A|wear will continue to trade as normal in its store in Tullamore following its acquisition by a group of international investors, headed by British businessman Michael Flacks of Flacks Group.

Jim Luby of McStay Luby was appointed as Receiver to A|wear by previous owners Hilco and reached agreement with the international group of investors to sell the business.

The transaction will protect the jobs of the four employees in the Tullamore store.

There are 460 full and part-time staff in the 32 A|wear stores in the Republic of Ireland.

The deal secures the long term viability of the A|wear business and ensures that shoppers in Offaly can continue to enjoy the A|wear product offering.

Michael Flacks, President and CEO of Flacks Group said, “This acquisition is a very positive development for A|wear, its employees and customers. I have been highly impressed by the strength of the A|wear brand, its excellent standing as a leading fashion retailer in this market and its potential for future growth. My colleagues and I are here to develop and grow this business, not shrink it. A|wear has been operating in a challenging trading environment and needs investment and a new strategic direction.

“We see excellent potential to work with homegrown Irish designers, to develop the online side of the business and to grow the A|wear brand internationally. We have a strong team and significant financial support from our new ownership structure, which also brings with it vast international retail expertise and experience. We look forward to working with the management team and staff at A|wear and its suppliers – we have a common goal and look forward to delivering on the potential that lies ahead.”

SINGER Brendan Keeley is looking forward to the next stage of ‘The Voice of Ireland’ as he took another step closer to perhaps securing the show’s lucrative prize of a recording contract with Universal Records.

On Sunday’s head-to-head battle show Brendan was pitted against Waterford contestant, Neil McGrath and saw the duo perform Irish ballad, ‘Dirty Old Town’ as they both battled for a place in the next round of the show.

The Tullamore performer is absolutely delighted to move to the live shows having gotten through the battle stages of the competition as he felt this stage was ‘very scary’. “I did feel I had a good enough chance on Sunday night with all my experience.”

He is now looking forward to the live shows, which will Brendan as part of team Kennedy go up against team Bressie, on March 4 next.

Meanwhile, speaking on Sunday’s show, the 51 year old admitted that the song was “well out of his comfort zone” and wouldn’t be a song that he would normally perform if he was given a choice. “But, I will give it all I have got,” he enthused.

And, that he did as his coach, Brian Kennedy, chose him to progress to the next stage of the singing competition.

Speaking on the show, Kennedy described Brendan as a “world wary” kind of guy and said that there was “something in the way he delivers” his songs.

Before his performance, Brendan pointed out that it was different when it is a competition. I’ve never been in a competition before. And, that is a leveller between myself and Neil,” he added. Kian Egan, one of the show’s four coaches, was slightly critical of the song choice for the Tullamore singer. “I felt neither guys got to show off their actual abilities as singers. Brendan, you have an amazing voice but I didn’t get to hear it.”

Brian Kennedy, however, set aside Kian’s criticism as he chose the 51 year old father of three to move on in the competition.

And, speaking after the announcement, Brendan said that was ‘one of the most nerve racking things I have ever went through in my life’.

AFTER capturing the hearts of thousands of television viewers, no way is the ‘Operation Transformation’ over yet for Edenderry’s Adrian Brereton.

The 40 year old started the RTE health and fitness programme with a 51 inch waist, weighing 18 stone and 11 pounds when he first got on the scales at the start of the series.

However, this week, the pet shop owner broke the 16 stone barrier and registered yet another weight loss.

And, with the eight programme airing tonight (Wednesday, February 22), the audience will see Adrian weighing at 15 stone and 11 1/2 pounds on the show’s concluding episode.

It has certainly been a whirlwind six weeks for the father of four. As well as losing a staggering amount of weight, Adrian has accomplished many other feats including the weekly Curragh Challenge, the commissioning of new family photographs and completing various walks and runs during the programme’s duration.

The support for the Edenderry leader has been phenomenal over the course of the show and he whipped up some what of a frenzy in the north Offaly town.

Songs and poems have even penned in his honour as well as being installed as the first grand marshall of the forthcoming St Patrick’s day parade in the town.

Many of his supporters have credited him with giving Edenderry a lift with his positive attitude and Adrian has warned that in no way is it over as the “feel good mood” continued this week for him.

It was yet another action packed week with Adrian and his fellow leaders finished the 5km run in the Phoenix Park as well as getting their glad rags for the show’s final episode.

“It was great craic altogether,” he enthused.

However, Adrian was quick to say that he has continued on his diet and is keeping up the walking. Talking about the entire experience, Adrian said he was “so lucky” to have even been chosen to appear on the show.

“I have gotten a new body. I got a great chance. I have loved every bit of it. It was a great start.”

He also enthused that his very supportive wife, Anna, has also lost almost two stone during his operation transformation.

To mark the end of the programme, the Edenderry leader is now looking forward to hosting a community party in Edenderry GAA centre this Friday, February 24.

According to Adrian, it is promises to be a great night of celebration with the local community. There also could be a possible appearance on Brendan O’Connor’s Saturday night show this weekend.

Looking to the coming weeks, Adrian now hopes to complete the last 10km of the non stop 100km run being undertaken by Rhode native, Niall Murphy as part of a fundraising effort for Irish Autism Action on April 1 next.

Portarlington Swimming Pool Association paid a special tribute to their longest serving member, Niall McElwaine, at their recent bingo night.

Niall was part of the original committee 50 years ago who dreamed up the idea of an indoor swimming pool for Port, and has played an active role ever since.

At 78, the Donegal native is currently secretary and still swims several times a week in the pool he helped to make a reality.

Niall recalls the difficulties they had persuading the county council to help them built an indoor heated swimming pool.

“The pool was built in 1974 but we had spent twelve years proving to the powers that be that it was a good idea. First it was ‘haven’t you got a river, and a canal?’. Then it was ‘you want it heated, and a roof?’,

“If somebody had given us £5,000 at the time, we would have built an outdoor one. But we got lucky. Bobby Molloy became Minister, he had been a champion swimmer. He set out new guidelines, exactly the things we had been looking for,” he explained.

Niall credits the other members of the committee throughout the years for their constant hard work.

“There was Leo Dempsey. Paddy Burbage and Martin Turley, God rest them. Alo Donegan, who was a world class cyclist. They all wouldn’t take no for an answer,”

The committee raised enough money to buy a field for about £500, where Siac is now, in the 1960’s.

“With a bit of good luck, the planning officer who was a wise man, turned it down because he said it was too far out of the town, and it would be dangerous for children to be walking to it. “Then we had another stroke of luck. Somebody had bought a field for a cattle mart.

“The residents objected and the site was lying idle so the council offered it to us.

“It didn’t look anything then, we had to climb over old walls through nettles and thistles to see it.

“We got it on a long term lease, about seven years into our fundraising,” Niall recalls.

The bingo began as a way to make use of a marquee set up for summer dances in the late 60’s and early 70’s.

“Someone suggested since it was lying idle a few days of the weeks to run bingo there.

“We got chairs from the convent and the tech and borrowed lights, and started it on a Tuesday. That was 42 years ago,” he says.

In 1974 the swimming pool finally opened at a cost of £62,000, £16,000 of which the committee had raised through the bingo, which still continues to be a great source of income to it, as well as a social institution in the town. The pool quickly became part of life for the children of Portarlington and beyond. “We had the most marvellous galas in the late 70’s and the 80’s, for groups from all over Ireland.

“I rememember 500 kids in the pool, they’d be there for five hours, great occasions. The community games were there too,” he says. It produced several gold medal winners in the National Swimming Championships in Mosney, but Niall feels the best contribution is in teaching a whole generation to swim.

“The pool is not like a beach, there’s no great fun without swimming.

“Now the parents who learnt to swim there are bringing their children too, as young as six months old,” Niall says.

He adds that many young people who learned lifeguard skills worked their way through college at the pool, including his own son.

He had plans to retire when the revamped pool was opened four years ago.

“When it was in the process of being built, and we were pestering the politicians, we said when we got there, as soon as the key turned, we would say day day.

“But the secretary resigned, and I was stuck. I’m still here, I’ve invested a lot of my life, so I will stay as long as I still have my health,” he said.

“I was there today, swimming my ten or 15 lengths. When you see the place full of kids, it lifts your heart, there’s no doubt,” he said.

Launched just over one month ago, Hireland yesterday confirmed that the initiative has already received over 2,500 job pledges from businesses all over the country. This is all the more impressive as Hireland had set a 6 month target of 5,000 pledges and is now at the halfway point after little more than a month.

As of yesterday (Tuesday February 21), 589 companies have pledged jobs across a wide range of sectors from software design and development to engineering and pharmaceuticals to sales, marketing and retail and hotel, hospitality and sports leisure.

Furthermore, there has been a swift translation from pledges to jobs with 150 having commenced jobs already that were pledged on Hireland.ie. By recruiting more people into the business, a company will experience immediate and direct benefits. It lets customers know they can expect a better service, staff will be rewarded with a greater division of labour and enhanced output and it also sends a strong message to competitors by investing in the business.

Hireland is a volunteer, not-for-profit group that has developed a national communications initiative to encourage employers to hire one of the thousands of skilled people who are currently out of work. It came about in February 2011 after a kitchen table conversation between a group of friends, who had lost other friends to emigration. Since then, it has grown to include students and people from the business, marketing and media community, all of whom have given their time and skills for free simply because they want to see the creation of jobs for the thousands of unemployed skilled workers in Ireland.

Hireland wants to draw on the power of the collective and act as a catalyst to stimulate job creation. It’s about a positive, confident movement, where one job will lead to another if Irish businesses get on board and pledge a job.

Even though Hireland only officially launched last month, it has already inspired a sister initiative in the United States of America, UhireUS which was announced at the Clinton Global Initiative in New York in September 2011.

teen models showed their dance moves and catwalk prowess at St Mary’s Youth Club recently at the Moves Like Jagger fashion show which raised funds for St Vincent de Paul and the youth club’s new P2B Youth Café.

The event was a major success and attracted widespread compliments for the manner in which the youthful models behaved, for the stunning set (again created by the youth centre’s wonderful volunteers Mark Quinlan and Simon Farrell) - which incorporated festive red and white balloons and for the lively pace of the evening.

In fact one member of the audience described it as the “best fashion show ever”.

See this week’s Offaly Express for full report and two pages of photographic coverage

outspoken Edenderry Town Councillor Noel Cribbin slammed his County Council colleagues for not speaking out at a recent County Council meeting when the subject of the Ambulance Dispatch Point in Edenderry was discussed.

“There are six County Councillors representing the area of Edenderry, but only two of them spoke at that meeting. The four councillors who said nothing should be ashamed of themselves. They are a dead loss.”

Cllr Cribbin added that he was very disappointed with the follow up from Offaly County Council officials. “This has been seven years in the planning. The country is being asked to bend over backwards in these difficult times, but the only ones not doing that are the County Council.”

Town Council Cathaoirleach Jim Murrin said it was the responsibility of the HSE to sort out the matter.

Cllr John Foley said “we can huff and puff all we want, but the onus is on the HSE to sort this out. The only way to get things done is to get people on side.”

Cllr Fergus McDonnell added that he would not accept what was being said until he saw all the documentation. “If any other outfit had been involved in this process it would have been completed by now.”

Cllr Cribbin said he knew it was a HSE problem, but he felt that the Council could have “extended the hand of friendship” to the HSE.

“THE pips are beginning to squeak in a lot of areas. People are under enormous pressure,” conceded Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Minister Pat Rabbitte at the Laois/Offaly Labour Party annual constituency meeting last Friday night where Tullamore’s David Whelan was elected Chairperson.

Referring to the enconomy, Minister Rabbitte said his belief was people would tolerate the pressure - “provided they can see some light at the end of the tunnel.”

But he admitted, “Some of the things that Labour have to stomach are very hard to stomach, I have to say.”

The attendance also included Minister of State for Transport and Tourism Alan Kelly, Senator John Whelan, Edenderry Town Councillor Declan Leddin and Tullamore Town Councillor Lar Byrne.

The venue was the Portlaoise Resource Centre in the sprawling Knockmay housing estate, territory long cultivated by Sinn Fein’s Deputy Brian Stanley.

Argued Minister Rabbitte, “It’s an unprecedented period in history. If we don’t comply, they (IMF/EU) won’t sign the cheque.” He went on, “We are depending on the kindness of strangers to fund our Gardai, nurses and prison officers. Fianna Fail in 2010 ceded our sovereignty to outside sources. It’s ironic - Fianna Fail surrendering our national sovereignty.

“We got a new Government a year ago. We did not get a new economy. I get very irritated when I hear people saying we cannot keep blaming the previous Government for the mess. We still have the mess. We are stuck with the debt. Vincent Brown and his panel can say we can turn the key and walk away--but look at Greece.”

On a brighter note, Minister Rabbitte said we had a functioning economy with an 1.8m-strong workforce. People were better educated. We had a great deal of advantages.

“I am absolutely satisified that our economy will grow faster than any similar economy if the euro crisis is resolved,” he said. “We have to get the stabilization of the euro.” On property tax, he said Ireland was the only EU country without one.

The Minister continued, “What I would say to people who are finding it difficult, is that we cannot turn it (economy) around as quickly as we would like. We can’t have the investment now that was the case in the past when the Government could go to the market and source money ourselves.”

He concluded, “Our objective is to wave goodbye to the IMF at Dublin airport.”

‘Heaven Sent’

There was a perception in Laois/Offaly that Labour had an “agenda against the Catholic Church,” a speaker claimed and Minister Rabbitte replied, “You can never help what people’s perceptions area. It just strikes me that that the decision to close the Vatican embassy is heaven sent for the media.”

Senator Extolled

Minister Rabbitte extolled local Senator John Whelan and pointed to Senator Whelan’s impressive general election peformance in “what was not propitious territory for Labour.”

The Minister described the Senator as a “diligent attender and hard worker in Leinster House.”

Labour officers

Officers elected at Laois/Offaly Labour party annual consituency meeting: Chairman, David Whelan, Tullamore; Vice Chairman, Noel Tuohy, Portlaoise; Secretary, Lisa Delaney, Mountmellick; Treasurer, Joe Murphy, Portlaoise; Asst Treasurer, Paddy Doheny, Tullamore; Constituency Delegate, Margaret Guijt-Lalor, Portarlington; Youth Officer, Noel Tuohy Jnr, Portlaoise; Women’s Officer, Grainne Corcoran, Portlaoise.

CALLS have been made for a six month rate exemption for new businesses starting up in Tullamore.

Cllr Molly Buckley put forward the motion to the February meeting of Tullamore Town Council calling for the exemption. “Every day we are seeing businesses closing. The heart of the town is going out of it. We have to look at this for new businesses, on a phased basis.”

Supporting Cllr Buckley’s motion, Cllr Tony McCormack suggested that it it could be done on an incremental basis.

“Businesses are suffering badly particularly in the town centre. Anything, we can do to create an atmosphere. It is an extra cost for them. Unfortunately, it is part of our funding basis and the issue will have to be looked at nationally. We need to do something to get business into the town. We have to start somewhere.”

Cllr Buckley pointed out, “We want to get the heart back into the town.” Ruth McNally, SEO of Tullamore Town Council, explained that there are national regulations, set in law, governing the issue of rates.

However, she said that she has spoken with other Town Clerks on the issue and there appears to be a business incentives schemes working in some towns, which could go some way to help businesses. “However, in terms of just deciding to wave it [rates], it can’t just be done.”

Cllr Buckley proposed that the Council should look at this business incentive scheme. “It is worth exploring it for the businesses in the town,” she said.

Tom Doyle has been elected Chairman of the IFA National Farm Business Committee. He succeeds James Kane, who has completed his four-year term.

He is a livestock and tillage farmer from Gorey, Co Wexford.

Mr Doyle said his priorities on taking over as Chairman are to ensure there is equitable treatment for farmers in the taxation system and the availability of credit for the agriculture sector. In particular, he re-iterated IFA’s opposition to any proposals to include productive assets when assessing eligibility for 3rd-level education grants.

He identified his first task as IFA’s submission to the Department of Finance ahead of the publication of the Finance Bill next month.

Tom Doyle said he would be highlighting bank credit issues, including access to credit at competitive rates for farm customers, and the need for banks to deal constructively with credit difficulties.

The Chairman of the ICMSA Taxation Committee, Mr. Lorcan McCabe, has stated that although Finance Bill 2012 provided for a number of welcome incentives announced in Budget 2012, he believed it was a missed opportunity in terms of addressing some anomalies in the taxation system that weren’t addressed in Budget 2012.

While Mr Mc Cabe welcomed the fact that Minister Noonan exempted from Capital Gains Tax those compensation payments to turf cutters for giving up the right to cut turf in Special Areas of Conservation, he observed that a similar exemption should be extended to individuals wishing to purchase land close to their holdings in order to consolidate their farm enterprise.

He stated that current Government policy is effectively penalizing any farmer wishing to consolidate his/her holdings in order to grow and expand their business.

ICMSA believes that Capital Gains Tax Rollover Relief should be introduced on a limited basis to allow for farm consolidation and parcel swaps for individuals wishing to expand their enterprise.

ICMSA believes that it is crucial that full-time farmers wishing to enlarge their holding to grow their farm business into a viable unit must be allowed to do so with the minimum application of Stamp Duty and he expressed his disappointment that the Finance Bill did not reintroduce Farm Consolidation Stamp Duty Relief.

Proposals in the Finance Bill to offset the increased costs of the Carbon Tax have been described as insufficient and unworkable.

IFA President John Bryan commented, “There was a clear commitment given in the Programme for Government that farm diesel would be exempt from any further increases in the Carbon Tax. This has not been honoured, and the proposals for a double income tax deduction for farmers arising from the increased costs will not give full cost recovery.”

IFA has developed proposals to allow for a full recovery of the cost increase through point-of-sale deduction and through a direct refund for VAT registered farmers. The proposals must be included before the Act is finalised.

Commenting on other elements of the Finance Bill, Mr Bryan continued, “The proposals to strengthen the enforcement role for the Revenue Commissioners to combat illegal fuel trade are positive. IFA has argued strongly that the existing marker system for Agricultural Diesel must be retained and strengthened and these proposals support our position.”

He continued, “The proposed limitation of the enhanced stock relief to Milk Production Partnerships only is unfair and discriminates against partnerships operating across other farming enterprises. All registered farm partnerships should be able to avail of this additional relief.

“The Carbon Tax is simply an increased cost on agricultural production. IFA is looking for Government to honour its commitment to farmers and ensure that costs arising from the increase can be fully recovered and in a simple manner,” he concluded.

IT’S expected that Offaly VEC headquarter offices will remain open for some time and the approach to re-deployment of its staff will be “measured and considered”, according to the latest news from the Education Minister.

Laois/Offaly TD, Marcella Corcoran Kennedy received information about the future of the VEC committee, following the decision by Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairi Quinn, TD to re-locate that the headquarters of the new Education and Training Board to Portlaoise.

In response to a Dail question, she was advised that a range of factors were considered including the need to ensure that the location of a VEC headquarters will, to the greatest extent possible, facilitate staff redeployment under a redeployment scheme within the context of the Croke Park Agreement and the need to operate at lowest cost having regard to the accommodation available in existing locations.

Redeployment of staff from Tullamore to Portlaoise is possible under the Croke Park agreement and it is expected that headquarters staff of Co Offaly VEC will move to the designated headquarters location in Portlaoise as soon as feasible. However it is anticipated that the office in Tullamore will remain open for some time and that the approach to redeployment will be measured and considered.

In the reply to the local Deputy, the Minister pointed out it will be a matter for the CEO of the new Education and Training Board to work through and judge what the best approach is to ensure the optimum approach to service delivery while the establishment of SOLAS is also likely to have a bearing on the precise arrangements to be made.

The detail in relation to the use or disposal of existing property interests in Tullamore, following the move of staff to the newly designated headquarters in Portlaoise, will be worked through by the Department in conjunction with the VECs involved and the new merged body when established.

“I have been advised by Minister Quinn that while his decision is final he will not be forcing any one size fits all approach to staff deployment and office accommodation by the new Education and Training Boards. The new board will be receptive to any reasonable and sensible arrangements that are the best fit for the needs of the areas for which they are responsible. I hope that the excellent and well equipped building in Tullamore will continue to be used for training purposes and see a place for Solas there.”

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