Carlow People 20-07-21

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November 19, 2019 July 20, 2021

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On your bike for a safer school trip THE road to the classroom is to be made safer and easier for four Carlow primary schools.

They have been selected for inclusion in the first round of the Safe Routes to School Programme.

The Government will provide funds to make it easier for pupils to walk and cycle to the schools.

There will be upgraded footpaths, new cycle lanes, safer school entrances and cycle and

scooter parking. More than 900 schools expressed an interest in the programme but only 170 made it to the first round.

The four Carlow schools are: Queen of the Universe NS Long Range, Muinebeagh, Scoil Mhuire gan Smál Green Lane, Scoil Phádraig Naofa, Rathvilly, St Brigid’s NS Muinebheag.

Carlow County Council will conduct a detailed assessment of the requirements of each school. The schools selected

were assessed against a range of criteria including school type, location and the school’s commitment to sustainable travel.

Schools that have applied and who have not been included in the first round will not be required to reapply as they will come into the programme on a rolling basis.

“Walking, scooting and cycling to school fosters independence, and is a healthy

way for our young people to get around as well as helping us all to cut emissions and air pollution,” Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan TD said.

“We want to ensure they can do this in a safe way, through providing additional facilities in and close to schools.

“This is the first phase of the Safe Routes to School Programme which I look forward to expanding in the years ahead.”

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Oisín and Saoise O’Connor (6) enjoying the recent sunshine. Pic: Andres Poveda

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July 20, 2021

Parents Magic monuments: New say virus drive to Protect our Past anxiety a concern Sean O’Callaghan (8) and Katelyn Parsons (12) at the launch Protect Our Past campaign. Pic: Mark Stedman

THE majority of parents have said that anxiety is their main concern for their children following the Covid-19 pandemic.

A survey of almost 2,000 parents carried out by Walk in my Shoes - a joint initiative

by St Patrick’s Mental Health Services and the National Parents Council - shows almost a fifth of children received some form of mental health support during the pandemic.

The top three areas where parents felt they needed assistance to support their children related to anxiety (60%), coping strategies (44%) and isolation and loneliness (41%). It is noted that this is similar to 2020 results.

However, the overuse of social media during the pandemic and stress were also identified as areas of concern, with 26% and 27% of parents citing these respectively More than half of parents (55%) have concerns about the long-term impact of the pandemic on their child’s mental health.

A new scheme to look after our ancient monuments has been launched by the Office of Public Works (OPW).

The campaign is called Protect Our Past, and highlights the need for visitors to the county’s heritage sites and monuments to be mindful of their actions over the summer.

The drive reminds people of the importance of protecting our country’s unique archaeological and architectural heritage sites, many of which are

extremely vulnerable. There are over 145,000 recorded archaeological monuments around the country in private and public ownership, with latest research suggesting evidence of human activity in the country well over 10,000 years ago.

Examples of archaeological monument types include megalithic tombs, stone circles, standing stones, rock art, ecclesiastical enclosures, churches, graveyards, ringforts, souterrains, crannógs and castles.

The campaign information is available on www.gov. ie/opw/ As people enjoy a summer exploring Ireland, people are encouraged to visit the many varied heritage sites that Ireland boasts but to be especially mindful of how fragile, vulnerable, and irreplaceable our heritage sites can be.

Recent evidence of graffiti and anti-social behaviour at several monuments - some of which are ancient burial sites - has illustrated the need for more respectful behaviour.

Bank and Garda on alert for scams

GARDAÍ and a bank have warned people to beware of scammers.

Recent incidents reported to Garda involve the caller informing the victim that their name has been used by someone caught committing a crime and in order to have proceedings stopped they need to pay a sum of money.

The caller indicates that a call will come from a named garda at a named Garda station. The victim then receives a call from what appears to be the genuine Garda station.

Bank of Ireland has issued a warning to the public advising about a spike in ‘smishing’, where fraudsters send fake text messages, which appear to come from Bank of Ireland, and direct customers to fake websites imitating Bank of Ireland websites.

Bank of Ireland sayas it will never send a text with a link to a website that asks you for your online banking login details or any one-time codes that the bank has sent to you.

School bills all set to hit €1,500 after lockdown

A NEW survey shows the costs of sending a child to secondary school are steadily increasing each year, with this year’s bills already set to soar to an average of €1,500.

At primary school level, spending is set to increase by €63, on average, to €1.186.

The annual Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU) survey, shows that despite the lockdowns and home schooling, back-to-school spending is already on the minds of parents as they prepare for the new school year.

The overall spend on school items is up for both primary and secondary schools, with the cost of sending a child to primary school this coming year just shy of €1,200 at €1,186, up €63 on last year; while parents of secondary school children can expect to pay an average of €1,491, up from €1,467 last year.

School books top the list this year as the most expensive item for parents of secondary school children at €211, up from €196 last year.

Extracurricular activities are the top cost for primary school parents at €178, up from €167 last year.

Spending on gym gear/sports equipment has increased for

both primary school and secondary school.

Sadly, 43% of parents say they will have to deny their children new gym gear, a sharp increase of 16% from 2020.

Parents also reported that 71% of schools are still seeking ‘voluntary contributions’.

Funding back to school continues to be a challenge for parents, with 63% saying that covering the costs has become a financial burden — nearly a quarter of respondents (24%) are getting into debt to do so.

The number of parents relying on their credit card is 31%.

Some 14% of parents rely on the state’s Back to School allowance, up 1% from last year.

Meanwhile, as a result of schools being closed for a number of weeks at the start of the year, 37% of parents think that the school calendar should be adjusted to make up for missed time. Some 31% of respondents believe a focus should be put on children’s mental health when they return to school in September.

While a decision on vaccinations to schoolchildren is being considered, 72% of parents agree vaccinations should be offered to secondary school students with 48% for primary school students.

Have your say ...

Dear Editor, I am contacting you to complain about an article in your 15th, June, 2021 publication, entitled “Most of us in back ‘no vaccine no job’ rule”.

As I am sure you are aware, by publishing this article you are actively advocating for the removal of several rights, the right to medical privacy, the right to bodily autonomy and the right to earn a livelihood.

You also misrepresent most people when you extrapolate your conclusion of “most people” based on a minuscule amount of participants from the county included in the nation wide survey of 3,192 people.

Ostracising neighbours, family and members of our community who choose not to take part in a possible yearly vaccine protocol, and condemning them to unemployment is akin to

sentiments of bygone era’s such as ‘burn the witch’ or ‘shun her to a mother and baby home’.

This stance also sets a totalitarian precedent for the future under any perceived health scare. Let me remind you of the previous health scares of SARS 1, swine flu and H1N1 that did not materialise the way some foretold and of the resent settlements made by people who sustained life long injuries due to receiving the swine flu vaccine.

I ask that you cease from any further calls for the removal of rights and stop publishing articles which aim to ostracise any minority or divide our community.

As a result of my revulsion with this article I will be binning any edition of your paper I come across in the future.

Yours Sincerely Tony Cunneen

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opinion&comment

Fading fast: the decline and fall of Fianna Fáil

M

ICHÉAL M a r t i n narrowly avoided the dubious distinction of being the first Fianna Fáil leader not to become Taoiseach. That unwanted title seems likely to fall on whoever succeeds him as head of the party.

I never rule out anything in politics, but it is hard to see Fianna Fáil ever again becoming the senior partner in a government coalition, much less forming a single-party government, as it did several times between 1932 and 1982.

The party that totally dominated Irish life for that half-century is in tatters. It has become irrelevant and seems doomed to suffer the same fate as the party which dominated for most of

Michael Wolsey

the previous 50 years.

The Irish Parliamentary Party, the party of Butt and Parnell, had its greatest achievement under John Redmond when it got a Home Rule Bill through the British parliament.

But Redmond underestimated reaction to the delay in enacting the legislation and completely misjudged the mood of the country after the Rising of 1916.

The Waterford MP did not live to see the annihilation of his party in the general election two years later.

Parliamentary Party survivors, such as John Dillon, Joe Devlin and Redmond’s son William, squabbled over the leadership, but they were fighting over a corpse. There are obvious similarities with those now agitating to replace Micheál Martin.

The Dublin Bay South byelection was the worst result

Bus Éireann delivers the school transport scheme on behalf of the Department of Education.

School Transport Payment Deadline 2021/22 The closing date for payment for your School Transport ticket for the 2021/22 school year is Friday 30 July 2021.

The Bus Éireann payment portal will then close and families will not be able to apply or pay for a ticket until it reopens on 20th August. This is to allow for planning of services for the new school year.

Applications or payments made after the deadline date will be deemed late and families may not be guaranteed a seat at that stage.

Post-primary school transport services operated at 50% capacity in the 2020/2021 school year, in line with public health advice. These capacity restrictions may have to be continued on post-primary school transport services for the 2021/2022 school year.

Payment for all pupils who wish to be considered for the allocation of a ticket for the 2021/22 school year must be made by 30 July 2021.

Families are strongly urged to make sure that they pay on time.

Fianna Fáil has ever recorded.

But even before the count, the extent of the party’s decline had been laid bare.

Forty years ago, when I worked for Vivion de Valera’s Irish Press, there was not a constituency anywhere in the country where a Fianna Fáil by-election victory could be entirely ruled out.

In 2021, nobody gave the party the slightest chance of winning Dublin Bay South. As it turned out, the FF candidate’s performance was even worse than expected and I have to wonder if there is now a constituency anywhere that the party can be certain of winning in a by-election.

Will Fianna Fáil join Redmond’s nationalists as a chapter in Irish political history, interesting but of no modern relevance? It has some good representatives who won’t vanish

overnight but the party seems likely to fade away with the best of its activists drifting into Fine Gael, as Parliamentary Party members drifted into Cumann na nGaedheal in the early years of the Free State.

The alternative may be a merged party, Fine Fáil as the joke already goes. Either way, the party of Dev will be no more.

And what of Labour, the victors of Dublin Bay South?

Down the years that party has done the State some service as has its new TD, Ivana Bacik, who has been to the fore in campaigns that have changed Ireland for the better.

She was an exceptional candidate, but she will have to work hard to retain the seat at a general election and those who see her victory as a new dawn for Labour may be disappointed.

Labour has fallen to a level from where it may be impossible to regain its position as a major player in Irish politics.

I’m not sure what the cutoff line is, but with only seven TDs the party is perilously close to it.

If Labour slips further at the next general election it will join the huddle of little leftish parties whose elected members operate like independents, treating the Dáil more as a debating society than as a chamber in which they can effect important legislation.

During the half-century from 1932, Labour partnered with Fine Gael to give Ireland an alternative to Fianna Fáil governments.

The party has its own policies and traditions, but the decline of FF has taken away an historic reason for its existence. If Fianna Fáil goes, can Labour be far behind?

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Our certified tutors will provide an initial assessment, if you need it, to ascertain your child’s requirements.

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July 20, 2021

Seamus cycling 2,400 for charity

Misean Cara’s Project Funding Manager, Seamus O’Leary, who hails from Killeshin, Carlow, is currently taking on the 2,400km WildAtlanticWay cycle trek from Derry to Cork.

One of just 18 active contestants in the race, Seamus is sponsoring a campaign to raise €5,000 in funds for Misean Cara Girls’ Education projects, which help girls in developing countries such as South Sudan, Sierra Leone and Kenya stay in school and improve their futures through education and skills training.

While the effects of the pandemic are being felt in every single country and community around the world, school closures have had a disproportionately negative impact on children in marginalised areas of the world where access to online learning is not even a fall-back option.

You can read more about Seamus’s campaign at his GoFundMe page: https://gofund.me/939cd32f

Syrian refugee opens up new pharmacy in Ballon

A SYRIAN refugee who arrived in Ireland in 2014 has set up a new pharmacy in Ballon.

Fadi Almasri (34) is originally from Homs, Syria’s third largest city.

He was running his own pharmacy when the uprising against Bashar al-Assad began in 2011.

He left his homeland for neighbouring Jordan.

“It’s time to give something back to Ireland - the country which has given us lots of new opportunities,” he told RTÉ.

“We are trying to give something back for what Irish people have done for us. For what Ireland has done for Syrians.”

Fadi and his family arrived in Ireland in late 2014, under a resettlement programme operated by the United Nations Refugee Agency and the Irish Government.

Following three months in the Mosney accommodation centre, the family were settled in Portlaoise, where they received an “incredible” welcome.

“I went to a pharmacist in Portlaoise, John Paul Shanahan, and asked him for training in the

Irish system,” he added.

“I told him my story and he told me everything about the Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland, the HSE and how to become a pharmacist here.

“That was the start of my pharmacy journey in Ireland - a journey which would eventually bring me to Ballon.

“Before I opened on Monday, I was standing in the pharmacy

Planning notices Carlow County Council: I, William Farrell, intend to apply for Planning Permission for development at this site: Ballinakill, Garryhill, Co.

Carlow, R21 C427.

The development will consist of the demolition of the existing structures: the front porch, the existing windows in the front elevation, a gable roof, and a

Carlow Youthreach

RESOURCE WORKER – ART

(Leaving Cert Art & QQI Level 4 Drawing) Ref No.: 2021JUL089, Fixed Term Contract – 18.5 hours per week approx.

Our programme requires a Resource Worker to provide direct class contact and resource duties in the delivery of the programme. A high degree of motivation and commitment to a student-centred model of learning is essential.

A panel may be created for the filling of other posts which may arise.

Closing Date: Friday, 30 July 2021 (12 noon).

Further details and application forms available from www.kcetb.ie.

Youthreach Carlow is co-funded by the Government of Ireland, the European Social Fund and the Youth Employment Initiative as part of the ESF Programme for Employability, Inclusion and Learning 2021-2027.

European Union Co-funded by the

Investing in your future

EUROPEAN UNION

European Social Fund

chimney over the front part of the house, a flat roof over the remaining building, a part of the rear extension; the chimney, and the stonewalled shed at the rear.

The development will also consist of the construction of the new 3-bed dwelling extension to the rear and new structures: the new roof over the front part of the existing dwelling house, new windows in front elevation, new packaged wastewater treatment system and polishing filter, and percolation area together with all associated site 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.

Signed: William Farrell Carlow County Council: Permission sought for a single storey extension to west side of dwelling together with all ancillary works at Knocklishen Beg, Rathvilly for Ray and Sabrina Donegan. This 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.

Submissions or observations in relation to the application may be made in writing to the Planning Authority, on payment of the prescribed fee, €20, within five weeks of the date of receipt of the application by the Authority, and such submissions or observations will 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: Ray and Sabrina Donegan

and I just said to myself, ‘it’s real, I’m starting again’.

“Look, not everyone has the chance to start their life again.

My first pharmacy went in the war. But now I have opened in

Ballon and this is my future.”

Fadi has employed three local people in the new business.

Supervising Pharmacist Bridget Dalton said: “I think it’s absolutely phenomenal. When I knew him several years ago, he was working with me in a pharmacy.

“On one occasion I asked him about what he wanted to do when he left there.

“He told me he wanted to own a pharmacy and set up his own business.

“Of course, me being the cynical older lady, I said to myself, ‘we can all dream, can’t we?!’ But it’s here. He’s done it.”

Fadi, who also became a father for the first time last month, hopes the pharmacy will play a part in the Covid-19 vaccine roll-out.

Opening a new business in rural Ireland during a pandemic has not been easy, but he is optimistic about the future.

He said: “I’m not looking back. I’m just looking to the future for me and my family. I would tell anyone who has the opportunity of a new life, to take it.”

IT Carlow sets up new institute in Chinese city Institute of Technology Carlow has become the first Irish institute of technology to receive approval from the Chinese Ministry of Education to establish a joint institute in China.

Carlow International College of Technology, located in the city of Zhengzhou in Henan province, has been approved for an annual intake of 280 students and a total learner population of 1,120 from September 2022.

The new college will initially deliver three degree programmes: a BSc (Honours) in Brewing and Distilling; a BSc (Honours) in Sustainable Farm Management and Agribusiness and a BSc (Honours) in Software Development.

Carlow International College of Technology will run in partnership with Henan University of Animal Husbandry and Economy (HUAHE).

Its establishment, with

the backing of the Chinese Ministry of Education, is the first ever endorsement given by the Chinese government to an Irish institute of technology; currently, only UCD and NUI Maynooth have a similar approval in the ccountry.

Ambassador of Ireland to the People’s Republic of China, Dr Ann Derwin congratulated Institute of Technology Carlow on its achievement.

“On behalf of Team Ireland in China, and as the ambassador of Ireland to China, sincere congratulations to IT Carlow for being the first Irish Institute of Technology to receive approval from the Ministry of Education for a joint institute in China,” she said.

Henan province, is China’s most populous province with over 112million residents, where IT Carlow has been working with university partners for almost 20 years.

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July 20, 2021

House prices rocket 3.3% in three months

Seán Moynihan, CEO of ALONE at the launch of its pre-budget submission. Pic: Jason Clarke

Lidl opens its new €6m store in Bagenalstown

Lidl has opened a new €6m store in Bagenalstown.

The new state-of-the-art store creates 35 permanent jobs with the retailer as well as having supported a further 75 construction jobs throughout the development phase.

Lidl is a leading supporter of female participation in sport through its partnership with the Ladies Gaelic

Football Association, so it was only fitting that members of St Andrew’s LGFA club did the honours of officially opening.# . Following the celebratory ribbon cut, St Andrew’s club members, Leona Lee, Chloe Beck, Georgie Byrne, Sinead McCullagh, Sara Clarke, Leanne Carroll, Rachel McCullagh and Rebecca Kelly were presented with a

€5000 splashed on slimming pool

Bagenalstown Swimming Club’s Mary Foster, Head of Water Safety, Cathriona Carney, Special Olympics Gold Medal Winner and Pool lifeguard, Maryann Hickey, at McCullagh’s Texaco Service Station. Also pictured were Valero Area Sales Manager, Niall O’Rourke and Texaco Dealer, James Bolger

Bagenalstown Swimming Club has re cieved €5000 from the Texaco Support for Sport initiative The money is to be used for a refurbishment project that will see filters replaced and a resurfacing of the paddling pool and deck area.

One of almost 400 clubs countrywide to make application under the scheme, Bagenalstown Swimming Club was founded in 1947.

Playing an important part in community life locally, a focal point of the club’s activities is a 25-metres heated open-air pool, which is available to the public

from June until late August.

In Summer, swimming and water safety lessons are offered alongside aquatic events such as river races, swimming galas and fun days.

The presentation was made to the Club by Valero Energy (Ireland) Limited – the company that markets fuel in Ireland under the Texaco brand.

Under its Texaco Support for Sport initiative, launched last September, a fund of €130,000 was set aside for allocation in equal amounts of €5,000 to successful applicants chosen on a county-by-county basis.

set of new kits for their team, sponsored by Lidl.

Alongside Lidl’s new 1,017sqm store, the development also includes an onsite café.

Lidl Bagenalstown is using only renewable electricity as part of its 50001 ISO certified energy management system, providing free EV charging points to customers and the installation of solar panels.

The price of the average second-hand three-bed semi in County Carlow has risen by 3.3% to €188,500 in the last three months, according to a national survey by Real Estate Alliance.

Across the county, the average time taken to sell has dropped from four weeks to three, the REA Average House Price Index shows.

Prices in Carlow town have risen 3.6% to €202,000, with time to sell dropping to three weeks this quarter.

“The market is currently very strong, and we are seeing multiple bidders on every property coming in,” said Harry Sothern, REA Sothern, Carlow town.

“It is important on our end that we ensure the buyers are fully committed to follow through.

We have converted a number

of our sales to auction when we have a significant amount of bidders, so the process is more transparent for those involved.”

Tullow prices this quarter have risen by 3% to €175,000 with time taken to sell steady at four weeks.

“We are seeing very little stock for sale at present, and this is creating good demand for any houses that come to the market,” said John Dawson of REA Dawson, Tullow.

“Good quality starter homes are selling quickly, and a small number of new developments are now under construction, which may lead to more supply later in 2021.”

Average house prices have risen by almost €1,000 per week nationwide since the end of March, the REA Average House Price Survey has found.

The survey concentrates on

the actual sale price of Ireland’s typical stock home, the threebed semi, giving an accurate picture of the second-hand property market in towns and cities countrywide.

Fuelled by pent-up demand and the return of physical viewing, the marketplace is also seeing the lowest supply and the shortest time taken to sell in recent history.

And as multiple buyers bid for scarce supplies, the average three bed semi is now reaching sale agreed after just four weeks across the country – less than half the ten-week average this time last year.

The price of a threebedroomed semi-detached house across the country rose by €10,000 over the past three months to €253,685 – representing an annual increase of 8%.

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July 20, 2021

WILDLIFE

ninenottomiss

Super Swarms!

book of the week

with Justin Ivory

Flying ants emerging from a colony in my back garden (Photo Justin Ivory) We have arrived at the time of the year when the media is full of sensationalist headlines about invasions of flying ants of apocalyptic and biblical plague proportions! Relax! Flying ant season is here. It is a perfectly natural, normal, and harmless annual phenomenon.

Flying ants are known as alates. In most cases the flying ants we see are the sexually mature queens and males of the Black Garden Ant (Lasius niger). The larger individuals are the queens.

These annual swarming events coincide with periods of hot, humid and calm weather, and typically happen in July and August. In the weeks leading up to a swarming event you often see heaps of soil appearing above the colony nests.

In an ant colony the queen lays eggs, most of which develop into female workers.

When the colony is ready the queen produces new, virgin queens and males.

These both have wings. The swarming events are these males (drones) and virgin queens (princesses) leaving the colony. Other colonies in the area are also doing the same at the same time.

The drones and princesses scatter on exit to maximise the chances of mating between different colonies. This reduces inbreeding and maintains genetic diversity.

The larger winged females can often be seen flying joined together with a smaller winged male in what is referred to as the nuptial flight. Females will mate with several males.

After mating the males die.

Mated queens will chew off their wings and go about establishing a new colony at a suitable nest site. The sperm a queen receives during her nuptial flight is enough for her to lay fertilised eggs for her whole lifetime. A queen could live upto 15 years and lay thousands of eggs in that time.

Flying in such large numbers offers protection against predators and increases the chances of reproduction.

Swarming days provide a welcome protein feast for gulls, swifts, house martins, swallows and other birds and animals. visiting Ireland in larger groups the same could happen here.

TV of the week

HOROSCOPES

series of the week

the 32: anthology Paul McVeigh (editor)

Anna Geary: Why Girls Quit Sport RTE2, Thursday July 22, 9.30pm (Part 2)

MYTH & MOGUL: JOHN DELOREAN Netflix (date TBC in July)

THE 32 is a celebration of working-class voices from Ireland, edited by award-winning novelist Paul McVeigh. It’s an intimate and illuminating collection ranging from memoirs and essays from established and emerging Irish voices, including Kevin Barry, Dermot Bolger, Roddy Doyle, Lisa McInerney, Lyra McKee and others. It’s a collectiion that shows how working-class writers had to overcome the hurdles they came up against compared with those faced by writers from more affluent backgrounds. The 32 sees writers who have made that leap reach back to give a helping hand to those coming up behind them.

IN episode one of this two-part programme, everyone’s favourite coach, Anna Geary, hoped to gain a deeper understanding of the drop-out rate of girls in sports, showing teenage girls the positives they can gain from being physically active by forming a Gaelic football team. In part two, Anna meets psychotherapist Joanna Fortune to learn how the lockdowns have affected teenagers disproportionately and the impact this is going to have on their futures. Her philosophy: once the process is enjoyable, and not just about winning, you enjoyed it more.

JOHN DeLorean has been a much-loved subject for documentary-makers and it’s not hard to see why from this three-part series. The legendary car-company founder’s dramatic rise and fall is examined here, with the fall as always being what most viewers want to know all about. (In the trailer for the film, Framing John DeLorean, son Zachary says: “It’s got cocaine, hot chicks, sports cars, bombed-out buildings, Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, FBI agents and hard-core drug dealers.”). This series focuses more on the creation of the famous cars but does lift the bonnet, more subtly, on the dirty mechanics of it all.

day out of the week

wine of the week

recipe of the week

AriesFor about six weeks, you’re exceptionally passionate. Go for fun and romance. Step up artistic efforts. Practice your game.

TaurusInvent inspiring domestic plans. Improve your living conditions over 45 days. Put your back into it!

GeminiYou’re intent on getting the whole story over six weeks, with Mars in Leo. Research, study and explore. Dig into a fascinating subject.

CancerProfit from your actions, with Mars in Leo over about 45 days. It’s easy to spend too. Your work and cash flow get energized.

LeoDevelop your leadership.

With Mars in your sign, you’re especially strong and confident over about six weeks. Take action on personal goals and dreams.

guinness storehouse www.guinness-storehouse.com

summer wine collection Aldi.ie

THE Guinness Storehouse is back open following a six-month closure and the iconic Guinness Gates on Market Street have been painted for the very first time in their history by acclaimed Dublin-based artist Aches (pictured). The work ‘Together Stronger’ takes inspiration taken from an old Irish proverb — ‘Ní neart go cur le chéile’ – there is no strength without unity. The Storehouse has a new range of immersive experiences for visitors too — including a nice creamy pint — as well as some fantastic food options for families.

Booking is available online now.

IF you’re stuck in Ireland pining for those summer wines from the Med, then at least you have the option to reach for one of Aldi’s wines, with plenty of European reds, whites, rosés and sparkle to choose from.

The new selection of affordable wines come from Spain, France, Italy, Portugal and South Africa, so you can let your taste buds do the travelling. Our choice, given the rather nice summer we’ve been having, is a chilled bottle of Contevedo Sparkling White Wine, at €6.99, which received silver at the London Wine Competition 2020.

album of the week

charity of the week

weber barbie recipies www.weber.com WHEN your neighbour pokes their nose over the fence and issues that Barbie invitation, dread descends at the thoughts of packs of 60 chicken wings for €4.99 from the local thrift store being cremated and served up with sticky ribs. YOU can be the exception this summer with Weber’s recipes, which teach you how to serve up everything from Smokey Lime and Chili Chicken (pictured), to kebabs and steaks, done the right way, on the barbie — not dried, tough and springy. There is even a recipe for Barbecued Seafood Paella, which is sure to put that neighbour back in his box.

event of the week

VirgoPlan, invent and dream.

Clear the past from your space to prepare for what’s next. Exercise and meditate.

LibraShare the load and get farther. Teamwork handles the heaviest burdens over the next six weeks, with Mars in Leo. Together, anything’s possible.

ScorpioAdvance your career boldly, with Mars in Leo for about six weeks. Pour energy into achieving your goals, and a rise in status is possible.

Sagittarius-

Explore, study and satisfy your curiosity. With Mars in Leo, your wanderlust calls you out. Travel to exotic destinations.

CapricornLucrative ventures arise over the next 45 days, with Mars in Leo. Monitor the budget. Profit through coordinated action.

inhaler It Won’t Always Be Like This

jigsaw 24-hour gaming marathon www.jigsaw.ie/24-hour-gaming-marathonfor-youth-mental-health.

THE long-awaited debut album by the young Dublin band who met at school (does that story sound familiar?) and have steadily honed their skills, confidence and sound over the last two or three years has finally been released.

Fair enough, they have a family connection to a major Irish band (Google it if you have been seriously locked down over the last year) but Inhaler should be judged on their own merits.

They are are a solid prospect in their own right and there are some wonderful songs here.

Check it out.

JIGSAW, the youth mental health charity, is hosting an exciting 24-hour live stream gaming marathon to raise money to support young people’s mental health. It will involve lots of gaming fun and challenges, as well as some surprise special guests. The pandemic has been a particularly tough time for young people and for many, gaming was the great escape to ease their daily stresses and anxieties. It takes place on July 24th and registration can be done online.

Waterford’s Imagine Arts Festival www.imagineartsfestival.com/ BROADCASTER and comedian Colm O’Regan will take to the stage for a much-needed dose of comedy on Saturday, October 23rd at the Theatre Royal for Waterford’s Imagine Arts Festival and YOU can be part of it . . . if you think you’re funny. Festival organisers have announced a ‘So you think you’re funny!’ competition for an up and coming comic to win a paid support spot on the night. To enter you need to record a 3-minute video and email it to imaginefestofficial@gmail.com by August 13th. Event takes place October 23rd.

AquariusEnergize shared goals with your partner. Work together and get farther, with Mars in Leo. Lean on each other.

Provide physical support.

Engage in collaborative action.

PiscesWork faster and make more money for the next 45 days.

Power into a project, with Mars in Leo. Get results through direct action.

July 20, 2021

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July 20, 2021

opinion&comment

Football went to Rome not home

A

s the countdown to the final of Euro 2020 (2021) unfolded last week, the question of who to support – England or Italy – seemed to be vexing the nation, so much so that Joe Duffy devoted airtime on Liveline to the debate.

I found this all very refreshing. The country seems to have moved on from the populist, nationalist rhetoric that dictated that we should always support England’s opposition.

I was never afraid to voice support for England in soccer tournaments before, unless of course we were there ourselves.

I always brought a degree of focus on myself for doing this, and this focus ran the full gamut from mild slagging to bitter vitriol.

As far as I was concerned, it made sense to support England if Ireland weren’t there. It’s not that I wanted to conveniently forget the centuries of oppression and cruelty; far from it. It was more a case of separating everything out except soccer,

and for a country whose population supports English teams week in, week out, how could we not be up for them in an international tournament that we weren’t in ourselves? How could our idols off City, United, Liverpool, Spurs and Chelsea suddenly become ‘the opposition’?

The hooligan element has been something that has put neutrals off English soccer for decades, but to me this was always a red herring. Every major soccer power has a hooligan element, it’s just been convenient for decades to portray this as exclusively an English issue. Remember Sean Cox, the Meath man who suffered lifethreatening injuries in Anfield in 2018 before the Liverpool v Roma Champions League semi-final? It was Italian hooligans that did this to Sean, and three of them are currently serving jail for it.

England or Italy aside, as I got ready to watch the final I just wanted it to be a good game, and it certainly was. Extra time and penalties. Thrills and spills, tears and smiles. The tournament overall had been excel-

lent, certainly one of the best I can remember having watched every major soccer tournament since the ’74 World Cup, and it got a fitting end.

So it’s on to 2022 and the World Cup. Having got to a first final since 1966, England will certainly challenge again in Qatar, they’re a young team with a great manager. Italy are an ageing team who will certainly have to bring in fresh blood, especially in defence, but who better to do this than Mancini, the man who has brought the good times back to Italy since taking over in the wake of the failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.

R

********

TE’s new three-part documentary series ‘Our Town’ – which follows the lives of young people in my home town of Bray over the last couple of years – started last week. The show has been much anticipated by people in Bray and didn’t disappoint, weaving in footage of iconic locations around the town as a backdrop to the

narrative. When I say the show didn’t disappoint, I’m speaking for myself - some people I know weren’t happy with how the town was portrayed. t depends what you were expecting; the show turned out pretty much as I expected, hence my relative satisfaction with it.

There was a liberal sprinkling of Bray Wanderers stories throughout the first episode, with Dylan Barnett featured and also rap duo King CJ and Sammy aka The Bray Side Boyz, who are seen writing ‘’BWA (Bray Wanderers Anthem)’’. As a lifelong fan of the club, this really pleased me.

D y l a n had moved to Brighton as an apprentice footballer.

Although he eventually played professional soccer while out on loan, he decided to

I

move back home; thankfully he signed for his home-town club and is progressing very well.

The Bray Side Boyz both hail from Malawi and only met at the Bray Institute Of Further Education (BIFE), where they were taking a course in music production.

Wanderers’ chairman Niall O’Driscoll is interviewed briefly and sums up exactly where the club is at today (even though it was filmed just before COVID, his sentiments are still very relevant). The club had been through a horrendous time prior to Niall’s arrival, w i t h longt i m e f a n s driven a w a y and morale at an all-time low.

Niall has pulled us out of the nose

dive; he has given us back our club, saved our ground, given us a manager in for the long haul, more local players to watch, and strengthened our academy.

There was some great drone footage looking down from above the stone cross on top of Bray Head. This was a favourite haunt of mine when I lived in Bray, and a place I bring my children to as often as I can. For me it was always a place to sit down and survey the landmarks of the town below that were most important to me. The estate I lived in; the school I’d been to; the Solus Tower; the harbour, and just behind it the Carlisle Grounds.

‘Our Town’ is a format that can be transposed to any town in Ireland, allowing for young people from that town to tell their stories in their own local setting.

I don’t know if there will be further series or if this is the way it will go; equally it could remain in Bray and focus on a new set of characters. A winning formula either way.

- Brian Quigley

July 20, 2021

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July 20, 2021

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July 20, 2021

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 18/07/1933

Freemans Jrn 17/07/1828

Irish Press 10/07/1981

Irish Ind 07/07/1951

Irish Press 18/07/1933

Irish Ind 11/07/1951

16 |

carlowpeople.ie July 20, 2021

learning works

learning works

FURTHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING

FURTHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING

Are you currently out of work and would like to upskill or reskill by taking on a part time education or training course?

Are you currently out of work and would like to upskill or reskill by taking on a part time education or training course?

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.

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:

Courses are available in a range of vocational fields including:

Train the Trainer

Basic/Intermediate Welding

Train the Trainer

Basic/Intermediate Welding

Accredited Product Adviser Designation in Loans (Qualified Financial Advisor QFA)

Warehouse Operations

Accredited Product Adviser Designation in Loans (Qualified Financial Advisor QFA)

Warehouse Operations

• Regulations

Bus Driving - 1 Day Per Week Forklift, Safepass and Manual Handling

• Life Assurance • Investments

• Regulations

Bus Driving - 1 Day Per Week Forklift, Safepass and Manual Handling

• Life Assurance • Investments

Leadership and Management e.g

Heavy Goods Vehicle Driving (Rigid/Artic)

Leadership and Management e.g

• Motivating Staff

• Motivating Staff

• Managing Conflict

• Managing Conflict

• Team Leadership

• Team Leadership

Heavy Goods Vehicle Driving (Rigid/Artic)

These part-time courses provide an opportunity to gain a recognised qualification which can be used to progress within further education and/or employment.

These part-time courses 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 Helena Comerford, Kilkenny and Carlow ETB Training Services on Tel: 056 781 3014 or Email: helena.comerford@kilkennycarlowetb.ie

For further information, please contact Helena Comerford, Kilkenny and Carlow ETB Training Services on Tel: 056 781 3014 or Email: helena.comerford@kilkennycarlowetb.ie

Please log onto www.fetchcourses.ie for more information.

Further support and assistance is provided by contacting the Adult Guidance Service in Kilkenny at 056 776 4448 or 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.

Please log onto www.fetchcourses.ie for more information.

Further support and assistance is provided by contacting the Adult Guidance Service in Kilkenny at 056 776 4448 or 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 Skills to Compete Initiative www.solas.ie/programmes/skills-to-compete.

These courses offered through Kilkenny and Carlow ETB are part of the SOLAS Skills to Compete Initiative www.solas.ie/programmes/skills-to-compete.

Provision co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union.

Provision co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union.

Có-mhaoinithe ag an

Có-mhaoinithe ag an

AONTAS EORPACH

AONTAS EORPACH

Co-funded by the

Co-funded by the

EUROPEAN UNION

BTEI Programmes are co-funded by the Government of Ireland the European Union

EUROPEAN UNION

BTEI Programmes are co-funded by the Government of Ireland the European Union

Carlow Cheatharlach MUSICIAN EDUCATOR Music Generation Carlow Ref No: 2021JUL084

Kilkenny and Carlow Education and Training Board, as lead partner of Music Generation Carlow wishes to recruit suitably qualified and experienced musician educators to add to a panel to deliver the following programme strands: (i)

Pop/Rock – Drums/Guitar

(ii)

Vocal

(iii)

Classical Strings

(iv)

Brass/Wind

(v)

Traditional Irish

(vi)

Early Childhood

Musician educators will work with children and young people to deliver small group/ large group performance music education in community/classroom contexts and may work on one or more programmes at any given time. Applicants must be available to deliver tuition at more than one location throughout Co. Carlow.

Late applications will not be considered.

The closing date for receipt of applications is: Friday, 16 July 2021 (12 noon).

Provisional interview date: Week Commencing 26 July 2020.

Further details and application forms available from www.kcetb.ie.

Applications are invited from suitably qualified and/or experienced persons to form a panel of tutors in the Further Education and Training Service within Kilkenny and Carlow Education and Training Board

FURTHER EDUCATION AND TRAINING TUTOR PANEL (Specific Disciplines/Subjects) REF: 2021JUL083

Application form and further details are available on our website: www.kcetb.ie.

Completed application forms should be submitted no later than 12 noon on Monday, 19 July 2021.

Late applications will not be accepted.

Shortlisting will apply.

Kilkenny and Carlow ETB is an equal opportunities employer.

Provision co-funded by the Government of Ireland and the European Union.

Có-mhaoinithe ag an

AONTAS EORPACH 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

learning works