Northside News 19-08-2020

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Jellyfish warning to swimmers

By Adam Costello Swimmers in north Dublin have been warned “to be vigilant” and to keep an eye out for for the Lion’s Mane jellyfish while bathing.

Fingal County Council issued the warning to those visiting Portrane or Balbriggan beach as it is “peak season” for the species to wash up here and to report to a lifeguard if stung by the jellyfish.

The jellyfish is a rust colour

and can be up to one metre long, have 150 long tentacles on the bottom which can give off a nasty sting that is known for great pain, nausea, cramps and headaches.

Dr Damien Haberlin, a researcher at University College Cork’s Centre for Marine and Renewable Energy, said Dublin Bay and Hollyhead are hotspots for the species.

“In the context of Ireland you get most of them in the Irish Sea, and from our research we found around Dublin is

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you tend to get more of them.

Dublin Bay seems to be a bit of a hotspot, and also, around Hollyhead,” he told the Irish Independent.

“The Lion’s Mane is probably the nastiest species we get most of the time in terms of the sting, although, I would hasten to add there’s never been a recorded fatality or anything like that, but there have been some people hospitalised with respiratory difficulties, and awfully severe pain.

Continued on next page

Sam Kinahan (5) from Baldoyle at the Irish Kidney Association’s duck race to mark the cancelled European Transplant & Dialysis Sports Championships, see page 8 Pic: Conor McCabe Photography

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Council issues jellyfish warning Continued from previous page “All the species that get here, they don’t they don’t appear and disappear at the same time.

The Lions Mane claims to reach it’s maximum size and spawn in the late summer and into autumn, so right about now is the peak time of year for the Lion’s Mane.”

Dr Haberlin advised keeping a great distance away from the Lion’s Mane as doing as little as brushing off the tentacles can result in being stung.

“You shouldn’t shouldn’t touch them. Even if you come across them on the beach, the stinging cells can still fire off.

“So if you if you brush against the tentacles even of an animal that’s been stranded and looks quite desiccated and manky, you could still get a sting from that. It’s definitely better to try and avoid them,” he said.

The Lion’s Mane is the largest species of jellyfish in the world and can give off an extremely painful and potentially fatal sting even after they’ve died.

19.08.20

HSE staff to face parking fees at hospitals again HSE workers will again face charges for parking near hospitals from September, following a temporary reprieve during the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In March, Dublin City Council had instructed Dublin Street Parking Services to exercise discretion when clamping cars parked in areas surrounding hospitals.

In a memo to the Lord Mayor and members, Dublin City Council (DCC) Chief Executive Owen Keegan said that, due to increasing traffic volumes and demand for on-street parking, residents with permits were currently unable to access onstreet parking near their homes.

Mr Keegan said the relaxed parking restrictions “cannot be sustained” and full enforcement would resume in September.

“The non-enforcement of paid parking restrictions in respect of vehicles owned by HSE staff, parked in the vicinity of hospitals was always intended to be a temporary measure.

“At the time it was introduced it was not a major issue in the various locations where it

Shane O’Doherty with crew Wayne Heather, Holly O’Doherty and Brendan O’Brien of Pauline (built in 1900) which was the winner of the Howth 17 Footers National Championships at Howth Yacht Club recently

applied, as there was limited demand for on-street parking.

However, with the resumption in economic activity there has been a significant recovery in traffic volumes and in on-street parking demand,” he said.

“This has led to a situation where residents with Residents Parking Permits, living in the vicinity of major hospitals,

cannot access on-street parking at or close to their homes at certain times.

“A decision has now been made that the concession will end on 31 August, after which a full parking enforcement service will operate in the vicinity of hospitals.”

Sinn Féin Councillor Séamas McGrattan has called for

the council to reconsider its decision and extend free parking for health workers.

“Nurses and doctors will continue to put their lives on the line, continuing to carry the stress and isolation of being front line staff. Healthcare workers deserve the city’s support and solidarity. Free parking is the least that they

can expect at this time,” the councillor said.

“Nurses and doctors will continue to put their lives on the line, continuing to carry the stress and isolation of being front line staff. Healthcare workers deserve the city’s support and solidarity. Free parking is the least that they can expect at this time.”

Bohs kick off homeless campaign BOHEMIAN FC will use its first season in the top flight of the Women’s National League to help raise awareness for Dublin’s homeless.

The Bohs home and away jerseys will display the logo of Inner City Helping Homeless (ICHH), a volunteer-run outreach charity who champion the cause and highlight the plight of those left behind by society in

Dublin City. ICHH volunteers run daily and nightly outreach services for those forced to sleep rough on Dublin’s streets, providing food and drink, hygiene products and clothing, as well as advice for those seeking shelter.

Director Anthony Flynn said: “Homelessness has been and continues to be a scourge on our society - we need radical reforms and changes

to secure proper housing provision.

Bohemians’ efforts allow us to shine a light on homelessness.”

Bohemian FC Commercial Director Daniel Lambert said: “The work done by ICHH throughout the city is invaluable.

They are a lifeline for the most vulnerable people in our society — those with no place

to call home. We are proud as a club to use our name and profile to raise awareness on societal and human rights issues which impact upon us all.

“In this case, several of our club members and indeed a board member have actively volunteered with ICCH and see first hand the challenges faced by people forced to sleep on our streets.”

Sisters Jessica and Chloe Darby model ICHH/Bohemians WNL kit

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19.08.20

Top baker Cáit (5) goes bananas with her bread!

CAIT Flood, a five-year old Junior Infants class pupil at St Colmcille’s Girls National School, Swords, is one of our best banana bread bakers.

One of three children, Cáit secured the ‘Best Junior Baker under 10 years’ category award in a recent nationwide search to find Ireland’s Best Banana Bread recipes conducted by celebrity chef and RTE presenter Donal Skehan with the support of Fyffes.

From Balheary, Cáit’s proud parents Sean and Edel Flood were joined by her older sister and younger brother in expressing their pride and delight at her success – baking having been one of Cáit’s interests from an early age.

“Her winning recipe submitted was a particular favourite and one she was accustomed to making. In preparing her recipe for the

Cáit (centre) with her brother Eoin, sister Áine and mother Edel

competition, she made a number of improvements, adding some extra ingredients such as white chocolate chips together with some attractive decorative touches,” her mother Edel said.

Encouraged by her mother, a teacher in home economics at Loreto College in Swords, Cáit has been baking since she was just three. Ever since, she has been busy developing her interest through cooking classes for children hosted by her mother on her Instagram page @ace_kidskitchen Her mother said: “Like many families throughout Ireland, ours has looked to home baking as one way to relieve the stress of being locked down over recent months.

“As she gets older, we hope that her success will lead Cáit to take an even greater interest in home baking,” she said.

‘People here should not have to live in fear’

Independent Balbriggan Councillor Tony Murphy has called for more support from all relevant agencies for the people of Balbriggan following a Public Order Disturbance recently.

Commenting on this, Cllr Murphy said; ‘’I’m appalled over the events that took place in Balbriggan on a recent weekend and saddened by such massive negative social media coverage, however the issues are real and we as a community cannot allow a cohort of individuals run riot around our town and show no respect for people.

“Nobody is above the law and the people of Balbriggan should not have to live in fear” A number of reports rec ently claimed that teenage gangs were invloved in fights between each other.

One video saw one teenager being being on the ground while surrounded by a number of youngsters.

He receives several blows while on the deck before another attacker rips off the shoes from his feet and throws them over the roof of a house.

He is then dragged on the ground a couple of metres to the other side of the road before the video ends Councillor Murphy added that he has engaged with his Councillor colleagues and members of the gardaí who have agreed to a meeting sometime the week commencing August 17 to discuss how to deal with these incidents and how to put a stop to this behaviour.

Councillor Murphy added that he wants to assure the people of Balbriggan that this behaviour will not be tolerated and every agency with responsibility will be contacted to deliver whatever supports necessary to put an end to this behaviour.

“I have been inundated with calls from constituents over the last few days who desperately need reassurance.

“The outpouring of anger and upset shows how much the people of Balbriggan really care about their town and we cannot allow a small number of young offenders think they can do what they want and get away with it,” he said.

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19.08.20

Dublin can be heaven ... your city wants you!

By Adam Costello For Dublin can be heaven with coffee at eleven, and a stroll in Stephen’s Green ...

We all remember the classic song praising our great city and now tourist bosses are hoping that Dubs will ‘Make A Day Of It’ by enjoying what its cafes, restaurants, and shops have to offer while they’re in town.

The Dublin Place Brand, and Dublin.ie, have launched the new campaign aimed at encouraging Dubliners to safely start returning to the city.

The campaign invites people to visit some of Dublin’s bestknown visitor attractions and then ‘Make A Day Of It’ by enjoying what the city’s cafes, restaurants, and shops have to offer while they’re in town. The aim is to stimulate economic activity in the local

tourism, retail and hospitality sectors.

“It’s amazing how little most of us actually know about our own city,” said the Lord Mayor of Dublin Hazel Chu. “Dublin has so much to offer and yet all the tourists who come here get to see more of it than we do.

“So that’s why I’m backing this campaign. My message to all Dubliners is get out, enjoy your city, visit some of the great attractions you never get a chance to visit during normal times, and Make A Day Of It while you’re at it.”

Some of the attractions featured include the Hugh

Lane Gallery, GAA Museum, Dublin Castle, and the Little Museum of Dublin.

If you’re not sure where you would like to start, why not visit Dublin.ie to see some sample itineraries on how to spend the day? Check out www. dublin.ie/day The campaign will be run on bus shelters, Digi-panels, metropoles, big belly bins and online.

“Dublin has so much to offer and yet all the tourists who come here get to see more of it than we do,” Lord Mayor of Dublin Hazel Chu said.

“My message to all Dubliners is, ‘Get out, enjoy your city, visit some of the great attractions you never get a chance to visit during normal times, and Make A Day Of It while you’re at it’,” she said.

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19.08.20

Greenway gets €200k in funding Fingal County Council has welcomed the allocation of €200,000 towards the Fingal Coastal Way, a 32km recreational walking and cycling route stretching from Newbridge Demesne in Donabate to the county boundary between Balbriggan and Drogheda.

Awarded under the Carbon Tax Fund 2020 by the new Department of Climate Change, Communications Networks and Transport, the funding was part of a total allocation of €4.5 million towards the feasibility, planning and design of 26 greenways around the country.

It’s envisaged Fingal Coastal Way “will provide a high quality, safe and environmentally sympathetic coastal walking and cycle route that will connect Newbridge Demesne, Donabate, Rush, Loughshinny, Skerries and

Balbriggan”. A non-statutory public consultation will take place before the end of this year, which will set out three to five route options over the entire route corridor Following a series of public consultations in late 2019 on the opportunities and constraints for the Fingal Coastal Way, the development of the route is under way.

A non-statutory public consultation will take place before the end of this year, which will set out three to five route options over the entire route corridor. This will inform the preparation of a planning application and environmental assessment through 2021 and submission of the application in early 2022.

The flagship project will ultimately connect to the €12m Broadmeadow Way, a 6km offroad cycling and walking route

linking Malahide and Donabate across the scenic Broadmeadow Estuary, which was granted planning permission by An Bord Pleanála in May. A third project under way is the Malahide-to-Sutton Greenway — part of which, the €2.5m Baldoyle-toPortmarnock section, was officially opened in June.

Design and planning work on the next phase of the project, linking the greenway to Sutton and Malahide, through Portmarnock village, is under way and public consultation is expected to take place later in 2020.

Mayor of Fingal Cllr David Healy said: ‘In a regional context, the Fingal Coastal Way will form part of the East Coast Trail between Dublin City, Fingal and Meath, and ultimately connecting Louth with Wicklow and Wexford.”

There’s no Hill Street blues as centre wins Growbox award THE Hill Street Family Resource Centre in Dublin’s North East Inner City is the latest weekly winner in the GIY and Energia Get Ireland Growing community initiative.

The Hill Street centre submitted an application for a Community GROWBox stating: “Getting involved in Get Ireland Growing would be a great opportunity to engage the children and families in our centre in the beginnings of a diverse intergenerational community project to grow and share food.

“Getting them involved can be the basis for many conversations about where our food comes from, access to food, health and nutrition and food poverty. As well as helping with diversity and inclusion by breaking down barriers and starting conversations about different foods from different parts of the world, how they are prepared and eaten and the culture of growing food in different parts of the world.”

The submission added that Hill Street was a diverse innercity neighbourhood with very little outdoor and green space.

Hill Street Family Resource

Centre is a multi-cultural Centre providing children and their families with personcentred services that are easily accessible and inclusive of all.

A community GROWBox is a bespoke ‘seed library’ that

RNLI rescue seven from sea off Howth A TEENAGER found clinging to a buoy was among seven people rescued by lifeboat crews from Howth in Dublin over the recent Bank Holiday weekend.

A lifeboat crew was told a third person was missing when they rescued two teenagers who got into difficulty while swimming in Baldoyle estuary on the Bank Holiday Friday afternoon.

They located the missing teenager who had spent 30 minutes clinging to a buoy at Cush Point in the middle of the estuary.

The boy was assessed and treated before he was brought back to the lifeboat station.

Fin Goggin of Howth RNLI said: “What we thought was a call-out to two swimmers who had made their way back to shore quickly turned into a search for a missing teenager.

“When we found him a short time later clinging to the buoy, very tired but alive, we realised it could have had a very tragic outcome.”

Crews were also called on

the Saturday afternoon to reports of a speedboat that had mechanical problems just north of Lambay Island.

The crew found the boat with four family members on board.

The speedboat was taken in tow by the all-weather lifeboat and the family, who were unharmed, were returned safely to Malahide Marina.

M eanwhile, brave volunteers from the south Dublin RNLI had a busy afternoon recently when both of their lifeboats being launched within minutes to help six people in difficulty.

The Dun Laoghaire branch of the rescue service sprung into action in response to calls that a yacht had suffered steering failure two miles north of Greystones in County Wicklow.

As the all-weather boat was returning, the station’s inshore vessel was forced into action to a separate incident just outside the entrance to Dun Laoghaire Harbour.

A 23ft yacht carrying five people had suffered engine failure but were located by the quick-thinking lifeboat crew within 10 minutes.

offers a community 100 free packs of vegetable, herb and wildflower seeds.

Through this initiative Energia has supported 257 community groups with grants totalling €220,000.

Search on for mum of the year WOMAN’S WAY magazine and Beko, the home appliance brand, have teamed up for the fifth year to celebrate the mothers of Dubln .

The competition, now in its 17th year, is the largest awards celebrating mothers.

Open to mums throughout Ireland, finalists – chosen from each province and from Dublin – will attend a special lunch in October where each will be presented with their awards and prizes. Áine Toner, Editor of Woman’s Way said: “The world has changed but the importance of being a mum hasn’t. The awards are a reminder that there are women, and families, out there who face challenges with strength and integrity.”

To nominate a mum that deserves recognition, complete the nomination form in the current issue of Woman’s Way or visit www. womansway.ie to nominate online. The closing date for entries is September 4.

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19.08.20

Are school days the best days of your life?

By Paul Hopkins John Dighton was a British playwright and screenwriter of minor note, among whose work was Kind Hearts And Coronets and Roman Holiday for the cinema and the stage play The Best Days Of Your Life. The 1947 production is based upon a boys’ school and girls’ one merging just after the war.

With schools opening up in September — will all be ready and able? — it begs the

question: are school days, in fact, the best days of your life, as Dighton’s play would have it?

My own memories are tinged with a mixture of trepidation and indifference as the (un) Christian Brothers beat the three Rs and the fear of God into me. I feigned illness often to avoid their wrath but, despite my indifference, was a grade A primary pupil, winning a scholarship to secondary school, long before there was free education.

With whizzing through primary level, I took my genius as given and effectively sat on my laurels through my secondary years, just about passing my final exams. (I sometimes think I ended up in this business that is newspapers because I was not much good at anything else).

Dee Laffin at the re-opening of the Roe&Co Distillery in The Liberties, Dublin 8 recently

All that aside, a recent survey by website One4All reveals some interesting anecdotes about memories we Irish have shared from our school days.

A total of 53% say their school days were the best of their life.

Hanging out with friends is our favourite memory (47%) from our school days, while pretending to be sick – or ‘mitching’ – and playing pranks on the teachers and not doing homework are some of the negative things we did during those halcyon days. In the mix, school tours as favourite memories (22%) and the teacher not giving homework

(16%). English tops our favourite subject while Maths is voted least favourite, while to believe in the impossible, always be honest and to work hard, are just some of the ways our teachers inspired us.

That said, a good education is much broader than mere schooling, as I mentioned her recently when commenting on home-schooling during lockdown. As Mark Twain put it: “I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.”

The dreaded PE provides the unhappiest memories of school days, another survey has found.

The misery of struggling up ropes in the gym and jogging through freezing fields in shorts and vests leaves its mark on many of us. A third of those polled cited PE as a “most horrible” experience.

Bullying was, sadly, another unhappy memory, cited by a quarter of those polled and rising to a third among 16 to 24-year-olds. One in five 55-year-olds chose bullying as their worst memory, showing it is not a modern phenomenon.

But here’s something to bear in mind, as you have watched your children in relative carefree mode the last months: in the developing world a staggering 130 million children — one in 15 — are not in school, with 70% of these being girls.

This is shocking, given that education improves lives, strengthens families and helps break the cycle of poverty in even the world’s most impoverished communities.

As Nelson Mandela once noted: “Education is the most powerful weapon that you can use to change the world.”

But even in his ‘new South Africa’ students must pay school fees and buy uniforms,

books, food, shoes and other items families living in poverty simply can’t afford. Similarly, there is a lack in funds in many sub-Saharan African countries to build and maintain schools to keep pace with population growth and provide a quality education to an increasing number of school-aged children.

Such mismanagement is another day’s debate but consider this: *Girls with eight years of education are four times less likely to be married as children.

(National Academies Press) *Educated mothers are twice as likely to send their children to school. (UNICEF) *A child born to a literate mother is 50% more likely to survive past the age of five.

(UNESCO) We should all remember Malala Yousafzai, the now 22-year-old Pakistani shot in the head by the Taliban because she campaigned for the right of girls to attend school, something forbidden by the madness of fundamental Sharia law.

She graduated from Oxford in June just gone.

She has proved an extraordinary, brave young woman who, when faced with certain death, refused to be silenced.

A virtue, innate and beyond the remit of most school learning.

8 Health

19.08.20

We must talk about mental health

By Brian Quigley Dundalk lost 2-1 to Bohemians at Dalymount Park on August 7.

In the immediate scheme of things the loss was a setback to their hopes of winning the league.

On another level though it was just a game of football that didn’t go their way.

A more significant loss the club has suffered recently – that of their much-loved groundsman and videographer Harry Taaffe – must be still very raw.

Harry was lost to suicide just as the SSE Airtricity League was about to resume.

I’m removed enough from the situation to not know what had caused Harry to lose hope, but I do know that he had taken the brave step of seeking help.

I’m not here to criticise the mental health services in this country. As a sufferer of depressive illness myself, I have always been grateful for and appreciative of the care I have received from my GP and any counselling I have engaged with.

I do know that medication for depression and the various things it pulls into the mental mix – anxiety, stress, panic attacks, thought process disorder, excessive worry and various others – is not enough

The late Harry Taaffe

in itself.

Even where it is it takes weeks if not months to kick in.

The first medication you are prescribed may not be the right one for you, or even if it is it

may not be the appropriate dosage.

Counselling and other help tools need to accompany medication.

Looking back we know now

that Harry should have been classed as a suicide risk and admitted for care.

The benefit of hindsight though is no use when it comes to bringing back someone who felt so low that they had entered the departure lounge in their own mind and taken that final, lonely and painful one-way journey through its door.

The tributes to Harry paint a wonderful picture of a man who loved his club and everything about it.

He would do anything for the club, its players, fans and people.

All League of Ireland clubs have people like Harry. Brian Murray comes to mind at Bray Wanderers, a club stalwart who was also a firefighter and sadly died (along with his colleague Mark O’Shaughnessy) when bravely tackling a blaze in Bray in 2007.

When a loss like Harry’s – or Brian’s - happens, the whole club community feels it. A part of the club has died. It’s a deep wound and it takes a long time to heal.

This year has been a brutal year thanks to Covid-19.

For many people it has been the worst year in their living memory.

Personal, professional and family challenges have been forced upon us that we never thought we would have to face.

For some people many of these strands of problems have overlapped and dovetailed

in a way that has been overwhelming.

The worst thing is that the worst is yet to come.

When the dust settles on Covid-19, whether it is through a vaccine, antibody testing or herd immunity, we will see a surge in mental health issues.

Are we equipped to deal with them? Harry’s case would suggest the answer is no.

If we are to learn anything from Harry’s passing then we need to petition for the provision of the volume of service in the mental health area that will be required.

Forget how much it will cost – think about the awful cost to families, business, industry and society of people being lost to suicide.

In the meantime we can look out for each other.

If it is somebody in your club, your neighbourhood or your workplace that you are concerned for, don’t be afraid to reach out.

If you are correct and they are struggling then you have done the right thing. If they are fine then you have also done the right thing by verifying that.

There are some excellent services there that can be reached out to. The Samaritans.

Pieta House. Aware. SOSAD. Don’t be afraid to engage with them if you are in a dark place and feel you have nobody or nowhere else to turn.

Stay safe. Stay strong. Take care of each other.

Rubber duck invasion marks donor games

The Irish Kidney Association (IKA) came up up with a unique way of marking the final day of what should have been the largest international organ donor awareness event this year - a rubber Duck Race!.

More than 500 participants, including heart, lung, liver, kidney transplant recipients as well as dialysis patients and supporters, from 30 nations sould have been saying farewell to the 11th European Transplant & Dialysis Sports Championships 2020 in Dublin between August 2-9 August which were cancelled due to the pandemic.

To mark the event, two grateful Irish transplant recipients and members of Transplant Team Ireland were joined by a kidney donor father and his transplant son who enjoyed the fun and frolics of the virtual Duck Race.

The race, involving 30 green ducks, each with their nation’s

Transplant Team Ireland Captain Harry Ward from Baldoyle. Picture Conor McCabe Photography

flag colours on their plastic plumage, was held at a water feature beside the IKA’s head office at Donor House in Dublin’s Park West.

A Slovenian duck won convincingly followed by Germany in second place and Cyprus third while Ireland’s duck bobbed along behind.

Team Ireland Captain Harry Ward from Baldoyle underwent a kidney transplant 13 years ago while newcomer to the team

Simon Keegan from Dublin 1, who was on life support before undergoing a heart transplant two years ago observed with father and son Ivan and Sam Kinahan (5) from Baldoyle.

Ivan who had returned to work since donating a kidney to Sam last June had taken this week off work for the Games and had planned to take part in a Donor Race for families of organ donors.

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19.08.20

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10 Education

Employers will be entitled to a financial incentive of €3,000 to take on apprentices under a new scheme announced recently.

Minister for Higher Education and Innovation Simon Harris wants to expand the model to include more sectors of the economy as it recovers from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Over 18,000 people are currently undertaking an apprenticeship across a wide range of occupations from electrical, construction and engineering roles to healthcare, information technology and financial services,” he s aid.

“Our ambition is to see that number grow and the Government provided funding for this new incentive for employers in the July stimulus package.”

Minister Harris said it was an exciting option for people of different ages and backgrounds and for career changers, as well as school leavers.

The minister wants to see the numbers grow and the Government provided funding in the July stimulus package for this purpose.

He will announce a €3,000 financial incentive for employers who take on new apprentices between March and the end of the year.

19.08.20

Companies to get €3,000 if they take on apprentices Mr Harris said these apprentices will play a key part in Ireland’s recovery and the country’s future.

“I am pleased to be launching this incentive at the announcement of the winners of the Generation Apprenticeship competition.

“These winning teams demonstrate all that is good about apprenticeship and the key part it is going to play in Ireland’s recovery and our country’s future.

“It is a really exciting option for people of different ages, genders and backgrounds, career changers and school leavers, to forge brilliant careers for themselves.

“I congratulate all the teams and thank them for being part of the campaign to promote this new Apprenticeship Incentivisation Scheme.

“These teams showcase the talent available to Ireland’s

Six Dunboyne College of Further Education Students, including two from Co Dublin, were worthy recipients of scholarship awards from local four businesses in a new programme initiated by the college. The four companies involved were Alltec Ireland, Dunboyne, Lyons Financial, Dunboyne, KBC Bank, Maynooth and Sean Henry

employers, who can receive a €3,000 incentive payment for each new apprentice registered between March and the end of the year.

“I encourage all employers to visit www.apprenticeship.ie and consider this. It’s a win-win - help develop an apprentice’s potential while you develop your company.”

Sponsored by the ESB and CIF, the Generation Apprenticeship Competition promotes and celebrates the best teamwork, leadership, creativity and problem-solving skills of Ireland’s apprentices.

The competition has two categories to showcase skills across the full spectrum of apprenticeship programmes.

Now in its third year, the Generation Apprenticeship Competition challenges teams of apprentices to design and produce a 6-foot, 3-dimensional letter A (based on the Generation Apprenticeship brand) using the materials/ equipment/tools of their industry.

The competition was judged

by Noreen O’Hare, senior executive in Microsoft and a member of the Apprenticeship Council, Charlie Dolan of Charlie Dolan Consulting and Róisín Murphy, the highly renowned architect and broadcaster.

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19.08.20

Childline ready as students go back to school ISPCC Childline has welcomed the announcement of plans for children’s return to school later this month in County Dublin and outlined details of support for parents, carers, children and young people preparing for the transition back to the classroom.

The organisation, which provides a range of services directly to children, young people and families in Ireland, including the Childline listening service, experienced a surge in demand for support when schools across the country first closed in March as a result of restrictions associated with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Childline answered over 72,000 online contacts, calls and texts from children and young people in Wicklow and across Ireland between the week in which schools closed in March and the last week in June. Many of those who contacted the service did so

Vincents is there for you

Getting children back to school or college can put households under financial strain, but did you know relief may be available through your local branch of the Society of St Vincent De Paul?

All help comes with an assurance of confidentiality.

This year has been exceptionally difficult for many, with budgets under considerable additional pressure.

Seeking assistance is very easy: simply call 01 8550022 or email the society via its website svp.ie. Volunteers in the local area will then make contact and do their best to help.

to talk about how they were anxious to return to school, missed their friends and daily routines and worried about exams and related issues.

Themes which will be of key importance to families preparing for the return to primary school next month, Childline stated, include building resilience, communicating clearly, seeking and accepting support and enhancing capacity to cope.

The development of these personal resources will be central to free ‘Transition Back to School’ webinars, which the service is set to deliver to parents, carers, children and young people on August 17 and August 18.

The organisation will also extend the hours of its Support Line service for three weeks from August 17 to September 4, making the service available to parents, carers and members of the public from 9am to 5pm each day.

12 House & Home

19.08.20

Tips for find a good build

House & Home 13

19.08.20

ding der

Looking for a good builder is a time-consuming task.

Whatever is the type of the house you are going for, you must ensure that it is a good quality one from a reputable builder. Here are some tips to help you choose a builder.

Start with a list of potential builders.

Make use of the property section of your local newspapers to search for builders and projects.

Check with friends and relatives for recommendations and opinions.

If they recently had the same work done, ask them about the builders they were associated with and how was their experience with them.

Do not be fooled by fake builders. Some builders fraudulently claim membership of trade associations, so verify if one is a bona fide member or not.

It’s time for homework!

Once you have prepared a list of potential builders, now it is time to start enquiring about the potential builders and people who have bought homes from them. Visit the builders personally and ask your queries. Check with them if they are insured or not. They should have insurance to protect themselves and to deal their liability to you in the case of property damage or an injury or accident. It would also be good to visit a few recently built

homes by the builder.

Try to meet several home owners and collect a few random opinions. Ask them if they are happy with their homes, do they face any issues, was the builder prompt in addressing their issues, etc. This step helps you to get a genuine review in most cases.

If you are meeting a number of homeowners who have bought homes from various builders, it would be wise to note down the information you collect so that you can make an elaborate comparison later.

Short list and quotation Based on your meeting with the builders and the reviews you have collected, short list the builders and ask for quotations.

The quotation should cover details like clearance, site maintenance, material supplies, etc.

Ask for complete details in writing. Also, enquire if any approvals or permissions are required.

Choose quality and value!

While making a decision based on the collected quotation, make it a point to pay attention to the quality of the construction features.

Make sure about the quality of the carpeting, cabinetry, paint, etc.

Do not hesitate to ask questions and confirm things before making the final contract so that you do not have to regret later!

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14 Property

19.08.20

Mary Cosgrave, the daughter of Liam Cosgrave who was born in Castleknock, at the launch of a commemorative stamp featuring the former Taoiseach at Government Buildings. Pic: Maxwells

New home numbers sees fall of 31.9% The housing crisis in Dublin is set to come under fresh pressure following the release of figures from the Central Statistics Office shows that the number of homes built between April and June fell dramatically.

Over the three months, the number of new dwelling completions was 3,290, a fall of 31.9% on the same period last year.

The biggest drop was in April, when just 402 homes were finished, a fall of 72.7% on the 1,764 units completed in April 2019.

Activity began to pick up in May, during which 1,234 units were completed, which was down 23% compared to a year ago.

By June, the number of new dwellings completed had recovered to lag June 2019 by 5.9%.

Taken together, Dublin and

the Mid East region accounted for 54.1% of all completions.

Across Dublin, 46.4% of completions were apartments, rising to to 83% in Dublin City.

The post code with the highest level of completions was Drogheda, followed by Dublin 13 and Naas.

Meanwhile, a report by economist Ronan Lyons for industry representative group, Irish Institutional Property (IIP), has concluded that demand for homes in the coming years will likely be almost twice official targets for housing output.

In the years up to 2025, demand for housing is likely to be 47,000 units per year, the report author says.

That compares to a target of 25,000 per year in Ireland 2040, the Government’s long-term strategy on infrastructure.

About 21,000 units were built last year.

The report also calls for the introduction of cost rental schemes, where costs are shared with the taxpayer for households on low incomes.

There are also recommendations that sharedequity and share-ownership schemes be introduced to help thousands of aspiring homeowners who are locked out of the housing market because of affordability issues.

The schemes would help to bridge that gap, the report says.

Meanwhile, more than 40% of the first-time homebuyers who have availed of the Government’s help-to-buy scheme already had the necessary deposit to secure a mortgage, figures from the Revenue Commissioners show.

The figures show that 7,928 of the 19,478 approved claims to date were made by households that had a loan-to-value ratio of less than 85%.

19.08.20

15

16 Food

19.08.20

Dough!

Search for brown bread champion is back!

The pandemic may have caused the National Ploughing Championships to be cancelled this year but Wicklow’s bakers will find crumbs of comfort in the news that the national brown bread competition will still go ahead.

Aldi will once again, sponsor The National Brown Bread Baking Competition, in association with the National Ploughing Association (NPA) and the Irish Countrywomen’s Association (ICA).

While still open to all

members of the public, all entrants will be asked to drop their freshly baked bread to one of the following Aldi stores on the prescribed date: Wednesday, August 26 10:3013:00: Aldi Head Office Naas, Newbridge Road, Naas, Co. Kildare, W91 VE40.

Aldi Swords, 10 Seatown Rd, Townparks, Swords, Co. Dublin, K67 V2N7.

All successful entrants will be contacted on September 11 to attend the finals, due to take

Barry Keoghan pictured at the launch of the 2020 Coca-Cola Thank You Fund in Dublin earlier this year. €50,000 is now available in grants to youth-orientated non-profit groups seeking support for initiatives targeted at young people. Pic: PhotoLeon Farrell / Photocall Ireland

place in Dublin on September 14 with the winners announced on the September 17.

If you think you have the recipe for success, log onto www.aldi.ie/brown-breadcompetition or www.ica.ie for information on how to enter, full terms and conditions and competition rules.

The winner’s brown bread will also be stocked in all Aldi Stores in Ireland for twelve months and they will receive a minimum prize fund of €15,000.

Salad linked to crypto outbreak

Officials are investigating an outbreak of cryptosporidium linked to a salad that has affected more than 40 people.

The HSE Department of Public Health East was notified of an outbreak of cryptosporidiosis in the Dublin and Wicklow area.

To date, 42 cases have been notified; with the onset of symptoms occurring over a 14 day period from July 15.

A food alert was issued by the Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) and certain batches of mixed salad leaves were withdrawn.

Earlier this month, all batches and dates of Gold River Quality Mixed Salad Leaves (Seasonal Salad Box) 1kg were withdrawn from sale due to the possible presence of Cryptosporidium.

As cryptosporidium infection is usually waterborne or via food from contaminated water, it is recommended that the public and those involved in food preparation always follow correct hand and food hygiene procedures.

19.08.20

17

18 Motors

19.08.20

Is your car ready for a lockdown staycation?

Following the long months of Covid19 lockdown, there has been a universal welcome for the lifting of travel restrictions within Ireland as many families plan their summer get away on home soil. However, premium German tyre maker, Continental, is advising that because many cars were parked up for long periods during the lockdown, staycation-makers need to be mindful that their car will need some care before they head off on that much needed break.

According to Tom Dennigan of Continental Tyres Ireland: “Motorists intending to head off on a staycation should carry out these simple car checks in order to ensure their trip goes off without a hitch.

These five simple vehicle safety checks are ones that any driver can do to help keep families safe during their staycation roadtrip”.

Give the car’s interior a clean This is even more important given the fact that many cars will have been parked up for long periods over the past

Win a €1,000 staycation voucher with BestDrive Continental Tyres’ network of car service and tyre outlets BestDrive (formerly Advance Pitstop) are offering Irish drivers the chance of winning one of 10 x €1,000 staycation vouchers.

Any customer who purchases a Continental Tyre over the summer will be added into the draw. Visit any BestDrive outlet or click bestdrive.ie for more details (terms and conditions apply). few months. Let’s face it, the majority of motorists are not particularly careful about keeping their cars very clean inside or out.

A recent Continental Tyres survey of 2,000 motorists showed that one in five claimed to tidy the inside of their car just once a year, generally when it is facing an NCT or garage visit.

Check the car’s tyres Over time, air can escape from a car’s tyres which is why drivers really need to regularly check their tyre pressures. Studies show that the highest number of tyrerelated incidents occur during the summer months. Families heading off on holiday in cars more heavily laden than usual are especially vulnerable.

A seriously under-inflated

tyre is more likely to fail when carrying a heavier load on a much longer trip than usual.

Check the car’s windscreen wipers One thing you can be sure to encounter at least once during a staycation in Ireland is rain.

So staycationers need to be ready for those sudden, heavy summer downpours.

Make sure to check the

Year Make

condition of your car’s wiper blades. Lift the front and rear windscreen wipers away from the glass and check that their rubber blade isn’t worn down or peeling away from its base.

If they are not totally clearing the water, see about replacing them before you set off.

Check the car’s lights Driving with defective lights is both illegal and dangerous for you and for other road users.

So, take a couple of minutes to ask a family member or friend to walk around your car as you switch on the side lights, the headlights, operate the main beam and then check the indicators and brake lights.

And don’t forget the fog lamps and reversing lights.

Check the car’s service schedule Occasionally checking the level of oil in the engine is not enough to keep your car in good health. It should be serviced according to the vehicle manufacturer’s recommended service schedule, which can be found in the car’s handbook.

Model

Free cash!

Taxis can get new €1k grant Dublin’s taxi drivers and self-employed who had to avail of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) but have since signed off it and gone back to work can now avail of a €1,000 government grant.

The grant which is being offered as part of the revised Enterprise Support Grant is designed to help Dublin’s sole-traders who do not pay commercial rates, get their business started again.

Is it expected the grant will greatly assist workers such as taxi drivers, plumbers, painters, electricians, carpenters, hair dressers, beauticians and more.

The scheme has been revamped to specifically provide once-off supports for the self-employed who have been severely impacted and have had to cease operations as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys said the grant is crucial in assisting an important part of the state’s economy.

Odometer

Price

Colour

2019 Renault Captur 1.0 Play

34,000km

€17,750

Blue

2018 Ford

Fiesta 1.0 Zetec Style Pack

42,000km

€14,500

Black

2017 Skoda

Superb 2.0 TDI Audi

61,000m

€22,950

Silver

2017 Audi

A4 1.4 TSI Sport Saloon

36,000m

€21,500

White

2016 VW

Golf 1.4 TSI HiLine Sat Nav

85,000km

€18,250

Blue

2015 Nissan

Qashqui 1.2 DIG-T Accenta

59,000km

€15,950

White

2014 Ford

Mondeo 1.6 TDCI Graphite

139,000km

€9,750

Grey

2012 Nissan

Qashqai 1.5 DCI Tekna

100,000m

€9,750

Silver

19.08.20

19

20 Classifeds

19.08.20

19.08.20

Classifieds 21

22

19.08.20

Dublin In The Rare Old Times 23

19.08.20

We take a look back at extracts from old newspapers to see what was in the news this month in years gone by

Irish Ind 15/08/1929

Freemans Jrn 01/08/1870

Irish Ind 16/08/1940

Freemans Jrn 01/08/1827

Irish Ind 01/08/1940

24

NORTHSIDE NEWS 19.08.20