Wicklow Voice 02-02-2021

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February 2, 2021

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Wonderful Wicklow

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Garden County ranks number five on best places to live in country list We all know that Wicklow is a wonderful place to live ... And now the rest of world knows too.

The Garden County is among the counties offering the best lifestyle in Ireland, according to an international guide.

The Livability Index is designed to help people thinking of moving home or changing job.

The Republic’s 26 counties are scored out of 100 according to natural amenity, proximity

to a city, sunshine and cost of housing.

It gives Wicklow a score of 61 out of 100, which is fifth behind Waterford (74), Wexford (69), Donegal (67) and Cork (63).

According to the authors: “The Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated the move to remote working, enabling

people to avoid lengthy commutes to work.

“This has spurred an interest in relocating away from large cities.”

Each of the Republic’s 26 counties are scored out of 100 according to:

• Natural Amenity & Scenery – they look at the county’s mountains, lakes,

rivers, green areas etc.

• Proximity to a City – how close is the main population to the hub cities of Belfast, Cork, Derry, Dublin, Galway, Limerick or Waterford • Sunshine – hours of sunshine per year • Cost of Housing – eg the average property price in Leitrim is €95,000 compared to €342,500 in Dublin.

Offaly was ranked as the worst county with a score of 36.

Greystones resident Isaac Guildea (who turns 2 in April) braving the snow on the Great Sugar Loaf with mum Rebecca and big brother Noah (8) in the background recently. Pic: Brendan Guildea

04|

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

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

February 2, 2021

Teachers urged to dig into food growing kits Sisters Millie Foley (6) and Pippa Foley (8) at the launch of the Big Grow 2021. Pic: Patrick Browne

Schools may be closed, but innocent and GIY are calling on teachers to sign up for free food growing classroom kits to welcome them back when the doors are open again.

This year kicks off the tenth year of The Big Grow, a campaign started by innocent and GIY to get kids growing their own veg at school, helping thousands of schools to get free growing resources.

Schools all over the country are again invited to apply to The Big Grow for a food growing kit which comes with five packs of different seeds and enough compost, growing cups, instructions, and fun lesson plans for the entire class.

Although schools are closed at the moment, they’ll be sent once everyone’s back in class just in time to start the growing season.

Looking for a tutor?

School Is Easy is here to help you Advertorial As we battle to cope with the restrictions imposed by Covid-19 regulations, home-based learning has taken on a new importance.

Many parents who want their children to enjoy the benefits of one-to-one tuition are, nevertheless, nervous about having a stranger in their home or sending young students to a tuition centre.

School is Easy (SIE) can solve that problem.

We can offer one-to-one or group grinds for Primary, Junior Certificate or Leaving Certificate school students at a time that works for you and your family.

We offer the following subjects, from Primary to Secondary to Specialist Third Level courses: Irish/Gaelige, English, Maths, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, French, German, Spanish, History, Geography, Business Studies, Economics, Design and Technology, Music, and Physical Education .

Going to university and dreading the college exams? No problem, we have skilled and experienced tutors to help every student.

We provide safe, online tutorials that are recorded so that your child can future reference any topic covered.

When you work with SIE, you will get nothing but the best.

All of our tutors have formal education, classroom experience and a passion for teaching.

For senior subjects we use college and university instructors with a Masters degree.

The choice is yours when it comes to the style of tutoring and our range of subjects is broad.

We don’t use generic tutoring lessons. We customise each programme based on the student’s needs, goals and capacity and we take care to match students with the right tutors.

We are easy to work with. We screen tutors for you. We identify learning deficiencies and we get results .

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

Call us today on 01 556 3553 to book a consulation.

We will be delighted to match you with a tutor.

See our ad on page 5

The growing cups are easy for kids to take home and do the activities from the comfort of their kitchen too.

The Big Grow has so far helped 1.5 million kids to start growing their own veg, and this year over 200,000 more children in Ireland the UK will be getting stuck in to learn something new.

Teachers can sign up for a free food growing kit at www. innocentbiggrow.com.

We’re better off due to pandemic

Despite mass unemployment and lower incomes, households are better off and a savings glut means we’ve never been richer, new figures from the Central Bank Show.

The data shows Irish households suffered a €1bn reduction in wages in the three months to the end of September 2020 even before the second lockdown hit but it was more than matched by income supports.

However, the same data shows the plunge in pay was more than matched, on an aggregate basis, by a €2.9bn rise in social transfers including the Pandemic Unemployment Payment and wage subsidies.

The Central Bank data also records a €1.3bn fall in consumption in the period – as nervous citizens spent less – although that trend that appears to contrast somewhat with Central Statistics Office (CSO) numbers last week that showed strong retail spending into the end of last year.

Along with declining debt, the combination of factors left households better off, on average with an increase in household disposable income over the quarter.

Holiday at home: Holohan rules out sun trips We should al l be planning to holiday at home this year, Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan has said Dr Holohan was responding to comments from Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary on RTÉ claiming that that Irish people will be flocking to beaches abroad this summer.

O’Leary accused NPHET of “mass hysteria” and said millions of people will be taking to the skies and holidaying abroad

by July.

But Dr Holohan has bluntly stated he would not be encouraging anyone to book holidays abroad this summer.

He said: “I would not.

“Our clear advice is that we recommend against all non-essential travel for the foreseeable future.”

Reacting to Mr O’Leary’s comments, Dr Holohan said although he didn’t hear the interview, Mr O’Leary’s notion that millions of people would be soaking up the sun abroad come July is not realistic.

And that Irish people can expect to only be visiting beaches in their localities again this summer.

Dr Holohan said: “I don’t think we’re headed for a summer where millions of people

from this part of the world, from Europe, can expect to be heading to beaches that are other than in their own localities.

“I think unfortunately we’re in this situation whereby the situation we find ourselves in now as a country we have to focus on the vulnerable people in the first instance getting vaccinated.

“We have to continue to drive down community transmission across the whole of the population.

“We have to put in place the measures that the government agreed last week in respect of travel and as that applies to travel it;s a recommendation against all forms of non-essential travel.

“And I don’t think it’s realistic for us to foresee a situation where in the summer time this year that we’ll see a summer that’s characterised by the kinds of things that we’d all like to be in a position to do which would be to fly off to other parts of Europe and the world for summer holidays.

“I just don’t think that’s realistic.”

Dr Holohan said he does not accept Mr O’Leary’s comments in which he accused NPHET of spreading misinformation.

1,500 die in care homes A total of 1,543 people have died due to Covid-19 in nursing homes, with 369 of those having occurred in the month of January.

There was a five-fold increase in the number of outbreaks in nursing homes from mid-December to the end of January.

The number jumped from 34 to 193 in that time. However, 40% of nursing homes remained free of Covid-19.

Nursing Homes Ireland said that in mid-January just 10% of the initial 77,000 vaccinations administered were within nursing homes.

Meanwhile, the National

Immunisation Advisory Committee has recommended that the AstraZeneca vaccine can be used for people over 65.

More than 400,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine are due here in the first quarter.

It is expected to be the primary vaccine used by GPs and others to immunise the next priority group of people, those aged 85 years and older.

The vaccine is easier to handle as it does not need to be stored at very cold temperatures.

German authorities recently decided not to use the vaccine in over 65s, having raised questions about its efficacy.

February 2, 2021

|05

06 |

February 2, 2021

opinion&comment

Who is worth more than a nurse?

R

TE paid Ryan T u b r i d y €495,000 in 2019. A senior staff nurse in a public hospital earns €48,736 a year.

In 2019, RTE paid €450,00 for the services of Ray Darcy.

A primary school teacher earns around €40,000 a year.

RTE’s latest figures show it paid €320,000 for the services of Miriam O’Callaghan. A fully-qualified garda earns a flat rate of €48,754 a year, which may rise to €52,482 after 19 years of service.

These three broadcasters were near the top of RTE’s best-paid list in 2019. Brendan O’Connor, who didn’t make the top ten in 2017, had risen to No 8 within two years, earning €220,000 for the year. Bryan Dobson, who also failed to make the top ten in 2017, had reached No 9 with earnings of €209,282. An enlisted soldier with the Defence Forces earns a basic wage of just under €30,000 after three years service.

I could find greater pay inequalities if I were to compare

Michael Wolsey the salaries of health workers and other key public servants with those of, say, top sports people or the CEOs of major private companies.

There would be an even bigger gap if I looked overseas and made the comparison with footballers in England, tennis players in Australia or movie actors in California.

But we, the Irish taxpayers, do not fund the salaries of English footballers, Hollywood actors or the CEOs of Irish companies.

We do fund the salaries of nurses, teachers, soldiers, gardaí and broadcasters for RTE. Ultimately we are their employers and we appear to value their services very differently.

I do not mean to disparage,

in any way, the ability of these highly-paid broadcasters. They are good at their jobs and they also work hard.

Many hours of work go into producing the hour of radio broadcasting Ryan Tubridy

provides for RTE each weekday and many more hours are needed to get out his Late Late Show for television.

And it is not just a matter of work-rate but of talent, although often it is a talent for

doing things that are of no great importance.

Ray Darcy’s main function is to chatter pleasantly on radio for a couple of hours each afternoon.

I suspect it comes naturally to the man - but most of us would find it very difficult.

Mr Darcy has an unusual talent but what it provides, nevertheless, is two daily hours of pleasant chat.

Is that really more valuable than the services of a nurse fighting the Covid pandemic?

Does anyone believe it is ten times more valuable? That’s the difference in the money we, the taxpayers, award them.

Whenever the RTE pay scales are published there is always some public protest, followed, usually, by a pledge from the broadcaster that there will be a curb on pay increases and an attempt to bring the salaries a little closer to what is normal in the rest of society.

RTE says it reduced the earnings of its highest-paid presenters by 15% last year. Maybe so, but I won’t cheer until I’ve seen the published proof. These latest figures are for the three

years to 2019 and there is no sign of any real reduction.

Only two of its top ten earners received less in 2019 than in 2017. Sports commentator George Hamilton fell out of the top ten list and Joe Duffy, the third biggest earner, got €392,494, a reduction of €6,244 on his 2017 earnings.

That puts a value on Joe’s services that is 13 times more than the pay of a soldier in the Defence Forces.

I don’t expect RTE to suddenly slash the payments to its top broadcasters.

Even if there was a willingness to implement such cuts, contractual arrangements would make that very difficult.

So I don’t imagine that anytime soon I will be seeing the presenters of Prime Time paid on the same scale as nurses or chat show hosts getting the wages of primary school teachers.

But it would be good to see some genuine movement in that direction by the time these salary figures are next published - or at least before RTE next looks for a licence increase or a new government subvention.

February 2, 2021

| 07

08 |

February 2, 2021

Lockdown ramps up fuel demand

Householders are bracing themselves for another icy blast this week as plunging temperatures sweep across the countrybagain.

Across the county, 28% of the population are currently living in fuel poverty, according to a cross-party report on climate change.

With an increasing number of people earning less and spending additional time at home, those already facing financial hardships due to the pandemic could find themselves struggling to heat their homes this winter.

OFTEC, the trade association for the liquid fuel industry, is offering households advice on how to keep homes warm and costs low this winter: •Only heat the rooms you are using.

•Turn down individual radia-

tors in rooms you are not using.

•If you have thermostatic radiator valves these can be lowered to number one for low background heating.

•Also, in the rooms you use regularly, ensure radiators are not blocked with furniture.

•The temperature in hallways and bedrooms should be cooler, ideally between 15-18°c.

•Turn the thermostat down by one degree.

You can reduce your heating bill by up to 10% by lowering your room temperature by just one degree.

More of us are now spending longer periods in our houses after the government advised people to stay at home in an effort to combat the spiralling coronavirus rates.

All of this adds up to significantly more people spending

longer periods at home which increases the demand for fuel especially now during these winter months.

“At OFTEC, we continually highlight the serious situation of fuel poverty, support those in need and be a catalyst for change,” OFTEC Ireland Manager, David Blevings said.

“Living in a cold, damp home has a massive impact on quality of life and is a contributory factor in underlying health problems which is of particular concern during the Covid-19 pandemic.”

While OFTEC Ireland has previously underlined its support for the government’s drive to de-carbonise the economy by 2050, it has called on the government to put its weight behind biofuel as a more sustainable and affordable solution for off grid home heating.

Maxi Zoo has raised €27,194 for Homes for Unwanted Greyhounds (HUG) - pictured at the cheque presentation was Margaret Moran.

Pic: Julien Behal

Dog owners warned not to dock puppy tails

In recent weeks the ISPCA has taken possession of a number of litters of puppies while investigating separate allegations of illegal tail docking.

All of the puppies were removed by ISPCA Inspectors acting as authorised officers under the Animal Health and Welfare Act (AHWA) 2013, and taken to ISPCA Animal Centres for care and rehabilitation.

ISPCA Chief Inspector Conor Dowling said: “The docking of puppies tails by a layperson was criminalised in

2014, on the introduction of the AHWA. “While the law allows for the tails of certain breeds to be docked by a veterinary surgeon in limited circumstances, in practice most vets consider it to be a cruel and unnecessary mutilation, and will not perform the procedure”.

Conor added: “ISPCA Inspectors still encounter situations where members of the general public have removed puppies’ tails without anaesthetic. If you dock the tail of a puppy,

you could be liable to be prosecuted for animal cruelty”.

Investigations are ongoing and a file is being prepared in relation to this matter.

All of the puppies in ISPCA care received a veterinary clean bill of health and have already been reserved to go to new homes soon.

The ISPCA is asking members of the public to continue to report animal cruelty, neglect or abuse in confidence to the National Animal Cruelty Helpline on 1890 515 515.

Childline calls on Brexit .ie families to climb warning for online shoppers

Evan Grant joined Childline in calling on everyone to get climbing Childline, is calling on individuals and families in across the county to get climbing in February to help raise vital funds.

The service is highlighting how young and old alike can make a difference for children by taking on the ‘Climb for Childline’ challenge and picking a peak to conquer in the first month of Spring 2021.

The highest peaks of Ireland (Carrauntoohil), Europe (Mont Blanc), the world (Mount Everest) and even

Mars (Olympus Mons) are just some of the heights which individuals can scale for the charity virtually, to help make sure no child has to face their challenges alone this year.

“Children and young people have faced significant challenges since schools were closed in March last year as a result of Covid-19 restrictions,” ISPCC’s Sarah Joyce said.

To start your challenge today, or find out more, visit www. ispcc.ie/climb-for-childline.

Consumer experts have warned online shoppers they should not be duped by fake ‘.ie’ websites, or they could face additional taxes and duties on what they buy.

It comes post-Brexit and a month after the EU-UK withdrawal agreement became operational.

The European Consumer Centre (ECC) said people need to be aware whether the online shops they are buying from are based in Europe or outside it.

It warned not all ‘.ie’ websites are hosted in Ireland, resulting in Irish online shoppers being hit with additional fees when their purchases were delivered to their doors. “’.ie’ doesn’t guarantee that the trader is based here in Ireland,” ECC Director Dr Cyril Sullivan told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.

The UK’s exit from the European Union means it no longer benefits from the single market. Its exports, excluding those from Northern Ireland, now face taxes like any other goods imported in to the EU from other parts of the world.

February 2, 2021

| 09

10 |

February 2, 2021

opinion&comment

I’ll wait for my vaccine turn

T

incidence of positive Covid-19 cases here being in decline thanks to the lockdown measures imposed last month has been welcome news over the last week, even if the numbers still have some way to drop.

On the other hand, the squabbling over vaccine orders between the EU and the UK, and between the politicians and pharma companies, has been a big negative.

Talk of invoking article 16 (later retracted by the EU) to prevent vaccine doses moving over borders wasn’t helpful.

Nor was the Daily Telegraph gloating over errors in the EU’s procurement approach to the vaccines. It was like a proxy post-Brexit political battle.

Credit to the pharma companies and the scientists for delivering effective and safe vaccines has been almost universal.

The praise is fully deserved; it was an unprecedented achievement to come so far in such a short space of time – normally

getting a vaccine to market from a standing start would take a minimum of five years.

We all hoped that the development and approval process could be trimmed.

It was - thanks to overlapping of the different phases of clinical trials, aggressive funding rounds and political will.

Having achieved that though, the next hurdle was always going to be manufacture and supply of sufficient quantities of the vaccines to dose everybody.

Drilling down further into how manufacture and supply works in pharma, the key bottleneck is post manufacture where you have to use filling plants to bottle individual doses.

I find it easier to think of this challenge in terms of powder manufacture of the active ingredient for a tablet – you can make enough active ingredient to go into millions of tablets, but this powder has to be formulated into those tablets at a specialised facility before you can proceed with packaging and eventual supply to pharmacy shelf or hospital dispensary.

“I’ll soon be back dancing the tango again after this!” said 99-year-old Paddy Mooney a resident at Dunabbey House in Waterford upon receiving his Covid Vaccine there this weekend from HSE/SECH vaccination team members Kelly Whelan and Liz Carey

Knowing that we have discovered the vaccines and that they are being manufactured as quickly as facilities allow doesn’t mean that we are all

going to be able to hold out our arms imminently.

The time lag because of the bottleneck issues means we will only get vaccinated as popula-

tions around the world on a phased basis throughout 2021 and possibly even into 2022.

This creates a vacuum between expectancy and actuality.

Unfortunately this vacuum is being filled with the squabbling referred to above.

Everyone wants to get their hands on the vaccines first. A stampede for the vaccines as and when they are ready for the patient won’t work.

We need to all get back in line, recover a sense of patience and allow governments and health authorities to implement a proper programme of prioritisation.

I don’t want to be vaccinated before my parents, who are in their late seventies.

I don’t want to be vaccinated before anybody who works in a hospital, nursing home or is patient-facing in any other way.

I don’t want to be vaccinated before supermarket workers (who for me are the unsung heroes of the last year).

I don’t want to be vaccinated before teachers or students, police officers, security workers, bus, ambulance or taxi drivers.

These groups need the vaccine before me. I’m happy to get mine when my turn in the queue comes.

- Brian Quigley

February 2, 2021

| 11

12 | WILDLIFE

with Justin Ivory

Winter thrushes

February 2, 2021

ninenottomiss book of the week

tv show of the week

HOROSCOPES

film of the week

Redwing (Photo Justin Ivory)

The recent cold snap has seen an influx of thrushes to the country as they seek to escape the worst of the worst of the wintry conditions.

This movement includes my two favourite thrush species Redwing (Turdus iliacus) and Fieldfare (Turdus pilaris). Both species are just winter visitors to Ireland and do not breed here.

Redwing is a common winter visitor to Ireland with birds coming from the Icelandic and Scandinavian breeding populations. Smaller than a Blackbird and bearing a passing resemblance to a Song Thrush, Redwing have a distinctive vivid creamy-white stripe over the eye (supercilium) and submoustachial stripe. They also have a distinctive rusty-red patch on the flanks when at rest. In flight they show an unmistakable rusty-red armpit where the wings meet the body. They typically travel at night and on a still winters night you can often hear their tell-tale high-pitched ‘tseep’ call.

Its Irish name Deargán sneachta, means ‘red one of the snow’ confirming its association with arriving in harsh, cold conditions.

Fieldfare come here from their breeding grounds in Scandinavia and other parts of continental Europe. They are considerable bigger than Redwing almost as big as a Mistle Thrush. They have a very handsome and distinctive plumage – grey head, nape and rump and chestnut brown upper-parts. The breast has heavy spotting/streaking on a buffy-yellow background.

They make a loud, noisy chacking sound in flight. The name Fieldfare comes from old Anglo-Saxon meaning ‘traveller over the fields’.

Both species favour open fields in lowland areas and tend to avoid suburban and urban areas unless the weather gets really harsh when they will visit gardens. They both like to feed on earthworms, berries and other fruit. They particularly like hawthorn berries.

Keep an eye (and an ear) out for these really handsome winter visitors over the next few weeks.

Fieldfare (Photo Justin Ivory)

how to avoid a climate disaster

by Bill Gates

last paradiso Davy’s Toughest Team Mondays, 9.35pm, four weeks from February 1st Netflix, from Friday, February 3

THIS book arrives at a critical moment and just as Joe Biden puts climate change back on the agenda Stateside. Little wonder. 2020 was one of the hottest years on record, California had its worst fire season, a record number of storms formed and made landfall in the US . . . shall we go on? Love him or loathe him, Bill Gates has spent a decade investigating the causes and effects of climate change. Here he outlines how, using a combination of science and technology, humans can bring greenhouse gas emissions per year to zero and avoid a climate catastrophe.

WEXFORD Hurling Manager, Davy Fitzgerald is going to see if his unique style of manmanagement can motivate seven young men to reach the base camp of Mount Everest.

In this four-part series, Davy will meet these young men, all aged between 18 and 21, who have found themselves at a crossroads of an uncertain future. He will break them down and push them to both the physical and mental limits and discover the reality of a lost generation battling with the demons of youth.

Tough task for the legendary manager . . . good luck to him!

family day of the week RECIPE of the week

THIS Italian film tells the true story of a man who falls in love with the local mayor’s daughter (Come on, have you never watched The Godfather?!) encountering all kinds of trouble (Duuuh!) when he refuses to let her go (Duuuh, again). Italian actor Riccardo Scamarcio (from John Wick: Chapter 2) stars as Ciccio Paradiso, with Italian model Gaia Bermani Amaral as his love interest Bianca.

If it looks like a cliche Italian story full of passion and romance intertwined with olive oil, politics and maybe even a horse’s head, then it probably is. But crack open a bottle of Montepulciano d’abruzzo and enjoy.

family film of the week

AriesTake care of yourself. Adapt to changes patiently. Travel could interfere with personal routines. Include soothing rituals.

TaurusFollow the plans you’ve already set. Adapt to changes on the fly. Turn down expensive invitations and favor peaceful privacy.

GeminiA group challenge may seem intimidating. The road ahead is clear. Pick yourself up and step forward. Get team support and provide it.

CancerFocus on a professional puzzle. It may require elbow grease. Work with what you have. Patiently go around an obstacle or barrier.

LeoFind another route around a blockage or delay.

Settle somewhere with an interesting view. Discover a hidden local treasure.

kids cookery school www.kidscookcookingclub.com IF you have exhausted the will to make anymore banana bread, then help is at hand if you have a tenner to spare for a subscription to these cookery classes. It is hard to find time to teach your kids other activities in the lockdown, so why not let the pros do it for you? Kids Cook has been teaching children how to cook since 2013. The aim of the cooking club is to create a culinary hub for both children and parents and classes are held using Vimeo, with live classes as well as recorded sessions. Might be nice to get the kids to serve up a meal for a change. Don’t expect miracles, but it beats banana bread.

album of the week

paneer curry pie www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/one-potpaneer-curry-pie

news of the world Netflix, from Wednesday, February 10 (PG)

ON the lookout for more comfort food, we stumbled on this. What’s more comforting than a curry in pie form? This one-pot paneer pie is filled with a makhani-style filling and topped with a crisp puff pastry lid. So it’s a meal in one. You will need to make a trip to your local Asian food store for some of the ingredients, like fenugreek seeds, but it’ll be worth the effort — don’t skimp! Although, if you can’t find paneer, try halloumi. If you can’t find halloumi, try feta. If you can’t find feta, then you probably shouldn’t be reading this.

NOT to be confused with the scandalous newspaper, this follows Captain Jefferson Kyle Kidd (Tom Hanks), a veteran of three wars, as he moves from town to town as a storyteller.

In Texas, he crosses paths with Johanna (Helena Zengel), a 10-year-old taken in by the Kiowa people six years earlier and raised as one of their own. Johanna, hostile to a world she’s never experienced, is being returned to her biological aunt and uncle against her will.

Kidd agrees to deliver the child where the law says she belongs. And the adventure begins.

In the capable hands of Paul Greengrass, expect a real treat.

activity of the week

podcast of the week

VirgoSupport family with a financial change or challenge. You can see the way forward. Pull together to lighten the load. A positive attitude pays off.

LibraCollaborate for shared support with an unexpected circumstance. Old assumptions get challenged.

Keep your bargains and promises.

ScorpioResist making impulsive moves, especially with a barrier or obstacle. Prioritize your health. Observe and notice subtle clues. P Sagittarius-

ove inspires and energizes.

Find a silver lining below a dark cloud and share it with your sweetheart. Generate optimism and patience.

CapricornSettle into home comforts.

New facts dispel old fears.

Domestic chores soothe and satisfy. Cook up something delicious. huey lewis and the news Weather

waterford sports partnership www.waterfordsportspartnership.ie

you ok? www.rte.ie/radio1/podcast/podcast_youok.xml

HUEY Lewis and the News hadn’t released an album in nearly 10 years and plans for a new one had been circulating since 2012. By the end of 2017, they had recorded a handful of songs and it was anticipated that it would be released sometime in 2018. But tragically Huey Lewis was diagnosed with Ménière’s disease, which causes hearing loss, and the band cancelled all future shows and placed the album on hold . . . until now. Now for a bit of trivia: Huey Lewis played harmonica on Thin Lizzy’s Live and Dangerous. Weird.

WATERFORD Sports Partnership is holding a free online session to explain the Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) for Waterford sports clubs. The session will cover the dos and don’ts of the SCEP and how to avoid the common pitfalls.

This is your opportunity to gain valuable insight on applying for a grant to assist in the development or refurbishment of sports facilities and the provision of sports equipment. Tuesday 2nd February 2021, 7 to 8.30pm. See wesbite for details.

RTÉ’s podcast, You Ok?, is all about support, which is sought after at the moment. The series, hosted by Jan Ní Fhlanagain, doesn’t offer a magic bullet to the complex emotions we’re all feeling during the coronavirus pandemic, but it does offer a safe space to hold those emotions, to engage with them and to take a moment in the madness, to mind our mental health. This series has episodes dealing with anxiety, parenting in pandemic, grieving and wellness.

AquariusObserve and study the news.

A barrier blocks progress on a creative project. Consider potential strategies and options. Make requests.

PiscesKeep generating income despite a challenge. Spend thoughtfully. Costs vary widely. Don’t dig into savings on a whim. You can get what you need.

February 2, 2021

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wicklowvoice.ie February 2, 2021

Wicklow house prices set to rise 5% in 2021

The price of the average threebed semi in County Wicklow is expected to rise by 5% in the next 12 months, according to a survey by Real Estate Alliance.

Prices in the county increased by €10,000 between September and December, a rise of 3.5%, the Q4 REA Average House Price Index shows.

Three-bed semi-detached homes in the county now cost an average of €293,000, up 3.1% on the December 2019 average of €284,200.

Average house prices in Bray increased by €15,000 (4.8%) to €350,000 in the last three months of the year, as demand outstripped supply of suitable homes.

The average time taken to sell in the county has fallen from 10 weeks in September to six weeks at the end of Q4 2020.

The REA Average House Price Survey concentrates on the actual sale price of Ireland’s

typical stock home, the threebed semi, giving an up-to-date picture of the second-hand property market in towns and cities countrywide.

Wicklow Town prices rose by €10,000 to €320,000 in Q4 – and increase of 3.23%, while Baltinglass saw a rise of 5.71% from €175,000 to €185,000.

In North East Wicklow, prices rose by an average of €4,000 to €310,000 between Q4 2019 and Q4 2020.

In Blessington, prices remained steady at €295,000 between December 2019 and September 2020, but in Q4 of last year, rose to €300,000.

“We have seen unprecedented activity in the market for this time of year,” said Matt Forkin of REA Forkin in, Bray, North East Wicklow and Wicklow Town.

“We have not seen this level of activity for this time of year since 2009. There is a huge

COMHAIRLE CHONTAE CHILL MHANTÁIN WICKLOW COUNTY COUNCIL Applications are invited from suitably qualified persons to form a panel from which future temporary/ permanent positions may be filled.

• ASSISTANT ENGINEER REF: 03/2021 Salary: €39,522 - €62,117 (2nd LSI) gross per annum

• I.S. TECHNICAL SUPPORT OFFICER REF: 04/2021 Salary: €43,633 - €52,401 (2nd LSI) gross per annum

• CRAFTWORKER FITTER REF: 07/2021 €656.39 - €768.05 per week gross

• WASTEWATER CARETAKER (GRADE V) REF: 10/2021 €691.85 - €753.66 gross per week

• LEAKAGE LOCATOR REF: 11/2021 €813.62 - €859.62 per week gross CLOSING DATE FOR RECEIPT OF COMPLETED APPLICATION FORMS IS 12 NOON SHARP ON THURSDAY 25TH FEBRUARY 2021 Application Forms and further details may be obtained from Enterprise & Corporate Services at 0404 20159 or by emailing recruitment@wicklowcoco.ie and on the Wicklow County Council website www.wicklow.ie Wicklow County Council reserves the right to shortlist candidates in the manner it deems most appropriate Wicklow County Council Is an Equal Opportunities Employer.

Lorraine Gallagher, Director of Services, Enterprise & Corporate Services, Wicklow County Council, County Buildings, Wicklow Phone: 0404 20159 Fax: 0404 20112 Email: recruitment@wicklowcoco.ie

level of demand with people moving out of Dublin to the suburbs.

“Demand will continue and we are hopeful that stock levels will replenish early in the new year.”

Simon Murphy of REA Murphy in Baltinglass and Blessington says that the reduced selling period mirrors the focus of loan-approved buyers to secure decisions.

“There is an increase of ‘subject to sale’ buyers as a percentage of the overall market,” he said.

“This could be interpreted as a by-product of people electing to move to larger homes and Covid-friendly locations, where these people may otherwise have remained in their current location because of proximity to their workplace.”

REA agents now expect price rises of 5% in three-bed semis across Wicklow in 2021.

RTE sports broadcaster and migraine sufferer Evanne Ní Chuilinn at the launch of the Migraine Association of Ireland and Novartis ‘Tame Your Migraine’ awareness campaign.

For more information visit www.migraine.ie or call 1850 200 378. Pic: Andres Poveda

We register 2,500 new websites in the county Wicklow businesses, services, and community groups registered 2,519 new .ie domains in 2020 as the county mobilised online in response to the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the latest .IE Domain Profile Report.

The number represents a 34% increase on 2019.

There were 39,722 new .ie domain registrations in Leinster in 2020, a 28%

COMHAIRLE CHONTAE CHILL MHANTÁIN WICKLOW COUNTY COUNCIL Applications are invited from suitably qualified persons to form a panel from which future temporary/ permanent positions may be filled.

• SENIOR EXECUTIVE LIBRARIAN REF: 01/2021 Salary €50,832 to €66,082 gross per annum (includes 2nd LSI)

• GRADUATE ENGINEER REF: 02/2021 Salary €32,202 to €41,995 gross per annum

• WATER CARETAKER (GRADE III) REF: 05/2021 Salary €645.26 to €665.18 gross per week

• WASTEWATER CARETAKER (GRADE III)

increase on 2019. In total, 65,113 new .ie domains were registered in 2020, the highest figure ever recorded and an almost 30% increase on 2019.

Every county on the island of Ireland recorded an increase in registrations.

“The nationwide increase in new .ie domain registrations is very encouraging,” said David Curtin, Chief Executive of .IE, Ireland’s

news in brief Bray cleans up Bray has been assessed as the being ‘Clean to European Norms’ in the latest Irish Business Against Litter League (IBAL).

Last year Bray was tied at 19th in the league but this year the town has has risen to 7th overall.

Cathaoirleach of Bray Municipal District, Cllr Anne Ferris, said: “We are pleased that Bray has again performed well in the litter survey. This is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the Council’s crews who are out seven days a week.”

REF: 08/2021 Salary €645.26 to €665.18 gross per week

Cairn sells school site

CLOSING DATE FOR RECEIPT OF COMPLETED APPLICATION FORMS IS 12 NOON ON THURSDAY 18TH FEBRUARY 2021 SHARP.

Cairn Homes has announced the sale of an 11.5 acre site, adjacent to its completed Glenheron residential development in Greystones to the Department of Education.

The new school will comprise 10,000sqm of floor area, including 50 classrooms, a 1,000sqm PE hall and gym and six outdoor hard play court areas.

The new secondary school will have the capacity to accommodate up to 1,000 students. This will be the fifth school built on Cairn sites in recent years.

Application Forms and further details may be obtained from Enterprise & Corporate Services at 0404 20159 or by emailing recruitment@wicklowcoco.ie and on the Wicklow County Council website www.wicklow.ie.

Wicklow County Council reserves the right to shortlist candidates in the manner it deems most appropriate.

Wicklow County Council Is an Equal Opportunities Employer.

Lorraine Gallagher, Director of Services, Enterprise & Corporate Services, Wicklow County Council, County Buildings, Wicklow Phone: 0404 20159 Fax: 0404 20112 Email: recruitment@wicklowcoco.ie

national registry for .ie domains.

“It suggests that businesses and public services, regardless of county or whether they are in a city or a small town, were able to quickly and easily set up an online presence and meet local demand in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“This is evident in Wicklow and across the entire province of Leinster.”

Dementia problem service launched

A new and free service for people in Wicklow with Dementia and Memory Problems has been launched.

Recent months have been a challenge for everyone and for the estimated 1500 people living with dementia in Wicklow, their families and carers, it has been especially difficult.

If you or a family member has dementia or experiences memory loss you can access the Wicklow Memory Technology and Resource Room (MTRR) which is part of the HSE support services for persons with dementia or memory loss.

This confidential free service is delivered by an experienced Occupational Therapist.

While you cannot attend the MTTR we can offer support and advice on dementia, and on dementia friendly technologies that promote safety and independence.

To access this free service simply contact 0404 63374 or email wicklow.mtrr@hse.ie

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February 2, 2021

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

Freemans Jrn 12/02/1864

Irish Press 27/02/1932

Irish Ind 09/02/1929

Irish Ind 08/02/1951

Freemans Jrn 10/02/1912

Freemans Journal 24/02/1862

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wicklowvoice.ie February 2, 2021

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