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Health ‘black spot’ concerns increase Wednesday 1st February, 2012. Vol. 5, Issue 5 . 63 Clanbrassil Street, Dundalk, Co. Louth. Tel: 042 9320888 Fax: 042 9329676 Email: editorial@dundalkleader.com / advertising@dundalkleader.com
By Niamh Kirk
Families in North Louth may find themselves in one of Ireland’s worst health service black-spots if reductions in acute services at Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry go ahead. The two closest acute services to people in North Louth are at Drogheda’s Lady of Lourdes and Newry’s Daisy Hill. However concerns about plans to reduce the acute services in the Newry Hospital have been increasing as the date for the publishing of NI Review comes closer. Any reduction in acute services in Daisy Hill would dramatically increase the travel time to an A&E department for people in the north of County Louth. Recent figures show a steady increase in number
of attendances to Daisy Hill since the A&E and other services in Louth County Hospital were reduced in 2009. The numbers reflect the increasing reliance on the hospital by people south of the border as services here are in decline, however a gaping hole in A&E services could be left if Daisy Hills acute services go. The changes mean that the nearest A&E services for many people will be over an hour’s drive away in Craigavon or Drogheda. In 2008/09 a total of 719 people presented themselves in the Newry hospital’s Emergency Department -the services in Louth County Hospital were shut earlier that year. The figure rose by 40 in the following year and by 2010/2011 the number had risen by over 240. Continued on Page 4
Coláiste Rís are All-Ireland champs
Coláiste Rís are celebrating an All-Ireland title after the Chapel Street school won their third national title in nine years in the Gael Linn-organised Comórtas Díospóireachta Uí Chadhain, the national debating competition. A display of blue and white bunting and horn-blowing greeted the arrival of the team and its supporters as they arrived back at the school after what can only be described as a masterful performance in Trinity College earlier in the evening. The welcome was well merited and, this time, there was no talk of regrets or what-ifs as the bitter memories of the closely run finals of the past were banished with a unanimous judgement from the five adjudicators. The judgement was met with a thunderous cheer from the 100 travelling supporters and past pupils. The motion before the house was gur rud maith é go bhfuil deir-
Sionainn Glenholmes, Emer Ní Fhionnachtaigh and Caoimhe Ní Shuibhne with teacher, Seán Ó Coigligh eadh ag teacht le cultúr an tí tábhairne in Éirinn – that it is a good thing that the end is coming to the culture of the public house in Ireland. The Coláiste Rís team, made up of Sionainn Glenholmes, Emer Ní Fhionnachtaigh and
Caoimhe Ní Shuibhne, proposed the motion. The Dundalk school faced competition from An Cheathrú Rua and Indreabhán, Co. Galway and Scoil Chaitríona from Glasnevin. See Page 14