Wicklow Voice 10-05-2022

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COVID-19 Vaccines

SECOND COVID-19 BOOSTER VACCINE

FOR PEOPLE AGED 65 OR OVER AND PEOPLE WITH A WEAK IMMUNE SYSTEM If you’re aged 65 or older, or you have a weak immune system, you can get your second booster from a HSE vaccination centre. In the coming weeks, you will also be able to get your second booster from a participating GP or Pharmacy.

Book your appointment on hse.ie For an appointment at a HSE vaccination centre, book online at hse.ie Why get a second COVID-19 booster vaccine?

The protection from your previous booster vaccine may weaken over time.

Getting your second booster will give you better protection from serious illness and make it less likely that you would need hospital treatment for COVID-19.

When should I get my second booster?

Get your second booster at least four months after your first booster. You can check the date of your last booster on your digital COVID cert.

If you’ve had COVID-19 since you got your first booster, wait four months before getting your second booster.

What if I haven’t had my first booster yet?

If you haven’t had your first booster yet, you can make an appointment at a HSE vaccination centre on hse.ie

#ForUsAll

For more information visit hse.ie or call our team in HSELive 1800 700 700

Killarney Road, Bray, Co Wicklow

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May 10, 2022

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August 3, 2021

wicklowvoice inside: FREE

May 10, 28, 2022 2015,wicklowvoice.ie t: 01 901 5556/7, May e: info@wicklowvoice.ie t: 01 901 5565 e: info@wicklowvoice.ie

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Sea levels rising ‘twice as fast’ RECENT rises in sea levels on the East Coast have happened at “approximately double the rate of global sea level rise”, researchers have said.

A new study examined sea level trends over eight decades and confirmed elevated rates in recent years.

The team at the Hamilton Institute and ICARUS Climate Research Centre at Maynooth University found that the sea level at Dublin Bay and along the east coast to Wicklow, rose

by an estimated 1.1mm per year between 1953 and 2016.

Researchers said the overall sea level rise is “in line with expected trends”, but large variability across many decades has led to higher rates in recent years.

“This recent sea level rise is faster than expected at approximately double the rate of global sea level rise.” said Amin Shoari Nejad, lead author of the research and a PhD student at the Hamilton Institute

at Maynooth University.

Fluctuations in the sea level change were also identified between 1982 to 1988 and 1989 to 1996.

Dr Gerard McCarthy, from ICARUS Climate Research Centre and the Department of Geography at Maynooth University, said looking at short timeframes can have an impact on estimates of trends.

“But this research has taken a longer view and what we are most confident about from

looking at the stretch of years is the overall rise,” he said.

The researchers at Maynooth, in collaboration with colleagues at UCC and DCU, are continuing to explore the reasons behind such fluctuations.

They compared sea level records for Dublin Port, as well as gauges at Arklow and Howth Harbour, and international datasets from the UK and France for their data quality checks.

Continued on next page

FREE

Krista Costello at the Marie Keating Foundation sixth annual BRCA Conference. Pic: Andres Poveda

Killarney Road, Bray, Co Wicklow

04| news in brief €282,686 boost for communities OVER 120 community groups are to receive a huge cash boost after funding of €282,686 was allocated to Wicklow County Council under a special Government scheme.

Wicklow received the grant as part of a €9m fund allocated by the Minister for Rural and Community Development, Heather Humphreys and Minister of State with responsibility for Community Development and Charities, Joe O’Brien. This funding will be used to support community groups impacted by Covid-19 by providing small grants n.

May 10, 2022

Wicklow hills alive with the sound of Dua Lipa

Mens’ Sheds pilot FIVE Men’s Sheds in Wicklow have been selected to participate in the pilot ‘Sheds for Life’ health promotion programme, which supports the physical, mental and social wellbeing of Men Sheds’ members.

The 10-week programme will be implemented into the Men’s Sheds of Tinahely, Roundwood, Newtownmountkennedy with Kilcoole and Bray with Greystones, and the Vale of Avoca. The initiative was developed by the Irish Men’s Shed Association.

POP sensation Dua Lipa took a break from her hectic tour of the UK and Ireland with a trip to some of Wicklow’s most famous beauty spots recently to clear the airways.

The 26-year-old singersongwriter performed two shows at the 3Arena on Wednesday, April 20 and Thursday, April 21. Following these performances, she posted a series of snaps on Instagram from the Wicklow

countryside.

Captioning the photos ‘Exploring Ireland’, Dua Lipa can be seen taking in the scenery of the Wicklow Mountains.

Dressed in dark jeans, a purple top and a sleeveless grey jacket, she seems genuinely in love with the locations.

She also shared a short video of sheep on the road, and some images of the

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Garden County with her 82.5 million followers on Instagram.

The award-winning singer also poses in front of Powerscourt Waterfall, standing on a large rock in one of the photos shared on social media.

Powerscourt Estate reshared one of the images she posted, thanking the singer for her visit and the nice bit of promotion to boot.

Sea level rise higher in East Continued from previous page

Climate Central maps have now been able to calculate the areas that are at major risk of being under water by 2030.

Many coastal parts of Wicklow could be at risk based on current projections. Reducing emissions aggressively will buy more time to adapt to the climate changes that are already irreversible, Mr McCarthy said.

The two-pronged approach of mitigation and adaptation, as outlined by the UN-backed Intergovernmental Panel On Climate Change (IPCC), are key for Ireland.

“Mitigation is cutting down greenhouse gases, while adaptation is about better management of flood risks in Cork City,” said Mr McCarthy.

Gamma Location Intelligence, which provides map and data analysis to insurance companies and local authorities, found in May 2020 that approximately 62,000 homes are at risk in the next 30 years. Of the 62,000 homes found to be at risk in previous modelling, Dublin and the east coast were predicted to be the worst affected.

Unrest in Delgany as plans lodged for 141 homes

members of the community in Delgany have expressed concerns about plans

by Ronan Group Real Estate to develop 141 luxury houses and apartments at Stylebawn, in Delgany Village, Co Wicklow.

In all, the development will consist of a mix of dwellings including 60 four-bed houses, 14 three-bed houses, and one twobed house.

There will also be two apartment blocks constructed in four and five storey developments, consisting of 38 two-bed units and 28 one-bed units mixed across the buildings.

The majority of units will be available for private sale to families, while 20% will be allocated to social and affordable housing.

The application includes plans for the restoration of Stylebawn House, which is a listed structure dating back to the 1700s.

To complement the existing backdrop surrounding Delgany, the development will feature communal amenity spaces including children’s play areas, a courtyard, and a nature trail.

A spokesperson for Ronan Group Real Estate said: “Carefully designed to high quality specifications and taking account of its surroundings, Stylebawn will seamlessly inte-

grate into the well-established community in Delgany. This development will provide much-needed homes in a sustainable and highly desirable neighbourhood, where residents will have access to some of the best amenities in the Garden of Ireland. At a time of severe housing shortage, families will benefit from the stunning landscapes that Co Wicklow offers from mountains to the coast, all within easy access of the important employment hubs based in Dublin,” it said.

However, members of the community in Delgany have expressed concerns about the plans.

Paul Armstrong, Delgany Community Council chairperson said: “Given the importance of the Stylebawn site to the overall village history and heritage and the nature of the proposed development, we feel sure that Wicklow County Council will be inundated with observations from the Delgany community objecting to this totally inappropriate proposal.

Saying there were “grave concerns” for the biodiversity in the area, he added: “We sincerely hope that Wicklow County Council will do the correct thing and completely reject this application.”

LIDL Greystones is getting a €12m revamp this month, the retailer has confirmed.

The existing store at the Blacklion Centre, which is currently closed, will be replaced with a new store, which is likely to open its doors towards the end of the year.

Around 100 jobs are due to be created during construction and Lidl indicated that new roles could also become available in the

new shop.

A spokesperson for Lidl said: “We can confirm the Lidl Greystones store will be undergoing an extensive construction project this year. The project will consist of a knock and rebuild of the existing store that will represent an investment of more than €12m to the locality — creating new jobs at the store and up to 100 through the construction phase.”

Lidl Greystones gets €12m revamp

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May 10, 2022

opinion&comment

Time to end this sham fight and build the new hospital

T

HE politicians who are trying to block the construction of the new National Maternity Hospital on the site of St Vincent’s, in south Dublin, are waging a phoney war.

This battle was won more than 40 years ago and even then it was a bit of a sham fight.

The loser was not the Catholic Church, which has been cast as the villain in the current controversy, but a more traditional bogeyman, the landlord.

The issue was one of principle and it concerned, not public buildings, but the land on which most private houses stood.

Before 1978 very few people in Ireland owned the land on which their houses were built.

They leased it from whoever did own it.

In legend, and popular imagination, the owners were English aristocrats whose grasping,

Michael Wolsey

grinding forebears had seized the land from oppressed Gaels.

In practice they were usually construction companies and local authorities.

The terms of these ground leases were not onerous. They typically covered many lifetimes - 900-year leases were not uncommon - and, although a ‘ground rent’ was levied on householders, it was usually for a very small amount.

Nevertheless, people were annoyed that these landlords (that’s the origin of the word) could oblige them to pay money while providing no service of any sort. So in 1978 an Act was passed forbidding the creation of new ground leases and a scheme introduced to let home owners buy out the existing ones.

The abolition of ground rents put paid to any suggestion that ownership of land conferred rights over the property built on it. But, in truth, that was always

the case. If the householder wanted to build a pigeon loft or an outdoor gym, use the garden walls as a handball court or sunbathe nude on the balcony, that was none of the land owner’s business.

The householder might fall foul of planning regulations, noise abatement rules or laws on public decency, but the preferences of the land owner had no bearing on these matters.

Nowadays, nearly all householders own the land their homes are built on but that is not true of public properties.

Many public offices are rented in their entirety, both the land and the building, while others - some Garda stations and law courts, for instance -are on leased land, not owned by the State.

The ownership has no practical relevance. A local authority may own the land on which a courthouse is built, but it cannot pick the juries or tell the judge

that sentencing is too harsh.

And that’s how it will be if the new National Maternity Hospital goes ahead, as planned, on the south Dublin site owned by the St Vincent’s Healthcare Group on behalf of the Religious Sisters of Charity .

St Vincent’s has said all medical procedures legal in the State will be available at the new hospital, including those that run contrary to Catholic ethos, such as termination of pregnancy.

But it doesn’t really matter what St Vincent’s says because it’s not going to have a say.

The State, in the form of the HSE, will own the hospital building and have a 299-year lease on the land.

The lease will probably outlast the Sisters of Charity but, in any case, until it is up they will have no right to interfere in the running of the maternity hospital.

The plan to move the National Maternity Hospital from Holles

Street in central Dublin was approved in 2013. The Elm Park site was chosen in 2016.

So the issue has been debated and examined for almost a decade.

The projected cost of the hospital has risen in those years from €300 million to €800 million and will almost certainly top €1bn by the time it is built.

Until then, thousands of women will give birth in a hospital opened in 1894. Its medical facilities are restricted, the ancillary facilities are woeful, and there is little privacy on its wards.

Women want the new hospital and none of the medical professionals who will work in it have expressed any fear of Church interference. The Minister for Health and his two immediate predecessors have backed the move, as has the Taoiseach.

So, please, let us get on with it and stop fighting a phoney war over an issue that doesn’t exist.

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May 10, 2022

New turf legislation ‘will be acceptable’

GREEN Party chief Eamon Ryan has said he is confident the Government new turf legislation will be introduced later this year and will be ‘acceptable’ to rural communities.

He said Ireland was in the middle of a three month consultation with the European Commission which was due to conclude at the end of May. “We don’t have to immediately address this but we do want to do it quickly because we don’t want uncertainty.

“I want people to know what the situation is, come what may, even under the existing arrangements.

He said most of the turf that will be cut this summer will be saved and used over the winter.

The minister said the Government had signalled its intentions 16 months ago and had launched a public consultation last September.

“That ongoing consultation process is important. It’s important that we do get it right and I’m confident we will and we will introduce it later this

Midwife Saira Munir at announcement that the Coombe Hospital is recruiting 29 new midwives. Pic: Jason Clarke

Leah Quish (9) at the launch of Round Up for Ronald McDonald House in Crumlin Hospital. Pic: Andres Poveda

year.” New measures to ban the sale of smoky fuels are set to come into effect on September 1st.

Several Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil TDs have expressed concern about Mr Ryan’s move to clamp down on turf burning at

a time when fuel bills are rising sharply. Speaking to Newstalk, Fine Gael TD Michael Ring said people need turf now and there is no alternative at the moment.

“We want them to be able to continue on at present to be able

to cut turf, and anybody that’s cutting turf at the moment needs it now and in the future,” Mr Ring said.

“I have no doubt that we will bring in proposals that will be acceptable to the people of rural Ireland,” Mr Ryan said.

Census forms must be posted if not collected IF you are among those whose Census form has not yet been collected then you are now asked to post the form back to the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

Enumerators have now completed their collections and the CSO has advised people whose form has not yet been collected, to “post it without delay”.

Once the some two million forms are all returned to Census Head Office in Swords, they will be scanned and the data analysed before being published as anonymised statistics.

In a statement, the CSO said: “These statistics are vital for planning public services such as roads, schools, hospitals, and housing.

Preliminary population figures from Census 2022 are expected to be published by mid-summer.

“As well as producing the results from Census 2022, the CSO is now looking ahead to the next census which will take place in 2027. Plans are progressing on providing an

Eleven helmets to symbolise the deaths of 11 motorcyclists so far this year - the Road Safety Authority and An Garda Síochána are reminding drivers to be on the lookout for motorcyclists when using the road. Pic: Jason Clarke

Gap between rich and poor widens THE rich-poor gap in Ireland has widened as a result of taxation and welfare measures adopted in Budget 2022, according to a new analysis from Social Justice Ireland.

The think tank said its latest briefing paper shows Government policy is “not yet focused on achieving the objectives of reducing poverty and promoting social inclusion”.

Analyst Colette Bennett said the rich-poor gap increased by €2.96 per week, or €154 per year, as a result of tax and welfare measures in the 2022 Budget.

“The overall rich-poor gap

stood at €975 per week (€50,800 per annum) in 2022 and it has grown by a total of €30 per week (€1,550 per annum) over the period 2014-2022,” Ms Bennett said.

“Our analysis also monitored what we call the “middle-poor gap”, that is the difference in the distributional impact of recent Budgets on households dependent on jobseekers payments (poor) and PAYE workers on €40,000 per year (middle). Overall, the middlepoor gap has grown by a total of €21 per week (€1,070 per annum) over the period 20142022,” she added.

online response option which will be part funded by the European Union National Recovery and Resilience plan.”

Eileen Murphy, Head of Census Administration, added: “We have seen great public support for the Census so far and would encourage anyone who still has their form to please post it back as soon as possible.

“By law everyone who was present in the country on Census night must be recorded on a form, so it is really important that the completed forms are returned to us now. If you know of someone who needs extra support with their form, we ask you to check in with them and help them get in touch with us for further information if required.

Census forms can be returned to the following address: Central Statistics Office PO Box 2021 Freepost 4726 Swords, Co Dublin K67 D2X4

We are at the mercy of Russian oil crisis

Ireland will be at the mercy of price hikes if an oil and gas embargo is imposed on Russia, Environment Minister Eamon Ryan has said.

The EU warned member states to prepare for the possibility of a full disruption of Russian gas and oil by the Kremlin.

It comes as EU energy ministers met in an emergency meeting in Brussels following Russia’s move to cut gas supplies to Poland and Bulgaria.

Mr Ryan said Ireland has no direct exposure to Russian gas and oil, but we are fully exposed to the global price hike that will result if and when an oil embargo is implemented.

Meanwhile, many energy companies in Europe are due to pay for their Russian gas in midMay. They face the prospect of a similar fate to that of Bulgaria and Poland.

The commission says it will issue guidance on how to pay for their supply while staying in the parameters of EU sanctions aimed at damaging Russia’s financing of its war.

May 10, 2022

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Solar farm opens in Wicklow

THE first large-scale ground mounted solar farm to supply electricity to the Irish grid has been opened near Ashford in Co Wicklow and is now operational.

Millvale solar farm incorporates 33,600 solar modules covering 25 hectares of land.

It was developed by Neoen, a leading independent producer of exclusively renewable energy, and has a generation capacity of 8 megawatts of electricity.

That is enough to power approximately 3,600 homes every year. It is estimated the electricity it generates will prevent 4,800 tonnes of greenhouse emissions.

It is the first of many solar projects to reach commercial operation under the Government’s Renewable Electricity Support Scheme.

Formally opening the solar farm, Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications Eamon Ryan said it was a “key starting point” on the plan to install up to 2.5GW of solar energy on the electricity system by 2030.

The Renewable Electricity Support Scheme is one of the primary policies set out in the Programme for Government.

May 10, 2022

Calls for Katie Taylor statue on Bray seafront BRAY residents are again calling for a statue of boxing champ Katie Taylor to be erected at the seafront, with the town “buzzing” after her recent victory over Amanda Serrano.

Local Fine Gael Councillor Aoife Flynn Kennedy said an offer has been made to put a statue in the town, but Katie is “so humble” and the town respects that.

“We have had a number of requests in [for a statue] and we have sent them to her management team but that’s Katie, she doesn’t want that kind of statue for her,” she said.

“We have put it to her and the offer is there, as a town we are bursting with pride and we would acknowledge her in any way that she thought fit herself but Katie is just a very humble person and she doesn’t want it, so we absolutely respect that.

And it comes up every so often — requests come in.”

The councillor said the undisputed lightweight champion has done her hometown proud, as well as paving the way for future

Champ Katie celebrates after beating Amanda Serrano

women boxers. “We are bursting with pride, is the best way to describe it,” she said.

“We are all crazy about her anyway but she just keeps breaking every ceiling that she can break, she keeps going

further and further. She has taken women’s boxing to a whole new level.”

Katie has been vocal in the past about not wanting an honorary statue of her to be placed in her hometown.

Some residents in Bray suggested that because she doesn’t want a statue, something else should be done to honour her achievements but it remains to be seen what shape this may take.

Greening the Garden County

Wicklow County Council is aiming to green the ‘Garden County’ by trialling alternatives to chemical weed control, and whenever possible, managing vegetation for pollinators.

This work is in response to public concerns about the overuse of Glyphosate products and the need to support biodiversity as part of the Council’s commitments as a partner to the All-Ireland Pollinator Plan.

Each Municipal District has identified sites in Council ownership that are suitable for reduced mowing, ie: ‘Cut- and-

lift’ on either a six-week or a once-a-year regime.

Cllr Lourda Scott, Chairperson of the Climate and Biodiversity Special Policy Committee, welcomed the trials stating: “Providing space and opportunity for pollinating insects is vital for building resilience of our biodiversity to Climate Change. I welcome the investment in new nonchemical techniques for weed control and the focus on reduced mowing early in the season.”

If your community is managing an open space, you can record it on: www.pollinator.ie

€50m for water schemes

THe Green’s TD for Wicklow, Deputy Steven Matthews, has welcomed a new funding scheme to upgrade wastewater collection and treatment systems in rural areas.

Speaking following the announcement from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Deputy Matthews said: “I am delighted that €50m has been allocated

under the National Development Plan to this scheme, which will seek to address the wastewater collection and treatment needs of villages and settlements that either don’t have access to public wastewater services . . . This is a crucial investment which will reduce water pollution, improve public health and enable rural communities to thrive.”

Wicklow water is free from pesticide

Pesticide levels in public drinking water in County Wicklow remained below the safe level throughout 2021, according to Irish Water’s latest report.

This is the third successive year in which zero exceedances of the safe limit have been recorded.

However, Irish Water is urging domestic gardeners, farmers, grounds keepers and other users of pesticide products to consider the environment and whether pesticide use is necessary.

Andrew Boylan, Irish Water’s Regional Drinking Water Compliance Specialist, said: “In County Wicklow, there have been no exceedances for pesticides in the past three years, which is good news.

“While our consultation with the HSE has concluded that the levels of pesticides that are being detected in drinking water supplies across the country do not represent a threat to public health, it is however undesirable and therefore imperative that users of pesticides are mindful of best practice,” he added.

Drivers warned of zombie car scams

NEW research by a car history check website has found that Wicklow motorists are driving nearly €6m worth of what’s known as ‘zombie cars’.

Motorcheck.ie describes ‘zombie cars’ as those brought back to life after being imported from the UK, but not correctly identified as insurance write-offs or ex-salvage.

The company cross referenced the VIN numbers for 1.9 million Irish vehicles with its UK Salvage database and found more than 39,336 affected vehicles that had been imported into the Republic of Ireland.

At today’s values, the market value of those affected is €5,773,693 in Wicklow alone and €318m across the Republic of Ireland.

Shane Teskey, of MotorCheck, said: “With used car prices rising in Ireland as much as 50%, it’s more important than ever that car dealers and buyers are made aware of a vehicle’s hidden history before they pay well over the fair market value for a potentially dangerous exwrite off.”

May 10, 2022

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May 10, 2022

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May 10, 2022

WILDLIFE

ninenottomiss

Humble Hawthorn – Magnificent Mayflower

book of the week

with Justin Ivory

quinn

by Trevor Birney

As we head into May over the coming weeks the countryside will soon be adorned and lit up with an exuberance of snowy white blossoms. Hedgerows, field boundaries and trees seem to be dressed as for a wedding or a communion.

What is responsible for this resplendent erumpent display?

It is the Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna). This native, deciduous tree, which in winter looks so stark, bleak, gnarly and tough with vicious thorns, in May breaks into wonderous blossom. The timing of its’ flowering gives rise to its more common name the Mayflower.

It is the white blossom of the Hawthorn that Shakespeare refers to as “the darling buds of May” in one of his most famous sonnets – Sonnet No. 18.

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate: Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, Known by many names – Mayflower, Maybush, Quickthorn, Hagthorn, Haw, Maythorn, May, Mayblossom, Bread and Cheese Tree and the Fairy Tree, it has a long association with the fairy folk in Irish folklore. Fairy rings and Hawthorn trees seem to go hand in hand. To this day you will see many a field with isolated Hawthorn trees and an untouched circle around it where the farmer dare not touch it for fear of incurring the wrath of the fairy folk.

The Hawthorn’s genus name Crataegus comes from the Greek kratos, which means strength and refers to the hardness of the Hawthorn’s wood.

The simple, delicate beauty of the 5-petalled flowers belie their bittersweet aroma which can be reminiscent of rotting meat! Flies are attracted to this and act as pollinators for the Hawthorn. The flowers give way to hardy, red berries known as haws coming into the autumn and are an important source of food for wildlife during the winter.

THIS is the gripping inside story of Ireland’s bankrupt billionaire, Sean Quinn, who went from rags to riches before gambling it all on Anglo-Irish Bank shares and became the world’s biggest personal loser of the economic collapse of 2008. A millionaire by thirty, Quinn took on the Irish cement business in the 1980s and won. He became an almost mythical character, creating thousands of jobs at a time when the dark shadows of mass unemployment and the Troubles loomed over the borderlands. Then he gambled on the stock market and lost. hriller.

stream of the week

tv show of the week

HOROSCOPES

film of the week

the works presents RTE1, 11.15 Thursdays

the northman Cinemas nationwide

JOHN Kelly returns to RTÉ One this May with five new episodes of The Works Presents, which explore this very question - guests include innovative musicians, visually stunning film-makers, well-loved writers, unique composers and performers as well as politically-driven artists. In conversations with John, these key creative forces, share insights into how and why they work in their chosen fields. John discovers what inspires them and how it drives them to create the works they make.

AFTER the murder of his father (Ethan Hawke) and kidnapping of his mother (Nicole Kidman), Prince Amleth (Alexander Skarsgard) sets out on a years-long journey across the Viking world for revenge. Along the way, he joins forces with Olga (Anya Taylor-Joy), a captured woman who utilises her cunning to help Amleth on his quest for bloody vengeance. If you’re familiar with your Danish history or Shakespearean tragedies, chances are you’ll already be roughly familiar with ‘The Northman’. Just be braced for some serious violence.

RECIPE of the week

album of the week

Aries- This week is a 7 Do the groundwork to realize a vision. Strategize and review priorities.

Postpone travels, and take care of business behind the scenes.

Taurus- This week is an 8 Friends help out.

Collaborate on the structural and logistical details. Make sure you’ve handled the basics before elaborating.

Gemini- This week is an 8 Navigate a professional challenge by focusing on organization, discipline and coordinated action. Work completed now can have long-term benefit.

Cancer- This week is an 8 You can get what you need to take a trip. An older person makes an interesting proposition. Don’t overlook what loved ones need.

Leo- This week is an 8 Investments made now can have long-term benefit.

Strengthen by reinforcing foundations and supports.

better call saul season 6 Netflix SO, Better Call Saul season 6 has finally arrived.

Who’d have thought a prequel would survive six seasons. The end of Better Call Saul means we’ve reached the end of our time with Jimmy McGill, and by extension, Kim Wexler. It’s strange how this show has morphed from a not-quite-necessary prequel series chronicling the rise of everyone’s favourite slimeball lawyer (Bob Odenkirk), to an intimate show about rival brothers, to a series about wholesome lawyer Kim Wexler’s (Rhea Seehorn) journey to the dark side. And it will get darker . . .

charity of the week

one-pan spaghetti www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/one-panspaghetti

Brother johnny Edgar Winter

BUDGET recipes, you can’t go wrong — especially when the cost of heating the hob is more than the ingredients for the dinner.

So here is one of our favourites. One-pan spaghetti. It will even save you on the cost of turning on the water to wash the pots. Your staples here are meatballs and tomato sauce, and if you are clever about it, you’ll get a few dinners in a row and save more all round.

Some prefer pork mince, others beef; then there are the rebels who mix pork and beef.

But would you really cross a cow and a pig?

EDGAR Winter’s tribute album to his brother, the legendary blues guitarist Johnny Winter is a serious who’s who for the guitar players out there, and features Gregg Bissonette, Joe Bonamassa, Doyle Bramhall II, John McFee, Robben Ford, Billy Gibbons, David Grissom, Taylor Hawkins, Warren Haynes, Steve Lukather. Yes, this is purely for the axeman but even the budding young guitar players will learn a lot from listening to some 17 timeless classics and seering riffs that will take the scalp off of ye. But as always with something like this, it does sound better cranked up to 11.

wine of the week

walk of the week

Virgo- This week is an 8 Collaborate with your partner to realize a shared dream. Strengthen infrastructure. Find an inspiration that sings for both of you.

Libra- This week is an 8 Keep your fitness goals.

Disciplined action builds long-term strength and health. Demands for your attention abound.

Scorpio- This week is an 8 Keep practicing to improve your game. Focus on technique, and learn through repetition. Get coaching from a trusted expert.

Sagittarius- This week is an 8

Make repairs and renovations. Coordinate with your family for shared priorities. Get creative.

100k in 30 days www.100kin30days.ie

go loud selects www.goloudplayer.com

three rocks trail www.wexfordwalkingtrails.ie

Following the success of last year’s 100K in 30 Days event, which raised €1.7m for Breast Cancer Ireland, organisers are calling on the people of Waterford to join the #pinkarmy and take part in the June event this year.

100K in 30 Days was founded by Co. Louth (Blackrock, Dundalk) couple Niall Carroll and Cara McAdam and launched in 2020 after Cara was diagnosed with breast cancer. Those who register are also in with a chance to win prizes such as a €5,000 Holiday Voucher. See link for

GoLoud, Ireland’s home of podcasts, has announced the launch of GoLoud Selects, a GoLoud Original podcast presented by actor, director and television presenter Simon Delaney and television and radio broadcaster Aidan Power. GoLoud Selects curates the best in television, podcasts, movies and more from Ireland and abroad to bring you the ultimate entertainment experience; this is really the go-to app for an entertainment package with comedy, practical life advice or even a gripping true crime documentary.

THIS trail leads you along part of the route traversed by the Wexford men during the 1798 rebellion in Wexford. This 13.5km trail is linear and starts or ends at Ferrycarrig Castle or Skeaterpark on the Duncannon Newline. The trail has a large number of points of interest spread out across the trail. A bit on Forth Mountain it is a 239m high forest-covered hill capped with prominent rocky tors. Forth Mountain takes its name from the Gaelic tribe of the Fotharta and is the frontier between two Gaelic kingdoms for Forth and Shelmaliere.

Capricorn- This week is an 8 Capture brilliant ideas as they inspire you. Intellectual discovery provides a thrill.

What you uncover now has long-term implications.

Aquarius-This week is a 9 Abundance is available.

Gather up more than you spend for a positive balance.

Make agreements, and sign contracts.

Pisces- This week is a 9 Take ground with a personal project. What you do now can have long-term benefit.

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May 10, 2022

opinion&comment

The trouble with Man United

S

o, the new Manchester United manager has been announced.

It came as no surprise to many that Dutchman Eric ten Hag will take over in the summer, with one-time bookies favourite Mauricio Potchettino having fallen to long odds in recent months.

Will it matter though? Will ten Hag be the saviour, or just another failed roll of the dice by the United hierarchy? Only time will tell.

United are a sorry mess right now. The 4-0 collapse against Liverpool on April 19 was telling.

It left United in sixth place, trying to hold off West Ham over the concluding few games to ensure they don’t slip from a Europa League spot into a Europa Conference League one.

The result was also a fair summation of the gulf in class between Ralf Rangnick’s charges and Jurgen Klopp’s quadruple-chasing team.

The state of flux at Old

Martina Slattery, Clinical Nurse Manager from Our Lady’s Hospice & Care Services, at the launch of Hospice Sunflower Days, which will be run as a virtual fundraising campaign this year. Pic: Bryan Brophy

Brian Quigley

Trafford must be difficult for United fans used to winning trophies to bear.

Harry Maguire has become a joke - this is a cruel fate to befall anyone in any walk of life and I fear for the player’s mental health (I’d have dropped him much sooner and kept him out of the limelight).

Ronaldo is both a hero and a villain; his arrival upset the balance of the team and his ensuing goals came to the rescue.

As for Pogba, Rashford and the others, are they staying or are they going?

Ten Hag has never managed

in England, and although he has won two doubles (in 2019 and 2021) with Ajax, managing in the Premier League is a huge leap. He has an uphill battle to climb, and both the board and the fans need to give him the full three years to sort things out; Ferguson got time when he came to United, and more recently Liverpool have reaped the rewards of giving Klopp time.

For the superstitious United

fan, how about this. Manchester United had five permanent managers between the great Sir Matt Busby and the evengreater Sir Alex Ferguson; they were Wilf McGuinness, Frank O’Farrell, Tommy Docherty, Dave Sexton and Ron Atkinson.

There have been five permanent managers since Ferguson – David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick. A good omen?

ACCREDITED

On the other hand, a new manager needs to have all traces of previous ones gone, if he is to have no shadows hanging over him.

But ten Haag will have Ferguson still around, Rangnick still around, and Steve McClaren (a former Ferguson assistant manager) back.

If I was ten Hag, I’d be insisting that Ferguson is relieved of his ambassadorial and other assorted duties.

Let him fully retire to his whiskey and his horses.

I’d be insisting that Rangnick’s consulting role is binned.

Busby loomed large over many successors for more than a decade, and it did nobody any good.

To their eternal shame, United let the same thing happen with Ferguson.

Ties with him should be cut.

United need to make a clean break, accept that they have made mistakes and fallen heavily, and start the long climb back to the summit.

A strong English league needs a strong United.

When Liverpool were in the doldrums and United running the roost, I maintained that a strong English league needed a strong Liverpool.

With all the ‘Big Guns’ blazing, the league benefits even more.

United’s decline hasn’t come about because of a resurgent Liverpool no more than it has come about because of a newlywealthy Manchester City; it has come about as a result of their own mistakes.

Time to start righting them.

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May 10, 2022

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May 10, 2022

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May 10, 2022

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

Irish Press , 09/05/1968

Irish Press , 17/05/1933

Freemans Jrn , 17/05/1821

Irish Press 09/05/1946

Irish Press 24/05/1932

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wicklowvoice.ie May 10, 2022