Carlow People 15-10-2019

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October 15, 2019

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carlowpeople October 15, 2019

carlowpeople highest, most frequent readership in carlow

.ie

October 15, 2019

FREE

12,000 copies

Tributes to Murt after dive tragedy

HUNDREDS of online tributes have been paid to a 45-year-old Carlow man who died in Egypt on a diving expedition with the Kilkenny Sub Aqua Club.

Martin Peter Flynn, known to his many friends as “Murt’, was described as a “gentle soul”. He was was on a week-long diving holiday with he became ill.

His family run Flynns Food Hall in Tullow and they posted a heartbreaking message

following the tragedy.

They said: “Martin Peter Flynn “Murt” passed away this evening in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt following a brief illness. Murt had been having the time of his life on a diving trip with Kilkenny Sub Aqua Club when he suddenly took ill.

“We thank everyone for their kind words and prayers over

the last few days.” One tribute on social media said: “I am shocked to learn of Murt’s passing. He was such a lovely gentle soul and always had the time to stop and say hello.

“Deepest sympathies to you Ray and your mother Muriel. May he Rest In Peace.”

Another fellow diver from his club posted: “Kilkenny Sub

Aqua club are devastated by the loss of their friend and clubmate Martin Flynn on a club holiday to Egypt.

“Our sympathies and condolences go to his family and friends. Ar dheis Dé go raibh a anam.”

Meanwhile, Gardaí are not treating the death of a 40-yearold woman on Montgomery Street. in Carlow Town as suspicious.

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This year’s Lord and Lady Duckett, aka Paddy and Theresa Browne at Duckett’s Grove’s A Day of Nostalgia with the Ducketts. Image by Rue Photography

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carlowpeople October 15, 2019

‘I hope mum’s attacker never sees light of day’ A WOMAN whose mother was left wheelchair bound after a brutal rape said she hoped the attacker will “never see the light of day again”.

Melissa Gates was speaking after Anthony Cassidy (34) lost an appeal against the severity of his 18-year sentence.

Laura Gates, 54, a lollipop lady from Co Carlow, was left for dead when Cassidy attacked her in 2017.

The mother of two was found 12 hours later after he dumped her unconscious body on the outskirts of the town.

Her daughter Melissa told the Irish Mirror that father-of-one Cassidy showed no remorse as the judge in the Court of Appeal dismissed his case.

She said: “Mammy is delighted with the outcome.

She said she wasn’t allowed to appeal what happened to her and now he can’t either.

The fact that he tried to appeal

his sentence, it just goes to show that he doesn’t think he deserves the 18 years.

“I hope this gives him all the time to sit in his cell and think about how he destroyed our family.

“He’s a coward in every way.

I hope he never sees the light of day again. He has 18 years now to think about that,” she said.

“He didn’t make eye contact with us, he just sat and looked at the judge.

“Hopefully this is some closure for us and this is over for us that he can’t try to get out anymore.”

Following the attack, Laura spent time in intensive care and suffered bleeds on the brain which has left her speech severely slurred.

CTV footage tracked Cassidy’s movements to and from where he dumped Ms Gates.

There was no footage of the incident but imagery showed a

male dragging a person to the location where the victim was discovered 12 hours later.

Cassidy pleaded guilty in 2018 at the Central Criminal Court to rape and assault causing serious harm. He had 34 previous convictions, including one for soliciting sex in the UK and two for assaults in this country.

Upholding his sentence, Mr Justice Michael Peart said the events were “so horrific”, he would refrain from describing them in detail.

Counsel for the DPP Vincent Heneghan told the court Cassidy had initially denied the offence and his “attitude only changed when he was confronted with DNA evidence”.

He said one could not get away from the “sheer savagery of the attack”, which lasted approximately 30 minutes.

Counsel for Cassidy Roderick O’Hanlon submitted his client co-operated with Gardai.

Sharon Robinson, Jamie-Lee Fitzgerald, Evelyn and Kelly Byrne with Nikki Butler at the official opening of St Patrick’s GAA Club’s new balcony sponsored by Woodlawn Developments, Brother Leo Park, Tullow. Image by Rue Photography

Emma (13) in the kindest cut of all for sick children

A 13-YEAR-OLD girl, Emma Hogan from Palatine, Carlow town has been nominated for an award in recognition of her outstanding compassion and generosity.

Emma has twice cut her waist-length auburn hair to donate it to the Rapunzel Foundation, a charity that makes wigs for children receiving cancer treatment.

“Two years ago, Emma had really, really long hair and

when she heard about the work that Rapunzel do, she decided to donate her hair to them,” her mother Sarah told The Nationalist.

She has since grown out her hair and donated a second 16-inch lock of tresses to the cause.

As part of her nomination, Emma’s family said that she was helping children who had lost their hair through chemotherapy and she wanted

them all to enjoy having hair again. “She’s going to keep on doing it. Emma said that as long as she could grow her hair, she’ll keep on donating it,” Mrs Hogan said..

Her family nominated her for a Shine Hero award in a competition run by Beat 102 and the Shona Project. Emma was nominated by her aunt Shauna Talbot, who described her as “selfless, kind and charitable”.

Airplane victims are laid to rest Dolores and Alan Hegarty from Hegarty’s Gala who were awarded the Gala BEST Award for excellence in retail at the 2019 Gala Awards, which took place this week at The K Club

We will host next year’s Ploughing

CARLOW has been confirmed as the county which will host the 89th National Ploughing Championships in 2020 as the massive event makes a return to the site in Ballintrane, Fenagh.

The announcement was made by the National Ploughing Association (NPA) at a ceremony in Mount Wolseley, Tullow on Sunday last.

Key to the negotiations was the support of all the landowners involved and their willingness

to once again host the event, while critical too, was the NPA’s readiness to return.

Overall, this year’s ploughing championships were deemed a huge success, with record numbers attending, the higest in its 89 year history, And a very positive reaction in terms of site accessibility, traffic management, community involvement and the overall smooth running of the event aided next year’s choice.

AN Irish pilot and his passenger who both died in a light aircraft tragedy have been laid to rest.

Wexford native native Peter Tawse, 61, died instantly alongside John Finnan, 58, when their airplane fell apart and plunged from the sky.

Mr Tawse, from Old Ross, had been a flying instructor since 1982 and was well known throughout the region, having been the manager of Waterford Airport from 1987 until 2002.

Fellow flying enthusiast Mr Finnan worked for Teagasc in Carlow and was originally from Athy, Co Kildare, but lived in Naas and was part of the Wexford Flying Club.

A relative of Mr Tawse described him as “very kind, a real gentleman and he never had a bad word to say about anybody.

“He was really particular about his work, an absolute perfectionist. We’re all very upset here and finding it so hard to believe. Peter was goodnatured and good-humoured, he liked the easy-going life. He was an exceptional person.”

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carlowpeople October 15, 2019

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carlowpeople October 15, 2019

news in brief Budget ‘will make the poor poorer’ The Social Democats have said that date from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) proves that Budget 2020 will increase poverty rates across the country.

The party’s co-leader said their analysis showed the Government had little regard for the less well-off in society.

Deputy Roisin Shorthall said it is clear poverty was the last thing on Fine Gael’s mind when it was planning for next year.

20 cemeteries complaints

Carlow County Council’s Environment Section received 20 complaints from the public about cemeteries, according to figures up to September of 2019 which disclose that of the 20 complaints, 19 were investigated and 18 have been resolved.

Other complaints up to that date were about: litter (116), waste (215), noise (17), sludge odour (10) and air pollution (31).

Drivers ‘intoxicated’

Carlow Gardai arrested two drivers, on suspicion of bring intoxicated, at a checkpoint at Carpenter’s Way last Friday night.

One was arrested after failing an alcohol testnd one following a fail for cannabis.

Ray Conboy from Gala Retail with Bernie Gahan and Kim Bermingham from Kane’s Gala who were awarded the Gala BEST Award for excellence in retail at the 2019 Gala Awards, which took place this week at The K Club

It’s be all fright on the night as Scarefest returns

AFTER five sell-out sessions last Halloween, Scarefest is bringing back the “Paranormal Investigations ‘to Carlow this year. Five dates will be added to the program this October along with an extra special investigation with none other than Barry Fitzgerald from Ghost Hunters International.

Join Carlow Paranormal Society and Leinster Paranormal as they delve into the secrets of Ducketts Grove

with a three hour investigation of this historic building and the unknown inhabitants.

Tickets from €30. For more information visit www.facebook.com/scarefestcarlow Meanwhile, those looking for a family friendly event this mid-term break can take the children to a Halloween party like no other on Sunday, October 27th, with children’s entertainers, guided tours of the fairy forest, face painting, bouncy castles,

pumpkin picking, music and more, this is the family event of the festival!

Each child will get to choose their own pumpkin which they can take home or carve in our pumpkin carving workshop. There will also be a craft market and food vendors on-site throughout the event.

Tickets cost €5 on Eventbrite.ie. For more information visit www.facebook. com/scarefestcarlow

Pollerton clean up huge cost to county

MORE than 80 tonnes of waste have been removed after a major clean-up at Pollerton at a “considerable cost” to Carlow County Council.

The dumping originated from a number of sources including a number of non-compliant householders, illegal collection services and ‘fly-tipping’.

The council said the Pollerton clean-up comes at “considerable cost” to the local authority.

Any person who transfers their waste to an unauthorised collection can be prosecuted for illegal dumping and be fixed with the full cost of clean-up.

Meanwhile, the abandoned cars issue is still. Major problem in Carlow with 49 cases so far this year, according to the latest figures.

While up to the end of August, there had been 46 incidents of abandoned cars in Carlow but this has now risen to 49 as of September. While up to the end of August, there had been 46 incidents of abandoned cars in Carlow but this has now risen to 49 as of September.

Local cafe named in top 100 retailers THE owners of a Carlow café, the Neighbourhood Espresso, have said they are honoured to have been chosen as one of the Top 100 Retailers in Ireland ahead of the Retail Excellence Awards.

Neighbourhood Espresso is the only store in Carlow Town to be given such an accolade this year.

“Having been visited by a mystery shopper; our speciality in house roasted coffee, suspended coffee option and our fantastic friendly staff made us a massive success,” the owners said.

Meanwhile, the Aboretum Home and Garden Heaven in Leighlinbridge has been shortlisted after Retail Excellence announced the Top 30 finalists in the annual awards.

The National Store of the Year winner will be announced at a black-tie awards banquet next month.

This award will recognise the most innovative retailers that leverage cutting edge eCommerce technology and deliver the most streamlined customer experience.

All entries will be subject to a mystery website audit which will focus from a mobile perspective on page load speed, search and browsability, purchase journey, customer queries and marketing effort.

For an entry fee of only €125, all entrants will receive back

this comprehensive report completed by eCommerce experts to help them recognise areas where improvement may be required and also to show what they are doing well!

The organisers say it’s time for retailers to recognise and show appreciation to their managers who have worked so hard all year to make your store what it is.

“Use this opportunity (for only €95) to show your manager you appreciate their commitment and loyalty to your business by entering them today! The submission document which they will receive on entering will also involve them in a thought process which will encourage, motivate and inspire them to be their very best,” the spokesperson said.

Regarding the Rising Star of the Year category, the spokesperson said: “Your Rising Star is the person we meet when we go into your store every day. Don’t forget that they are actually your frontline brand ambassador.

“The pride of holding the title of Rising Star of the Year will remain for years!

“It will receive on entry will give them food for thought, motivate and inspire them to deliver an even greater level of customer service and experience to your customer (and increased sales figures)!” the spokesperson said.

No wills, so €1.6m goes to the State!

THE estates of up to 200 deceased people have gone to the State since 2015 because they did not leave a will and no relative could be found.

As a result more than €1.6m went to the coffers of the Department of Finance.

When a person dies without making a will, the rules of intestacy apply.

This means the money is divided between the deceased’s closest relatives, which can include nieces and nephews.

If no relatives are found, the proceeds of the estate are handed over to the State.

New figures show this has happened 194 times since the beginning of 2015, with the total value of the estates being €1.6m.

Up to 134 of the estates amounted to less than €1,000, and a further 55 were less than €100,000.

However, five came to more than €100,000, the highest valued at €361,000.

carlowpeople October 15, 2019

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carlowpeople October 15, 2019

€20,000 to mend broken lights

IT would take €20,000 to replace up to 30 public lights in Tullow.

The lights have not worked in nearly three years.

The matter was raised at the monthly meeting of Tullow Municipal District by Councillor Will Paton who noted: “That Carlow County Council repair the line of 39 broken lights from Tullow Town Park to Abbey Street.”

In response to the motion, area engineer Pat Harrington said he inspected the lights recently and confirmed that there were in fact 28 lights not working.

He hoped that these can be replaced at a cost of around €19,000.

Mr Harrington suggested that the funding could come from development levies and discretionary fmprovements funds.

Councillor Paton said: “You can see it there... the lights are wrecked.”

Senator puts a foot down over health ‘lottery’

the Rohingya community in Carlow.

“It has many nationalities in the club with two adult teams, two children’s teams and a youth development squad, all competing in Cricket Leinster Leagues.

“The current grounds kindly donated by St Patrick’s Carlow College is not suitable for higher division games.

THE Fianna Fáil Senator Jennifer Murnane O’Connor has sharply criticised the “postcode lottery of health services which continues to leave people in Carlow at a disadvantage”.

Senator Murnane O’Connor said it wasn’t good enough that podiatry, the branch of medicine that deals with foot ailments, was available in some local heath areas but not in others.

The HSE is not legally obliged to provide podiatry services but where available, services may be provided by the local health office or by voluntary organisations on behalf of the HSE. “More than100 people are on the waiting list for podiatry services in Carlow,” the Senator claimed.

“This service is currently provided for free by the HSE, but I’ve been contacted a number of times in the past weeks from anxious constituents who told me the service is set to close.

“This is a much-valued ser-

vice with more than 100 people on the waiting list to access it.

Once it closes the service will only be available at a cost leaving many people in a vulnerable position.”

She said: “Podiatry mostly consists of diagnosing and treating diseases and abnormalities of the foot and lower limb. For people with diabetes, access to a podiatrist can mean the difference between healthy feet or amputation.

“For older people unable to take care of their own podiatry needs, a podiatrist will care for foot ulcers, calluses, corns, nail infections, and bunions.

“The treatment they provide can make an older person more mobile and give them a new lease of life.

“The need for podiatry will only continue to increase due to the rise in chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, arthritis and diabetes and awareness about routine foot care and health.

“Carlow needs to maintain this service.”

PRIVATE landlords in Carlow have been given more than €770,000 since 2016 to provide dwellings for social housing.

In the Dail, Sinn Féin TD Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Housing, Eoghan Murphy TD, about the number of private houses that local authorities were renting and subl-etting as social housing by local authority.

He asked too about the annual cost of renting these houses in each of the years 2016 to 2018 and to date in 2019, by the local authority.

Minister Murphy’s figures revealed that Carlow County Council had 36 such dwellings in 2016; 39 in 2017; 42 last year and 41 in the first six months of 2019.

The total amount paid by the council in respect of properties

made available under lease or availability agreements between private owners and local authorities over the same period, showed that Carlow County Council paid €186,271 in 2016 to private landlords for such arrangements; €277,394 in 2017; €248,688 last year and €60,870 to dtae in 2019.

The total paid to private landlords since 2016 in Carlow came to €773,223.

Minister Murphy said: “The Government has set out an ambitious set of targets for the delivery of social housing in the period to 2021 in its Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan.

“A commitment to deliver 50,000 new social housing homes through a range of delivery mechanisms is being supported by a multi-annual Exchequer commitment

totalling €6.5 billion over the period of the plan.

“These targets will be achieved using a combination of building, purchasing and leasing high quality properties to meet the needs of households on local authority waiting lists around the country,” the Minister said.

“Of the 50,000 social housing homes to be delivered under Rebuilding Ireland, 10,000 are targeted to be leased by local authorities and approved housing bodies under leasing arrangements from a range of different sources.

“Long term lease arrangements, including the enhanced lease, of privately owned dwellings can be entered into and the local authority or AHB acts as the landlord to the tenant,” the Minister said.

Holly Lavin, Caoimhe Mulhall, Grace Canning, Molly Haugh and Lilly-May Mulhall at St Patrick’s Athletic Cub and Tullow Grange Community Games Presentation Night, Brother Leo Park. Image by Rue Photography

Cricket grounds plea CARLOW County Council has been asked to help find more suitable grounds for Carlow Cricket Club.

Councillor Adrienne Wallace tabled a motion for this month’s meeting of Carlow Municipal District calling on the local authority to find suitable grounds for the club.

“The current grounds kindly donated by St

Patrick’s Carlow College is not suitable for higher division games,” she said.

“The council should form a working group with Carlow Cricket club to complete this,” she said.

“The motion in part states: “Carlow Cricket Club has a long history spanning from the 1800s to its re-establishment in 2011 following the resettlement of

Landlords get €770,000 for social housing

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carlowpeople October 15, 2019

independentliving

Research finds link to sleep and bad health Researchers in Trinity have identified a possible link between sleep deprivation among older adults and poor health.

The study also found that people aged 50 and older who are retired, unemployed or taking antidepressant medication sleep more than those outside these categories.

The research was carried out

by The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (TILDA), which is based in Trinity, and was published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

The research found that the amount of sleep a person gets increases with age, with adults aged 50 and older sleeping for an average of seven hours and 42 minutes per night.

In a press statement, TILDA researcher and lead author Siobhan Scarlett said: “While sleep duration is not recognised as a public health concern, this research highlights an important subset of Irish adults who are not meeting the recommended guidelines for sleep duration and are at increased risk of negative health outcomes.”

“Awareness of the impact of sub-optimal sleep duration and factors potentially driving these patterns, particularly those which are modifiable, is important”, she added.

“Addressing the underlying causes of undesirable sleep patterns may help to facilitate improvements in the health and wellbeing of our older population.”

Some 14 per cent of participants recorded sleeping less than the recommended nightly amount.

The recommended sleep range for adults aged 65 years and older is seven to eight hours.

TILDA’s principal investigator, Prof Rose Anne Kenny, said in a press statement: “Sleep duration is an important contributor to physical and mental health.

“There are a number of behaviours which if changed, can improve sleep quality and duration.”

“These apply to all age groups but particularly mature adults, almost one third of whom experience impaired sleep duration according to our recent data”, she added.

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carlowpeople October 15, 2019

independentliving

‘We are leaving thousa BUDGET REACTION Seán Moynihan, CEO of ALONE

Older people across the country will be frustrated at this year’s Budget, which has given very little back to thos experiencing financial, health and housing difficulties, and left them vulnerable to the impact of Brexit.

While the Budget addressed issues such as climate change, we at ALONE believe that it did not adequately respond to challenges including Ireland’s ageing population and the housing crisis, as well as those day-to-day challenges experienced by older people across the country.

We believe that while other sectors have been protected against Brexit, by not increasing vital supports such as the State Pension, the most vulnerable in our society have been left unprotected. If costs increase to necessities like food and transport, older people will be left vulnerable.

Every year we fail to fund a plan for an ageing society and

we see nothing in the Budget to prepare for this.

Many older people will miss the increase to the pension which has become regular over the last several Budget announcements.

Many people assume that older people have their financial needs met by their state pension.

But financial hardship is often a hidden issue among older people, and it is the third most frequent reason older people contact ALONE for support.

In 2017, more than 63,000 people over 65 in Ireland were experiencing enforced deprivation.

In order to deliver financial security to older people, in this Budget we called for the pension to be increased to match 35% of average earnings, which would have required an increase of at least €7-€9 to the state pension this year and in the coming years. Unfortunately, older people will not be receiving the increase they need to ensure they are protected against increasing costs.

While we welcomed the longawaited increase to the Living

Alone Allowance, many older people will be worse off as the pension has not even increased to match inflation.

Among the most frequent cases seen by ALONE staff include the impact of rising accommodation costs, as more older people living in private rented accommodation find it increasingly difficult to pay rent as costs increase.

Older people we have worked with in recent months include those living in B&Bs, sleeping in their cars, and in hostels.

Home Supports One issue that we have seen again and again in recent months has been the increasing waiting list for the Home Supports Service for older people and people with disabilities.

The Home Supports Service enables older people to stay living at home for longer by providing support with tasks including getting dressed, showering, and getting in and out of bed. The waiting list for this service now stands at more than 7,300 people.

Although we welcomed

the announcement of an additional 1 million hours of home supports, this will not be sufficient to support the people on the waiting list and those who are not currently receiving enough home support to meet their needs.

Carbon tax

Care Network Ireland Advertorial

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Miriam Doran, (Owner), is a Carlow native trained and qualified in Human Resource Management with a wealth of experience in this and associated sectors.

Since recently establishing their office in Carlow town, CNI has seen a rapid rise in enquiries and placements for Nurses, Doctors, Care & Social Care Assistants and all healthcare professions.

CNI prides itself in its ability to provide matched care solutions to both the public hospital and private care sectors for agency hours and permanent placements.

This is achieved by a carefully conducted selection processes; with honest, clear and regular communication between the healthcare candidate and client alike.

Miriam can be contacted on 086 851 7366 or via email at miriam@carenetworkireland.ie.

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carlowpeople October 15, 2019

ands vulnerable’ While ALONE welcomes the modest increase of €2 to the fuel allowance, we had hoped to see the fuel allowance period restored to 32 weeks.

Although we recognise the need to tackle carbon usage, we are concerned that the carbon tax will impact vulnerable older people.

Christy Jackson, Alone client, Sean Moynihan, CEO Alone and Vincent Browne at the launch of Alone’s finance campaign ‘Lets Talk Money’. Pic: Arthur Carron We also watched with concern the announcement about the carbon tax, which will be increased by €6 per tonne this year and in the coming years.

The increase is likely to impact older people who have a low income or live in older and poorly insulated homes, and those in rural areas.

ALONE will continue campaigning for and with older people in the hope that future Budgets will recognise the support needs of older people.

To find out more about ALONE’s services nationwide, call 0818 222 024 or visit www. alone.ie

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carlowpeople October 15, 2019

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carlowpeople October 15, 2019

childcare

Grannies giving up work to mind their grandchildren

Irish grannies and not just mums are being forced to give up work early to help look after their grand children due to spiralling costs.

Recent studies suggest that over-55s stepping in to bail out their own children, when they become parents, may be a factor hindering older women from holding down jobs.

A recent ESRI study showed older women are five times more likely to leave work early for “care” reasons than men.

It also said research shows “relatives, predominantly grandmothers, provide a significant proportion of childcare in Ireland”.

“Caring responsibilities for spouses, grandchildren or others can lead to early exits among older workers, especially if working conditions are incompatible with care,” it said.

Older women between 50 and 60, we are told, are particularly

Shíne Myers, Sive O’Toole and Maria Healy at St Patrick’s Athletic Cub and Tullow Grange Community Games Presentation Night, Brother Leo Park. Image by Rue Photography vulnerable to depart if they provide more than 10 hours of care a week.

These “push factors”, as it calls them, to leaving work

early are “particularly relevant to the Irish case”.

Overall, there are 1.1 million women in the labour force, but they represent just 56pc of the

female working-age population, compared with 68pc of men.

High childcare costs are being blamed.

This conjures up images of multi-tasking women juggling a work-life balance after maternity leave, only to find that high crèche fees mean it’s not worth their while.

But the gender gap when it comes to participation rates is most pronounced among those between 45 and 59.

Overall, the number of over55s at work has more than doubled in recent decades from 166,000 in 1998 to 413,000 last year. But 19pc of the male labour force are over 55, compared with just 12pc of the female labour force.

When it comes to early departures for those in their late-50s, retirement is the number one reason, with job losses, illness and disability next, followed by 7pc who left

for child or family care reasons.

“We can’t say with certainty why older women go,” said ESRI author Ivan Privalko.

“But we know these people

have been out of work for at least a year and are highly likely to have left the workforce, and women are far more likely to cite the care reason than men.”

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carlowpeople October 15, 2019

carlowpeople October 15, 2019

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carlowpeople October 15, 2019

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carlowpeople October 15, 2019

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18 | WILDLIFE

with Justin Ivory

Rutting your stuff!

carlowpeople October 15, 2019

ninenottomiss book of the week

tv show of the week

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HOROSCOPES

Monarch of the Glen (Photo Justin Ivory) The isolated and seemingly empty valley is a rich kaleidoscope of auburns, russets and burnished gold – the rich tapestry of autumn.

There is not a breath of wind on this crisp October morning as the sun breaks through and basks the eerily silent mountainsides in a gorgeous golden light.

A deep, throaty bellow is carried on the air across the valley and cuts through the silence. It is answered by a cross between a whistle and a moan.

Soon the previously mute landscape is alive with a cacophony of bellows, grunts, whistles and roars – as visceral and primeval a soundtrack as you are likely to encounter in the Irish countryside.

This is the scene that confronted me at the weekend as I made my way along the Upper Lake at Glendalough and up the zig-zags to the Glenealo Valley in the Wicklow Mountains to witness the annual deer rut.

So what is the rut?

In September and October testosterone fuelled stags with freshly grown antlers will compete for the right to maintain and mate with a harem of hinds.

In most cases the quality of a stag’s roar and his physical appearance will be enough to discourage most would be usurpers.

In some cases this is not enough to intimidate a serious challenger and the two heavyweights will approach each other and commence parallel walking until they decide to lock antlers and fight for dominance.

The deer herds in the Wicklow Mountains are a strange mix of the native Red Deer and the introduced Sika Deer.

If you wish to witness the rut of our other main deer species, the Fallow Deer, then an early morning visit to the Phoenix Park won’t disappoint.

What are you rutting at?

(Photo Justin Ivory)

Margaret Atwood

the testaments

Dublin Murders RTE 1, Wednesdays @ 9.35pm

judy Released 4th October 2019

When the van door slammed on Offred’s future at the end of The Handmaid’s Tale, readers had no way of telling what lay ahead for her – freedom, prison or death. With The Testaments, the wait is over. Margaret Atwood’s sequel picks up the story 15 years after Offred stepped into the unknown, with the explosive testaments of three female narrators from Gilead. ‘Dear Readers: Everything you’ve ever asked me about Gilead and its inner workings is the inspiration for this book. Well, almost everything! The other inspiration is the world we’ve been living in.’ Margaret Atwood

New series. Episode 1: In the summer of 2006, detectives Rob Reilly and Cassie Maddox are sent to investigate a child’s murder, and find a community caught between the old and the new Ireland.

Psychological crime drama based on the Dublin Murder Squad book series by Tana French, starring Killian Scott and Sarah Greene, with Ned Dennehy, Conleth Hill and Tom Vaughan-Lawlor. Dublin Murders kicks off on RTÉ One with a double bill on Wednesday, October 16th at 9.35pm. Plus catch-up will be available on the RTÉ Player.

2019 biographical drama film about American singer and actress Judy Garland, following her as she arrives in London in 1969 for a run of sell-out concerts at the Talk of the Town. The film stars Renée Zellweger as Garland, with Jessie Buckley, Finn Wittrock, Rufus Sewell, and Michael Gambon in supporting roles.

Thirty years after starring in “The Wizard of Oz,” beloved actress and singer Judy Garland arrives in London to perform sold-out shows at the Talk of the Town nightclub. While there, she reminisces with friends and fans and begins a whirlwind romance with musician Mickey Deans, her soon-to-be fifth husband.

comedy of the week

scare of the week

play of the week

AriesNegotiate favorable terms on an investment. Keep stashing funds for a rainy day. Reduce debt where possible.

TaurusEverything seems possible.

Make sure you know what’s required before committing.

Consider options and wait for developments.

GeminiTeamwork gets you farther, faster. Learn more quickly with an experienced coach.

Follow rules carefully. Pool talents and resources.

CancerYour professional attention is in demand. Focus on producing excellent results.

Consider details carefully.

Weigh pros and cons.

LeoMonitor traffic for the best timing and route. Allow time for scenic detours and roadside attractions. Learn new views.

reginald d hunter Facing the Beast: Visual Carlow, Saturday 19th October 8pm. Tickets: €28

Day of the Dead Halloween Scarefest Parade October 31 @ 8pm, Carlow Town.

the odd couple October 18-21 @ Gowran Parish Hall.

Contact 087 403 6340 / gowranlittletheatre.net

After twenty years of gifted storytelling and effortless dark humour, Facing the Beast showcases Reginald at his controversial and hilarious best. Reginald’s searingly honest material has garnered him a popular fan base that spans the generations. His appearances on television have included Have I Got News For You, 8 Out Of 10 Cats Does Countdown and the hugely popular BBC2 series Reginald D Hunter’s Songs Of The South and its equally successful follow up Reginald D Hunter’s Songs Of The Border.

Join the 2019 Halloween Scarefest Parade, taking place in Carlow town (route to be confirmed) on October 31st from 8-9.30pm.

The parade theme is inspired by Día de los Muertos, better known as ‘Day of the Dead’, a Mexican tradition where dead relatives are remembered. Participants are encouraged to adopt this theme with colourful costumes and brightly painted masks or face paint. Contact Dorothy at 087 2320806 or email dorothy@ fbit.ie for further information.

Gowran Little Theatre present their production of Neil Simon’s ‘The Odd Couple’. Directed by Declan Taylor the show runs from October 18-21 in Gowran Parish Hall. Unger and Madison are at it again! Florence Unger and Olive Madison, that is, in Neil Simon’s hilarious contemporary comic classic: The Odd Couple.

Ms. Madison has invited the girls over for an evening of Trivial Pursuit. The Pidgeon sisters have been replaced by the two Constanzuela brothers. But the hilarity remains the same.

competition of the week event of the week

talk of the week

Dance Republic: Our Show 2019 Sunday 27th October 12pm, 3.30pm & 7.30pm Visual, Carlow. Tickets: €15/10 Child

National Women’s Enterprise Day Thursday October 17 Lisnavagh House, Rathvilly, Carlow. LocalEnterprise.ie/carlow

The Kavanaghs of Carlow & The Tudor Conquest of Ireland c. 1515-1603 October 16 @ 9pm Step House Hotel

Dance Republic Studios is a competitive freestyle, slow dance, lyrical and commercial hip hop school. This even is a 90 minute showcase of the talent, technique and creativity of our dance students and teachers.

We look forward to our students taking to the stage and doing what they love to do most, dance. Our show will feature students from our branches in counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Kildare, Wicklow, Laois and Wexford. Contact us at dancerepublic2011@hotmail.com for more info.

For National Women’s Enterprise Day (NWED) in Carlow we are focusing on getting your business to “Stand out from the Crowd” a morning of inspiration and learning with guest speakers; Former World Champion, Olympian and Entrepreneur Derval O’Rourke and our Carlow NWED Ambassador, Kate Gaynor of Advanced Coating Ltd. Interactive learning led by expert business communicators from The Core Story. All set in the beautiful venue of Lisnavagh House.

Carlow Historical & Archaeological Society’s first of this year’s winter lecture series: Dr David Heffernan presents ‘The Kavanaghs of Carlow and the Tudor Conquest of Ireland c.15151603’. The sixteenth century saw the gradual erosion of the Kavanagh lordship in Carlow by the encroaching English state. This talk will explore how the Tudor regime utilised a variety of methods, including legal imperialism, administrative reform and straight-forward military engagement, to gradually dismantle the lordship and impose English control.

VirgoYou’re getting stronger and more attractive. Leave self-doubt behind for a while. Take on practices that inspire and motivate you.

LibraMake an agreement with your partner and punctuate it with optimism. Determine what another wants.

Consider shared goals.

ScorpioResist impulsive moves that could land you in hot water.

Maintain routine practices and pour energy into work to meet increasing demand.

Sagittarius-

Someone attractive catches your eye. Open the door to romance when it comes knocking. Practice your arts, talents and charms. Work your magic.

CapricornClean and clear domestic clutter. Discover forgotten treasures and hidden beauty.

Share nostalgic reflections while practicing a favorite family tradition.

AquariusResearch and write your story. Listen to diverse views. Make a strong case and line up supporting data.

Document your source material.

PiscesMaintain a steady tempo to keep cash flow constant.

Find safe places to stash your treasure. Guard against technical issues.

carlowpeople October 15, 2019

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carlowpeople October 15, 2019