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8th September 2015 • Volume 22, Issue 31 • Leader House, North Street, Swords, Co. Dublin. EirCode: K67 P5W4. • Tel: 01 8•400•200 • info@northcountyleader.ie • www.northcountyleader.ie
Minister Long Fingers Light Rail Decision Fears that it will become an election promise… Again!
Pictured at the presentation of training gear by SuperValu, Boroimhe to St Finian's GAA Club, Swords on Tuesday last are proprietor, Donal O'Ciobhain (4th from left back row) and members of St Finian's juvenile section and club officials
The news that the project to remove the notorious pinch point at the Cat and Cage pub in Drumcondra has been unveiled by Minister for Transport, will provide solace for many hard pressed motorists from the North County, accessing the city centre.
Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Paschal Donohoe TD is pictured at the formal unveiling of the project, removing a pinch point at the Cat and Cage pub in Drumcondra
world class transport system serving Swords and being addressed to make way for a bendy bus the airport, by successive governments. The service from Swords, that would be highly unacceptmoment Leo Varadkar, then a representative for the able. I don’t think that North County Dublin and western part of Swords, became Minister for Swords, in particular, should accept someTransport, Metro North was shelved. Now it thing that, frankly, wouldn’t be acceptable appears that the present incumbent is on the southside.” By Patrick Finnegan kicking the can down the road, and keeping “My worry is that if they announce us all in suspense, as we await his Swiftway as a project, they are not going to This area has been the bane of drivers from decision on which transport system the North County for many years, as they spend €300 million on a temporary he will choose for us. experienced terrible delays here on their measure, that’s for sure. If they get the Local senator, Darragh O’Brien (FF) journeys to and from the city. This news will Swiftway bendy bus in place, we’ll never Senator Darragh didn’t pull his punches when he O’Brien come as music to their ears. Opposition see light rail. Swiftway couldn’t work spoke to the County Leader. He politicians from the North County, however, without this pinch point being removed. said, “I’m at a loss to know what the delay is Perhaps this was the reason for the Minister’s delay have poured scorn over the news and have in Minister Donohoe’s announcement of the in announcing the transport plan for the North criticised the Minister for delaying his decision on a transport system for the North Brian Hayes MEP plans for public transport for the North County,” said O’Brien. County. We were supposed to get the “This Government have had four-and-a-half years to County. Many of them are convinced that getting rid of this pinch point clears the last answer in June and it’s now September. The delay is fulfil a promise to deliver Metro North and that’s remaining obstacle to the delivery of the Swiftway inexcusable and we need the government to deliver what they said they would do, including previous Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), or bendy bus, signalling the light rail, without further delay,” he said. governments to be fair. I’m surprised that there has While accepting that the removal of the pinch point been such a delay, given that there were very death knell for the light rail system. For many years now, hard pressed commuters in the in Drumcondra is a welcome development for North detailed and clear North County have been promised the delivery of a County commuters, O’Brien said that if this is only Continued on page 17 run, which will take us up to Christmas. If Molly is still in remission, she will go to Michigan in USA early next year for further treatment, where the success rate is did this twice and eventually very high. Crumlin have 3 of the lesions disapperformed a miracle for peared. After more us,” said Gerry. rounds, she became A new documentary tired and weak with the will be shown on RTE chemo. A few weeks about Our Lady’s passed and the consulHospital for Sick tant said he wanted to Children, starting do one more round of this Thursday. Molly this chemo. Luckily, it will be featured on stunned the lesions the show on and it was decided Thursday, 17th Molly could go for transSeptember at 10.15pm, plant. Eventually, Molly which should be of great was given the all-clear and interest to many locals, there were tears of joy all Molly McNally who have been captivated round. “Her consultant’s by this brave little girl’s road to determination was incredible and her immunotherapy has 14 weeks to recovery.
Little Molly On The Mend There is great news to report on the progress of little Molly McNally, the seven year old Balbriggan girl who suffers from Stage 4 Neuroblastoma, a rare childhood cancer. Her delighted father, Gerry told the County Leader that Molly is now in remission, after a long struggle fighting the disease, explaining that Molly’s consultant in Crumlin Children’s Hospital, Cormac Owens gave Molly the all-clear last week. Gerry spoke about the massive struggle that brave little Molly had to endure to get to remission. “The biggest scan Molly has is her radiation scan. This scan shows cancer cells and the first time she had this scan in Crumlin, her cancer cells lit up
like a Christmas tree. The last time Molly had that scan was last June, when there was a tiny cluster on Molly’s skull, but they were dead cells. However, with neuroblastoma, they look dead, but the scan she had last week, there was nothing, no residue in her skull.” Molly’s treatment programme was for a period of 17 months, with 8 rounds of chemotherapy, then surgery on the primary tumour, radiotherapy and then a bone marrow transplant. All this was included in the 17 month treatment programme. “Molly did the 8 rounds of chemotherapy, after which there was a tiny percentage in her bone marrow. However, there were cancer lesions on
her arms, one on each leg and on her skull. They resisted the 8 rounds of chemotherapy, so we had to go outside of her programme. They brought in another dose of heavy chemotherapy. They did two rounds of that and they assessed her with a scan and the lesions were still there. At this point, things were looking bleak for Molly. They did another two doses of this heavy chemo and the 6 lesions were still there.” Gerry continued, “Molly couldn’t have her bone marrow transplant, as long as they were there. It was decided then to put Molly on a Beacon trial, which was available in Crumlin. It is a combination of different types of chemo and Molly was put on a twin dose of chemo. She