo mints but all were broken when opened. The circle that kept the hole together was all broken so no hole. Wholly unacceptable, the mint without the hole. They should be called no holo mints, the no hole with the mint...We have written to the polo mint folk to express our concern at this holy time of Easter. We hope for a wholesome response

A Letter From Drissa

2008-03-11T10:37:00.000-07:00

We received the following from Drissa. It was dated 8 March and for some reason went to our junk mail folder and we only found it today. heaven forbid this be junk!

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Dear John,

Thanks for your reply.I am happy to hear from you and your question.What you have to know is that I contacted you for the benefit of both of us and your share will not be any problem since the money is coming to your account.I am the person that supposed to tell you not to betray me when this money comes to your account.You will have your share as soon as the bank transfer this money to your account and you first remove your share from the total money.

What I required from you is your personal informations such as your names,country,bank account,age,occupation so that I will subsmit it to the bank and introduce you as my late father's foreign business partner(beneficiary).

While replying back,I would like you to tell me more about yourself for me to know the kind of person I am dealing with.

I wait for your reply.

Drissa.

Still Waiting For The Money

2008-03-06T06:15:00.000-08:00

No news from Drissa. Sad really...

Hygiene In Supermarkets

2008-03-06T06:11:00.000-08:00

We refer to the practice of charities packing groceries at supermarkets checkouts in return for a donation from the customer.It is, we understand, a very good way for them to raise funds.

But we would like to draw attention to two issues surrounding this practice:

1 It is a bit forward and rude of these people to assume without asking that someone wants them to pack their shopping. Surely they should have the manners to ask without grabbing groceries the minute the come though the checkout.

2 Possibly more important is the hygiene aspect of this. We once observed a woman who was on a packing team picking her nose. She turned around and wiped her hand in her clothing and then went back to packing groceries. So we left the queue. We would assume that the actual staff in the supermarket have some basic hygiene standards to adhere to. The question is if the people packing groceries adhere to these same standards. Shoppers do not know the personal hygiene habits of these folk and whether they have any illness. For all is known they could have MRSA and they are on a supermarket checkout handling food. If MRSA cannot be kept out of hospitals then how can it be kept out of the supermarket?

We wonder if this in any way comes under the Health and Safety Act and/or the Environmental Health Officer. Perhaps we will investigate.

Promise of Money

2008-03-03T07:48:00.001-08:00

We have received the following email today. We have sent a mobile number to Drissa and eagerly await his call! Meanwhile we typed his name as given in his email address into Google....

Dear friend,

Greetings to you. I thank God that I have come across you and believeyou will not turn down my request. My name is Drissa diaby, I am 20 years old.

I am from Bouke in Cote D'ivoire, west Africa. I became an orphan last year when my father and my mother were murdered in Bouke in the northen parof Cote D'ivoire my home town. I was in school when the rebel new force went on rampage and killed people in the town suspected for supporting the government of Gbagbo. I was take from the school by a goodsamaritan and taken to Abidjan, where I am taking refuge. I am now staying with theold woman I call aunty, she is 53 years old and she has been trying here best for me.I am confuse as to what to do to claim my late father's deposit in a bank inAbidjan here. He deposited a sum of $6,200,000 (Six million Two hundred Thousand dollars ). This deposit was to be sent to his business partner in Europe but since the crisis they lost contact and I dont know about him and I dont know about theire transaction before he died. I am appealing to you in the name of God to help me provide a bank account so that I can transfer this money into and a safe place for me to move to after the transfer.I believe you are a reliable person that will not sit on the money and will provide a safe place where I can move to continue my studies. I promise to give you 15% of the total amount when the transfer is made. That will cover all your inconveniences and if you make any expenses while helping me.

Please send to me your telephone no. and let me know if you can reliably keep this only thing I have left in life with you safely.kindly contact me through this email: (drissa_diaby00@yahoo.fr)

I looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Thanks and remain bless.

Yours faithfully

Drissa diaby

Letter to Broadcasting Commission of Ireland

2008-03-03T03:16:00.000-08:00

We have been asked to write to the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland re Tipp FM Radio in Clonmel. The person who contacted us wishes to know if the radio are allowed to make some competitions text entry only. The person concerned considers this means that elderly folk not familiar with mobile phones may be being discriminated against by this policy in that they are deprived of the opportunity to enter.We do not listen to this radio station and are not familiar with their competition policies. But we have asked the BCI to confirm the situation in writing.

Update:4 March 2008.The Broadcasting Commission has now wriiten us to say that this is not a matter for ther BCI and "The BCI cannot regulate the manner in which the station runs their competitions" and that the matter should be raised with the station directly.

We thank the BCI for their prompt clarification and will pass this on to our correspondent.

Advertiser trying to make a cod of us?

2008-02-29T09:52:00.000-08:00

We received a phone call from the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland -ASAI- in relation to the slimming product Plavsa which you can read about here. We were told that they have written to the various media requesting that the ad is not accepted in its present form and that its inclusion in a Sunday paper was because that particular publication had planned it advertising so far in advance

Reference was also made to the fact that the adverts is to be seen on the window of some pharmacies.We were told while the ASAI cannot control point of sale ads that if they were made aware of where the poster is displayed they would write to the pharmacy and explain that the advert is banned

Feedback

2008-02-29T09:51:00.000-08:00

If you have any opinions good or bad we would be delighted if you would post them

Lucky Family

2008-01-17T12:56:00.001-08:00

The tune on my new phone is so nice that I rarely answer it now. Love to hear it playing and don't want to stop it by taking calls.One of the few calls I answered was from a friend who said her husband was very manipulative. Luckily enough he is a chiropractor. Later the husband rang to say his wife is very moody but luckily she is always in a good mood. Aren't they a lucky family?

Falling On Your Sword

2008-01-17T12:49:00.000-08:00

Down here in the bogs of Kilganey we heard a story of how an argument broke out in a pub in Dublin between two men, one armed with a sword and one who had a hammer. Being the clean living sort we do not frequent pubs but, when on the odd occasion we have, we have never seen anyone yet with a sword or indeed a hammer, barring the odd carpenter on a Monday morning seeking a cure. Of course we only went in to use the toilet since there is a lack of loos in Clonmel.

We puzzled over this idea of taking the hammer and sword to the pub. Would it be "Mick, are ya going for a pint? Hould on a minute till I get me hammer, have you got your sword? Ok we'll call a taxi. Yes a taxi for two to the Bog Bar, do you have a sword friendly cab, is there an extra charge for the sword? No? Ok then"

On arrival would you see a sign that said 'neat swords essential' or 'cloakroom -jackets 2 euro, swords 1 euro. If you opted to keep the sword with you where would you put it? "Excuse me sir could you move your sword till I clean the bartop" or "is there some sword on this seat". At least the hammer would fit in your pocket so long as it was not a summers evening when you were dressed only in T shirt, when you might have to hang it by the claw off the barstool.

On the way home you could get a takeaway of swordfish and chips....

Medical Mishap

2008-01-17T12:25:00.000-08:00

We had to attend the doctor recently and discovered there were two trainee doctors who were sitting in on consultations. When asked if we objected to this -since the patient must give be asked for and give permission- we said we would be available to help train doctors for 50 euro from each aspiring medic. Sadly our offer was not taken up. We despair for the future of medicine as we feel we have a lot to teach....

Fire Protest In Bray

2007-10-13T12:25:00.000-07:00

The deaths of part time fire-fighters, Mark O' Shaughnessy and Brian Murray while fighting a fire in Bray has lead to a major protest in the town today. Demonstrators are demanding a full time fire service in the north of the county. The families of the two fire-fighters believe the lack of a full time service contributed to the tragedy.

On Thursday last the Dail rejected a motion by the Labour Party for such a service. Labour TD Kathleen Lynch said the fire service is as essential as health and education. But Minister of State Batt O'Keefe said provision of a fire service was a matter for the local authority and not Government

Bugged

2007-10-12T10:14:00.000-07:00

We understand the norovirus or 'bug' as it is called is in some wards of South Tipperary General Hospital again. We think the hospital would be ideal for a consultant with OCD handwashing as it would give him/her an excuse to wash

Road Act Stops Sales

2007-10-10T12:53:00.000-07:00

If you are selling a car and leave it in a public place in Clonmel with a 'for sale' sign the Borough Council will issue an enforcement notice under the Road Act 1993. If the owner does not remove it within three days the Council will and it will cost a minimum of 500 euro secure its return.

We have asked the Council how many vehicles have been removed so far

Update. We would like to apologise as our link to the Road Act appears to be pointing to an non existing url. We will try to resolve this. Please do not adjust your screens!

Kilganey Killer Gets Life

2007-10-09T15:51:00.000-07:00

A killer who told investigating gardai he couldn't have been identified at the scene of a shooting because he was wearing a balaclava was jailed for life yesterday 8 October 2007.

33 year old Leigh Crowe, a father of two from Elm Park in Clonmel, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Eoin Cahill at a house near Kilganey in April 2006. Crowe and another man entered the house with a sawn off shotgun and a pump action shotgun. One of the men blasted 25 year old Cahill in the face at point blank range. The victim was said to have died "almost instanteously"

Crowe's defence claimed he believed Cahill responsible for an incident 18 months before when he was shot in front of his partner and kids. He was also said to have been drinking heaving and taking 'speed' to the extent he had not slept for several days at the time of the shooting

Sergeant Barry O'Riordan said that when investigating gardai told Crowe he had been identified at the scene he replied"That's bullshit, nobody saw me.I had a balaclava and gloves"

Party goer Mark Doolan,who tried to stop Crowe, was also shot in the arm. Crowe admitted to trying to murder Mr Doolan and assault causing harm to Sharon Rossiter at the same party. He was sentenced to life for Cahill's death and to 15 years for the attempt on Mark Doolan and 5 years for assaulting Ms Rossiter. All sentences are to run concurrently and be backdated to date of Crowe's arrest

Leigh Crowe was said to have had 8 convictions for assault, 2 of them serious and his total offending added up to 23 previous convictions

In a victim impact statement Cahill's mother Catherine said she did not hate the killer but wanted justice. She said she couldn't express the pain and hurt caused to the whole family as a result of losing her son

High Anxiety

2007-10-08T13:56:00.000-07:00

So, a large portion of the Irish middle classes are addicted to or abusing drugs it has been claimed in a book called The High Society.

In the pages it is possible to read many true stories of doctors , lawyers, and Gardai who have had or have addiction problems. One of the reasons cited is the easy availability of drugs to Gardai who get them from criminals and doctors, who can get them from legalised drug dealers called big pharma. Not sure where the lawyers get them. Maybe from the doctor when they have a cold?

While it is a great tragedy to see any life destroyed by drugs it is an even bigger tragedy and crime the way some of the doctors were protected by their families. They were using drugs to get through work and while doing so may have been putting the life of innocent patients at risk. Yet their secret was kept by their family members because of the possible shame or the fact that the Medical Council would not want to know. What about the hurt possibly suffered by some unfortunate patient who had the bad luck to be in the hands of some of these 'brilliant' medical professionals.? Who knows what harm they have caused over the years and how would anyone find out, so well protected are the doctors?

If a poor person covered up out of loyalty or shame they would be told this would not help and the addict would have to accept the situation and seek treatment regardless of what loss of face they might incur. And who would tell them. You've guessed it, the local friendly doc of course.