Carlow People 1-6-2020 by Voice Media

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November 19, 2019 June 1, 2020

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Water warning as dry spells looms

HOUSEHOLDERS across the county have been asked to save water as the country heads into another prolonged dry spell. Families have been asked not to waste water by filling paddling pools and using powerwashers, and warned that any pool that needs to be filled with a hose should be banned from households. Irish Water says supplies across the country are ‘under pressure’ due to an increase

in use during the Covid-19 pandemic. With most people now spending the majority of their time at home, domestic water use has soared by 20%. The utility is pleading with people to cut back on water use, warning it will consider a hosepipe ban if necessary. Irish Water has revealed that domestic water has seen an average increase of 24 litres person every day – a 20%

increase from February. While non-domestic consumptions has fallen following the closure of nonessential facilities nationwide, domestic demand represents two-thirds of Irish Water’s business, meaning water supplies are still under pressure. The company said this strain will be heightened in the coming summer months if the country experiences low levels of rainfall and

sustained dry weather. Given the dry conditions in March, April and May, and the short to medium term forecast, Irish Water’s Water Scarcity Group has been put on notice in anticipation of any future shortages. A hosepipe ban was previously implemented during the summer of 2018. There are tips on how to conserve water in your home at www.water.ie/conservation/.

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Martina Slattery, Clinical Nurse Manager from Our Lady’s Hospice & Care Services, at tha launch of ‘Share the Sunshine’ as Hospice Sunflower Days annual street collection goes virtual - www.togetherforhospice.ie. Pic: Bryan Brophy

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COVID-19 OUTBREAK Don’#t forget to wash your hands

June 1, 2020

Free food! If you grow it Bestselling cookbook author Susan Jane White and her sons Benjamin (10) and Marty (8) launching the Energia Get Ireland Growing initiative. Photo by Leon Farrell

Calling all gardeners ... it is now the time to put your green fingers to the test and try to grow some of your own food. Energia has partnered with not-for-profit social enterprise GIY, to give away 1,000 large GROWBoxes to people across the nation to Get Ireland Growing and help power a more sustainable future. As well as the herb and vegetable seeds, the GROWBox also includes a bag of Irish Wildflower Beebombs which help recreate bee habitats and are

vital to help the threatened species survive. All people need to do is fill out a simple registration form before June 19 at getirelandgrowing.ie to go in the draw for one of the 1,000 free GROWBoxes and Energia and GIY will help support the seed growing journey with an array of tips and tricks. Meanwhile, Mick Kelly, founder of GIY, said: “Growing even a small amount of your own food can have a profound impact and inspire healthier and more sustainable food choices.”

The Get Ireland Growing GROWBox contains all you need to get growing straight away. It’s got loads of seeds, pots and a compost block with easy-to-digest resources to make it all straightforward. Contents include: 5 x seed packs: beetroot, carrot, peas, mixed oriental greens and basil 1 x hessian bag of Irish Wildflower Beebombs (15/ bag) Compost Fibre seed trays Rice husk pots Get Ireland Growing tips and recipe cards

Trocaire wants its boxes back

Trocaire has made an urgent appeal for supporters to return donations from their Trócaire boxes online or over the phone as it faces a 60% drop in revenues for its Lenten Appeal. The charity’s biggest fundraising campaign has been severely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, with supporters unable to return their Trócaire boxes due to ongoing restrictions. Two-thirds of this money comes from Trócaire boxes distributed through parishes and schools and due to travel and social restrictions, this means most boxes have not been returned this year. Trócaire warned that unless donations from the boxes are returned, it is facing a massive funding crisis that will impact directly on the three million people who rely on its work overseas. How to return your Trócaire box donation: Simply count or estimate what is in your box and donate now in one of these four easy ways: Online at trocaire.org, over the phone at 1850 408 408 (ROI) or by post to Trócaire, Freepost, Maynooth, Co. Kildare.

90% of childcare services plan to stay shut Parents in the county are facing into a childcare crisis after a survey found up to 90% of creches and childcare facilities have no plans to reopen when allowed to do so during the easing of Covid-19 restrictions. The re-opening of childcare facilities was part of phase three of the Government’s phased resumption of the country and was due to come into action on June 29. However, a survey carried out by the Federation of Early Childhood Providers found only one-in-ten providers who responded said they would open on that date. 609 childcare facilities nationwide took part in the survey. It found 60% of respondents will definitely not reopen at the commencement of phase three, 28% of those surveyed were unsure if they would reopen, and just 12% said they would reopen as part of the Government’s planned resumption. The survey found almost all of the respondents (98.5%) felt there was a “lack of clear guidance” from the Government adding to their

scepticism in regards returning to work. While 60% of those surveyed said none of their staff were agreeing to return to work on June 29 for varying reasons. Speaking on Newstalk, chair of the Federation of Early Childhood Providers, Elaine Dunne said people in the industry feel their concerns in regards resuming their services in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic are not being heard. Ms Dunne explained those providing the care have received: “No guidance whatsoever from anyone. “You’ve got three and a half weeks to get everything ready - we’ve no money to do it, so we have to make changes to services. “There’s no money, nobody’s giving us any funding. We have said, and we have been screaming from the rooftops about sustainability well before even the COVID hit Ireland.” “There’s no meaningful consultation with the providers at all on the ground, and nobody is listening. “Without having amenable consultation with providers on the ground, it’s just not going to work,” Ms Dunne concluded.

Restart grant now available for firms

Applications for the Government-backed Restart Grant Scheme for businesses are now open. Under the €250m scheme, micros and small businesses can apply for grants of between €2,000 and €10,000 to get their businesses up-and-running again. The scheme is being administered by the local authority and grant applications can be made online through the council’s website. Announced by Minister for Business, Enterprise

and Innovation, Heather Humphreys TD, she said the Restart Grant is aimed at helping micro and small businesses with the costs associated with reopening and reemploying workers following COVID-19 closures. Eligible businesses who have stayed open throughout the crisis, as well as those who are reopening under Phase 1 (from May 18) and Phase 2 (June 8) of the Government’s Roadmap for Reopening Society and Business, are encouraged to apply now for the Restart Grant.

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June 1, 2020

Conmen target the crisis

Several new online scams have surfaced as con-merchants try to take advantage of the Covid-19 crisis. People have been offered face masks, gloves and hand sanitiser from dodgy or nonexistent companies. One scam even offers a cure for the virus. Another scam on the increase involves messages claiming to be from courier companies looking for account details. Typically the intended victim will receive an email that claims they are due a package which couldn’t be delivered as “delivery address provided for this parcel is incomplete, and we require further details to make delivery”. Victims are told they will have to pay for “scheduling a new delivery” and asked to to submit credit or debit card details. The scamming email will be designed to look as if it comes from a legitimate courier company or even from An Post. Another scam involves ‘Microsoft quarantine’. It tells intended victims that several emails addressed to them are being withheld by “Microsoft quarantine”, due to an “internal mail error”.

Jack Macfarlane and his sister Emma who launched Enable Ireland’s Wheel 100 fundraising campaign. Pic: Gerard McCarthy

Enable Ireland’s wheelie good idea

Enable Ireland is asking the people of the county to take part in its Wheel 100 Challenge next month. The challenge encourages participants to wheel 100 times in their own way and raise vital funds for the charity - either cycle, skate, wheel, scoot, push a walker or buggy! It’s up to you whether you do 100 laps in your garden, 100m near your home or 100 km within your local area. “We’re really excited to launch this challenge and we’re hoping people will have fun taking part,” Enable Ireland Board Member Diarmuid Duggan, who is a

wheelchair user, said. “The idea is that you don your wheels whether it’s a bike, scooter, wheelchair or roller skates and wheel 100 times. You could do 100 laps of your park or 100km locally over the course of the month.” Like many charities, Enable Ireland has been significantly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. “With fundraising events cancelled and our 21 charity shops closed we are facing a loss of up to €1.5million in funding,” Enable Ireland CEO John O’Sullivan said. “Now more than ever, we need the public’s support to continue to provide our vital

Minister: Hard to see all pupils back in school

services to 8,500 children and adults across Ireland.” The charity is encouraging families, sports enthusiasts, cycle clubs and anyone with a set of wheels to take part in this digital fundraising challenge. A virtual ‘Wheel 100 Champions Wall’ for those who raise the most funds will be added to the Enable Ireland website www.enableireland.ie/wheel100. If you would like to take on the Wheel 100 challenge and help raise vital funds for Enable Ireland, phone Trudy on 087 6868333 or email wheel100@enableireland.ie to sign up.

Minister for Education Joe McHugh said it is hard to see all students being back at school in September if the two-metre social distancing rule remains in place. Mr McHugh told RTÉ the Department of Education will publish a roadmap for the reopening of schools in two weeks’ time. He said while it is his mission to ensure as many students as possible can return to class, he warned that the two-metre rule would make that difficult. Schools are due to reopen on a phased basis in late August or early September according to the Government’s roadmap for the gradual lifting of Covid-19 restrictions. A blended learning approach, with students alternating between lessons at school and home, is among the options being discussed for the next school year. The education of children cannot be put on hold, Mr McHugh said, and public health officials are examining international comparisons to see how

the situation is being handled. Mr McHugh added that efforts to open a summer programme for those with special needs are also under way. Meanwhile, aurvey from children’s charity Barnardos has found that Irish kids are missing friends and school, while also worrying for the health of their older family members during the pandemic. Barnardos’ family survey of 2,683 respondents found that 84% of children miss their friends, 68% miss school, 53% are having more difficulty with their bedtime routine, and 38% are experiencing more tantrums and outbursts. The findings suggest that those parenting alone, and those with children under the age of ten, reported feeling the most pressure of the Covid-19 restrictions. One parent commented: “As a single parent I feel judged when leaving my house with the children.” Parents reported less sleep (one in three), less exercise (one in three), and worrying about the health of family members

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said the Government is not considering cutting the €350 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) for someone who was working full-time on minimum wage before the Covid-19 emergency. He confirmed in the Dáil that the support payments would continue beyond June 8 and the Government would probably decide next week on the duration of the extension. Opposition TDs had called for details of the plan for social protection payments ahead of a vote tomorrow on proposed revised spending estimates for the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. The department is expected to reach its 2020 spending limit early next month due to additional emergency expenditure. Mr Varadkar said the

unintended consequence of part-time workers now receiving more than the weekly €200 wage they earned before the coronavirus was not sustainable. Meanwhile, the Restaurants Ireland Association of has warned of a potential “avalanche” of redundancy claims, when certain laid-off employees with no prospect of work will regain the legal right to demand to be made redundant - including the redundancy lump sums. However, RTÉ reports that the Government is almost certain to extend the suspension of those rights, to avoid the burden of paying out so many lump sums simultaneously - potentially putting some employers out of business, and placing huge strain on the state’s Social Insurance Fund. Normally, under Section 12 of

the Redundancy Payments Act 1967, a worker who has been laid off or put on short time can apply to have that layoff converted to a redundancy by notifying the employer in writing of the intention to claim redundancy payment in respect of lay-off or short time. The right to convert to redundancy arises where workers have either been laid off or kept on short-time for at least four consecutive weeks, or where they have been laid off or kept on short-time for six or more weeks. There were serious concerns at the time that paying out so many redundancy lump sums simultaneously might not only push many firms out of business entirely, but would also place a huge strain on the State’s Social Insurance Fund, which delivers statutory redundancy payments where employers cannot.

Covid-19 €350 payment to stay beyond June 8

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June 1, 2020

insideback

What I’d like to banish with the virus

he Parting Glass is one of my favourite songs, but I would be happy not to hear it again for a couple of years. A similar moratorium on ‘the new normal’ would be welcome and I would be delighted never again to hear someone declare that ‘we’re all in this together’ . I am bored with lockdown but, what the hell, there are worse things than boredom. However, I am sick to the teeth of the sights and sounds of lockdown that pour at me from every radio station, television channel and social media outlet. I don’t want to know how to make a face mask from somebody’s old knickers (what if somebody wants them back?) and I’ve no interest in watching anyone run a marathon in their back garden. I’ve never watched a real marathon from start to finish, but at least with a real one the background scenery will change. And what’s with all these ‘cooking for idiots’ programmes that tell us how to knock up a ‘sumptuous meal’ in

Two common carder bees on Knapweed by Michael Keating during iodiversity week recently

Michael Wolsey

ten minutes? I came across one the other day where a guy was explaining how to make beans on toast. I’m not kidding. Beans on toast! Open a tin of beans and put them on toasted bread. World’s shortest cookery programme. Well OK, they were posh beans on toast, but that’s no excuse. Lots of us are stuck at home with time on our hands. What we need is ‘how to make a sumptuous meal that is really complicated and will take hours to prepare’. You may never get the chance again.

I really don’t want to hear any more messages sent by kids to their locked-down grandparents. They are often touching and lovely but they are personal and should stay that way. And I don’t want to see any more stones painted with inspiring messages and smiling faces. Indeed, around here there is hardly room for any more, since

every house (except mine ... bah, humbug!) seems to have its pathways blocked and its gateposts crowned with them. I don’t want to hear any more would-be poets reciting doggerel on the radio (‘there was a young fellow called Cyrus/ who feared he’d developed a virus’) or watch any more of the ancient comedy shows several

channels seem to be running on a loop. If I want comedy, I can tune into one of Donald Trump’s news conferences. I have been reading The Mirror and the Light, the final book in Hilary Mantel’s trilogy about Henry VIII and his counsellor Thomas Cromwell, and I am struck by the similarities between Henry and Donald Trump. Like the US president, Henry was a large man who ran to fat in his later years. Like Trump, he only took the advice that suited him and blamed the unfortunate advisors when things went wrong. At least Trump only sacks them, Henry had them beheaded. The men share an ability to declare a blatant lie to be fact, browbeat their officials into agreement, and then convince themselves that the lie was true all along and that anyone who denies this is motivated by personal animosity. Henry advanced the lie that his marriage to his first wife, Katherine, was not legitimate, although they had been together for more than 20 years and had

a daughter, and that his second wife, Anne, had affairs with several men, including her own brother, although there was not a scintilla of evidence for this shocking claim. He forced his ministers and counsellors to support both claims and, in the end, seemed to believe them himself and to be convinced that anyone who thought otherwise was guilty of treason. In the same way, Donald Trump has advanced claims that America, which has the worst figures for Covid-19 infection, is a shining example to the world and that his response of delay and denial has somehow saved thousands of lives. His advisers, and political subservients like Mike Pence, have been obliged to agree and I suspect the president now really believes these lies to be true and that those who dispute them only want to hurt him. This from the man who believes it might be possible to beat the Covid virus by injecting bleach or taking an anti-malaria pill. Who needs old comedies when the sickest old joke since 1510 is resident in the White House?

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June 1, 2020

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June 1, 2020

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June 1, 2020

Update on Available Supports to business and Information on Upcoming Webinars To reserve places on the webinars contact us on 053 919 6020 info@leo.wexfordcoco.ie LEO is here to support businesses during COVID-19 Our 31 Local Enterprise Offices have responded to COVID-19 by adapting many of their business supports so they can be availed of remotely. For information on the supports available, go to http://localenterprise.ie/response If you want to be kept updated over the coming weeks on changes and supports available go to https://www.localenterprise.ie/Wexford scroll down the page and enter your details into the sign up box.

Update on Covid-19 supports available:

Business Continuity Vouchers which are worth €2,500 can be used by companies and sole traders to develop short-term and long-term strategies to respond to the Covid-19 pandemic. Micro Finance Ireland Covid 19 Loans The Covid-19 Business Loan from Microfinance Ireland is a Government-funded initiative to support small businesses through the current period of uncertainty, aimed at protecting jobs and allowing businesses to continue to trade. If your business has less than 10 employees and you have been impacted by Covid-19 and cannot secure bank finance, the MFI Covid19 Business Loan may be an alternative funding solution. The first 6 months are interest free and a moratorium on repayments for 6 months. For further Information please email: info@leo.wexfordcoco.ie. Please note that applying through your Local Enterprise Office entitles you to a reduction in the interest rate on your loan. Terms and conditions apply. Mentoring. Clients work with an experienced mentor to identify solutions to areas of exposure within their business. With advice and guidance from their mentor, clients develop strategies that are more robust, which address issues and maximise potential opportunities around Covid-19 challenges. Trading Online Voucher Scheme. This scheme is a matched-funding opportunity with up to €2,500 available and funding can be used towards eligible costs such as digital marketing strategies, e-commerce websites or app development.

TRAINING For the week of Monday 12th April Sign up at https://www.localenterprise.ie/Wexford Creating Online Opportunities for Business 15/04/2020

The Coronavirus is affecting business and consumer behaviour on a massive scale and we know that businesses are under threat and experts are predicting changes across industries. But, this is also likely to boost digital media platforms as people have to now spend more time at home and are using online platforms to communicate with friends and loved ones. This online course will help participants to create online opportunities using online platforms for customer engagement, interaction and sales. Trainers: Fiona McGuire, Join The Dots Online Venue: Online Date: 15/04/2020 Time: 09:30 - 13:00

Smart Sales and Marketing Beyond Challenges 16/04/2020

This workshop will support and help business owners/managers to adapt their sales and marketing efforts now in a way that will help their business to grow and reach their ideal clients post COVID-19. The items for focus will include and may not be limited to the following: Smart sales and marketing assessment The online value Recession proof revenue routes Market diversification The new sales pitch Growth strategy beyond COVID-19 Your revised sales and marketing strategy Workshop and business practicals will be included in real time Trainers: Mags Boland, Bofin Consultancy

IMPORTANT CHANGES TO TRADING ONLINE VOUCHER up to €2,500 grant available

Important chances have now been made to the trading online voucher to facilitate businesses strengthening their online presence during this time of uncertainty. The previous requirement of 50% equal spend to received the voucher has now been reduced to to 10%. You can now use the voucher for subscriptions to low cost online retail platforms in order to setup your online shop. For those who have already received a voucher they may now apply for a second if they require to upgrade the ecommerce capacity of their website.

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opinion&comment

Africa Rising needs your help

ew corners of the world have escaped the devastation of Covid-19. One of the biggest mistruths about the rogue microbe is that it treats all its victims equally, discriminating nowhere. While people of all backgrounds and dispositions are hit by Covid-19, it is those souls in the lower socio-economic brackets who, with the elderly, are among the majority falling foul of this wretched virus. This is true of the statistics evident in the UK and the US. Likewise, on the continent of Africa. The coronavirus does not treat us all the same, neither medically, nor economically, socially nor psychologically. If anything, it exacerbates pre-existing conditions of inequality wherever it arrives. Social — sorry, physical — isolation does not enter the equation when it comes to the 250,000 living in squalor in the

Paul Hopkins

slum that is Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya which I spent time in not long ago. As if the pandemic was not enough, another major crisis is looming in East Africa, where massive swarms of locusts are devouring entire fields of crops in minutes — putting millions at risk of alarming food shortages, in Kenya, Somalia and Ethiopia, the worst crisis in 25 years.

Locust swarms will grow up to 500 times their size by the end of June if sufficient measures to tackle them are not taken. Many communities were just beginning to recover from recent intense climatic shocks of droughts and floods, and now their livelihoods are under threat again, along with the curse of Covid-19. Globally — where one in nine people will go to bed tonight hungry — an overhaul of the world’s food and health systems is needed to tackle malnutrition, a “threat multiplier” that is now the leading cause of ill health and deaths globally, according to new analysis. The Global Nutrition Report 2020 finds that most people across the world cannot access or afford healthy food, due to agricultural systems that favour calories over nutrition as well as the ubiquity and low cost of highly processed foods. Inequalities exist across and within countries, it says. One in nine people hungry, or

820 million people worldwide, the report finds. The stated vision of Glenisk, the 30-year-old Irish food producer, is for an organic society, where the future health and wellbeing of all children is assured. Glenisk has just launched the next phase of its charity and sustainability focused initiative, One Million Trees, for SelfHelp Africa, along with your local SuperValu. The result of the initiative, which runs until June 10th, will see more than one million trees planted in 2020, in both Ireland and sub-Saharan Africa. You can play your part in supporting the fight against climate change while also supporting local Irish businesses by simply choosing a pot of Glenisk yoghurt when you next visit your local branch. One pot equals €1 going to the initiative. One Million Trees will see 100,000 native trees planted in Ireland and 1,000,000 trees planted in sub-Saharan Africa. How will planting trees help, you may well ask. The trees help those living in harsh cli-

mates by providing shade, shelter, food, fertiliser and income. By participating in this venture, you are helping to reduce carbon and combat poverty. Just one mango tree can change a life, so imagine what one million trees could do. The single greatest attribute I have seen in African people in my years of travelling throughout its sub-Saharan countries is their determined entrepreneurship. From shanty town to crossroads, from factory floor to boardroom, they have pulled themselves up by the shoestrings and just got on with it. The young African today is an educated one and it is that and the (new) work ethic that is bringing about ‘The Africa Rising’. That is until Covid-19 and locusts and climate change and global inequality reared their ugly heads again. Nowhere was this ‘self-help’ more evident than while visiting a small, co-operative spice and fruit farm in BuBubu on the island of Zanzibar a while back. As I mounted the bus to

return me to Stone Town, the most beautiful African child appeared before me begging the accidental tourist for money, anything. As she stood in the warm but torrential short cloudburst, I asked her bigger brother could I take her photograph. He goaded her into obliging. And then she lingered, staring at me, the rain like dew on her sun-drenched skin. I only remembered my manners just as the bus door began to close. I put a five dollar bill out to her. She hesitated, then took what she had earned, and, as we pulled off to shouts of glee, her face lit up with the most unimaginable joy. Five dollars won’t buy you or I much but for this young girl in a blue kanga, pregnant with hope, it was a wage honestly earned. All I’m asking of you now is to spend a euro or so on a Glenisk produce to help those less fortunate than us. Please also see, h t t p s : / / w w w. i n s t a g r a m . com/p/B-PtvfLAwCY/

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WILDLIFE

ninenottomiss

The Cuckoo and the Butterfly

book of the week

with Justin Ivory

Cuckooflower (Photo Justin Ivory) One of my favourite flowers, the Cuckooflower (Cardamine pratensis) has been in bloom for the last few weeks and will be well into June. Bearing beautiful, delicate flowers consisting of four broad petals ranging from white to lilac or deep pink in colour, it is hard to imagine that this little beauty is a member of the cabbage (Brassicaceae) family! This little gem is widespread and can be found in marshes and damp meadows and pastures. It gains the name Cuckooflower from the fact that it flowers in April and May when the cuckoos arrive and are singing. It is also known as Lady’s Smock as apparently the flower resembles the smock dresses worn by milkmaids in times past.

Male Orange Tip (Photo Justin Ivory) Not only is the Cuckooflower an exquisite little beauty it also plays a very important role as the larval foodplant of one of my favourite butterflies – the Orange Tip (Anthocaris cardamines). One of the earlier butterflies on the wing, the handsome male with its unmistakable bright orange wingtips, is a real harbinger of spring. The female lacks the orange wingtips and can be mistaken for the Small White, but both sexes have a lovely mottled green underwing which distinguishes them from other species. Female Orange Tips lay their orange, bottle-shaped eggs on the underside of flower buds of mainly the Cuckooflower, but also other crucifers such as Honesty. On hatching the pale, blue-green caterpillars feed on the developing seedpods. After 3 to 4 weeks the caterpillar leaves the foodplant and finds a new location before forming a chrysalis (known as pupating) among dry vegetation. The chrysalis remains here for 10 months until next April when the new adult butterfly emerges.

tv show of the week

HOROSCOPES

film of the week

FAT FREDDIE by Stephen Breen

After Life Netflix

rocketman Streaming

‘Fat’ Freddie Thompson first appeared in court in 1997 aged 17. Over the next 20 years his criminal career would be marked by mayhem, brutality and murder. In 2000 a row over a failed drugs deal ignited a murderous feud in Dublin’s south inner city. The first victim of the Crumlin-Drimnagh feud was a childhood friend of Thompson’s. Sixteen young men would lose their lives over the next 12 years. Meanwhile, another childhood friend, Daniel Kinahan, had become a senior figure in his father Christy Kinahan’s international crime cartel. Working with the Kinahan Cartel Thompson launched himself as a drugs dealer in Dublin.

There are several stages of grief and you need to pass through each stage to reach acceptance and begin to move on with your life. But nobody told Tony, whose wife, Lisa, died of cancer. Sounds like Ricky Gervais, who writes, directs and stars, has simply found another outlet for his cruel sense of humour, since the Golden Globes won’t have him back, but the first series of After Life has been praised for its warmth and humanity. In series two, Tony has decided to make some effort to be nicer, but can his colleagues keep their spirits up when the newspaper is threatened.

If you missed this last year, you can now catch up on online cinema. Named after his 1972 song, “Rocket Man”, this is a biographical musical film based on the life of musician Elton John. Directed by Dexter Fletcher and written by Lee Hall, it stars Taron Egerton as John, with Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, and Bryce Dallas Howard. The film tells the story of Elton John’s life, from his years as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music, through his influential and enduring musical partnership with Bernie Taupin, as well as his struggles with depression, substance abuse, and acceptance of his sexual orientation.

idea of the week

kids film of the week

event of the week

AriesGroup harmony requires effort. Stick to solid ground and basic fundamentals. Talk about your shared commitments, goals and ideas. TaurusWork takes priority. Determination and focus lead to career advancement. Use diplomacy with a controversial subject. GeminiYou can discover new flavors and views without breaking the bank. Study your options and routes for ways to save. CancerDon’t stir up jealousies. Costs may be higher than expected. Even if you win a battle, you could lose the war. Pull together. LeoStay practical, or risk trouble with your partner. Keep your bargains, promises and agreements. Clean a mess.

bloom www.bordbiabloom.com/

shopping local Nationwide

WALL-E Disney+

Bloom is normally held each June bank holiday. Brought to you by Bord Bia and held in the Phoenix Park, it showcases the best of Ireland’s flora and food. This year, given the current circumstances, instead of welcoming visitors to gather in the park, Bord Bia and RTÉ will be inviting everyone - from absolute beginners to the green-fingered - to get involved from the comfort of their homes on Sunday, May 31, when posts on social media using the hashtag #BloomwithRTE will be in with the chance of winning great prizes with thanks to Bord Bia Bloom.

Now that life is reopening after the lockdown, whether it’s the butcher around the corner; the bookshop in the next town or the gym offering classes online ... local businesses need our support more than ever. Local retailers play a massive part in making our towns such spcial places and for every €1 you spend with a local independent business, between 50c-70c circulates back into the locality, while shopping online or out of town sees only 5c trickle back. Local businesses not only keep the economy humming, but they also add to the quality of life in our community.

A beautiful movie for kids of all ages. After hundreds of lonely years of doing what he was built for, WALL-E (short for Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class) discovers a new purpose in life when he meets a sleek search robot named EVE. EVE comes to realize that WALL-E has inadvertently stumbled upon the key to the planet’s future, and races back to space to report her findings to the humans (who have been eagerly awaiting word that it is safe to return home). Meanwhile, WALL-E chases EVE across the galaxy and sets into motion one of the most exciting and imaginative comedy adventures ever.

charity of the week

podcast of the week

documentary of the week

VirgoManage scheduled routines despite disruption. Maintain healthy routines as much as you can.Get support when needed. LibraRelax and have fun with beloved people and activities. Some tricks may not work as expected. Slow down to avoid accidents. ScorpioFind practical domestic solutions that don’t cost a fortune. Give new purpose to something old. Make repairs early. Sagittarius-

Slow to avoid a conflict. Take a breath before responding. Consider the result you want to create, and choose words carefully. CapricornFocus on generating income. Avoid controversy or conflict with authority figures. Postpone unnecessary expenses.

trocaire www.trocaire.ie

Second Captains https://www.secondcaptains.com/

20 Feet From Stardom Netflix

For a lot of Irish sports fans, the Second Captains is the only podcast they need. Tuning into Eoin McDevitt, Ken Early and Ciarán Murphy quickly becomes a weekly obsession. Or, if you pay €5 a month to become a “World Service Member”, a daily obsession. Worth every penny. Second Captains previously produced and presented the Off The Ball show on Newstalk radio for eight years, winning a record nine PPI national radio awards.

Winner of the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature, this film takes a look at the world of backup vocalists and the legends they support. Director Morgan Neville shines a spotlight on the untold true story of the singers behind some of the greatest musical legends of the 21st century. Triumphant and heartbreaking in equal measure, the film is both a tribute to the unsung voices who brought shape and style to popular music and a reflection on the conflicts, sacrifices and rewards of a career spent harmonising with others.

AquariusMaintain your advantage. In a stalemate, don’t ask for favours. Hold your temper, and patiently wait. You catch more with honey than you do with vinegar. PiscesAvoid hustle and bustle. Find a quiet spot to reflect on what’s ahead. Stay away from potential arguments. Show appreciation to someone who helped you.

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COVID-19 OUTBREAK Don’#t forget to wash your hands

carlowpeople.ie May 25, 2020

Three charged with murder of Carlow teen in Australia An Irish teenager who died after falling from the fourth-storey of an apartment in Queensland, Australia was being chased by three-men high on stolen prescription drugs, local police believe. Cian English (19), who was originally from Carlow and had moved to Australia with his family a number of years ago, was discovered lying prone and unresponsive by passers-by on the ground outside the View Avenue building at Surfers Paradise on Australia’s Gold Coast at 3.15am on May 23. Three men, aged 18, 20 and 22, have now been charged with the young man’s murder. Jason Ryan Knowles (22), Hayden Paul Kratzmann (20), and Lachlan Paul Soper-Lagas, (18), have been remanded in custody aand their cases have been adjourned for mention on August 4. The men were discovered in another apartment in the same block among a group of males, all semi-conscious after taking prescription drugs stolen from a nearby chemist store earlier.

Police in Queensland believe the three men were chasing Mr English trying to rob his money, clothes, and shoes. It is understood he went over a fourth-floor balcony while trying to escape and fell to his death. In a statement issued on behalf of the teenager’s family by Brisbane police, the family said they are “deeply” appreciative of all the support they have received. The statement said: “Join us in lighting a candle on Thursday night in loving memory of our hero Cian and feel free to share your messages of support and love. Our family are deeply touched by the outpouring of support and the many kind messages from friends and family around the world,” “Our sincere thanks also go to the Queensland Police Service for their tireless efforts and everyone who has respected our family’s wish for privacy at this difficult time. “With current restrictions in place many people have not been able to travel to pay their

respects to Cian, so we invite people to light a candle this Thursday night in memory of our hero Cian, so we can all be stronger together.” The family has asked those who light a candle to share their tribute online using the hashtags #candleforcian #bestrongertogether. Mr English’s parents Vinnie and Siobhan, who both are originally from Carlow Town and his older brother Dylan (26), are being comforted by friends and family members. The family left Ireland 15 years ago, first to the Caribbean where Cian’s father worked for Digicel, and then settled in Brisbane in 2011. A postmortem examination has been carried out on Mr English’s body. Once his remains are released by the police authorities, a funeral for Mr English can be organised. The trio, who allegedly used drugs together, are believed to have invited Mr English and a friend to an apartment in the same accommodation block they were staying in.

sociated works at Barrowside Business Park, Sleaty Road, Graiguecullen, Carlow, R93 ARX0 An appropriate assessment screening report is submitted with the application and will be available for inspection. Signed: Moore-O Keeffe Self Storage. 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 2 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.

Planning notices CARLOW COUNTY COUNCIL Significant further information has been submitted and retention planning permission is sought by Moore-O Keeffe Self Storage from Carlow County Council for indefinite retention a 24 hour access, selfstorage facility for the storage of private goods for the general public, consisting of temporary container units plus temporary office already on site and associated works, planning permission is also sought for a permanent reception and guest washroom facilities plus all as-

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June 1, 2020

insideback

Let’s all get back on the pitch

ext week sees the introduction of Phase Two of the Government’s five stage roadmap for taking the country out of lockdown. Not much changed on May 18 but it was a start. Being a sports fan (in particular domestic soccer), I’ll really feel like things are somewhat back to normal when I can attend a live League of Ireland game again. Phase Five of the roadmap would seem to allow for that from August 10. How can that be though? Close physical contact sports and social distancing are mutually exclusive, surely? S ocial distancing will remain a key factor in avoiding a second wave in COVID-19 cases until such a time as there is an effective vaccine readily available to all, and that won’t be until 2021. Phase Five will not only allow for contact sports such as rugby and soccer to resume,

Greenhill Fruit Farm strawberries for sale on Wexford’s roads, one of the first signs of summer

but will permit the presence of spectators, albeit with restricted numbers. Presumably restricted numbers means social distancing will be in place in the stands and on the terraces. Again there would seem to

be illogic at work here – if the spectators have to be kept apart then how come it is acceptable for the players they have come to watch to get up close and personal? If it sounds like I’m being

critical of Phase Five and the resumption of contact sport then I’m not; I’m fully behind the plan. I think it’s important though to call out a key factor in the whole exit strategy – not just

here but everywhere – and that is that an element of risk is going to have to be tolerated by all of us. In the case of the players above they will undergone regular COVID-19 testing

from when they resume collective training in June. Not a fool proof system, but one that mitigates risk as much as possible. We can’t all stay cocooned, isolated or otherwise wrapped up until there is a vaccine. Economies simply would be damaged beyond repair by then. We have open society back up. Without a vaccine that will mean each and every one of us being exposed to a certain amount of risk. We can minimise that risk, and in the absence of a second wave we will have the comfort blanket of knowing that if we are unlucky enough to get seriously ill with COVID-19 then there will be space in our hospitals to treat us. We have all been cheering for our frontline workers for the last two months, applauding those who have stacked the supermarket shelves, manned our health service and collected our bins. Isn’t it hypocritical of us not to want to get togged out and back onto the pitch ourselves? - Brian Quigley

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carlowpeople.ie June 1, 2020