Wicklow Voice 06-04-2021

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May 28, 2015,wicklowvoice.ie t: 01 901 5556/7, April 6, 2021 e: info@wicklowvoice.ie t: 01 901 5565 e: info@wicklowvoice.ie

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‘It is a disgrace’

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St Gerard’s teacher ‘appalled’ by vaccines scandal A teacher from St Gerard’s in Bray has branded the recent vaccine scandal which engulfed the school as ‘a disgrace’.

In a letter to Joe Duffy on Liveline, the teacher said that only 20 of more than 100 teachers had received the vaccine .

The privately-owned Beacon Hospital recently administered 20 leftover jabs to a number of teachers at the school, where the CEO’s children attend.

Joe Duffy read out the letter from an anonymous teacher who said that they are “utterly devastated and very angry by

what has taken place.”

The letter said: “I just want to make the point that this is not all the teachers in St Gerard’s, it is a very small minority of them and they have to live with this.

The vast majority had no part in this and yet are being tarred with the one brush.

“The number of teachers and management who took this vaccine is 20. There are approximately 100 members of staff between the two schools.

“So approximately a fifth are involved in this affair. The chosen colleagues never told or shared this information with the

rest of us.” The teacher added that the rest of the teaching staff only learned of this “appalling affair” through the media.

The letter continued: “The rest of the teaching body and staff only learned of this appalling affair from the breaking news on Friday morning.

“Teachers and their extended family and staff innocent of this scandal have had to endure text messages and phone calls all weekend asking them if they had skipped the queue and taken the vaccine.

“We should not be expected

to carry the can for them. I do not accept these vaccines were going to waste etc, and I can swear I would not have taken the vaccine had I been offered it.

“I am fit and healthy and am frustrated that my own elderly relatives have not yet been vaccinated, I am glad I did not get the call anyway as I would have then been left knowing that this was going on and then I too would have been complicit.

“It is a disgrace. It should not have happened.”

Continued on page 8

Sophia from Greystones, celebrating Irish Cancer Society’s Daffodil Day. Picture Andres Poveda

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

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

April 6, 2021

Donal’s sinking feeling Warning:

Clean Coasts and Irish Water are encouraged people to follow this year’s Think Before You Pour Easter campaign which is run by Clean Coasts in partnership with Irish Water.

The campaign discourages the public from pouring Fats, Oils and Grease (FOGs) down the kitchen sink, as one-in-three people living in Ireland admit to doing so.

Examples of the most environmentally friendly ways to dispose of FOGs after cooking are pouring them into a reusable container like an empty egg carton or

yoghurt pot, and then into a food-waste bin.

Although FOGs might seem like liquid when poured, once they cool along the wastewater pipes this can cause blockages in homes, the public wastewater network and at wastewater treatment plants.

These blockages can lead to overflows of sewage that can damage the environment.

When FOGs combine with wipes and other sanitary items that shouldn’t be flushed down the toilet, fatbergs can form.

This is seen daily in villages,

towns and cities as Irish Water clear thousands of fatbergs from the wastewater network every month.

If you have a Food Waste Recycling service, small amounts of FOGs can be disposed of in the food waste recycling bin.

Speaking about the campaign, Donal Skehan (pictured) said: “Everyone cooking this Easter can have a positive impact on the environment directly from their own kitchen.

For more information go to: www.thinkbeforeyoupour.org to enter.

Half of us know the Covid signs

Fewer than one in five people request a Covid-19 test if they have symptoms, while adherence to self-isolation is low, according to a large study examining the British Test and Trace system.

Experts found that only half of people could identify the main symptoms, which include a cough, high temperature and loss of taste or smell.

Just 18% of those with symptoms said they had requested a test, while only 43% with symptoms in the previous seven days adhered to full self-isolation.

The findings, published in The BMJ, are based on 74,697 responses to online surveys from 53,880 people aged 16 or older living in the UK. In total, 37 survey waves were carried out from 2 March last year to 27 January this year, with about 2,000 participants in each wave.

The results showed that only 52% of people could identify the main symptoms of Covid-19, and this did not really improve as time went on.

Across all waves, 43% of people adhered to rules around self-isolation, though this improved in January to 52%.

Please Stay safe when near the water The RNLI and the Irish Coast Guard are urging people who will be spending time on or near the water during the Easter break to take note of the relevant water safety advice and to raise the alarm if they see someone in trouble by dialling 999 or 112 and asking for the Coast Guard.

The call comes as the Easter break falls early this year and recent call outs for the search and rescue resources have seen a noted increase in requests to assist walkers cut off by the tide and people getting into difficulty while engaging in open water swimming.

Both organisations emphasise the importance of adherence with Government guidelines on 5km travel and other Covid related restrictions.

With many people who live near the coast, exercising on or alongside the water, the Coast Guard and the RNLI are requesting the public to be cautious when engaging in any coastal or water-based activity.

Despite some recent warm weather, sea temperatures remain at their coldest this time of year.

Also, cliff top areas may have

been subject to erosion or other local weather-related changes and care should be taken when walking there.

Kevin Rahill, RNLI Water Safety manager, said: ‘We are asking people to think about their own safety.

“Coastal areas and our inland waterways provide a great opportunity to enjoy fresh air and open space but it is important to remember that while air temperatures may be warming up in Spring and early Summer, water temperatures remain dangerously cold between 8-10°, increasing the risk of cold water shock.

“And, if you are out for a walk on the beach, make sure to check the tide times to avoid being cut off by a rising tide.’

Irish Coast Guard, Head of Operations Gerard O’Flynn added: ‘The past year has seen an increase in activities such as open water swimming, and incidents relating to use of inflatable toys which are unsuitable for open water.

“Please always be mindful of your personal safety and always ensure that you have a means of communication should you get into difficulty.”

‘Zero tolerance’ for destroying vegetation The National Parks and Wildlife Service has warned of a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to the illegal cutting of hedges between March 1 and August 31 each year.

This follows a recent prosecution related to illegal hedgerow destruction in County Kildare, which resulted in a large fine.

“Hedgerows are superhighways for nature, a hugely valuable and biodiverse network that extends throughout the country and includes some of the oldest and most well established habitat in our landscapes,” said Minister of State for Heritage

and Electoral Reform, Malcolm Noonan TD. “The vast majority of landowners are already aware that, while limited exemptions do exist, it is illegal to damage or destroy hedgerows during the breeding season.

“I welcome NPWS’s zero tolerance approach to offences under the Wildlife Act. These are extremely serious matters and my Department is responding by actively recruiting additional Conservation Rangers and establishing a Wildlife Crime Unit to properly resource our efforts to protect nature.”

April 6, 2021

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April 6, 2021

Coillte urges the public not to light outdoor fires The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine has issued a Status Yellow forest fire warning nationwide from March 1 until September 1 – the traditional fire outbreak season in Ireland.

With warmer and dryer Spring weather, dead grasses, gorse and heather become much more flammable and fires can spread quickly from open lands to forests.

“Easter can be a peak time for forest fires as people venture out to visit woodlands over the holiday,” said Coillte’s National Estates Risk Manager, Mick Power.

“We have seen a doubling to tripling of visitors to some of Coillte’s most popular forests since lockdown began.

An unextinguished barbecue, campfire or burning of lands can be the start of a large and unintended blaze,” he said.

Coillte urges the public not to light fires in the outdoors such as campfires and barbecues and reminds the public that it is an offence to deliberately burn vegetation between the 1st day of March and 31st day of August.

immediately. We’ve had over 580 fires in the past five years and we can bring this number right down if we all work together” said Power.

Forest fires pose a serious health and safety risk to the public, firefighters and foresters whose job is to bring the fire under control and prevent it from spreading to other areas.

Once fires become established, they are very difficult to control and cause considerable damage.

In 2020, Coillte estimate the combined costs of loss of crops to fire and clean-up amounted to €1.3 million.

Coillte recommends the following steps to prevent forest fires:

In Coillte’s experience most forest fires in Ireland do not arise from natural causes. “Forest fires in Ireland are not caused by spontaneous combustion but instead are caused by unattended fires, or campfires that are not extinguished,” said Power.

Top facts re Coillte forest fires: • Almost 6,000 acres of forest land has been damaged by fire between 2016 and 2020 (5,892 acres) • There have been 584 forest fires on Coillte lands since

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2016 • Fires destroy the habitats of birds and animals, and this damage can take years to be repaired • Fires pollute the air and add to harmful CO2 emissions • Fires can damage property and put lives at risk

• Damage and clean-up of forest fires cost €1.3M in 2020 “We urge people to exercise care and not to light any fires in the outdoors over Easter” said Power and added “It’s very important individuals don’t approach forest fires and report them to the local fire service

• Do not light fires and be careful regarding all activity involving fires • Report any suspicious activity • Report any forest fires you see to the local fire service • Do not approach forest fires under any circumstances, as they are extremely dangerous • Keep access points and forest entrances clear for emergency services

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April 6, 2021

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April 6, 2021

opinion&comment

A narrow stretch of water that could sink us all ...

I

was eight years old when the Suez Canal last made international headlines.

Egypt’s president, Gamal Abdel Nasser, had nationalised the canal which was being run, at a handsome profit, by British and French enterprises, successors of the companies that had financed its construction a century earlier. The British and French governments detested Nasser. They contrived with Israel to invade Egypt, seize back the canal and, they hoped, topple the president.

Britain believed that the United States, its recent World War ally, would support the invasion. But Prime Minister Anthony Eden had not consulted the Americans. When the Soviet Union threatened to row in on Nasser’s side, Washington told London to back off.

President Dwight Eisenhower openly criticised the action of his Nato allies and, privately, threatened Britain with economic sanctions. In particu-

Michael Wolsey lar, he threatened to withdraw American support for Sterling, which would have dealt a fatal blow to the UK currency, then in poor shape.

Britain and France were forced to toe the American line and give up the stretch of the canal they had seized. In London, the climbdown was viewed as a national humiliation. It led to Eden’s resignation a few months later.

As an eight-year-old schoolboy I had no idea where the canal was or what the dispute was about. But I knew it was a big deal because, even in Ireland,

adults talked of little else.

My family had recently acquired a television set that could receive the BBC and the Suez Crisis seemed to be the sole topic of every news bulletin it broadcast. Journalists fretted about it, politicians ranted about it and comedians made jokes about it, as did hairdressers.

Hairdressers? You know, what men (and boys) back then called barbers. They offered one standard style, the short back and sides. And just one refinement: after your hair had been cut you could have a dressing applied.

Hair oil, the barbers called it.

‘Any oil, sir?’ they would ask their customers.

The Suez Crisis reduced the supply of real petroleum-type oil to Europe which gave the Scissor Brothers a new line in patter. “How about a Nasser, sir? No oil!”

You had to laugh. Some of those guys might have slit your throat if you didn’t.

The crisis of 1956 marked a

major shift in the world order and a last hurrah for the old colonial powers. The trauma this caused in the UK is hard to appreciate now when even the maddest of British nationalists would not contemplate embarking on a major international offensive without America’s sanction. It also widened a fault line between an older British generation, weaned on imperial glories, and their young adult offspring who cared more for Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly than they did for the empire and its outposts.

Dennis Potter captured it all brilliantly in his television play Lipstick on Your Collar. If it is ever shown again, I strongly recommend it, both as entertainment and education.

The world has changed utterly since 1956 when the canal provided an important link between the Mediterranean and the Red Sea, connecting the Middle East and Asia to Europe without the need to go right around the continent of Africa.

I had assumed that nowadays, in a world joined by air travel, where so many transactions are made by some form of telecommunication, the use of the Suez Canal would have decreased.

But a check with Bloomberg and Lloyds List shows this is far from the case.

In the 1960s, as the route recovered from the conflict with Nasser, about 20 ships a day passed through the canal. Now the daily tally is more than 50 and the ships are far bigger.

About 12% of all world trade and more than 15% of the world’s shipping uses the waterway.

As well as crude oil and liquefied gas, millions of tonnes of manufactured goods go through the canal.

When it was blocked recently by the giant ship Ever Given all kinds of goods had their transit delayed: computer chips, coffee, coconut milk, shampoo, spare parts for cars, fork lift trucks, children’s toys, toilet paper, live cattle and sheep .

Britain is the biggest importer of goods through the canal and Ireland imports a similar proportion, although we don’t add much to the overall total.

Do we really need to be bringing all this stuff across the world? OK, if we want coffee and coconut milk we have to import them but that’s not true for computer chips or shampoo. And no country in Europe needs to import car parts, toys or toilet paper from Asia or the Middle East.

We buy these goods, mainly from China, because they are cheap, and we ignore the real price in terms of environmental destruction. Now we have been shown another, more direct, cost. The relatively short blockage caused by the Ever Given is estimated to have cost close to $10bn when fees for alternative shipping are added to lost trade.

It could be a cheap enough price to pay if it finally alerts the world to the folly of overreliance on this one narrow waterway.

April 6, 2021

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April 6, 2021

St Gerard’s teacher hits out at jab scandal

Continued from front page

St Gerard’s, where fees are in excess of €7000 per year, has apologised for its involvement in the vaccination of teachers.

In a letter to parents, the school said it “sincerely apologises” for its role in the vaccinations.

“The Board sincerely apologises for the school’s involvement in this incident and appreciates the hurt and anger that has been caused within the school, and in the wider community,” the letter said.

Since the revelation first appeared, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has asked the HSE to suspend the vaccination programme at the hospital.

A spokesman for the hospital said that a “small number of leftover vaccines” were administered “in keeping with the zero-wastage policy”.

The Beacon Hospital has also apologised, saying in a statement that: “Beacon Hospital unreservedly apologises to our patients, staff and the wider community for the upset caused by the vaccination of teachers in the Beacon Vaccination Centre.”

Through the roof

Wicklow house prices rise 3.5% despite Covid The price of the average second-hand three-bed semi in county Wicklow has increased by 3.5% to €303,400 in the last three months, according to a national survey by Real Estate Alliance.

Across the county, the average time taken to sell has reflected a national trend and fallen to five weeks from six between December and March, the Q1 REA Average House Price Index shows.

Average prices in Bray this period rose 2.9% to €360,000, with time to sell falling from four weeks to three. North East Wicklow prices rose 3.2% to €320,000, with time to sell remaining steady at four weeks.

“We have seen a definite increase in price across all properties in the market, this is due to a lack of supply and very high demand,” said Karl Tracey of REA Forkin, Bray.

During this period, prices in Wicklow town rose 0.6%

Blogger Louise Cooney joins Pieta and Electric Ireland in launching Darkness Into Light 2021which takes place on May 8 for a special Darkness Into Light Sunrise, sign up now at darknessintolight.ie.

Pic: Andres Poveda

to €322,000. “We are seeing that quality properties are seeing instant bidding despite restrictions on viewings,” said Matt Forkin of REA Forkin, Wicklow.

Applications are invited from suitably qualified persons to form a panel from which future temporary/ permanent positions may be filled.

• ASSISTANT PLANNER REF: 15/2021 Salary €39,522 - €62,117 gross per annum (includes 2nd LSI).

• EXECUTIVE PLANNER REF: 16/2021 Salary €50,534 - €70,245 gross per annum (includes 2nd LSI) CLOSING DATE FOR RECEIPT OF COMPLETED APPLICATION FORMS IS 12 NOON ON THURSDAY 29TH APRIL 2021 SHARP. 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

Nationally, average house prices rose by almost 2% over the past three months, despite the absence of physical viewing, in a marketplace which is seeing the lowest supply and

the shortest time taken to sell in recent history.

The REA Average House Price Survey concentrates on the actual sale price of Ireland’s typical stock home, the three-

Vandals target Oldcourt Castle again Wicklow TD John Brady has said that he is dismayed that Oldcourt Castle in Bray has been vandalised again. The vandalism at the castle which dates from the 1430’s has seen more of the original external wall destroyed along with all the emergency repair work that was carried out last year.

“Last year I worked with Wicklow County Council and the National Monuments Service to have emergency work carried out to Oldcourt Castle in Bray, this work was unfortunately necessary due to a number of acts of vandalism on the castle,” the Sinn Fein TD said.

“Regrettably, the castle has been vandalised again, the emergency work has all been undone and further sections of the original walls have also been destroyed.

“A number of individuals have been seen tampering with the castle and removing sections of the walls and I have passed all this information onto the Gardaí. Damaging a recorded monument is a specific offence under the National Monuments Acts and is subject to severe penalties on conviction.

“The Monuments Service have told me that they are available to assist An Garda Síochána in the event that sufficient evidence is secured to support a prosecution of the offenders who are causing the damage. I urge the Gardaí to take immediate action on this vandalism and ensure that those destroying our heritage are held to account.

“I urge people to contact the Gardaí immediately if they see anyone engaged in vandalising the Castle.”

bed semi, giving an accurate picture of the second-hand property market in towns and cities countrywide.

The price of a threebedroomed semi-detached house across the country rose by almost €4,500 over the past three months to €243,603 – representing an annual increase of 3.6%.

The average three bed semi is now reaching sale agreed after just five weeks on the market across the country – almost half the nine-week average this time last year.

Not having to schedule appointments has led to potential buyers making swift bidding decisions on the back of virtual viewings, speeding up the selling process according to REA. Dublin city experienced its biggest quarterly rise in over three years as the price of a three-bedroomed semi-detached house rose by 1.5% to €438,500 during the past 12 weeks.

news in brief KWETB’s period poverty plan A motion on Period Poverty tabled at a meeting of the Kildare-Wicklow Education and Training Board in the names of Cllr. Anne Ferris (Labour) Cllr.

Lourda Scott (Green Party), Cllr. Angela Feeney (Labour), Cllr. Paul O’Brien (Labour) and Cllr. Peter Hamilton (Green Party) was unanimously adopted by the members at their March meeting.

The motion stated that the Kildare-Wicklow ETB recognises that: · For many of our learners, particularly younger women, we know that period poverty or the inability to afford period products that meet their needs in an issue. · Period injustice has huge knock-on effects for women, girls and transpeople. · The KWETB commends the Scottish Government in making available period products free in their schools, educational institutions, and public buildings.

The five KWETB Councillors thanked the other members for supporting their motion and said they were really pleased that the Executive would examine ways to ensure the period products would be provided.

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April 6, 2021

New outdoor recreation plan launched

A major new strategy for the county’s outdoor recreational resources has been by Wicklow County Council and the Wicklow Outdoor Recreation Committee.

The County Wicklow Outdoor Strategy 2020 to 2025 is a blueprint for realising the county’s outdoor recreation potential.

The strategy will guide the future direction and actions for the Wicklow Outdoor Recreation Committee.

The four pillars to deliver the goals and actions set out in the Strategy are: • Planning and Collaboration - all agencies on board, all respected and all contributing.

• Increased awareness - educating about environmental responsibility and making sure everything carried out under this strategy protects or enhances our natural environment.

• Resources - planning, financial resources and Human Resources that are required to succeed in rollout.

• Animating the outdoors this is telling Wicklow’s recreation story - bringing it to life - crossing social media, marketing and public relations.

During the next five years, the goals and actions of this Strategy are about consolidating the recreation resources in County Wicklow and making sure it is working efficiently to deliver economically to the locality, in recreation terms for users and in an environmentally responsible way.

“The Outdoor Recreation Strategy acknowledges the tremendous value in our county’s outdoor recreation resources.

It recognises that continuing to work in partnership with all the stakeholders is the most effec-

Dip-dip-hooray: shelter on cards for swimmers

Green Party Councillor Erika Doyle is working to get a changing shelter installed on Bray beach, for the everincreasing number of sea swimmers that enjoy a dip at this location.

Cllr Doyle has a notice of motion submitted to Bray Municipal District for their April meeting and is hopeful it will get support from the council.

“Sea swimming is such an integral part of life in Bray.

“Even those who don’t or can’t swim themselves enjoy watching other brave souls enter the water for a rejuvenating dip.

“Swimmers have enjoyed the water a Bray for years, but the reintroduction of the Blue Flag in recent years and more recently the change in lifestyle due to Covid, has seen swimmers flock to Bray’s shore.

“I understand there are certain important issues to consider around the placement of a shelter, such as the flood protection aspect of the shingle, and encouraging swimmers to stay within the Blue Flag areas.

“But I think with imagination and willing, these can be overcome.”

tive way for all to benefit from these resources, which are particular valuable resources during these times,” Frank Curran, Chief Executive, Wicklow County Council, said.

For further information please contact Carol Coad, Outdoor Recreation Officer: ccoad@ wicklowpartnership.ie.

Meanwhile, Wicklow County Council Library Service is organising a series of virtual events and activities as part of the Public Libraries’ annual ‘Spring into Storytime’.

The programme began on April 1 and promises to bring the magic of storytime to homes across the county.

To take part in ‘Spring Into Storytime’, our social media channels for Instagram Wicklow libraries and Facebook Wicklow County Council Library Service.

Green light for Blueway

Wicklow’s ambition to become the outdoors capital of the country took a further step closer with the latest round of funding under the Outdoor Recreation Infrastructure which saw an Scheme allocation of almost €500,000 for a proposed Blueway running the length of the County from north Bray to south Arklow.

The timing of this latest funding announcement is opportune as it comes in the same week that the new Outdoor Recreation Strategy (2020 -2025) for the county is due to be launched. One of the key projects in the strategy is the development of the Blueway for which funding has now been announced.

This significant pot of money will be spent on improved water access , trailheads and trail links, marketing and signage.

The Blueway projects overall budget is €554,820 with Wicklow County Council providing match funding of €55,482 and a grant of €499,338.

Author Keith scores again with novel set in Liverpool

former Wicklow county footballer and secondary school principal Keith Ryan is back with a new novel.

Mersey Shore, which is set in Liverpool, is the author’s second novel, following on from his successful debut Blue Star Rising in 2019, which was set in Dublin.

“My mum, Vera Ryan (nee Fay) was born in Bootle in 1924. She lived there throughout the war and moved to Ireland after she met my dad

Ollie. She hardly ever spoke of what happened in Bootle during the war. Like most of her generation she tried to put those terrible events behind her.

“I had no idea what happened except in a vague way that bombs had been dropped on the city during the war. Even when I visited my grandparents in the 1960’s the talk was all about football, about Everton v Liverpool, the World Cup

won by England in 1966, etc.

“These events took place 80 years ago this spring.”

The Wicklow Town resident, who hails from Bray originally, was previously a teacher in St Brendan’s College, before becoming Principal of Synge Street CBS in 2002 and the Oatlands College in 2005.

Since retiring in 2013 Keith Ryan has devoted his time to writing, singing and family and is Chairperson of Voices of Bray Community Choir.

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10 | WILDLIFE

with Justin Ivory

White arse returns!

April 6, 2021

ninenottomiss book of the week

tv of the week

HOROSCOPES

series of the week

Male Wheatear (Photo Justin Ivory)

We may all have to restrict our movements due to Covid lockdown but for birds it is still business as usual and that means it is time for the annual spring migration. The first of our spring migrants turned up at Kilcoole, Co. Wicklow on Saturday 6th March and of course it was a Northern Wheatear (Oenanthe Oenanthe), always the first to arrive back.

The entire world population of these smart looking, Robin sized birds, winters in sub-Saharan Africa in a strip from Senegal to Somalia. In early spring they all move to the northern hemisphere including Ireland. Males are usually first to arrive, closely followed by the females. Once landed they will quickly move inland to setup breeding territories.

Many Northern Wheatears go to Iceland and Greenland to breed. Since spring arrives later at those more northerly locations, these birds leave the wintering grounds later and can be seen passing through Ireland in April. By that stage most of ‘our’ summer resident Wheatears have arrived and moved inland. These later birds are a sub-species often referred to as Greenland Wheatear.

When Wheatears fly they have a very distinctive white rump and black T-shaped tail band. The name Wheatear derives from Norse/AngloSaxon which means ‘white arse’!

Found in a variety of habitats including mountains, upland bogs, pastures with short vegetation and rocks, scree or stone walls and along rocky coasts, they like to build their nests in rabbit burrows, holes between rocks, and have a particular penchant for old drystone walls, which makes Wheatears particularly widespread in the west of Ireland. Wheatears lay clutches of 5-6 pale blue eggs and can have up to two broods in a season.

Keep your eyes open for these lovely visitors along our coastlines in the coming weeks and then inland over the summer.

how we killed god David Quinn

lance RTE Player from April 2

This Is a Robbery Netflix, from April 1

FOR 25 years, David Quinn has been one of our most controversial commentators on religious and social affairs and has charted the turbulent relationship between modern Ireland and the Catholic Church. He has been a fierce critic of secularism that is pushing religion to the margins of public life, and of what he believes is groupthink in contemporary debates. From the controversies that have raged about Church and State, marriage and the family, this book is a very different take on nearly a quarter of a century of change in Irish society.

Part one of two. Lance is a personal examination of the rise and fall of Lance Armstrong. Director Marina Zenovich sat for eight interviews with Armstrong, between March 2018 and August 2019, and it is those conversations that form the core of Lance, from his childhood and breakthrough world cycling championship at the age of 21, to cancer, his first experiences with cortisone and growth hormones, the seven consecutive Tour de France victories, doping allegations, and the final unravelling of his career, from 2010 to 2013.

THIS was the biggest art heist in history. Over St. Patrick’s Day weekend in 1990, legendary works by Rembrandt, Vermeer and other masters, worth over half a billion dollars in today’s money, were stolen from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. Two men impersonating police offers tricked a guard into letting them inside. They cut 13 works of art from their frames and loaded them into the van and were gone in 81 minutes. This four-part documentary series covers the leads, dead ends, lucky breaks and speculations that characterized the investigation of this still unsolved mystery.

RECIPE of the week

film of the week

gift of the week

AriesTogether, you’re a powerful community force. Discuss a shared vision and coordinate actions. Adapt to unforeseen circumstances. Connect and hold on. Support each other.

TaurusShare a dream or vision with a strong professional team and you’re unbeatable.

Inspire others and pull together.

GeminiDiscipline with planning and preparation pays off. Stick to basics and fundamentals before advancing. Discover a hidden truth.

CancerConfirm intuition with facts and data, especially regarding family or shared finances. Changes necessitate budget revisions.

LeoYou can see a path to realize a long-term, heartfelt vision or dream. Use your creativity. Grow what you love.

go anywhere gift card www.irelandhotels.com

bake along with bosch www.bosch-home.ie/bake

TRAVEL may be restricted this Easter but that doesn’t mean you can’t still enjoy or gift, a treat this Easter with the Go Anywhere Gift Card. The Go Anywhere Gift Card from irelandhotels.com can be used on more than breaks away to any of its 400 hotels and guesthouses across Ireland. It can also be redeemed on many of the special Easter takeaway treats on offer at select hotels.

Valid for five years, the Go Anywhere Gift Card gives the gift of choice and flexibility and delivers endless possibilities you are also supporting Irish tourism and the Irish hospitality industry.

BOSCH is launching a seasonal bake-along series specifically for children and it all kicks off this Easter. The events, hosted

by Bosch Culinary Manager Eleanor Martin, will take place on various dates throughout 2021, beginning with an Easter Bake-along on Friday, 2nd April 2021, when Eleanor will show participants how to create extremely moreish Chocolate Easter Muffins. It will take place via Instagram Live on @boschhomeuk. The class is free but you will need to register at the website above.

album of the week

activity of the week

sleepers Netflix from April 1 AN oldie but a goldie, as four teenage friends from Hell’s Kitchen end up being sent to reform school after almost killing a man.

There they are brutalised and sexually abused by the guards and have to live with the trauma. John (Ron Eldard) and Tommy (Billy Crudup) grow up to be hit men who recognize their abuser years later and kill him. Their trial is prosecuted by another member of their gang, who is now the assistant DA (Brad Pitt) who enlists the help of Robert de Niro as the trial gets underway. Gripping stuff.

podcast of the week

VirgoAll that physical practice is beginning to pay off. Luck shines on your dream. Take practical steps to achieve a milestone.

LibraFortune follows disciplined collaborative efforts. You can see the prize that you and your partner have been working for.

ScorpioHousehold matters need attention. Make repairs.

Consider long-range plans.

Get inventive to find creative, cost-effective solutions.

Sagittarius-

You’re especially clever and creative. Write your discoveries. Diplomacy can resolve a challenge. Find areas of connection.

CapricornYou can make good money.

It may require making a mess or overcoming an obstacle. Things could get chaotic. who by fire First Aid Kit

epic explorers easter camp from March 31st, www. epicchq.com

the good glow podcast www.podtail.com/en/podcast/the-good-glow/

THE existential question here is, does the world need another Leonard Cohen tribute.?

No, not unless it is sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg who are the ones paying tribute.

The Swedish band roll out Cohen’s themes of sex, death, despair and spirituality over four live performances, structuring the shows like church services. The concerts cover almost the full span of Cohen’s career, from the wellbeloved folk songs of the late 1960s and early 1970s to the gloom-laden growl of 2016’s ‘You Want it Darker’.

KIDS can get to travel around the world with an Imagination Camp this Easter at Epic Museum. Suitable for aged 6-12 years, the three-day online camp has sessions dedicated to Female Explorers, Space Explorers and Antarctic explorers, along with lots fun activities to try out at home.

Led by an experienced facilitator, families will explore a different theme related to explorers each day, discovering the history of the Irish diaspora. Tickets are available from the Epic website. (Pictured: Tom Crean)

THE Good Glow podcast hears how Georgie Crawford put her life back together after a breast cancer diagnosis that changed her perspective on everything. Georgie feels there is a need for people to have more in depth conversations about our health and well being in order to drive awareness of self care. She speaks to wellness advocates, delves deeper into many health topics and talks to inspirational people whose stories will motivate you to make positive changes. One for the times we are living in.

AquariusA personal ambition takes focus. New possibilities entice you to pursue something long-desired.

Take charge for positive results.

PiscesPeaceful meditation illuminates hidden thoughts, perks and motivations. An insight provides freedom from endless repetition.

Envision a perfect outcome.

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April 6, 2021

An introduction to the Codling Wind Park project Together with an excellent team of 40 people with expertise across a range of technical, environmental and social disciplines, we are currently in the early stages of planning what could be Ireland’s flagship offshore wind project. Throughout 2021 we will be undertaking a range of site investigation works and offshore surveys to help us prepare an environmental impact assessment of the proposed project. This will be in preparation for a planning application, which we hope to submit at the end of this year or early next year.

Dear community members, I would like to begin by introducing myself. My name is Arno Verbeek and I am Project Director for the Codling Wind Park project, a proposed offshore wind farm approximately 13km off the coast of Wicklow, between Greystones and Wicklow Town.

“It is important to us that you, the local communities, are involved in the project and help us to shape it.”

questions and provide your feedback to us, which is most important. Below you will find specific details on the timings and ways of accessing this engagement and consultation process.

Though nationally significant, Codling Wind Park will also be a local project and it is important to us that you, the local communities, are involved in it and help us to shape it.

This is the first of many opportunities you will have to see how our project is progressing and to share your feedback with us. As Covid-19 restrictions ease in the months ahead, we hope to return to face-to-face meetings and to also have physical exhibitions at a range of local venues. I look forward to meeting with many of you as part of these future engagements.

Codling Wind Park is at the start of its journey. I hope you will be part of this journey with us so that together we can create something that benefits Wicklow and Ireland for generations to come.

Codling Wind Park could provide enough locallyproduced, low-cost renewable electricity to power the equivalent of up to 1.2 million Irish homes.

This will make a significant contribution to the Irish Government’s commitment to generating 70 per cent of Ireland’s electricity from renewable energy by 2030. It will also go a long way towards enhancing Ireland’s energy security, by reducing our dependence on imported energy.

As we progress this work, we will be engaging regularly and openly with local communities and providing several opportunities for you to view our plans and provide feedback. I am writing this letter to you today to make you aware that the first of these opportunities is about to begin.

Virtual Codling Wind Park Exhibition

Codling Wind Park Webinars

Information Clinics

Accessible via the project website, www.codlingwindpark.ie, this online exhibition will contain a number of exhibition boards with information about different aspects of the project.

It will also contain some useful visuals, such as a map of the project site and early stage, indicative photomontages of the wind turbines from a range of coastal locations, and information for you to download and read at a later date. Finally – and most importantly – it will contain a feedback survey, through which you can provide us with your thoughts on the project to date.

During these two webinars, senior representatives of the project will provide a live online presentation of different aspects of the project. Those who attend will be able to submit questions via the chat box in the webinar and as many of these questions as possible will be answered during the live session.

We realise that having viewed the virtual exhibition, you may have some questions. To discuss these, members of the project team will be available for virtual calls with individuals and organisations between March 15 and March 27.

This will be live from Monday, March 1 and will run until Sunday, March 14.

Details on how to register are available on our website, www.codlingwindpark.ie.

For a four-week period starting on Monday, March 1, you will be able to learn more about the project, ask

The webinars will take place on the following dates: Tuesday March 9: 7–8pm Thursday March 11: 7–8pm

Yours faithfully,

Arno Verbeek Arno Verbeek Project Director Codling Wind Park

Appointments – including some in the evening and at the weekend – can be booked using our online calendar on www.codlingwindpark.ie.

To book by phone, call our Community Liaison Officer Liz Dillon on 087 101 1473.

generating a greener Ireland codlingwindpark.ie.

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April 6, 2021

April 6, 2021

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April 6, 2021

opinion&comment

Heading for trouble

P

erhaps you caught the documentary ‘Finding Jack Charlton’ on Virgin Media One recently.

It was poignant to see such an iconic figure at times unable to remember his greatest moments as a player and manager was heartbreaking.

Was Jack’s dementia caused by heading the football? Partly contributed to by it? The evidence would suggest it is a strong possibility.

Soccer is heading for trouble.

Literally. This isn’t fresh news; it’s a story that has come to the fore intermittently since the death of Jeff Astle in 2002.

The former West Bromwich Albion player was only 59 when he died, but was the first ex-player to be diagnosed with brain damage blamed on heading the ball.

Gordon McQueen, who was diagnosed with dementia last month, is just the latest big

name to bring the story back out of the shadows.

There have been lots of highprofile ex-players to have passed away from, or come out as living with, either dementia or Alzheimer’s.

Four of England’s 1966 World Cup winning squad died from one of these illnesses - Ray Wilson, Martin Peters, Nobby Stiles and Jack Charlton.

Jack’s brother Bobby – another member of that squad – is currently living with dementia.

You could argue that these men were all elderly, that it is a matter of coincidence that they all died of similar diseases, and that their deaths were in no way contributed to by the heading of the ball during their playing careers.

You wouldn’t get too far with that argument though, not any more.

It has been established by extensive research that former players are four times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s, and four times more likely to die from it or another degenera-

tive brain disorder, such as Motor Neurone Disease or Parkinson’s disease. Shocking figures.

I mentioned Jeff Astle above.

He was a member of the West Bromwich Albion side that won the FA Cup in 1968.

Last August another member

of that side passed away, a player named John Talbut.

Talbut was 79 and was one of four ex-players that passed away from dementia or Alzheimer’s within a week - the others were Mike Tindall (79), the former Aston Villa player; Barry Pierce (85), a former Crystal Palace forward, and our own Tommy Carroll (77), a former Ipswich Town, Birmingham City and Shelbourne player, and a Republic of Ireland international.

Jeff Astle now has a foundation named after him (The Jeff Astle Foundation, overseen by his daughter) and they are working towards a proper programme of care for former players who present with symptoms of the illnesses mentioned above.

The foundation knows of more than 300 ex-players who have either died from or are living with symptoms, and reckon that is only the tip of the iceberg.

What’s to be done, and can football achieve it if there is?

Yes, they can achieve change – the game is weathering the Covid-19 storm, and if it can survive that it can survive whatever changes dementia awareness and care could throw at it.

As to the specifics of what’s to be done, that’s a debate that needs to happen yesterday.

Could players be monitored from their playing days into and through retirement for brain abnormalities?

Could awareness contribute to an increased public demand on Pharma companies to stay in the Alzheimer’s / dementia space and bring meaningful treatments to market? Could the ball be changed for a less damaging one?

Back to Gordon McQueen.

Players like those from the 1966 World Cup squad date back a long way, but McQueen played into the 1980’s, meaning that the problem is constantly updating itself. Hopefully the lid won’t get put back on the box for much longer.

- Brian Quigley

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April 6, 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 11/03/1853

Irish Press 14/03/1970

Evening Her 29/03/1939

Irish Press 14/03/1963

Freemans Jrn 07/03/1851

Irish Press 05/03/1971

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wicklowvoice.ie April 6, 2021