carlowpeople highest, most frequent readership in carlow
.ie .ie t: 059 914 1877
November 19, 2019 June 01, 2021
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12,000 copies
FREE
www.carlowpeople.ie t: 059 914 1877 www.carlowpeople.ie
June 01, 2021
carlowpeople highest, most frequent readership in carlow
.ie .ie t: 059 914 1877
November 19, 2019
FREE
12,000 copies
End is in sight June 01, 2021
www.carlowpeople.ie t: 059 914 1877 www.carlowpeople.ie
FREE
County to bounce back as jab rollout accelerates CARLOW is set for a bumper summer season as the county emerges from its five-month Covid-19 lockdown. As the national vaccination programme rolls out and restrictions are eased, many businesses are expecting pent up demand will help the economy to recover quickly. From June 02 hotels, B&Bs, guesthouses and self-catering accommodation can open again while outdoor hospitality, including restaurants and all pubs, will resume on June 07.
Gyms, swimming pools and leisure centres can reopen on the same date for individual training. Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has praised the progress being made at the Carlow mass vaccination centre which is set to administer thousands of vaccines by the end of this week. Since opening on April 21, operating out of The Barrow Centre at Institute of Technology (IT) Carlow, it has administered more than 10,000 vaccines.
Meanwhile, the Government has agreed a €3.6bn package of spending supports and measures to boost the economy as it slowly emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic. Under the plan, the Pandemic Unemployment Payment will be closed to new entrants from July while a reduction in rates is due to begin at the start of September. Further reductions will be staggered across three phases over the following months. This will mean that people on
the highest rate, €350 per week, will see their payment cut to €300, while those in receipt of €300 per week will have their payment reduced to €250. The lowest rate, €250 per week, will come into line with the jobseekers’ allowance of €203. The Emergency Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) will be extended unchanged form until the end of September, and will continue at another rate until the end of the year, to be confirmed. Continued on Page 8
Alyssa Keeley (5) launching Bord Bia Bloom 2021 which takes place over the June Bank Holiday weekend via a series of virtual initiatives and events. Pic: Chris Bellew /Fennell Photography
Kilkenny and Carlow Education and Training Board (ETB) FURTHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING Are you currently out of work and would like to upskill or reskill by taking on a part time/short term education or training course.
learning works
If yes, there are a variety of funded courses at different levels on offer through the Further Education and Training Service of Kilkenny and Carlow ETB.
Courses are available in a range of vocational fields including: Childcare Computer Applications Healthcare Horticulture Information Technology Skills Internet Skills Office Administration Accredited Product Adviser Designation in Loans (Qualified Financial Advisor QFA)
Basic MIG Welding Basic MMA Welding Basic TIG Welding Forklift, Safepass and Manual Handling Heavy Good Vehicle Driving Rigid Warehouse Operations Website Creation Leadership and Management Skills
*courses in this vocational area will suit adults who wish to continue/complete existing modules for the QQI Level 5 Certificate in Early Childhood Care and Education.
adulteducationoffice@kilkennycarlowetb.ie.
These modular based/short term courses (options for face to face or online) provide an opportunity to gain a recognised qualification which can be used to progress within further education and/or employment. For further information, please contact Kilkenny and Carlow ETB’s Further Education and Training office at 056 776 5103 or
Please log onto www.fetchcourses.ie for more information. Adult Guidance Service: Further support and assistance is provided by contacting the Adult Guidance Service in Carlow at 059 913 3123, where you can make an appointment to meet with an Adult Guidance Counsellor to explore your options for education and employment. These courses offered through Kilkenny and Carlow ETB are part of the SOLAS to Compete Initiative www.solas.ie/programmes/skills-to-compete.
A number of Kilkenny and Carlow ETB programmes are co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union. Provision co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union.
Co-funded by the
EUROPEAN UNION
An Roinn Breisoideachais agus Ardoideachais, Taighde, Nuálaíochta agus Eolaíochta Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
04|
COVID-19 OUTBREAK Don’#t forget to wash your hands
June 01, 2021
Furry friends lend a helping hand
Tracy Carroll, her daughter Willow (4) and Bo the dog at the launch of Paws for a Cause, during National Carers Week which was supported by www. buy4petsonline.ie. Pic: Mark Stedman
COVID-19 OUTBREAK Don’#t forget to wash your hands
Family Carers Ireland has launched its ‘Paws for a Cause’ national fundraising drive which takes place during National Carers Week June 7-13. Supported by www. buy4petsonline.ie, the charity is asking people all over the county to walk or run 24k over seven days with or without their furry friend in solidarity with the country’s 500,000 family carers and in recognition of the 24/7 nature of many caring roles.
A hardship fund established in 2020 at the height of the pandemic to help family carers in crisis has run out of money due to the demands for help from those struggling mentally, physically and financially. All monies raised by ‘Paws for a Cause’ will go directly to help family carers in crisis. “Family Carers Ireland has campaigned tirelessly, over the past 12 months in particular, for recognition and support for Ireland’s
500,000 family carers. “Throughout the Covid-19 crisis, we have supported family carers by sourcing and distributing tens of thousands of gloves, masks, hand sanitiser and aprons to family carers who were unable to access PPE,” Catherine Cox, Head of Communications and Policy, Family Carers Ireland said. Register for the event at www.familycarers.ie. Registration is just €20.
Tinahely Show is cancelled
The Tinahely Show has been cancelled for the second year due to the Covid-19 pandemic. A statement from organisers said: “The Tinahely Agricultural Show has been monitoring the public health and safety advice and it is with deep regret that we have decided we have no option but to cancel the Tinahely Agricultural Show for the second year running. “The ongoing pandemic leaves too high a risk to run what has become one of the largest agricultural shows in Ireland. The safety concerns of all who attend our show is utmost in our minds and we are left with no option other than cancel our 2021 show. “We understand that this decision will be disappointing for our community of members, volunteers, exhibitors, sponsors, trade stands, judges and competitors and indeed the whole Wicklow and Leinster community” said Thomas McDonald, Chairman, Tinahely Agricultural Show The Tinahely Agricultural Show’s enthusiastic committee are committed to holding the best show ever on bank holiday August 1, 2022.
Widow bite warning as toxic spider numbers see a sharp rise
Residents in the county have been put on alert for venomous spiders, folliwing the release of a new study. Scientists from NUI Galway have found an alarming rise in Noble False Widow spiders and a new study confirms their bites can require hospital treatment. The research found the species to be among the most common in the country with bite symptoms that can be quite similar to actual Black Widow spiders. So far in Ireland 16 people have been hospitalised with one person being admitted for a week. The worst symptoms of a bite include mild to debilitating pain and mild to intense swelling. Some victims have experienced tremors, reduced or elevated blood pressure, nausea and impaired mobility. In rare instances, minor wounds and even severe bacterial infections have developed. One victim of a noble false widow spider spent six days in hospital and took three months to recover from a bite, according to the research.
The 43-year-old unnamed woman from Co Waterford is one of a growing number of people who have been bitten by the invasive species which was first spotted here in 1998 and has been multiplying in number. It is found in most urban areas. The woman was bitten in her own sitting room. The spider bit her three times on the leg. She compared the pain to having boiling water poured on her skin. On the sixth day the victim was admitted to the accident and emergency department with cellulitis, a serious bacterial skin infection. She described the pain as 10 out of 10. After six days in hospital she was sent home, but did not recover until the 95th day. The first Irish sighting of a Nobel False Black Widow was in Bray, Co Wicklow, and they have appeared in many towns since then. They have a fast-acting neurotoxic venom that can kill insects and cause neuromuscular paralysis in terrestrial vertebrates. They have been known to kill small lizards.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) has confirmed that a single specimen of the invasive alien species Asian Hornet has been found in here. This marks the first identification of the species in the wild in the country. The single specimen was found ‘alive but dying’ in a private dwelling on the northside of Dublin. At this time, there is no indication of a nest in the vicinity. Photographs of the specimen taken by the homeowner were sent to the National Biodiversity Data Centre and later verified as Asian hornet (Vespa velu-
tina) by the National Museum. The circumstances of how the specimen arrived in the country are not known. The Asian hornet is a predator of honeybees, wasps, other pollinators such as bumblebees, hoverflies and spiders, which it uses to feed its larvae. These prey are important for pollination of crops as well as wild flora and disruptions to their populations may have serious impacts on biodiversity and pollination services. However, the potential of the Hornet to become invasive here is dependent on its successful establishment of colonies here.
... and bee-killing hornet is here too
June 01, 2021
|05
06 |
June 01, 2021
opinion&comment
I like Michael O’Leary but his Covid stance is hypocritical
T
HE pace of reopening seems to have divided the country almost equally between ‘too fast’, ‘too slow’ and ‘don’t know’. And there’s a large crossover category who say it’s ‘too fast’ in general but ‘too slow’ when it comes to their own special interest. Michael O’Leary is not a man to sit on the fence. The Ryanair boss says progress is too slow and, when it comes to his own special interest, he knows just who to blame: Emaon Ryan, the Minister for Transport. “He’s a nice man, but he is ineffective,” Mr O’Leary declared in a radio interview. And that was one of his kinder comments. Mr Ryan needed to “get the finger out”, he said, because he was “without doubt one of the worst ministers for transport ever”. Mr O’Leary lambasted Mr
Michael Wolsey Ryan and the Government for maintaining Covid restrictions on air travel. When the Newstalk interviewer put it to him that ministers were following the advice of medical experts at Nphet, he conceded this might be the case but he didn’t accept the excuse. Nphet’s only concern was public health, he said, but the Government had to run the country and ministers shouldn’t feel the need to defer to the civil servants. Mr O’Leary was then questioned about the forced diver-
sion of a Ryanair flight to Belarus, which he described as “state-sponsored hijacking”. He was asked if Ryanair would now refuse to fly in Belarus airspace. That was up to “the European authorities” said Mr O’Leary. “We’ll take our guidance from them.” His company followed up the boss’s interview with a statement saying the hijacking was “being dealt with by EU safety and security agencies and Nato. Ryanair is fully cooperating with them”. Mr O’Leary is quite right to defer to the civil servants of Nato and EU agencies on this matter, because they know a lot more than he does about international security and eastern European politics. And Mr Ryan is quite right to defer to Nphet when the health of the nation is at stake, because they know a lot more about it than he does. Mr O’Leary described Government policy on travel restric-
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tions as “arrant nonsense”. His contradictory stance on when to take expert advice is arrant hypocrisy. He is pleading a special case and, like everyone who does this, he sees the world through a filter that magnifies the problems of his own interest. In the course of that interview, Mr O’Leary declared that Ireland was the only EU country to which people from the rest of Europe could not freely travel . In fact, most countries impose some restrictions . Rules change by the day, but at the time Mr O’Leary was speaking, the Belgian government’s website made it clear that “non-essential travel to Belgium is prohibited for people who have their primary residence abroad.” And the Czech government insisted that “only Czech citizens and those with permanent or temporary residency may enter the Czech Republic’’. Canada was not only banning air travellers but had closed its land border
with the United States and the USA was insisting on sevendays quarantine for all visitors, including those from the UK. even if they had a negative Covid test. Some countries have softer restrictions than Ireland and many have more sensible restrictions. But the thrust of Mr O’Leary’s comments, that Ireland is some sort of strange outlier with the world’s toughest Covid regime, is just not true. I have heard this same suggestion from other special interest groups - publicans, restaurateurs, church leaders that Ireland has had the longest lockdown and is operating the strictest rules. Not true. Mr O’Leary also suggested that Ireland’s vaccination programme was falling behind. “We were up at the top for a while but now we’re sixteenth or seventeenth,” he told Newstalk. At the time Mr O’Leary was speaking, figures compiled by
CNN put Ireland fourth in the EU for the percentage of the population fully vaccinated, behind Malta, Hungary and Germany. The rate for most EU countries is pretty similar so this is no great triumph, but neither is it a failure. And, here again, Ireland is not an outlier. The success of the vaccine programme will open air travel soon and, in time, will grant the wishes of all the special interest groups. They have all suffered and I hope they make a successful recovery. But given the sacrifices everyone has made, we should not rush at the final fences. We have waited 15 months for a return to normality. Another month won’t kill us, but opening too fast just might. I like Michael O’Leary. I think he’s great at running an airline. But when it comes to guiding the country out of a pandemic I would, like Eamon Ryan, prefer to take my advice from Nphet.
June 01, 2021
| 07
08 |
June 01, 2021
End of lockdown in sight
Continued from front page
“It has been an incredibly tough year for the country,” Minister Donnelly told The Carlow People. “I know many people have struggled with their mental health and have been coping with loneliness and isolation. “But we should be extremely proud of the way the country has come together to take on this terrible disease. “It is really thanks to that collective effort that not only have we controlled the spread of COVID but actually managed to drive it down.” However, Minister Donnelly warned the public health guidelines will need to be followed over the coming weeks to prevent a spike in cases. “My job as Minister for Health is to be nervous, I’m going to be getting up every day looking at the number of cases and looking at the infection rates. “It is worth remembering nearly all of our cases now are the B117 variant with is much more contagious. “We are striking a balance between hope and caution.”
VISUAL Carlow opens for the Summer Season
VISUAL Carlow reopens its doors to the public on June 4 with what it describes as “a playful, subversive, thoughtprovoking, boundary-dissolving Summer Season - be inspired and challenged by great art, both inside and outside the VISUAL building.” Event lined up include: Woman in the Machine, cocreated by VISUAL and Carlow Arts Festival - takes over VISUAL, the behemoth former Braun factory, and digital platforms, features 50 original arts projects and the work of hundreds of artists. It will unfold through film, exhibitions, sound works, light installations, digital native events, a 360 virtual exhibition space, performances, talks and community engagement projects. Tickets for the experience at the former Braun site (June 11-13) are available to book at www.womaninthemachine. com. This ticket includes access the grounds of the former Braun site to experience the film 72 Hour Lost Weekend.The Braun
Archive (inset), as part of Woman in the Machine, will be in place at VISUAL all summer. Acknowledging the importance of the former Braun factory in Carlow town, and alongside the creative re-imagination of the building for Woman in the Machine in June, VISUAL and Carlow Arts Festival have undertaken to document and record this important build-
ing and site. VISUAL is opening this project up to the public and would love to hear the recollections of people who worked at Braun over the years. If you have stories or memorabilia from your time working at Braun, you are invited to come and share them. The material gathered will be retained by Carlow Library as a
Planning notices
GS
JOD
CARLOW COUNTY COUNCIL
Carlow County Council:
We Woodlawn Developments Ltd intend to apply for Retention Permission at Millrace, Burrin Road, Carlow, Co. Carlow previously permitted under planning reference no. 18/469. The development will consist of (1) alteration to Storm Drainage, (2) alteration to Foul Drainage, (3) alteration to Watermain, and all associated and ancillary development works. The planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the Planning Authority, Civic Offices, Athy Road, Carlow, during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee, €20, within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application, and such submissions or observations will be considered by the planning authority in making a decision on the application. The planning authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions, or may refuse to grant permission.
We Woodlawn Developments Ltd intend to apply for Planning Permission for the construction of 10 no. dwellings consisting of 3no. Three bed (2-storey) townhouses and 7no. four bed (2-storey) townhouses, connection to existing site services and vehicular access road, provision of landscaping and communal open space, boundary treatment works, and all associated and ancillary development works at Ard Bhile, Rathvilly, Co. Carlow. The planning application may be inspected, or purchased at a fee not exceeding the reasonable cost of making a copy, at the offices of the Planning Authority, Civic Offices, Athy Road, Carlow, during its public opening hours. A submission or observation in relation to the application may be made in writing to the planning authority on payment of the prescribed fee, €20, within the period of 5 weeks beginning on the date of receipt by the authority of the application, and such submissions or observations will be considered by the planning authority in making a decision on the application. The planning authority may grant permission subject to or without conditions, or may refuse to grant permission. Signed: Woodlawn Developments c/o Michael Fitzpatrick Architects MRIAI, Main Street, Butlersbridge, Co. Cavan. Tel: 049 4365800
Signed: Woodlawn Developments c/o Michael Fitzpatrick Architects MRIAI, Main Street, Butlersbridge, Co. Cavan. Tel: 049 4365800
permanent archive of Braun in Carlow. Sky Fold, a commission by architects Emmett Scanlon, Jeffrey Bolhuis and Laurence Lord (AP+E), brings the inside out and playfully dissolves parts of VISUAL’s exterior with mirrored surfaces, connecting with the natural world. In our Lobby Gallery, Wet Signal Voice Gardens is an online landscape, made by
Kari Robertson. Audiences are invited to press the big, red button and speak into the microphone. Their sounds are recorded, and the recording is transformed into a colourful shape with the form and characteristics determined by the pitch, length, and volume of the voice. CAre Bot, written and designed by Caroline Sinders and programmed by Alex Fefegha of Comuzi, will be online at www.visualcarlow.ie. Sustainment Experiments: The Plot by Deirdre O’Mahony and VISUAL has been planted outside VISUAL to inspire and change cultural attitudes to farming and climate change. Making Kin – Imagining Bodies (pictured) of the Future imagines future bodies. If we were part machine, part human, part mushroom and part butterfly, what could we do?! Visit www.visualcarlow. ie to book your tickets in advance and learn how VISUAL is ensuring your visit is safe as possible.
| 09
June 01, 2021
Sarah and Rachel want you to climb for Barretstown
learning works
ONLINE SKILLS FOR EVERYDAY LIFE BUILD YOUR CAPACITY, BE CONNECTED AND BECOME COMPUTER CONFIDENT Would you like to learn more about the internet and learn how to access and use websites which are now part of everyday life? FREE part-time courses will be offered onsite in Kilkenny. Adults interested in participating in this short course will have an option to start in June, August, September, October, November or December 2021.
Carlow natives and Barretstown campers Sarah and Rachel Bello (14) are calling on the people of Carlow to take part in the Climb Every Mountain Challenge in aid of children’s charity Barretstown. Barretstown offers free, specially designed camps and programmes for children and their families living with a serious illness. The Climb Every Mountain Challenge asks supporters to climb a mountain for Barretstown during the months of May and June,
as an individual, team or a company. Climbers have a choice of mountains, ranging in height so there is something for all ages and fitness abilities. Participants can pick a target mountain or distance within their own county, taking the challenge outside. Alternatively, climbing that mountain can also be achieved virtually in the comfort of one’s home, apartment block, office building. Due to the Covid-19 crisis the charity has had to cancel or postpone all of its key
Brewing firm calls for more cider supports Carlow Brewing Company, which makes Craigies Cider and Falling Apple Cider, is calling on the Government to extend the excise relief, currently enjoyed by craft brewers, to craft cider producers. The excise relief will enable further investment in the sector with the aim of replicating the expansion that the craft beer industry saw over the past 15 years. The call comes from Drinks Ireland|Cider, the representative voice for the cider industry in Ireland, of which Carlow Brewing Company is a member, as it launches its annual Cider Market Report. The report shows that there was an 11.3% fall in total cider sales last year because of the Covid-19 pandemic. The report found that the rolling lockdowns on hospitality venues in Ireland increased cider purchases in the retail sector, but this was not enough to offset the loss of cider sales in pubs, restaurants, and hotels.
Typically, around 45% of cider purchases are in the on-trade, with 55% in the off-trade. However, in 2020 just 16% of cider was sold in the on-trade, with 84% of sales in the offtrade, illustrating the massive shift in purchasing patterns. The Covid impact on cider, which is heavily reliant on the on-trade, meant that its market share of alcohol beverages fell from 7.4% in 2019 to 6.9% in 2020. The report also found that the value of cider exports declined last year by 2.7% to €58.2 million. About 90% of cider exports go to the United Kingdom, and other export destinations include the US, Australia, New Zealand, and France. The report also highlighted that Ireland has the third highest excise rate on cider in Europe, after Finland and Sweden. Over the past ten years, more than €.5bn worth of excise receipts has been collected from cider sales in Ireland.
fundraising initiatives. These events provide crucial income for Barretstown which relies on the public to provide 98% of the funds that make their work possible. As a result, in 2020 the charity suffered an income shortfall of €1,000,000 but still managed to serve 6,915 children and family members. However, there are still over 10,700 children and family members waiting to be served through Barretstown’s traditional in person programmes and this is why they are raising much needed funds.
Young hit hardest by pandemic
The Covid-19 pandemic has had a disproportionate impact on children and young people living in disadvantaged communities, according to a new report from the Irish Youth Foundation. Research by Amárach found 80% of youth workers surveyed said the pandemic would have a profound long-term impact on the mental health of the young people they were supporting. The Generation Pandemic report includes interviews with young people, with a survey of more than 310 youth workers, representing services to 35,000 young people. It highlights how some of them believe they have fallen behind in school or disengaged. Mental health is also a concern for the young people who were interviewed for the IYF report. The Chief Executive of the IYF, Lucy Masterson, said the most “frightening” aspect of the report is the mental health fallout. The youth workers and young people surveyed suggested solutions that were incorporated into the Generation Pandemic report.
n
Beginners Programme 16 hours part-time over a two-week period
n
Intermediate Programme 8 hours part-time over a one-week period
For further information, please contact: Siobhan O’Brien in the Community Education Service, Kilkenny and Carlow ETB, Tel: 056 778 6896 or Email: siobhan.obrien@kilkennycarlowetb.ie All onsite programme delivery will be in line with COVID-19 public health and safety guidelines. Provision co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union. Có-mhaoinithe ag an
AONTAS EORPACH Co-funded by the
EUROPEAN UNION
European Union Investing in your future European Social Fund
An Roinn Breisoideachais agus Ardoideachais, Taighde, Nuálaíochta agus Eolaíochta Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
A number of Kilkenny and Carlow ETB Further Education and Training programmes are co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union.
10 | WILDLIFE
with Justin Ivory
Heavenly Hummingbirds
Hummingbird Hawk-moth – a blur of wings! (Photo Justin Ivory) As we head into June and the weather is finally heating up, it’s time to keep an eye out for Hummingbirds. Hummingbirds in Ireland! You’ve got to be kidding! Well yes and no is the answer. These particular aeronautical masters are not birds at all but one of the coolest, most amazing insects you are likely to encounter in Ireland. They are in fact Hummingbird Hawk-moths (Macroglossum stellatarum). This day flying moth resembles a hummingbird as it hovers with an audible hum in front of flowers feeding on the nectar with its long tongue or more correctly proboscis. It is particularly fond of Red Valerian, Buddleia, Honeysuckle, thistles and many other plant species. They have greyish forewings and orange hindwings, the lower half of the body has a distinctive black and white striped pattern. The wings flutter so quickly that it appears to look orange. This fascinating moth likes to fly during the day, particularly in bright sunshine, but will also be seen flying at dawn and dusk, and sometimes even in the rain. Studies have shown that they often return to feed at the same patch of flowers at around the same time each day, a behaviour known as trap-line. As well as behavioural clues, it is also instantly recognisable from its orange hind wings, and black and white chequered pattern on the abdomen. The Hummingbird Hawkmoth is an irregular annual migrant to Britain and Ireland from southern Europe in varying numbers. They can be found in gardens, dry rocky grassland at coastal locations and a variety of other habitats. The food plant for their caterpillars tends to be the various species of bedstraw. The female moths lay their eggs on the buds or flowers of these plant species.
Hummingbird Hawk-moth feeding (Photo Justin Ivory)
June 01, 2021
ninenottomiss book of the week
TV of the week
HOROSCOPES
series of the week
Irish Customs and Rituals Marion McGarry
euros 2021 Friday June 11, 8.00pm (RTE/BBC)
Halston Netflix now
FROM the author of The Irish Cottage comes a new book, exploring old Irish customs and beliefs. Chapters focus on the quarter-day festivities that marked the commencement of each season: ‘Spring: Imbolc’; ‘Summer: Bealtaine’; ‘Autumn: Lughnasa’ and ‘Winter: Samhain’, and also major life events – ‘Births, Marriages and Death Customs’ – and general beliefs in ‘Spirituality and Well-Being’ and ‘The Supernatural’. Focusing on the period from the mid-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries, Irish Customs and Rituals discusses a time during which many of the practices and beliefs in question went into decline.
Turkey vs Italy is the first game in an already forgettable kickabout. But we can always dream . . . that half-full stadiums will buzz with the echoes of times gone by when we had entertaining hacks in the studio like Eamo and Giles and . . . okay, enough moaning. Anyway, if the sense of schadenfreude wasn’t enough for you as the Brits took a bash at this year’s Eurovision, then their first game is on Sunday, June 13 against Croatia. Come on Croatia! Otherwise, we can cheer for Slovakia, Sweden and Poland, because they should have been playing in Dublin. Moan. Pass the beer.
Focusing on the fading glamour of New York in the 1970s and early 1980s, this series about the hedonistic fashion designer Roy Halston Frowick, more often known simply as Halston is a flurry of Andy Warhol Polaroids, cocaine blizzards, sunglasses at night, disco dancing, pill popping, bed hopping and general debauched antics. Ewan McGregor takes on the role of the charismatic chain-smoking designer, with Krysta Rodriguez playing young Liza Minnelli and the Culkin brother Rory as manabout-town director Joel Schumacher.
wine of the week
event of the week
doc of the week
AriesManage practical expenses and payments with shared accounts. Discuss priorities, and make sure you’re on the same page. TaurusSupport your partner and be supported. Strengthen your collaboration by keeping your side of the bargain. Share results and new tricks. GeminiFocus on immediate actions to handle urgencies. Communications issued now go the distance with longlasting results. CancerSet duties and responsibilities aside for a bit, and go have fun. Plan an adventure with someone beloved. LeoThe gentle approach works best at home with family. Make improvements after figuring out what’s wanted and needed.
Porta 6 O’Briens, €10 (from €12.95)
Invented: Family Music Workshops ark.ie/events/view/cruinniu-invented-workshop
IF, as so many of us have, you have been dreaming about sunnier climes and the warm zephyrs of places like Portugal, then this stunning red might be as close as you are going to get — if sleepy Eamon Ryan doesn’t get his finger out. The grapes for Porta 6 are grown in the vineyards around Lisbon where red grapes thrive, the winemaking team at the family owned Vidigal Wines work with traditional Portuguese varieties to make this modern style blend which is popular with customers and staff alike. Porta 6 is smooth and balanced with red and wild berry notes and a fruit-filled zing.
Musicians from the wonderful Crash Ensemble lead children aged 6+, along with their grown-ups, in this fun music-making adventure to invent new instruments and sounds together. Join in and discover how you can create your own music from scratch and become an instant family band at home. During the live online workshop, you’ll get to invent new crazy instruments using whatever you can find at home - everything from a clothes peg to a salt shaker could make an interesting sound and be the instrument you invent. Saturday, 12 June, 2021
album of the week
charity of the week
the sons of sam Netflix now ANOTHER historical murder case exhumed by Netflix, this time the true-crime story surrounding the Son of Sam murders, postal worker David Berkowitz’s seemingly random rampage in New York in the late 1970s, during which he killed six people. Berkowitz and his bizarre defence that his neighbour’s Labrador had ordered him to commit the crimes has been a source of fascination throughout pop culture, from Spike Lee’s Summer of Sam to Seinfeld and Netflix’s own Mindhunter, but this documentary delves deeper into some of Berkowitz’s other curious claims.
podcast of the week
VirgoImpracticalities and foundational weakness become apparent. Once the message is polished and approvals are complete, share it far and wide. LibraMove quickly to catch a profitable windfall. Compute expenses, and provide excellent service. Emotions could affect your workplace. ScorpioUse your power responsibly. You don’t want to run over anyone. Keep a diplomatic tone as you advance a personal project. Sagittarius-
Peaceful settings soothe your spirit. You’re especially sensitive. Alternate between physical exercise and quiet reverie. CapricornResolve structural breakdowns with teams and committees. Confer with allies, and keep communication channels open.
endless arcade Teenage Fanclub
childline 5k run popupraces.ie/race/childline-5k-virtual-run/
the big tech show Adrian Weckler/ Independent.ie podcasts
ENDLESS Arcade’s first single, Everything Is Falling Apart, perfectly summed up the situation Teenage Fanclub found themselves in even before Covid-19, as members left. Beloved by Kurt Cobain during their grungier years, Teenage Fanclub have been responsible for some memorable love songs with harmonies that gave you goosebumps. So as we ease into summer, if it’s three-part harmonies, breezy major-key melodies, and dreamy, lovesick lyrics, then the Scottish bands 11th album is the one for you.
Childline volunteers in Dublin are calling on individuals, families, clubs and communities to join them this summer in conquering the ‘Way to 5K’ challenge and help make a vital difference in children’s lives. The team who give of their free time every week to listening to children and young people from the service’s city centre unit are keen to get as many people as possible out walking, jogging, running or wheeling their way to 5K on Saturday July 31st to help raise funds for the service.
IS the gig economy a dystopian modern sweatshop or a new flexible way of working that gives people more control over their lives? In a recent episode, tech guru Adrian Weckler discusses the issue with John Ryan, the founder of Gigable. Gigable connects restaurants to freelance delivery drivers — it has over 2,000 drivers on its books. John Ryan says that the gig economy has unfairly earned a bad rap; done right, he says, it can be the answer to what a lot people need.
AquariusConsider professional assignments and opportunities. A challenge or competition requires dedication. PiscesGet adventurous. Get out and explore a curious subject. Can you mix business with pleasure? Enjoy classes, conferences and workshops.
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opinion&comment
The great Dylan at 80
S
o the legend that is Bob Dylan is turning 80 on 24 May. A great age for a great man who continues to record and tour, 60 years into his
career. The first Bob Dylan album I bought was 1983’s ‘Infidels’. I was 14 and fed up with the pap being forced on me by Top of the Pops; I wanted something deeper. The record instantly impressed me and was the onboarding point for a lifetime spent admiring Dylan’s music. That’s not to say that I haven’t had my ups and downs with Bob. As the owner of copies of all 39 of his studio albums (39 albums in 60 years is a strike rate of oneevery 1.5 years, a ratio any Premier League striker would gladly take!), along with many of the live albums, box sets, compilation albums and archive releases, there is plenty of material in the canon that I
don’t like. As for seeing him live – which I have eight times – well, all I can say is that he has good days and bad, with the good being religious and the bad being … well, let’s just say forgettable. Talking of religion, 1983’s ‘Infidels’ was Dylan’s first proper rock album since 1978’s ‘Street Legal’. Having become a born-again Christian in the late 1970’s, he took a detour into contemporary gospel music (the trio of albums ‘Slow Train Coming’, ‘Saved’ and ‘Shot Of Love’). Thankfully he came out of it; the religion was always in the music and vice versa, no need to look anywhere else. Dylan’s gospel detour wasn’t the only one he would take musically. In the early 1990’s he detoured into traditional folk songs on the albums ‘Good As I Been To You’ and ‘World Gone Wrong’. More recently, between 2012’s ‘Tempest’ and 2020’s ‘Rough & Rowdy Ways’, he made a series of albums based on the Great American Songbook (‘Shadows
In The Night’, ‘Fallen Angels’ and ‘Triplicate’; they put Rod Stewart’s attempts at the same thing to shame). Then there was the Christmas
album; let’s just say it wasn’t every fans cup of tea (my children like it, though). Dylan’s relationships have been well documented. From
early girlfriends like Suze Rotolo and Joan Baez to his decadelong marriage to Sara Lowndes, his relationships provided Dylan with the inspiration for some of his best material. Dylan has returned the favour – if ever there was a better song written about a former lover than Joan Baez’s ’Diamonds and Rust’ then I haven’t heard it. Dylan is growing old gracefully. The half dozen albums of original material he has released since 1997 – ‘Time Out Of Mind’, ‘Love & Theft’, ‘Together Through Life’, ‘Modern Times’, ‘Tempest’ and ‘’ough & Rowdy Ways’ have been his most consistent run of studio work since his 1960’s heyday. Hopefully there is more to come. As for touring, his Never Ending Tour (which commenced in 1988) was ended by the Covid-19 pandemic, and perhaps he should call time on his time on the road to devote his remaining years to his studio work and writing. Dylan’s legacy is intact for
eternity. The music will live on. Albums like ‘Blonde On Blonde’, ‘Highway 61 Revisited’, ‘Blood On The Tracks’ and ‘The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan’ will inhabit every self-respecting list of greatest albums for generations to come. The legend will live on, not just through the music but through other sources – Scorsese’s 2005 film ‘No Direction Home’, a definitive take on Dylan, and Larry ‘Ratso’ Sloman’s ‘On The Road With Bob Dylan’ book, surely the best book ever written by a rock journalist, to name two. Dylan is and always will be an enigma, no matter how much fans and scholars think they know about him. With 100 million records sold, a Nobel Prize on top of a myriad array of other awards, parallel careers as actor, writer, painter and radio host, Dylan has had a rich and fulfilling life, and has enriched and fulfilled ours. Rock on, Bob. - Brian Quigley
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We take a look back at extracts from old newspapers to see what was in the news this month in years gone by
Irish Press 13/05/1968
Dublin Police Freemans Jrn 09/05/1851
Freemans Jrn 21/05/1825
Freemans Jrn , 07/05/1829
Sun. Ind , 20/05/1934
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carlowpeople.ie June 01, 2021